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Xiaomi Redmi Note 12S vs Note 12

47 out of 100
Xiaomi Redmi Note 12S
VS
47 out of 100
Xiaomi Redmi Note 12
Xiaomi Redmi Note 12S
Xiaomi Redmi Note 12

Here we compared two mid-range smartphones: the 6.43-inch Xiaomi Redmi Note 12S (with MediaTek Helio G96) that was released on March 6, 2023, against the Xiaomi Redmi Note 12, which is powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 685 and came out 1 month after. On this page, you will find tests, full specs, strengths, and weaknesses of each of the devices.

Select the amount of RAM to evaluate performance and value for money more precisely
Memory
  1. Differences
  2. Review
  3. Specs
  4. Benchmarks
  5. Battery life
  6. Camera
  7. Comments (7)

Key differences

An overview of the main advantages of each smartphone
Reasons to consider the Xiaomi Redmi Note 12S
  • Newer Bluetooth version (v5.2)
  • Stereo speakers
  • Has 50% more RAM: 6GB versus 4GB
  • 43% faster in single-core GeekBench 6 test: 671 and 469 points
Reasons to consider the Xiaomi Redmi Note 12
  • Water-resistant body (IP53 classification)
  • Higher display refresh rate – 120 Hz
  • More energy-efficient CPU – Snapdragon 685
  • Delivers 18% higher peak brightness (748 against 634 nits)

Review

Evaluation of Xiaomi Redmi Note 12S and Note 12 crucial features
Display
Screen quality, color accuracy, brightness
Camera
Photo and video recording quality
Performance
CPU and memory performance (apps, system)
Gaming
Capabilities for playing modern games
Battery
Battery life, charging type and speed
Connectivity
Networks, ports, data transmission
Scores with a red asterisk (*) are approximate and may change in the future as we gather more data.
NanoReview Score
Final comparison evaluation
Select your primary usage scenario to get a more accurate NanoReview Score
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Value for money (Beta)

To get an accurate value-for-money index, update the default prices with actual prices from your country’s retailers (for the selected memory configs) and press the "Calculate" button.
Currency
6 / 64 GB
VS
4 / 64 GB
81.1
(Good)
Value Index
44.5
(Average)

Tests and specifications

Comparison table of technical specifications and tests
Phone:
Redmi Note 12S
vs
Redmi Note 12

Display

Type AMOLED AMOLED
Size 6.43 inches 6.67 inches
Resolution 1080 x 2400 pixels 1080 x 2400 pixels
Aspect ratio 20:9 20:9
PPI 409 ppi 395 ppi
Refresh rate 90 Hz 120 Hz
Adaptive refresh rate No Yes (60-120 Hz)
Max rated brightness 1000 nits 1200 nits
HDR support No No
Touch sampling rate 180 Hz 240 Hz
Screen protection Tempered glass Corning Gorilla Glass 3
Screen-to-body ratio 84.5% 85.3%
Display features - DCI-P3
- Always-On Display		 - DCI-P3
- Always-On Display
Display tests
RGB color space 99.2% 100%
PWM 355 Hz 484 Hz
Response time 3 ms 5 ms
Contrast ∞ Infinity ∞ Infinity
Screen space comparison
Redmi Note 12
6.67″ (20:9 ratio) = 16.6 in2
Redmi Note 12S
6.43″ (20:9 ratio) = 15.5 in2
~7% more screen space
Peak brightness test (auto)
Redmi Note 12S
634 nits
Redmi Note 12 +18%
748 nits
Sources: NotebookCheck [3], [4]

Design and build

Height 159.87 mm (6.29 inches) 165.66 mm (6.52 inches)
Width 73.87 mm (2.91 inches) 75.96 mm (2.99 inches)
Thickness 8.09 mm (0.32 inches) 7.85 mm (0.31 inches)
Weight 176 g (6.21 oz) 183.5 g (6.47 oz)
Waterproof No IP53
Rear material Plastic Plastic
Frame material Plastic Plastic
Colors Black, Blue, Green Gray, Blue, Green
Fingerprint scanner Yes, in-button Yes, in-button
Screen-to-body ratio
Redmi Note 12S
84.5%
Redmi Note 12 +1%
85.3%

Performance

Chipset specifications of Xiaomi Redmi Note 12S and Xiaomi Redmi Note 12
SoC
Chipset MediaTek Helio G96 Qualcomm Snapdragon 685
Max clock 2050 MHz 2800 MHz
CPU cores 8 (2 + 6) 8 (4 + 4)
Architecture - 6 cores at 2 GHz: Cortex-A55
- 2 cores at 2.05 GHz: Cortex-A76		 - 4 cores at 1.9 GHz: Cortex-A53
- 4 cores at 2.8 GHz: Cortex-A73
Manufacturing TSMC TSMC
Lithography process 12 nanometers 6 nanometers
Neural processor (NPU) MediaTek APU Hexagon 686
GPU
Graphics Mali-G57 MC2 Adreno 610
GPU shading units 64 128
GPU clock 950 MHz 1260 MHz
FLOPS ~121.6 GFLOPS ~322.6 GFLOPS

Benchmarks

Benchmark comparison of Xiaomi Redmi Note 12S and Xiaomi Redmi Note 12
Geekbench 6 (Single-Core)
Geekbench 6 (Multi-Core)
Compute Score (GPU)
Compute Score (GPU) - 381
Single-core score 671 469
Multi-core score 1518 1484
Sources: Geekbench [3], [4]
AnTuTu Benchmark 11
Redmi Note 12S
493222
Redmi Note 12 +1%
496286
CPU 182454 187869
GPU 44018 29691
Memory 129323 141765
UX 137427 136961
Total score 493222 496286
Samples Less than 3 [20 tests]
3DMark Steel Nomad Light
Stability 97% -
Graphics test 1 FPS -
Graphics score 132 -
3DMark Wild Life Extreme
Stability 82% 97%
Graphics test 1 FPS -
Graphics score 326 -
Sources: 3DMark [5], [6]
PCMark 3.0
Web score 7036 8747
Video editing 4563 4745
Photo editing 17381 15136
Data manipulation 6849 7401
Writing score 10223 10107
Submit your benchmark results

Recent User Tests

The latest benchmark tests that have been submitted by users
Xiaomi Redmi Note 12S
DateBenchmarkResult
📘 2026-07-20 (Victor monteiiro)Geekbench 6 CPU664 / 1929
📘 2025-11-09 (Killjoy)AnTuTu 11493222
📘 2024-05-22 (Victor Monteiiro)Geekbench 6 CPU671 / 1518
📘 2024-01-03 (KaQ_Ss)Geekbench 6 CPU678 / 1895
Add View all (4)
Xiaomi Redmi Note 12
DateBenchmarkResult
📘 2026-09-20 (SSAN)AnTuTu 11508133
📘 2026-07-24 (Tameng)AnTuTu 11501656
📘 2026-07-12 (blvll.)AnTuTu 11480276
📘 2026-07-05 (Ikan pari 🐟🦈)AnTuTu 11501460
📘 2026-07-02 (Zəka)Geekbench 6 GPU381
Add View all (31)

Memory

RAM
RAM size 6 GB 4 GB
Memory type LPDDR4X LPDDR4X
Memory clock 2133 MHz 2133 MHz
Channels 2 2
Storage
Storage size 64 GB 64 GB
Storage type UFS 2.2 UFS 2.2
Memory card MicroSD MicroSD
Memory card max size Up to 1024 GB Up to 1024 GB

Software

Operating system Android 13 (Can be upgraded to Android 15) Android 13 (Can be upgraded to Android 15)
ROM HyperOS 2.0 HyperOS 2.0
OS size 20 GB 21 GB
OS updates 2 years 2 years
Security updates 2 years 2 years

Battery

Capacity 5000 mAh 5000 mAh
Max charge power 33 W 33 W
Battery type Li-Po Li-Po
Replaceable No No
Wireless charging No No
Reverse charging No No
Fast charging Yes (55% in 30 min) Yes (55% in 30 min)
Full charging time 1:12 hr 1:11 hr
Battery life tests
Web browsing 08:33 hr 08:20 hr
Watching video 12:31 hr 15:10 hr
Gaming 05:17 hr 05:33 hr
Standby 112 hr 113 hr
General battery life
Redmi Note 12S
22:00 hr
Redmi Note 12 +5%
23:06 hr
Add your battery life

Main camera

Matrix 108 megapixels 50 megapixels
Image resolution 12032 x 9024 8192 x 6144
Zoom Digital Digital
Flash LED LED
Stabilization Digital Digital
8K video recording No No
4K video recording No No
1080p video recording Up to 30FPS Up to 30FPS
Slow motion 120 FPS (720p) 120 FPS (720p)
Angle of widest lens 118° 120°
Lenses 1) Standard: 108 MP
2) Ultrawide: 8 MP
3) Macro: 2 MP
1) Standard: 50 MP
2) Ultrawide: 8 MP
3) Macro: 2 MP
Camera features - Bokeh mode
- Pro mode		 - Bokeh mode
- Pro mode
Standard lens
Image resolution 108 MP 50 MP
Aperture f/1.9 f/1.8
Sensor Samsung S5KHM2 Samsung S5KJN1
Sensor size 1/1.52" (≈ 0.66 inch) 1/2.76" (≈ 0.36 inch)
Pixel size 0.7 micron 0.64 micron
Autofocus Phase autofocus Phase autofocus
Stabilization Digital Digital
Ultra-wide lens
Image resolution 8 MP 8 MP
Aperture f/2.2 f/2.2
Sensor - Omnivision OV08D10
Sensor size 1/4.0" (≈ 0.25 inch) 1/4" (≈ 0.25 inch)
Pixel size - 1.12 micron
Stabilization Digital Digital
Macro lens
Image resolution 2 MP 2 MP
Aperture f/2.4 f/2.4
Stabilization Digital Digital

Selfie camera

Megapixels 16 megapixels 13 megapixels
Image resolution 4920 x 3264 4128 x 3096
Aperture f/2.4 f/2.5
Sensor CMOS CMOS
Sensor size 1/3.06" (≈ 0.33 inch) 1/3.0" (≈ 0.33 inch)
Pixel size 1 micron 1.12 micron
Autofocus No No
Stabilization Digital Digital
Video resolution 1080p (Full HD) at 30 FPS 1080p (Full HD) at 30 FPS
Depth sensor (TOF 3D) No No

Connectivity

Wi-Fi standard Wi-Fi 5 (802.11 a/b/g/n/ac) Wi-Fi 5 (802.11 a/b/g/n/ac)
Wi-Fi features - Dual Band
- Wi-Fi Direct
- Wi-Fi Hotspot
- Wi-Fi Display		 - Dual Band
- Wi-Fi Direct
- Wi-Fi Hotspot
- Wi-Fi Display
Bluetooth version 5.2 5
Bluetooth features LE LE
USB type USB Type-C USB Type-C
USB version 2 2
USB features - Charging
- USB-Storage mode
- OTG		 - Charging
- USB-Storage mode
- OTG
GPS GPS, GLONASS, Galileo GPS, GLONASS, Galileo
NFC* Yes Depends on the region
Infrared port Yes Yes
Network
Number of SIM* 2 2
Type of SIM card Nano Nano
Multi SIM mode Standby Standby
eSIM support* No No
Hybrid slot No No
LTE Cat* 13 13
5G support No No

Sound

Speakers Stereo Mono
Headphone audio jack Yes Yes
FM radio No Yes
Dolby Atmos No No
Speakers test
Max loudness
Redmi Note 12S
81.3 dB
Redmi Note 12
81.3 dB

Other

Category Mid-range Mid-range
Announced March 2023 March 2023
Release date April 2023 March 2023
Launch price (MSRP) $289 $229
Successor - - Xiaomi Redmi Note 15 4G
Sensors - Proximity sensor
- Gyroscope
- Accelerometer
- Ambient light sensor
- Compass
- Fingerprint		 - Proximity sensor
- Gyroscope
- Accelerometer
- Ambient light sensor
- Compass
- Fingerprint
Bundled charger Yes, 33 W Yes, 33 W
*Disclaimer! NFC, GSM network support, and some other specs can be different depending on the country.

Conclusion

If the camera, performance, and sound are more important to you, then choose the Xiaomi Redmi Note 12S. But if the display, gaming, battery life, and design are more of a priority – go for the Xiaomi Redmi Note 12.

Cast your vote

So, which phone would you choose?
1139 (51%)
1093 (49%)
Total votes: 2232

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2. Xiaomi Redmi Note 12 vs Xiaomi Redmi Note 12 Pro (3)
3. Xiaomi Redmi Note 12 vs Xiaomi Redmi 12
4. Xiaomi Redmi Note 12 vs Infinix Note 30 (1)
5. Xiaomi Redmi Note 12 vs Xiaomi Redmi 13C
6. Xiaomi Redmi Note 12S vs Xiaomi Redmi Note 12 Pro
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User opinions

You can share your opinion or ask a question in the comments below
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Avatar
Godwin Agu February 17, 2024 at 06:08 PM
I would like to understand why the 12s has better performance than the 12. Technically, it seems as if the 12 should outperform the 12s based on the information I have found on this page. So, why is the reality different?
+6 Reply
Avatar
Murad Xasiyev March 19, 2024 at 10:29 AM
Because MediaTek Helio G96 is superior to Snapdragon 685.
+20 Reply
Avatar
Ali May 5, 2024 at 02:15 AM
Because note 12 uses old cores (A53,A73) against note 12s(A55,A76)
+11 Reply
Avatar
ZEAON June 15, 2024 at 11:19 AM
As the Snapdragon chip is old and performs abysmally in everything, the UI lag is annoying, but the MediaTek rep on the Note 12S does a great job on the UI. I have experience with both phones and if you can handle 90Hz, I highly recommend the Note 12S, but the Note 12 was a big mistake from the start.
+5 Reply
Avatar
Bababoi June 1, 2026 at 03:53 AM
Helio G96 is worse in efficiency noticeably than Snapdragon 685, but it's significantly better than 685 in gaming and performance because it has much newer cores and much faster graphics performance unit.
0 Reply
Avatar
Walirahman Safi February 3, 2024 at 01:31 PM
Which phone is better between these two? I need your help. Thanks
+33 Reply
Avatar
ZEAON June 15, 2024 at 11:37 AM
Hello, my friend! The Note 12S has a higher purchase value, and if you can deal with the 90Hz screen, I will explain the reasoning for each component so that you understand what I mean better. (I have experience working with both.) In terms of design, the Note 12S is more stylish, lighter, and easier to handle, but if you're looking for a large screen, the Note 12 is a better choice. When it comes to the camera, all three lenses of the Note 12S are superior (from a photography perspective), and the superior video recording of the 12S solidifies this point. The performance of the Note 12 chip is unsatisfactory; it can't meet expectations in any way. The poor user interface in the Note 12 and the fact that this user interface is a light version substantiate this. In contrast, the Note 12S exhibits excellent performance. However, if you're concerned about graphic settings in games, the Note 12 supports higher settings. Regarding the display, one could argue that the Note 12 appears slightly better, but this superiority is due solely to its higher speed. In terms of color presentation and display accuracy, they are almost equal. I award the battery score to the Note 12 as it has a longer life. The Note 12 speaker can't compare to its competitor. Generally, the Note 12S will keep you satisfied over long-term use.
+10 Reply
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