The budget segment has become interesting in the past few years, as brands try to pack as many good specs as possible at an under Php 10k price point. Infinix has been very competitive in this price segment lately, and the HOT 30 aims to maintain the brand’s dominance. One of its biggest competitors is the Redmi 12C, a budget phone that also aims to offer great value at under Php 10k.

Which one between the HOT 30 and Redmi 12C offers better bang for your buck? Let’s check it out in this comparo:

 

Design

While both phones feature striped designs on their plastic backs, the HOT 30 has a more modern design that includes having the fingerprint scanner relocated to the side–which is more practical for most users. The HOT 30’s more modern looks are emphasized further with its USB-C port and punch-hole on its display–two key elements that make the Redmi 12C look dated.

The HOT 30 features flat frame sides to make it slimmer than the Redmi 12C while having roughly the same battery inside, and comes equipped with stereo speakers to make it an all-around entertainment device.

 

Display

Both phones have roughly the same display size–6.71 for the Redmi 12C and 6.78 for the HOT 30–but Infinix dominates yet again in this category. Aside from having a more modern look with a punch-hole, the HOT 30 has a Full HD+ resolution AND a 90hz refresh rate–which is class-leading especially with its under Php 7k price point.

If that’s not enough, the HOT 30 also has stereo speakers and Widevine L1–the latter allowing you to watch Netflix videos in Full HD.

 

Cameras

As far as the rear cameras are concerned, the HOT 30 and Redmi 12C are on even ground since they share the same setup: 50-megapixel for the main camera and QVGA for the depth sensor. The 50-megapixel camera used in budget phones offers decent performance for most lighting conditions, so there’s no question that both phones can take good photos for their price point.

The HOT 30 does have a slight advantage: aside from being able to shoot video at up to a 2K resolution and having a slightly brighter f/1.6 aperture, it has a better selfie camera at 8 megapixels–vs 5 megapixels on the Redmi 12C.

 

Internals

While the Redmi 12C uses an Helio G85 and the HOT 30 uses an Helio G88, both processors are technically the same, with the latter being optimized to support 90hz displays–a feature that’s needed for the HOT 30 with its display. Both phones do offer 128GB internal storage with MicroSD card expansion, though the HOT 30 beats the Redmi 12C by having 8GB RAM on board–which is expandable via virtual RAM. Aside from that, the HOT 30 can also be availed with 256GB internal storage.

While both phones do have a 5000mAh battery, the HOT 30 has the upper hand with charging speeds, as you get a 33w wired charging solution via USB-C, which is superior over the 10w MicroUSB charging of the Redmi 12C.

Price

The HOT 30 has an SRP of Php 6,999 for the 8GB/256GB variant, while the Redmi 12C is priced at Php 6,499 for the 4GB/64GB model and Php 7,499 for the 4GB/128GB model. Looking through all aspects, it’s clear that the HOT 30 is the runaway winner in this comparo as it offers significant value for money for its price point.