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Xiaomi Redmi 12C

Xiaomi Redmi 12C
R2,500
SKU: 3732
Brand: Xiaomi
Category: Mobiles
  • CPU: Octa-core (2x2.0 GHz Cortex-A75 & 6x1.8 GHz Cortex-A55)
  • RAM: 2GB-6GB
  • Storage: 32GB/64GB/128GB
  • Display: IPS LCD, 500 nits (typ)
  • Camera: 50MP
  • OS: Android 12, MIUI 13

Our Rating

The overall rating is based on review by our experts

6.3
  • Display 6 / 10
  • Camera 6 / 10
  • Performance 6 / 10
  • Battery 7 / 10

PROS

  1. Best build quality.
  2. 5000mAh Li-polymer battery.
  3. Large IPS LCD display.

CONS

  1. 5G is not supported.

The Xiaomi Redmi 12C is a highly popular budget contender in South Africa, specifically designed for users who want a solid, reliable smartphone experience without climbing into the higher price brackets. It strikes a great balance for students, families, or anyone needing a dependable daily driver for social media, WhatsApp, schoolwork, and mobile banking.

Here is a closer look at its pricing landscape, where you can find it across the country, and the core features it offers.

Price and Market Availability in South Africa

The Xiaomi Redmi 12C is available starting from approximately ZAR 2,500. Because it sits right in the sweet spot of the budget-conscious market, the final price can change based on a few factors:

  • RAM and Storage Variations: The Redmi 12C comes in different configurations (such as 32GB, 64GB, or 128GB of internal storage). Choosing a model with higher storage or more RAM for smoother multitasking will cause the price to adjust slightly upward from the base rate.

  • Retailer Specials & Starter Bundles: Major value retailers frequently run weekend promotions, back-to-school deals, or festive discounts that can drop the cash price or include free starter packs.

Where to Buy: Retail Outlets & Mobile Networks

Thanks to Xiaomi’s extensive distribution footprint, the Redmi 12C is incredibly easy to find across South Africa, whether you are shopping online, visiting a major hypermarket, or stopping by a local clothing and value store.

Value Retailers & Department Stores

For affordable cash prices, layby options, or using in-store retail accounts, the phone is widely available at:

  • Value & Fashion Outlets: PEP, Ackermans, Mr Price, and 4U.

  • Large Hypermarkets: Game and Makro.

  • Department Stores: Foschini.

Online Storefronts & Tech Specialists

If you want to compare prices digitally, secure direct cash discounts, or get fast delivery to your door, check out these platforms:

  • Takealot

  • Hi Online

  • HiFi Corp

  • Cellucity

Network Providers & Franchises

If you prefer to get the phone on a monthly prepaid deal, bundle it with a new SIM card, or look at entry-level contract options, you can find it through:

  • MTN

  • Chatz Connect

High-Level Core Features

To keep the price accessible, the Redmi 12C focuses on practical, real-world performance essentials that keep your daily apps running smoothly:

  • Large 6.71-inch HD+ Display: The generous screen size provides plenty of space for comfortable reading, navigating apps, watching videos, and playing casual games without straining your eyes.

  • 50MP Dual AI Camera: A major highlight for a phone in this price tier is the 50MP main rear camera sensor. It captures surprisingly sharp, detailed photos in good lighting, making it great for everyday snapshots and sharing on social media.

  • Reliable MediaTek Helio G85 Processor: This octa-core processor delivers steady, dependable performance for everyday tasks. It handles multi-tasking between messaging apps, web browsing, and streaming smoothly, while managing power efficiently.

  • Robust 5,000mAh Battery: This high-capacity battery easily carries the phone through a full day of heavy utilization—and can often stretch into a second day with moderate use, reducing the need to constantly look for a charger.

Shopping Tip: When purchasing the Redmi 12C, check whether the model you are buying is open-market or network-locked. Buying from independent tech stores like Takealot or HiFi Corp usually ensures the device is completely unlocked for any South African network, while certain promotional bundles at value retailers may be locked to a specific provider.

Full Specifications

General

Brand Xiaomi
Model Xiaomi Redmi 12C
Announced 01 January, 2023
Released 01 January, 2023
Status Available
Price ZAR 2,500

Design

Type Design Type called form factor refers to a mobile phone's size, shape, and style as well as the layout and position of major components of phone. There are three major form factors seen in mobile phones => bar phones, folding phones and sliding phones. Bar
Dimensions 168.8 x 76.4 x 8.8 mm (6.65 x 3.01 x 0.35 in)
Weight 192 g (6.77 oz)
Colors Graphite Gray, Ocean Blue, Mint Green, Lavender Purple

Network

2G Network
3G Network
4G Network
5G Network
SIM SIM (Subscriber Identity Module) is a small card that contains mobile network subscriber's account information. This allows the phone using the card to attach to a mobile network. The SIM card is most commonly associated with GSM and UMTS mobile networks. Moving a SIM card from one phone to another allows a subscriber to switch mobile phones without having to contact their mobile network carrier. SIM cards can also be used by a phone to store limited amounts of data, such as phone numbers and text messages. Dual SIM (Nano-SIM, dual stand-by)

Display

Display Type Display Technology => A number of display technologies and types used in mobile phones => TFT (Thin Film Transistor), IPS (In-Place Switching), OLED (Organic Light Emitting Diode), AMOLED (Active-Matrix Organic Light-Emitting Diode), Super AMOLED (an even advanced version of AMOLED), Resistive Touchscreen (Resistive touchscreens contain two layer of conductive material with a very small gap between them which acts as a resistance), Capacitive Touchsceen (Capacitive touchscreen technology consists of a layer of glass coated with a transparent conductor) IPS LCD, 500 nits (typ)
Size 6.71 inches, 106.5 cm2 (~82.6% screen-to-body ratio)
Resolution 720 x 1650 pixels (~268 ppi density)

Media

Audio Playback
Video Playback
FM Radio Yes
Ring Tones
Loudspeaker

Camera

Main Camera Camera is able to capture photographs and usually videos, The most important characteristics of a camera are the resolution (measured in megapixels), lens focus type (fixed or automatic), higher megapixel cameras are known to capture higher quality photos, but not always a good measurement of the photos quality. 50 MP, f/1.8, (wide), 1/2.76", PDAF
0.08 MP (auxiliary lens)
Video 1080p@30fps
Selfie Camera 5 MP, f/2.2, (wide)
Video 1080p@30fps

Software

Operating System OS => Every computer system run on a base software called Operating System (OS). Operating System controls all basic operations of the computer (such as smartphone, PDAs, tablet computers and other handheld devices). The Operating System allows the user to install and run third party applications (apps), apps are used to add new functionality to the device. Android 12
User Interface UI or user interface of a device is the look and feel of the on-screen menu system. How it works, its color scheme, how it responds to button presses, all of these things are part of the user interface. MIUI 13

Hardware

Chipset Chipset is a group of integrated circuits designed to perform one or a more dedicated functions, often with real time computing constraints, Popular smartphones are equipped with more advanced embedded chipsets that can do many different tasks depending on their programming. Mediatek MT6769Z Helio G85 (12 nm)
CPU CPU (Central Processing Unit) mostly known as processors, CPU processes instructions in order to carry out certain functions that make your device operate properly. Processors are often described as the brain of computers, smartphones and tablets, Smartphones and tablets rely on processors to carry out their every task, Processors are an incredibly important factor in selecting any type of computing device, including your smartphone. Octa-core (2x2.0 GHz Cortex-A75 & 6x1.8 GHz Cortex-A55)
GPU GPU (Graphics Processing Unit) is a single-chip processor designed to rapidly manipulate and alter memory to accelerate the creation of images in a frame buffer intended for output to a display, This includes things such as lighting effects, object transformations, and 3D motion. Mali-G52 MC2
RAM (Memory) RAM (Random Access Memory) is a type of computer memory that can be accessed randomly, any byte of memory can be accessed without touching the preceding bytes that allows information to be stored and accessed quickly from random locations. RAM is the most common type of memory found in computer systems, smartphones, tablets and other electronic devices. 2GB-6GB
Internal Storage Internal Storage is a data storage space (flash memory) mostly used in smartphones, tablets and other electronic devices where operating system, apps, music, photos, videos, files and other user data Is stored. 32GB/64GB/128GB
Card Slot Memory Card Slot is a special slot for inserting a memory card. Memory cards allow you to expand the phone's built-in memory, A memory card (sometimes called a flash memory card or a storage card) is a small storage medium used to store data such as text, pictures, audio, and video, for use on small, portable or remote computing devices such as mobile phones, mp3 players, digital cameras. microSDXC (dedicated slot)
Sensors Sensors are electronic components that detects and responds to some type of input from the physical environment. The specific input could be light, heat, motion, moisture, pressure and location, The output is generally a signal that is converted to use in computing systems, a location sensor, such as a GPS receiver is able to detect current location of your electronic device. Fingerprint (rear-mounted), accelerometer
Virtual proximity sensing

Connectivity

Bluetooth Bluetooth is a wireless communications technology for exchanging data between mobile phones, headsets, computers and other network devices over short distances without wires, Bluetooth technology was primarily designed to support simple wireless networking of personal consumer devices. 5.1, A2DP, LE
Wi-fi Wi-Fi is a popular wireless networking technology using radio waves to provide high-speed network connections that allows devices to communicate without cords or cables, Wi-Fi is increasingly becoming the preferred mode of internet connectivity all over the world. Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct
Wi-fi Hotspot
USB microUSB 2.0
Positioning GPS The Global Positioning System is a satellite-based radio navigation system, GPS permits users to determine their position, velocity and the time 24 hours a day, in all weather, anywhere in the world, In order to locate your position, your device or GPS receiver must have a clear view of the sky. GPS, GLONASS, BDS, GALILEO
NFC NFC (Near field communication) is a set of standards for smartphones and similar devices to establish peer-to-peer radio communications with each other by touching them together or bringing them into proximity, usually no more than a few inches.

Battery

Battery Type Battery Type => Cell phones run on various kinds of batteries depending on the manufacturer, phone size or shape and features. There are basically four types of cell phone batteries => Lithium Polymer, Lithium Ion, Nickel Metal Hydride and Nickel Cadmium. Li-Po 5000 mAh, non-removable
Charging Wireless Charging (Inductive Charging) uses an electromagnetic field to transfer energy between two objects. This is usually done with a charging station. Energy is sent through an inductive coupling to an electrical device, which can then use that energy to charge batteries or run the device. 10W wired

Reviews

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  • Rate this Product

  • Screen size, image quality (brightness, colors, contrast, etc), visibility in sun light, angles of view and touchscreen.
    6
  • Usability of Camera interface, image and video quality in different light conditions and environment.
    5
  • Is this device perform good while watching videos, playing games, taking snapshots, browsing internet and navigate through other applications?
    5
  • What about battery life, while calling, listening music, watching videos, playing games and doing other tasks.
    6
  • 6 / 10 based on your selection

Disclaimer Note

The information contained in this post is for general information purposes only.