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In this article, we examine a typical choice that smartphone consumers must make: whether to buy a brand-new midrange handset or an outdated flagship. Today, we'll be concentrating on the Redmi Note 12 Pro+ and the Xiaomi Mi 11, two smartphones with comparable price tags.
Due to the identical prices of the Note 12 Pro+ and Mi 11, we chose them. Even if it's difficult to find a brand-new Mi 11, it's more probable that you'll purchase a used model if you prefer to purchase an older flagship. Both the official Xiaomi retail store in Greece and a well-known Greek classifieds website provided us with the prices of both smartphones. Price-wise, the Note 12 Pro+ and the used Mi 11 are comparable. Let's see what these devices are capable of.
Performance:
An older flagship model like the Mi 11 is the obvious pick for gamers and power users because it has a stronger GPU and better overall CPU performance. Particularly when it comes to taxing operations, the Snapdragon 888 in the Mi 11 surpasses the Dimensity 1080 in the Note 12 Pro+.
Cortex-A78 and Cortex-A55 core counts for Dimensity 1080 are two each. Contrarily, the Snapdragon 888 includes three Cortex-A78 processors, four Cortex-A55 processors, and a fifth Cortex-X1 processor. If you look closely, you'll notice that Cortex-A78 and Cortex-A55 cores from both the Snapdragon 888 and Dimensity 1080 are present, though in different numbers and clock rates.
In truth, midrange chipsets today feature cores that are comparable to flagship chipsets from two years ago, but the performance core is still absent. While the Dimensity 1080 and Snapdragon 888 both have comparable core architectures, the Cortex-X1 core distinguishes the latter and gives it the much-needed performance gain. The speed of the storage unit is another factor that affects how well a smartphone performs; the Mi 11 features a UFS 3.1 storage unit, which is substantially faster than the UFS 2.2 found in the Note 12 Pro+.
Battery:
Chinese smartphone manufacturers recently achieved a significant advancement in battery technology, so if you use your phone frequently but only for easy tasks, you should consider purchasing a new intermediate device. With 120W fast charging, the Redmi Note 12 Pro+ can charge from zero to one hundred percent in just twenty minutes.
Since it supports 55W fast charging, the Mi 11 is actually not awful in terms of quick charging, but we can simply argue that 120W is considerably faster and more practical. When it comes to the battery for the charging speed, we advised choosing a midrange smartphone. However, we frequently observe this in phones made by Chinese OEMs. For instance, when it comes to quick charging, even Samsung's flagship phones fall short of Chinese models. While the 2021 flagship Mi 11 offers 55W fast charging, the 2023 flagship S23 Ultra has 45W. Because there are intermediate devices on the market that are still charging slowly in 2023 at a rate of 25W, such as the Galaxy A54, a 2023 midranger.
Display & Design:
One of the major differences between a midrange mobile and a flagship handset can be the design and display. Both the Mi 11 and Note 12 Pro+ have OLED panels that refresh at 120Hz, but there is a significant difference between the two.
While Note 12 Pro+ has an FHD display, Mi 11 features a QHD one. Although most people may not be particularly interested in the resolution difference, utilising a QHD panel on the phone's screen undoubtedly produces a sharper image. When comparing a flagship and a midranger, the difference is not just in the image's sharpness but also in the screen's brightness. In this aspect, the Mi 11 performs significantly better than the Note 12 Pro+, whose maximum brightness is 900 nits, while the Mi 11 can attain a maximum brightness of 1500 nits. When using the Mi 11 outside in the sun, the screen will be considerably more apparent.
Everyone has a different opinion on how a phone should look, but in general, flagship handsets use considerably higher-quality materials than midrange devices. While Mi 11 features a glass back cover and a metal frame, Redmi Note 12 Pro+ has a plastic frame with glass back. The metal phone frames that are used are excellent for the phones' longevity. A phone with a plastic frame is more likely to flex or even break than one with a metal frame. Buy a flagship device if durability and design are important to you.
The quality of the microphone and speakers in flagship cellphones is substantially superior. While this is typically more balanced on flagship devices, the sound coming from the earpiece speaker of a midrange device may be a little lower than the main speaker, providing you a satisfactory audio experience.
Cameras:
The camera system is one of the key distinctions between flagship and midrange handsets.
Due to their more powerful chipsets, flagship devices typically have better quality video recording, and their auxiliary cameras are typically at a much higher level than those on midrange devices. In comparison to Note 12 Pro+, which boasts a 200 MP main camera, an 8 MP ultrawide angle camera, and a 2 MP macro camera, the Mi 11 has a 50 MP main camera, a 13 MP ultrawide angle camera, and a 5 MP macro camera. Of course, the sensor size is the only factor in this situation and not the number of megapixels.
on fact, the Samsung HPX sensor on the Note 12 Pro+'s primary camera is excellent enough to compete with the Mi 11. The primary camera sensor on the Redmi Note 12 Pro+ is 1/1.4 inches in size, whereas the primary sensor on the Mi 11 is 1/1.33 inches. As we previously stated, there shouldn't be a significant difference between the main cameras, but it is crucial to remember that, in addition to a large image sensor, a good lens should also be present. The auxiliary cameras are where the true distinction between the devices begins.
The main, ultrawide, and macro cameras on both phones have comparable configurations, however the ultrawide angle camera sensor size on the Mi 11 is 1/3.06 inches, compared to 1/4 inches on the Note 12 Pro+. The ultrawide angle camera on the Note 12 Pro+ could produce worse results because the sensor is smaller.
The Mi 11 is actually an outlier; typically, flagship cellphones include a telephoto camera. Who doesn't desire optical zoom? If you purchase an older flagship handset, you might want to check to see if it features a telephoto camera. Use a telephoto lens to capture the moment without sacrificing quality when you can't get up close to the subject you want to photograph.
The main camera in the Note 12 Pro+ is actually on par with several flagship products, but if you purchase a device with a worse main camera, you may experience significant problems in low light. Because there is less light hitting the sensor, you will need to use a higher ISO to avoid getting a blurry image. If the ISO performance on your phone is strong enough, you can stop time at a very slow shutter speed. The comparison between a high and low shutter speed is seen in the image below. Midrange devices' subpar cameras can make moving things appear fuzzy in dimly lit environments.
The photographs may not appear to differ significantly, but when you zoom in on one of them, you can notice that the image on the right lacks any detail. Both photographs have clear backgrounds, but the second one's focused region is hazy because just the branch in focus was moving while the wind was blowing. Let's enlarge to better see the distinction.
A robust camera setup will offer you the greatest results in any situation, so choose the ideal camera for your needs. If you want to take high-quality pictures in any lighting condition, you'll need a huge sensor and a good lens.
Conclusion
The deals you find in your nation and the phone you wish to buy ultimately determine whether you should buy the new midranger or the old flagship. You should steer clear of an outdated flagship device if its battery performance will be subpar. Better displays, cameras, and performance are desirable for everyone, but if your battery doesn't last even a day, these new features aren't really useful.
Before purchasing a used phone, make an informed decision, check to make sure it is completely functional, and learn how long the battery lasts. A battery replacement is also a possibility for you if the battery performance is poor but you know exactly which gadget you'll purchase.