Xiaomi Redmi 12C review: specs, battery & used prices

Summary

The Xiaomi Redmi 12C is the 2022 entry point of the Redmi line, running the MediaTek Helio G85 in a 6.71-inch 60 Hz LCD, with a 5000 mAh battery, 10 W charging, and a 192-gram body. Our catalog scores it 20 on everyday use, 10 on camera and 85 on compactness. A 50-megapixel main camera leads the rear array, and the 2/32 GB trim is tracked at about $150 new. The Xiaomi Redmi 13C is the newer generation, and the Xiaomi Redmi A2 is the ultra-budget alternative below.

Display and design

The 6.71-inch LCD runs at 60 Hz, scoring 18 on our screen axis: a large basic panel with a 400-nit ceiling, readable indoors and washed out in sun. No ingress rating is documented, and at 192 grams the phone sits in the ordinary band of its class.

Performance

The Helio G85 posts an everyday axis of 20 and a gaming axis of 0: calls, messaging and light streaming define the working envelope, and the 2 to 4 GB RAM of the tracked trims is the tightest constraint. The two-year software window closed some time ago.

Camera

The camera axis of 10 rests on a 50-megapixel main sensor alone. Daylight shots serve documents and messages; there is no ultrawide, no stabilization and no documented video specification, which is the honest specification floor of this price tier.

Battery and charging

The 5000 mAh battery scores 40 on our battery axis, an easy full day at this modest pace, while 10 W charging scores 0 — the slowest refill tier our scale measures, best treated as a nightly routine. Endurance remains the one reliable specification here.

Verdict

At about $150 new for 2/32 GB, the Redmi 12C answers a simple question: the least expensive large-screen Redmi with a big battery. Everything beyond endurance is compromise; the Redmi 13C moves the formula a generation forward, and the Redmi A2 sits even lower.