On March 15, Chinese tech giant Xiaomi unveiled the new Xiaomi 12 series of smartphones comprising the Xiaomi 12, Xiaomi 12X, and Xiaomi 12 Pro.
Xiaomi was one of the first brands to launch a smartphone with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 chip last year—the Xiaomi 12 lineup. Now, the smartphone is available globally to take on the Samsung’s Galaxy S22 series and other flagships.
Xiaomi 12X
The most affordable phone of the 12 series is the Xiaomi 12X. Its spec sheet is a watered-down version of the flagships. The phone packs a Snapdragon 870 processor, 8GB of RAM, and 128GB or 256GB of storage. Users will get to enjoy a 6.28-inch FHD+ AMOLED display capable of a 120Hz refresh rate, HDR10+ content, and 1,100 nits peak brightness. Needless to say, the phone packs all the connectivity options you could wish for, including 5G, Bluetooth v5.1, NFC, Wi-Fi 6, and USB-C.
The phone is available in Gray, Purple, and Blue colors with MIUI 13 (based on Android 12) preinstalled from the factory. The phone packs dual speakers, IP68 water resistance certification, a 4,500mAh battery with 67W fast charging, and a triple-camera setup on the back.
The distinctive camera bump on the phone comprises a 50MP Sony IMX 766 f/1.88 primary camera, a 13MP f/2.4 ultrawide lens, and a 5MP telemacro with a 50mm focal length. On the front, the Xiaomi 12X has a 32MP f/2.45 selfie camera.
The Xiaomi 12X comes in at an attractive price of $649. You also get three free months of YouTube Premium bundled.
Xiaomi 12
The Xiaomi 12 is the mid-tier offering in the new lineup. It comes with the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 chip, 8 or 12GB of RAM, and 128 or 256GB of storage. In addition to the Xiaomi 12X’s features, the Xiaomi 12 gets 50W wireless charging and 10W reverse wireless charging.
The phone supports 8K and 4K HDR10+ video recording. Wi-Fi 6 on the Xiaomi 12X is replaced by Wi-Fi 6E on the Xiaomi 12. You also get Bluetooth v5.2 instead of Bluetooth v5.1. Under the hood, the Xiaomi 12 makes full use of vapor chambers and graphite sheets to enhance cooling. These additional features come at a slightly higher starting price of $749.
Xiaomi 12 Pro
The Xiaomi 12 Pro is the flagship model in the new lineup. It comes with the same Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 processor paired with 8GB or 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage. You also get a better and larger display on this phone. It is a 6.7-inch WQHD+ LTPO AMOLED panel with a variable refresh rate that can drop as low as 10Hz. The peak brightness is also upped to 1,500nits.
The Xiaomi 12 Pro packs a 4,600mAh battery that supports 120W wired fast charging to drive the more prominent display. The dual speakers on the affordable variants have been swapped out for quad speakers.
The 50MP primary camera’s IMX 766 sensor is traded for a superior IMX 707 sensor with an f/1.9 lens in the camera department. The ultrawide camera resolution is also bumped up to 50MP with an f/2.2 lens. Interestingly, the lowly 5MP telemacro camera is replaced by a third 50MP telephoto lens with a 48mm focal length and an f/1.9 aperture.
The Xiaomi 12 Pro is the priciest phone of the three, with a sticker price starting at $999. Alongside these three new phones, Xiaomi also unveiled the new Buds 3T Pro, Xiaomi Watch S1, and Xiaomi Watch S12 Active with attractive pricing, cutting-edge features, and mass-market appeal.
Will you be buying the new Xiaomi 12 Pro? Tell us in the comments section below.
