Xiaomi 12s: Three hand flatterers
All colors and models, but not all models in all colors: Xiaomi 12X (Blue), Xiaomi 12 (Purple) and Xiaomi 12 Pro (Black).
The camera knobs, which protrude more than 2.5 mm, are noticeable in the side view.
Xiaomi 12 series: Strong OLEDs
Xiaomi 12X and Xiaomi 12 with 6.28 inch diagonal and the Xiaomi 12 Pro with 6.73 inch.
In contrast to Samsung, Xiaomi bends all displays towards the narrow edge and thus ensures an elegant appearance. Despite a diagonal of 6.28 inches, the housing is only 69.9 millimeters wide. Protected by Gorilla Glass Victus, the OLED in the 12X is high-contrast, colourful, bright and sharp and is almost as good as the more expensive models. The 12 Pro not only has the larger screen, it also has a resolution of 3200×1440 pixels. However, the Xiaomi 12X and the Xiaomi 12 also achieve a good sharpness of 419 ppi with 2400×1080 pixels. The high screen change frequency of up to 120 Hertz ensures a smooth display with rapidly changing image content. In short: As far as the display is concerned, the 12X is as strong as the Xiaomi 12.
The front camera is in a centrally located notch and unlocked by face recognition. Alternatively, you can use the fingerprint sensor integrated in the display.
Tempo with economy processor?
The Xiaomi 12X (left) does well in Geekbench 5, but cannot keep up with the Xiaomi 12 and Xiaomi 12 Pro.
Furnishing
All new Xiaomis swallow two SIM cards, no memory card and no classic headphones without an adapter.
On board are 8 gigabytes (GB) of RAM (LPDDR5) and 256 GB of device memory (UFS 3.1). You have to keep that in mind when you compare the prices to the Xiaomi 12, which is also available with 128 gigabytes. The operating system used in the 12X is Android 11 with Xiaomi’s MIUI 13 interface. The siblings are already based on Android 12 and could possibly have a newer Android version at the end of the life cycle, especially since Xiaomi 12 and 12 Pro are supposed to get three Android updates. For the 12X, there was no such information so far. NFC is not only on board for Google Pay. There is also WiFi 6 (WiFi 6 Plus on the 12 and 12 Pro) and Bluetooth 5.1. This means that the 12X cannot pair with two headphones or Bluetooth boxes at the same time like the 12 or 12 Pro with Bluetooth 5.2. The card slot only swallows two SIM cards. The memory is not expandable.
Harman Kardon was involved in the stereo speakers. On the right is the IR transmitter – typical for Xiaomi.
Xiaomi 12X: Fast charging
The scope of delivery includes a powerful 67 watt fast charging power supply and a transparent protective cover.
Xiaomi 12X with 50 MP camera
The main camera of the Xiaomi 12X has a resolution of 50 megapixels.
The Xiaomi 12X has the same camera equipment on the back as the Xiaomi 12. The main camera (Sony IMX766; f/1.88) has optical image stabilization (OIS). In standard mode, 4 pixels are combined into one pixel with an edge length of 2 μm (4-in-1 binning), resulting in a 12.5 MP photo. The Pro has the same resolution but a slightly larger sensor.
Standard photo taken with the Xiaomi 12X. The original recording has a resolution of 4096×3072 pixels.
The ultra wide-angle lens (f/2.4) has a recording angle of 123 degrees and a resolution of 13 megapixels. With the Xiaomi 12 Pro, all lenses come to 50 megapixels.
Ultra wide-angle photo taken with the Xiaomi 12X. The original recording has a resolution of 4208×3120 pixels.
Telephoto shots are possible with up to tenfold magnification. But then you can clearly see that it was mainly digitally enlarged here. The photo quality suffers. Especially with practical zoom levels of three or four times magnification, Samsung does a much better job here with its three times optical zoom and larger digital reserves.
Maximum zoom (10x) taken with the Xiaomi 12X. The original recording has a resolution of 4096×3072 pixels. It lacks detail, but on the standard and ultra-wide shots (above) the house was just a blob of white.
The third lens has a focal length of 50 mm and works as a macro in such a way that you can take a sharp picture even if you are only a few centimeters away from the subject. The resolution is 5 megapixels. The Pro has a portrait camera instead, which doesn’t take any viable macro photos.
Macro photo from the Xiaomi 12X. The original image has a resolution of 1944×2592 pixels.
Taken with the Xiaomi 12X. The original recording has a resolution of 3072×4096 pixels.
The front camera has 32 megapixels and was not fully convincing in the practical test. Pictures were good in daylight, but the main camera’s night vision capabilities are lacking in poor lighting.
Xiaomi 12X: price, release, colors
Triple 12: Xiaomi 12X, Xiaomi 12 and Xiaomi 12 Pro.
Test conclusion: Xiaomi 12X
The Xiaomi 12X doesn’t feel like a budget model. It is easy to use and has a great display. You have to aim for it to register the difference in speed compared to the faster Xiaomi 12. Both take strong photos with the main camera in good and bad light. There are real losses in terms of convenient wireless charging, which the 12X does without. The fast loading speed via USB type C is a good consolation. You have to and can live with Bluetooth 5.1 instead of 5.2, WiFi 6 without Plus and Android 11 instead of Android 12 as a basis. With its entry-level price, the Xiaomi 12X has what it takes to become a secret family favourite.