In and for China, Xiaomi presented its new flagship smartphones Xiaomi 12 and Xiaomi 12 Pro on December 28th. There was also the Xiaomi 12X to see and other hardware from the tech giant. Here you can find out everything you need to know about the new top smartphones.
- Xiaomi 12 and Xiaomi 12 Pro are the first smartphones with Snapdragon 8 Gen 1
- ! 2-bit display with 120 Hz on the Xiaomi 12, LTPO panel with 2K resolution on the Xiaomi 12 Pro
- 120 watt battery on the Xiaomi 12 Pro including wireless and reverse charging
- MIUI 13 based on Android 12 in use on all newly introduced smartphones
We had known for a long time that Xiaomi would unveil its new Xiaomi 12 range of smartphones at the end of the year. That has actually happened in China: There was a lot of hardware to marvel at at the launch event – first of all, of course, the Xiaomi 12 and the Xiaomi 12 Pro as the new flagship of the Chinese.
Xiaomi 12: the compact flagship smartphone
With the Xiaomi 12, the Chinese smartphone giant delivers a more compact flagship for the first time. This is of course a little weaker than the Pro model, but it is absolutely impressive. The just 6.28-inch AMOLED display with FullHD + resolution offers a refresh rate of 120 Hertz and, for the first time, 12-bit technology. The up to 1100 nits bright display is protected by Corning Gorilla Glass Victus.
This is how the back of the Xiaomi 12 presents itself / © Xiaomi
As in its big brother, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 is used here for the first time. Depending on the model, the new SoC is combined with up to 12 GB RAM (LPDDR5) and up to 256 GB memory (UFS 3.1). The improved cooling system with vapor chamber is designed to prevent overheating. Stereo speakers are built into the 8.16 mm thin housing, with Xiaomi using Harman Kardon sound for both devices.
For the camera, Xiaomi relies on the Sony IMX766 50 megapixel sensor with f / 1.88 aperture. There is also a 13 MP ultra-wide-angle sensor with f / 2.4 aperture with 123 degrees, as well as a tele macro shooter with 5 MP and f / 2.4 aperture. CyberFocus technology is new, which is supposed to lead to a noticeably faster focus and also moving subjects to be displayed crisp and sharp. A selfie cam with 32 megapixels is also located in the center of the punch hole.
Xiaomi also has a battery with a capacity of 4,500 mAh that can be charged with up to 67 watts. You can do this wirelessly with an astonishing 50 watts, and reverse charging with 10 watts is also possible.
In terms of price and availability, we can’t tell you anything about Europe after this China launch. In any case, in China you can already secure the model by paying a deposit, and it will be delivered in the first few days of January. The prices for China:
- Xiaomi 12 with 8 GB of RAM and 128 GB of storage: 3699 yuan (about 514 euros)
- Xiaomi 12 with 8 GB of RAM and 256 GB of storage: 3999 yuan (about 588 euros)
- Xiaomi 12 with 12 GB RAM and 256 GB storage: 4399 yuan (about 611 euros)
Xiaomi 12 Pro: The first top smartphone for 2022
Even if the Xiaomi 12 is already a well-equipped flagship phone with which you are well armed for the New Year, Xiaomi goes a step further with the Xiaomi 12 Pro. This is most evident on the larger and higher-resolution display. The screen diagonal increases to 6.73 inches compared to the basic model, which is again a curved AMOLED panel.
Except for the size, the Xiaomi 12 Pro and the Xiaomi 12 could be twins. / © Xiaomi
The resolution is 3200 x 1440 pixels, which increases the pixel density to 522 ppi. Here, too, frame rates of up to 120 Hertz are possible, but in contrast to the Xiaomi 12 with LTPO technology, which allows the frame rate to be used very variably – this makes it particularly energy-efficient and battery-saving. The luminance is specified with up to 1500 nits and the touch sampling rate is 480 Hertz, as with the Xiaomi 12. Also identical in both devices: the fingerprint sensor integrated under the display.
The Xiaomi 12 Pro is of course also powered by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1, also accompanied by up to 12 GB of RAM and up to 256 GB of internal storage. When it comes to the camera, Xiaomi also opts for an arrangement consisting of three cameras for the Pro model. In this case, however, there are three sensors with 50 megapixels each, led by the 1 / 1.28 inch Sony IMX707 with 1.22 micrometer pixels.
The camera is one of the highlights of the Xiaomi 12 Pro / © Xiaomi
The triple cam is completed by an ultra-wide-angle camera and the 2X zoom telephoto camera with f / 1.9 aperture. This means that the camera array is perhaps the most important difference to the Xiaomi 12 and should offer the decidedly better camera performance. Night mode 2.0 should ensure particularly high color fidelity for night shots. It’s logical that CyberFocus technology is also used here and the 32 MP selfie shooter is identical to that of the Xiaomi 12.
With a capacity of 4600 mAh, the battery is only slightly larger than the basic model, but it can be charged with up to 120 watts! The same applies here again: wireless charging with 50 watts and reverse charging with 10 watts.
In terms of price, the Xiaomi 12 Pro is of course above the Xiaomi 12. Here are the prices announced for China:
- Xiaomi 12 Pro with 8 GB RAM and 128 GB storage: 4699 yuan (about 653 euros)
- Xiaomi 12 Pro with 8 GB of RAM and 256 GB of storage: 4999 yuan (about 694 euros)
- Xiaomi 12 Pro with 12 GB RAM and 256 GB storage: 5399 yuan (about 750 euros)
Incidentally, both models are available in a total of four color variants, one of which is green with a synthetic leather back. As already mentioned, we can’t say anything about the release in Germany and the local prices, but we expect / hope for a start in the first quarter of 2022. For comparison: The Xiaomi Mi 11, which was also presented in December for China, was launched globally in February, the Xiaomi Wed 11 Ultra followed in March.
Xiaomi 12X and more
When it came to the Xiaomi 12X, the company was much more stingy when it came to information. However, with its 6.28 inches it is the slightly weaker (Snapdragon 870) twin of the Xiaomi 12.Camera array, battery capacity, display – almost everything that was communicated via this model corresponds pretty exactly to the Xiaomi 12. So it would be probably unfair to call the 12X a Lite variant. In terms of price, it starts at around 445 euros.
But Xiaomi presented other hardware at its launch event in China yesterday, for example the Xiaomi Watch S1 smartwatch. Despite the high quality equipment with a steel case, sapphire crystal and leather strap, the company charges less than the equivalent of 150 euros.
Also new: two new true wireless headphones. The “True Wireless Noise Canceling Headphones 3” and the “True Wireless Noise Canceling Headphones 3 Pro” can also be pre-ordered in China and will reach their new owners in early January. They are offered for the equivalent of around 70 or 90 euros, whereby the Pro version masters Spatial Audio, which we know from the Beats Fit Pro, among other things.
More exciting at this event, which, by the way, was actually once again a physical audience, of course the smartphones of the Xiaomi 12 series. We are now waiting eagerly for the European release and of course for our test devices – until then, you are welcome to let us know what you think of the new smartphones from Xiaomi.