Poco M5S vs Xiaomi Redmi Note 12S: Comparison

Comparing Poco M5S and Xiaomi Redmi Note 12S – Mid-Range Smartphones on the Rise Mid-range smartphones are gaining in popularity these days, as they offer a closer experience to flagships than low-range phones, yet they come at more competitive prices. Enter the Poco M5S and Xiaomi Redmi Note 12S. Both phones have been released in 2022 and 2023 respectively, and they are competing for the price range sweet spot. In this article we will focus on the similarities and differences between the two phones to see which one is better suited for your needs.

Design & Materials

The Poco M5S comes with a 6.43 inch AMOLED screen and a 1080x2400 resolution. Its peak brightness of 1100 cd/m2 and its 4500000:1 contrast ratio make it a great choice for those who prefer vivid colours. This display is protected by Corning Gorilla Glass 3 and offers an 83.1% usable surface. Poco has implemented a P2i Nano coating on the phone, so it can stay protected from liquid splashes and dirt. The Xiaomi Redmi Note 12S display is also an AMOLED 6.43-inch panel, but with a higher refresh rate of 90 Hz and a HBM maximum brightness of 700 cd/m2. This design incorporates HDR technology making it one of the best displays you can find on a mid-range phone. The Gorilla Glass 3 protection returns here as well, while the usable surface increases up to 84.6%.

In terms of audio technology, both phones come with stereo speakers and Hi-Res audio. The Redmi Note 12S even offers better quality sound. As for materials the Poco M5S shell is made out of plastic, while the Redmi Note 12S is a combination of plastic and metal alloy.

Hardware and Cameras

When it comes to hardware, the Poco M5S uses the MediaTek Helio G95, while the Redmi Note 12S goes with the Helio G96. The amount of RAM on the Poco M5S goes from 4GB to 8GB of LPDDR4X RAM, while the storage can be 64GB, 128GB or 256GB of UFS Storage 2.2. On the other hand, the Redmi Note 12S maxes out at 6GB of RAM and 256GB of storage. Both phones offer expandable storage via an SD card slot, although the 12S allows for up to 1TB of space. As for benchmarking tests, AnTuTu scores the Poco M5S as 356297, while the Redmi Note 12S gets 302877.

On the camera side, the Poco M5S comes with a quadruple camera, while the Redmi Note 12S opts for a triple camera. For the main camera the Poco M5S uses Omnivision OV64B and a 64MP sensor, while the Redmi Note 12S comes with 108MP Samsung S5KHM2. Both phones support portrait mode, but on the Redmi Note 12S it has been improved thanks to its depth sensor. The selfie cameras also differ, with the Poco M5S offering a 13MP Omnivision OV13B10, and the Redmi Note 12S going for a 16MP sensor. The macro lens and wide angle of the Poco M5S are superior too, as they use 2 and 8MP sensors respectively. Lastly, the Poco M5S is the only one out of the two that can record 4K video.

Connectivity and Battery

For connectivity both phones come with Bluetooth 5.0 (upgraded to 5.2 on the Note 12S). They also include Dual SIM, NFC, audio jack, and infrared. As far as battery life goes, both phones have a 5000mAh capacity, while fast charging comes in at 33W. The Poco M5S supports reverse charging, an advantage that the Xiaomi Note 12S doesn't have.

Conclusion

In conclusion, we can say that the Poco M5S edges out the Xiaomi Redmi Note 12S in some aspects such as the display, camera specs and reverse charge feature. However, the Note 12S is still a very capable device that it is worth considering, especially thanks to its faster processor and larger storage capacity. Both phones are some of the most interesting mid-range phones on the market, so you cannot go wrong with either of them.