Xiaomi 12: Compact flagship smartphone arrives with impressive hardware and a comparatively low price
Xiaomi has revealed the Xiaomi 12, the compact and cheaper alternative to the Xiaomi 12 Pro. While the pair lookalike, they contain more differences than they do similarities. Still, the Xiaomi 12 should be considered a flagship smartphone, not least because of its Snapdragon 8 Gen 1, an SoC lacking in the Xiaomi 12X.
A 4,500 mAh battery lies at the heart of the Xiaomi 12, which supports 67 W wired, 50 W wireless, and 10 W reverse wireless charging. The large battery powers a 6.28-inch display with a 120 Hz refresh rate and a 2,400 x 1,080-pixel native resolution. The 419 PPI panel also has a 480 Hz touch sampling rate and a 1,100 nit peak brightness.
Additionally, the Xiaomi 12 has four cameras and a 50 MP primary sensor, mirroring the Xiaomi 12 Pro. However, the former relies on the IMX766 rather than the newer IMX707 found in the Xiaomi 12 Pro. For context, the IMX766 is already available through devices like the OnePlus 9 Pro and the Oppo Find X3 Pro.
Also, Xiaomi equips the compact flagship with a 13 MP ultra-wide-angle camera and a 5 MP macro lens. Only the IMX766 is optically-stabilised, though. The Xiaomi 12 has a 32 MP front-facing camera like the Xiaomi 12 Pro, too. For reference, the Xiaomi 12 measures 152.7 x 69.9 x 8.2 mm and weighs approximately 180 g. In other words, the device is slightly larger than the iPhone 13 and the Pixel 5.
The Xiaomi 12 starts at CNY 3,699 (~US$581) in China and rises to CNY 4,399 (~US$691) with 12 GB of RAM and 256 GB of storage. Xiaomi has yet to announce how much the device will cost globally, nor if it will be available in the four colours presented in China.
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