UPDATE: POCO India executives have confirmed that the Redmi Note 12 series will not launch as rebranded POCO smartphones in India.
Xiaomi recently launched the Redmi Note 12 series in China. The Note 12 series launched in Xiaomi’s home country includes four devices. These are the Note 12 5G, Note 12 Pro, Note 12 Pro Plus and the Note 12 Explorer Edition. The Redmi Note 12 Pro+ 5G is expected to launch as the Xiaomi 12i HyperCharge in India. Xiaomi has not confirmed any details at the time of writing this. The India variant of the phone was spotted on the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) website with the model number 22101316UP. Another Note 12 series phone is set to launch in India as a rebranded device. The Redmi Note 12 5G could debut in India as a POCO phone.
Xiaomi could debut the vanilla Note 12 5G as a POCO phone later this month. The device launched in China has the model number 22101317C. Its shorter model number is the M17. The POCO phone, which could launch as the rebadged Note 12 5G in India, has been spotted (via) in the BIS database. This POCO phone has the model number 22111317PI. While the full model number might be slightly different, the shortened one is the same as the Chinese Note 12 5G.
This confirms that the phone could launch as a POCO device in India. The model number also suggests that the phone will launch in India in November itself. It is unknown what moniker the phone will hold when it is launched in India. Considering the POCO M5 is already available in India, the 5G variant of the same could debut soon.
POCO has not officially confirmed any details about the launch at the moment. We will share more details as and when available. Meanwhile, here’s a quick look at Note 12 5G’s specifications and features.
Redmi Note 12 5G Specifications
The Note 12 5G features a 6.67-inch Full HD+ OLED display. It supports a 120Hz refresh rate and comes with a peak brightness of 1200 nits. The screen is flat and sports a hole-punch cutout at the top centre. There is also a Snapdragon 4 Gen 1 SoC under the hood. The phone packs a 5000mAh battery with 33W fast charging out of the box.
On the back, there is a dual-camera setup. The phone features a 48MP main camera and a 2MP depth sensor. For selfies, the Note 12 5G has an 8MP front camera inside the hole-punch cutout. It runs Android 12-based MIUI 13 out of the box.
Xiaomi launched the Note 12 5G in China for CNY 1199 (roughly Rs 13,600). The base model offers 4GB of RAM and 128GB of internal storage. The device also comes with 6GB + 128GB, 8GB+ 128GB and 8GB + 256GB storage options. We are unlikely to see the 8GB RAM options in India. The Note 12 5G comes in White, Blue and Black colours. It weighs 188 grams and is 7.98mm thick.
What are your thoughts about the rebadged Note 12 5G launching in India as a POCO phone? Let us know in the comments below.
