Redmi Note 12 Pro vs Realme 10 Pro Plus: Which is the best smartphone under Rs 25,000?

Xiaomi recently dropped the Redmi Note 12 series in India. The line-up included the Redmi Note 12 5G, Redmi Note 12 Pro, and Redmi Note 12 Pro+. However, in today’s comparison, we will look at the Redmi Note 12 Pro 5G and its biggest competitor in 2023, the Realme 10 Pro Plus.

The Redmi Note 12 Pro price in India is set at Rs 24,999 for the base 6GB/128GB model. The Realme 10 Pro+ price in India starts from Rs 24,999 for the 6GB/128GB model. But which of these two devices earns the crown of best smartphone under Rs 25,000 in 2023. In our full Realme 10 Pro Plus and Redmi Note 12 Pro specs comparison, we’ll see which one comes out on top.

Realme 10 Pro Plus vs Redmi Note 12 Pro 5G

Both phones are uniquely designed, although the Redmi Note 12 Pro’s glass back and IP53 rating give it an edge in overall build quality. However, the Realme 10 Pro Plus has a premium design with a curved screen, making it the only smartphone under Rs 25,000 to feature a curved display.

Moving on to the front, and both phones feature an AMOLED display but as mentioned above, Realme opts for a curved OLED screen as opposed to a flat one on the Redmi Note 12 Pro. On the other hand, the Redmi Note 12 Pro’s display is brighter but has a lower touch sampling rate.

There’s nothing separating the two devices on the performance front as their specifications are the same. However, Realme does offer virtual RAM support to squeeze that extra bit of performance out. When it comes to software, Realme also has a clearcut advantage as it runs on Android 13 out of the box. Both Realme UI and MIUI come with their fair share of bloatware, although the latter offers more room for customizations.

We haven’t tested out the camera performance of the Redmi Note 12 Pro 5G, although the Realme 10 Pro Plus’ 108 MP primary sensor isn’t too far off from the main camera of its predecessor, the Realme 9 Pro Plus (Review). On paper, Samsung’s 108 MP shooter does come out on top, although the 50 MP Sony IMX766 on the Redmi Note 12 Pro also supports OIS. The rest of the cameras are pretty evenly matched on both devices, delivering poor to average performance depending on the scenario.

Battery capacity and charging support are similar on both phones, although the Realme 10 Pro+ gets an 80W adapter in the box. The Redmi Note 12 Pro also features a better vibration motor for improved haptic feedback while gaming. The Realme 10 Pro+ opts for an in-display fingerprint reader as opposed to a side-mounted reader on the Note 12 Pro 5G.

Overall, the differences between the Redmi Note 12 Pro and Realme 10 Pro+ are few and far between. While the main camera specs, build, and software do differ, not much else has changed. However, the biggest difference between the two devices come on the design front.