Compare Symphony Helio 80 vs. Xiaomi Redmi Note 12
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This comparison was written after analyzing their features as well as evaluating hands-on video review/s by trustworthy reviewer/s.
You may be wondering why are we comparing the Helio 80 smartphone from Symphony with Xiaomi’s Redmi Note 12. The price difference of these phones is huge. Yes, we are talking about official prices. But despite that, we want to check if the Symphony Helio 80 has the capacity to become the “national phone” of Bangladesh in 2023 topping the Redmi Note 12 which is often called as such by many reviewers and gadget fans. So, let us have a first overview of their differences.
| Symphony Helio 80 | Xiaomi Redmi Note 12 |
| ✅ Price: ৳16,999 6/128 GB | Price: ৳21,499 6/128 GB |
| ✅ Gorilla Glass 5 front, Glass back | Gorilla Glass 3 front, Plastic back |
| No dust and splash resistance certification | ✅ IP53 dust and splash resistant |
| 6.7″ Full HD+ 120Hz AMOLED display | 6.67″ Full HD 120Hz AMOLED display |
| Widevine L3 certified, 500 nits | ✅ Widevine L1 certified, 1200 nits |
| ✅ Triple 108+2+0.08 Megapixel back camera | Triple 50+8+2 Megapixel back camera |
| ✅ Up to 2K recording, EIS for Full HD recording | Full HD recording, EIS |
| ✅ 16 MP front camera, 2K recording | 13 MP front camera, Full HD recording |
| 5000 mAh battery, 18W charging | ✅ 5000 mAh battery 33W fast charging |
| Android 13, further updates not confirmed | ✅ Android 13, expected update till Android 15 |
| ✅ MediaTek Helio G99 chipset | Qualcomm Snapdragon 685 4G chipset |
| 6 GB RAM, 128 GB (uMCP5) ROM | 6 GB RAM, 128 GB UFS 2.2 ROM |
| Regular speaker and audio | ✅ Stereo speakers, 24-bit/192kHz audio |
| Noise cancellation mic. | Noise cancellation mic. |
| Side-mounted fingerprint sensor | Side-mounted fingerprint sensor |
| No Infrared, NFC | ✅ Infrared and NFC |
Symphony Helio 80 Advantages
The very first thing we want to mention is that this phone has a better front and back camera. We have compared photo samples side by side from hands-on reviewers and Symphony definitely wins. It also wins in terms of gaming and performance with a faster Helio G99 chipset. If you compare the chipsets in Nanoreview you’ll see Helio G99 performs significantly better in terms of both CPU and gaming.
It is slightly better with a 5th. gen Gorilla Glass and a glass back panel and all these with a much better price.
Xiaomi Redmi Note 12 Advantages
Firstly, it comes with Xiaomi software and long-trusted MIUI. So, you might be ahead in terms of the software side. Also, you should get at least two further major Android updates till Android 15. This is a huge advantage for long-term users. It is dust and splash-resistant so, if you are a more rugged user, this one is for you.
The display is better with Widevine L1 certification and a much higher 1200 nits max. brightness. You’re getting a faster 33W charger which is of big advantage as well. Then the sound quality is better and you get features like NFC and Infrared.
The Winner
We can’t pick an absolute winner here. Yes, Symphony is offering a very attractive deal with better cameras and performance with still a very good display and solid enough build quality. But Xiaomi is well ahead in terms of software quality, and battery (also because the Snapdragon 680 chipset is better for the battery), better sound quality and a few other small features. We think Xiaomi’s price is a bit higher and Symphony wins considering the price, camera and performance big time. But if you put that aside, Xiaomi wins as an overall longer-term package.
