Xiaomi 12T 5G review - Top of the range smartphone at an attractive price
The Xiaomi 12T 5G follows the Xiaomi 11T and is the smaller sibling of the 12T Pro 5G. The basic details read very similarly to those of its predecessor. Both devices opt for a 6.67-inch large AMOLED display with up to 120 Hz. Additionally, they have 8 GB of RAM at their disposal and come with a choice of either 128 or 256 GB internal memory. The heart of the triple-camera is a 108 MPix sensor and both devices are poweréd by 5000 mAh batteries.
The Xiaomi 12T 5G uses a newer and more powerful MediaTek-SoC. Although the amount of RAM is identical, in LPDDR5 the 12T possesses a more modern standard. The fast-charging technology has received a substantial upgrade which now supports up to 120 watts. However, regarding the camera, our review demonstrates that just because something is newer it doesn't automatically make it better.
In terms of price, the Xiaomi smartphone starts with an RRP of around 490 US dollars for the smaller storage version, with the 256 GB model coming in at an additional 40 dollars.
Possible competitors compared
Rating | Date | Model | Weight | Drive | Size | Resolution | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 86.4 % v7 (old) | 01 / 2023 | Xiaomi 12T Dimensity 8100, Mali-G610 MP6 | 202 g | 256 GB UFS 3.1 Flash | 6.67" | 2712x1220 | |
| 86.6 % v7 (old) | 10 / 2021 | Xiaomi 11T Dimensity 1200, Mali-G77 MP9 | 203 g | 128 GB UFS 3.1 Flash | 6.67" | 2400x1080 | |
| 88.5 % v7 (old) | 11 / 2022 | Google Pixel 7 Tensor G2, Mali-G710 MP7 | 197 g | 128 GB UFS 3.1 Flash | 6.30" | 2400x1080 | |
| 89.3 % v7 (old) | 05 / 2022 | Samsung Galaxy S22 Exynos 2200, Xclipse 920 | 167 g | 128 GB UFS 3.1 Flash | 6.10" | 2340x1080 | |
| 87.4 % v7 (old) | 10 / 2022 | Motorola Edge 30 Fusion SD 888+ 5G, Adreno 660 | 172 g | 128 GB UFS 3.1 Flash | 6.55" | 2400x1080 | |
| 87.4 % v7 (old) | 03 / 2022 | Realme GT 2 Pro SD 8 Gen 1, Adreno 730 | 189 g | 256 GB UFS 3.1 Flash | 6.70" | 3216x1440 |
Case - Xiaomi 12T only with Gorilla Glass 5
The Xiaomi 12T 5G is available in three color variants: blue, black, and silver, the color of our test device. Xiaomi has stayed true to its predecessor's basic design with only the camera set-up having received an optical makeover but continuing to jut out.
The smartphone has made a backward step concerning the glass front panel with the implementation of the older Corning Gorilla Glas 5 rather than the current Vitus type used in the 11T. The rear panel now comes with matte glass which is curved at the sides and is otherwise not specified by Xiaomi. A very stylish look but fingerprints remain clearly visible.
The device impresses with its high-quality finish. The partially matte aluminum frame has a premium look and despite its heavy weight, the 12T 5G feels good in the hand, due to the rear panel's curved sides. The side buttons can be easily reached with only left-handers requiring a slight grip readjustment to increase the volume. Although gaps are tight and even, the device creaks considerably when twisted.
The SIM slot closes flush to the frame and possesses a small rubber seal on the inside. However, the Xiaomi 12T 5G offers nothing in the way of certified dust or water protection.
Features - Xiaomi smartphone with USB 2.0
The Xiaomi 12T 5G has a USB-2.0 port, which supports OTG and enables the connection of peripherals and storage media. Memory expansion via a microSD card is not possible.
As with very few smartphones in this price category, the 12T also comes without a radio receiver or an integrated audio jack. Anyone wishing to use wired headphones can only do so with the help of a USB adapter. However, an IR blaster is still on board and can be used to control multimedia devices, cameras, and air conditioning systems. In addition to NFC, the device also comes with modern Bluetooth 5.3.
Software - The Xiaomi 12T will get Android 15
The Xiaomi 12T 5G is shipped with Android 12 and MIUI 13. The manufacturer has promised three big Android updates for the 12T series ensuring the 12T will also receive Android 15 and security patches continuing for another year. However, the update intervals are relatively large as our test device was still on MIUI 13.0.10 from November 1, 2022, at the conclusion of our test. Xiaomi is most likely aiming for quarterly updates.
Typically for MIUI, the system is very restrictive when it comes to energy management. For anyone wishing to ensure that push notifications from important apps are always received, the appropriate restrictions should be lifted in each app's settings.
Communication and GNSS - Stable WiFi 6 and good GPS tracking
The Xiaomi 12T 5G boasts similar communication features to that of its predecessor apart from the newer Bluetooth standard. The smartphone supports WiFi 6 but not yet 6E and can therefore only use the 2.4 and 5.0 GHz bands. The transfer speeds to our Asus ROG Rapture GT-AXE11000 reference router and high and very stable.
On the go, the 12T connects the network with 5G-Sub6 and offers a decent frequency range which should not result in any connection bottlenecks within Europe.
| Networking | |
| Xiaomi 12T | |
| iperf3 receive AXE11000 | |
| iperf3 transmit AXE11000 | |
| Xiaomi 11T | |
| iperf3 transmit AX12 | |
| iperf3 receive AX12 | |
| Google Pixel 7 | |
| iperf3 receive AXE11000 | |
| iperf3 transmit AXE11000 | |
| iperf3 transmit AXE11000 6GHz | |
| iperf3 receive AXE11000 6GHz | |
| Samsung Galaxy S22 | |
| iperf3 receive AXE11000 | |
| iperf3 transmit AXE11000 | |
| Motorola Edge 30 Fusion | |
| iperf3 receive AXE11000 | |
| iperf3 transmit AXE11000 | |
| iperf3 transmit AXE11000 6GHz | |
| iperf3 receive AXE11000 6GHz | |
| Realme GT 2 Pro | |
| iperf3 receive AXE11000 | |
| iperf3 transmit AXE11000 | |
| Average of class Smartphone | |
| iperf3 receive AXE11000 | |
| iperf3 transmit AXE11000 | |
| iperf3 transmit AXE11000 6GHz | |
| iperf3 receive AXE11000 6GHz | |
The Xiaomi 12T 5G supports all global satellite networks and their associated frequency bands; including the Indian NavIC as well as SBAS. Outdoors, the Satfix took place swiftly and accurately whereby indoors it can take up to half a minute but with almost similar precision.
On a bike tour, we put the Xiaomi smartphone head-to-head with the Garmin Venu 2. The recorded total distance of nearly ten kilometers deviated by only 20 meters. The detailed route plan revealed a few inaccuracies on the part of the 12T but still managed convincing location performance.
Phone functions and call quality
The Xiaomi 12T 5G supports Dual-SIM with two Nano SIM cards, VoLTE, and WiFi calls. However, the device doesn't integrate SIP accounts and also third-party apps may have to be used instead.
When held to the ear, the smartphone's call quality is good but noise cancellation is only sufficient for quieter environmental noise with the device soon reaching its limits on busy streets or amongst large gatherings of people. The speaker mode does its job adequately, only reverberates slightly, and has a usable microphone range.
Cameras - Xiaomi smartphone with weak additional lenses
In terms of resolution, the front-facing camera has increased slightly with 20 MPix at its disposal but only using it for pixel-binning. Unfortunately, these many pixels are not reflected in inordinately good image quality. Even though the imaging performance is rock solid and details are missing in places, generally we liked the cooler reproduction. At best, videos are recorded in Full HD at 60fps.
At the technological heart is a 108 MPix photo sensor: the Samsung ISOCELL HM6. This is a little smaller than the HM2 in the 11T, which is also reflected in smaller pixels. In contrast, Samsung has increased the autofocus pixel density to be able to capture moving objects better. Using pixel binning, nine neighboring pixels are combined into one super pixel helping improve low-light performance. During testing, the imaging performance was impressive and delivered appealing results. The AI doesn't overly sharpen images and colors are not over-saturated. In dark scenes, the subject is captured properly but certain areas appear muddy and pixelated.
Both of the triple camera's additional lenses consist of an ultra-wide-angle lens as well as a macro lens. The latter still had 5 MPix in the 11T and now has to make do with 2 MPix. The ultra-wide-angle lens does its job well and is a little short on detail, but the macro is quite simply poor.
At best, the Xiaomi 12T 5G records videos in Ultra HD (maximum 30fps). With this sensor, theoretically, 8K at 24fps or 4K at up to 120fps ought to be possible. However, the SoC's ISP seems to be the limiting factor here.
Macro shots with the Xiaomi 12T
Image Comparison
Choose a scene and navigate within the first image. One click changes the position on touchscreens. One click on the zoomed-in image opens the original in a new window. The first image shows the scaled photograph of the test device.
HauptkameraHauptkameraUltraweitwinkel5-facher ZoomLow-Light
Color reproduction is more saturated under controlled lighting conditions. In particular, the red and green tone's DeltaE is considerably higher than 10.
The Xiaomi 12T displays an accurate representation of the test chart. Only at full magnification does it become noticeable that a few details are lost, even in the center of the image. However, this effect increases only slightly towards the edge of the image.
Accessories and guarantee - Now including a 120W charger
The Xiaomi 12T 5G only comes with a one-year guarantee that cannot be extended. The guarantee obligation remains unaffected by this.
For a 2022 smartphone, the device comes packed with an extensive range of extras. These include a modular 120-watt charger, a USB cable (type-A to type-C), a SIM tool, a transparent silicon protective case as well as the usual paperwork in several languages. Unlike last year, an audio jack adapter is not included.
Input devices & operation - Touchscreen with a high sampling rate
The Xiaomi 12T 5G's capacitive touchscreen has a sampling rate of up to 480 Hz and can recognize up to ten touches at the same time. The display already comes with a factory-fitted screen protector. The display is smooth and responsive and input responds quickly and precisely.
An integrated in-display fingerprint sensor takes care of biometric security, delivering reliable recognition rates and unlocking the phone quickly. Alternatively or additionally, less secure facial recognition can be set up via the front-facing camera.
The vibration motor runs quietly and provides good haptic feedback.
The Xiaomi 12T 5G has a bright, 120 Hz OLED
In terms of the display, no compromises have had to be made compared to the Xiaomi 12T Pro, as they are identical in construction. The 6.67-inch AMOLED panel employs an unusual resolution but offers higher pixel density. In addition, the Xiaomi smartphone supports the most common HDR standards, with only Dolby Vision missing.
With the activated ambient light sensor, brightness is very high with a pure white display and manages to reach an average of 914 cd/m². With an even distribution of light and dark areas, (APL18) this value climbs to 1118 cd/m². For anyone only wishing to regulate the brightness manually, 502 cd/m² are available.
OLED flickering isn't particularly noticeable as the 12T operates with a constant DC dimming mode over the entire brightness range. With the oscilloscope, we were only able to measure consistent flickering at the display refresh rate. A time-lapse look through the microscope revealed that no temporal dithering is used.
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||
Brightness Distribution: 98 %
Center on Battery: 915 cd/m²
Contrast: ∞:1 (Black: 0 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 1.1 | 0.5-29.43 Ø4.91
ΔE Greyscale 2 | 0.5-98 Ø5.2
99.8% sRGB (Calman 2D)
Gamma: 2.24
| Xiaomi 12T AMOLED, 2712x1220, 6.7" | Xiaomi 11T AMOLED, 2400x1080, 6.7" | Google Pixel 7 OLED, 2400x1080, 6.3" | Samsung Galaxy S22 AMOLED, 2340x1080, 6.1" | Motorola Edge 30 Fusion pOLED, 2400x1080, 6.6" | Realme GT 2 Pro AMOLED, 3216x1440, 6.7" | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Screen | -23% | 3% | -17% | -2% | -85% | |
| Brightness middle | 915 | 781 -15% | 936 2% | 853 -7% | 954 4% | 740 -19% |
| Brightness | 914 | 782 -14% | 947 4% | 858 -6% | 961 5% | 732 -20% |
| Brightness Distribution | 98 | 94 -4% | 95 -3% | 96 -2% | 98 0% | 98 0% |
| Black Level * | ||||||
| Colorchecker dE 2000 * | 1.1 | 2 -82% | 1.3 -18% | 1.9 -73% | 1.5 -36% | 3.25 -195% |
| Colorchecker dE 2000 max. * | 2.7 | 2.9 -7% | 2.7 -0% | 3.2 -19% | 2.5 7% | 6.46 -139% |
| Greyscale dE 2000 * | 2 | 2.3 -15% | 1.4 30% | 1.9 5% | 1.8 10% | 4.7 -135% |
| Gamma | 2.24 98% | 2.28 96% | 2.25 98% | 2.07 106% | 2.24 98% | 2.213 99% |
| CCT | 6457 101% | 6852 95% | 6664 98% | 6460 101% | 6254 104% | 5663 115% |
* ... smaller is better
Screen Flickering / PWM (Pulse-Width Modulation)
| Screen flickering / PWM detected | 120 Hz |  | |
The display backlight flickers at 120 Hz (worst case, e.g., utilizing PWM) . The frequency of 120 Hz is very low, so the flickering may cause eyestrain and headaches after extended use. In comparison: 53 % of all tested devices do not use PWM to dim the display. If PWM was detected, an average of 8705 (minimum: 5 - maximum: 343500) Hz was measured. | |||
Measurements with fixed zoom and various brightness settings
Colors are represented very naturally on the Xiaomi 12T 5G's display as long as the color scheme Original Colors is applied. On first start-up, the phone is set to Vivid which is visibly cooler and uses the larger DCI-P3 color space.
Display Response Times
| ↔ Response Time Black to White | ||
|---|---|---|
| 0.89 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined | ↗ 0.4525 ms rise |  |
| ↘ 0.4375 ms fall | ||
| The screen shows very fast response rates in our tests and should be very well suited for fast-paced gaming. In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.1 (minimum) to 240 (maximum) ms. » 1 % of all devices are better. This means that the measured response time is better than the average of all tested devices (20.9 ms). | ||
| ↔ Response Time 50% Grey to 80% Grey | ||
| 1.2 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined | ↗ 0.5915 ms rise |  |
| ↘ 0.6085 ms fall | ||
| The screen shows very fast response rates in our tests and should be very well suited for fast-paced gaming. In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.165 (minimum) to 636 (maximum) ms. » 3 % of all devices are better. This means that the measured response time is better than the average of all tested devices (32.8 ms). | ||
Outdoors, the Xiaomi 12T 5G possesses enough brightness reserves to remain legible at all times. Only the surface reflections could sometimes be a bit annoying.
As expected, the AMOLED display's viewing angle is very good. Only at narrow viewing angles, a slight green veil covers the content and the brightness decreases a little. However, this is not disruptive in everyday use.
Performance - Xiaomi 12T with the MediaTek Dimensity 8100 Ultra
The Xiaomi 12T 5G is powered by a MediaTek Dimensity 8100 Ultra with 8 GB of RAM. However, the Ultra monicker appears to be only a marketing term. At least in terms of the specifications, no differences to the standard model could be found, and neither did benchmarks reveal any significant differences.
The SoC showed good CPU performance in benchmarks, which underlines the smartphone's premium class claims. However, in PCMark und AnTuTu, the 12T performs a little worse than the Poco X4 GT, which is likewise equipped with a Dimensity 8100, but, in everyday use, it delivers smooth system performance
| UL Procyon AI Inference for Android - Overall Score NNAPI | |
| Google Pixel 7 | |
| Motorola Edge 30 Fusion | |
| Xiaomi Poco X4 GT | |
| Average MediaTek Dimensity 8100 (25609 - 27192, n=3) | |
| Xiaomi 12T | |
| Realme GT Neo 3 | |
| Xiaomi 11T | |
| Average of class Smartphone (1267 - 75143, n=147, last 2 years) | |
Graphics calculations are handled by the SoC-integrated ARM Mali-G610 MP6. In benchmarks, this means a performance increase of between 10 and 46 percent compared to the Mali-G77 MP9 found in the 11T. Unfortunately, the 3DMark Wild Life (Extreme) scores are missing as the 12T's system didn't grant the app the necessary rights.
GFXBench (DX / GLBenchmark) 2.7: T-Rex Onscreen | 1920x1080 T-Rex Offscreen
GFXBench 3.0: on screen Manhattan Onscreen OGL | 1920x1080 1080p Manhattan Offscreen
GFXBench 3.1: on screen Manhattan ES 3.1 Onscreen | 1920x1080 Manhattan ES 3.1 Offscreen
GFXBench: on screen Car Chase Onscreen | 1920x1080 Car Chase Offscreen | on screen Aztec Ruins High Tier Onscreen | 2560x1440 Aztec Ruins High Tier Offscreen | on screen Aztec Ruins Normal Tier Onscreen | 1920x1080 Aztec Ruins Normal Tier Offscreen | 3840x2160 4K Aztec Ruins High Tier Offscreen
3DMark: 2560x1440 Sling Shot OpenGL ES 3.0 Unlimited | 2560x1440 Sling Shot OpenGL ES 3.0 Unlimited Graphics | 2560x1440 Sling Shot OpenGL ES 3.0 Unlimited Physics
| 3DMark / Sling Shot Extreme (ES 3.1) Unlimited Physics | |
| Motorola Edge 30 Fusion | |
| Xiaomi Poco X4 GT | |
| Xiaomi 11T | |
| Xiaomi 12T | |
| Google Pixel 7 | |
| Samsung Galaxy S22 | |
| 3DMark / Sling Shot Extreme (ES 3.1) Unlimited Graphics | |
| Samsung Galaxy S22 | |
| Google Pixel 7 | |
| Motorola Edge 30 Fusion | |
| Xiaomi Poco X4 GT | |
| Xiaomi 12T | |
| Xiaomi 11T | |
| 3DMark / Sling Shot Extreme (ES 3.1) Unlimited | |
| Motorola Edge 30 Fusion | |
| Samsung Galaxy S22 | |
| Google Pixel 7 | |
| Xiaomi Poco X4 GT | |
| Xiaomi 12T | |
| Xiaomi 11T | |
| GFXBench (DX / GLBenchmark) 2.7 / T-Rex Onscreen | |
| Xiaomi Poco X4 GT | |
| Xiaomi 12T | |
| Samsung Galaxy S22 | |
| Xiaomi 11T | |
| Google Pixel 7 | |
| Realme GT 2 Pro | |
| Realme GT Neo 3 | |
| GFXBench (DX / GLBenchmark) 2.7 / T-Rex Offscreen | |
| Realme GT 2 Pro | |
| Samsung Galaxy S22 | |
| Realme GT Neo 3 | |
| Xiaomi Poco X4 GT | |
| Xiaomi 12T | |
| Google Pixel 7 | |
| Xiaomi 11T | |
| GFXBench 3.0 / Manhattan Onscreen OGL | |
| Motorola Edge 30 Fusion | |
| Samsung Galaxy S22 | |
| Xiaomi Poco X4 GT | |
| Xiaomi 12T | |
| Xiaomi 11T | |
| Google Pixel 7 | |
| Realme GT 2 Pro | |
| Realme GT Neo 3 | |
| GFXBench 3.0 / 1080p Manhattan Offscreen | |
| Realme GT 2 Pro | |
| Samsung Galaxy S22 | |
| Realme GT Neo 3 | |
| Motorola Edge 30 Fusion | |
| Xiaomi Poco X4 GT | |
| Google Pixel 7 | |
| Xiaomi 12T | |
| Xiaomi 11T | |
| GFXBench 3.1 / Manhattan ES 3.1 Onscreen | |
| Samsung Galaxy S22 | |
| Motorola Edge 30 Fusion | |
| Xiaomi Poco X4 GT | |
| Google Pixel 7 | |
| Xiaomi 11T | |
| Xiaomi 12T | |
| Realme GT 2 Pro | |
| Realme GT Neo 3 | |
| GFXBench 3.1 / Manhattan ES 3.1 Offscreen | |
| Realme GT 2 Pro | |
| Samsung Galaxy S22 | |
| Realme GT Neo 3 | |
| Motorola Edge 30 Fusion | |
| Xiaomi Poco X4 GT | |
| Xiaomi 12T | |
| Google Pixel 7 | |
| Xiaomi 11T | |
| GFXBench / Car Chase Onscreen | |
| Google Pixel 7 | |
| Samsung Galaxy S22 | |
| Realme GT Neo 3 | |
| Motorola Edge 30 Fusion | |
| Xiaomi Poco X4 GT | |
| Xiaomi 11T | |
| Realme GT 2 Pro | |
| Xiaomi 12T | |
| GFXBench / Car Chase Offscreen | |
| Realme GT 2 Pro | |
| Google Pixel 7 | |
| Samsung Galaxy S22 | |
| Motorola Edge 30 Fusion | |
| Realme GT Neo 3 | |
| Xiaomi Poco X4 GT | |
| Xiaomi 12T | |
| Xiaomi 11T | |
| GFXBench / Aztec Ruins High Tier Onscreen | |
| Samsung Galaxy S22 | |
| Google Pixel 7 | |
| Realme GT Neo 3 | |
| Xiaomi Poco X4 GT | |
| Realme GT 2 Pro | |
| Motorola Edge 30 Fusion | |
| Xiaomi 11T | |
| Xiaomi 12T | |
| GFXBench / Aztec Ruins High Tier Offscreen | |
| Realme GT 2 Pro | |
| Google Pixel 7 | |
| Samsung Galaxy S22 | |
| Xiaomi Poco X4 GT | |
| Xiaomi 12T | |
| Motorola Edge 30 Fusion | |
| Xiaomi 11T | |
| Realme GT Neo 3 | |
| GFXBench / Aztec Ruins Normal Tier Onscreen | |
| Samsung Galaxy S22 | |
| Google Pixel 7 | |
| Realme GT Neo 3 | |
| Xiaomi Poco X4 GT | |
| Motorola Edge 30 Fusion | |
| Realme GT 2 Pro | |
| Xiaomi 11T | |
| Xiaomi 12T | |
| GFXBench / Aztec Ruins Normal Tier Offscreen | |
| Realme GT 2 Pro | |
| Google Pixel 7 | |
| Realme GT Neo 3 | |
| Xiaomi Poco X4 GT | |
| Samsung Galaxy S22 | |
| Xiaomi 12T | |
| Motorola Edge 30 Fusion | |
| Xiaomi 11T | |
| GFXBench / 4K Aztec Ruins High Tier Offscreen | |
| Google Pixel 7 | |
| Xiaomi Poco X4 GT | |
| Xiaomi 12T | |
| Motorola Edge 30 Fusion | |
| 3DMark / Sling Shot OpenGL ES 3.0 Unlimited | |
| Motorola Edge 30 Fusion | |
| Google Pixel 7 | |
| Samsung Galaxy S22 | |
| Xiaomi Poco X4 GT | |
| Xiaomi 11T | |
| 3DMark / Sling Shot OpenGL ES 3.0 Unlimited Graphics | |
| Samsung Galaxy S22 | |
| Motorola Edge 30 Fusion | |
| Google Pixel 7 | |
| Xiaomi Poco X4 GT | |
| Xiaomi 11T | |
| 3DMark / Sling Shot OpenGL ES 3.0 Unlimited Physics | |
| Xiaomi Poco X4 GT | |
| Motorola Edge 30 Fusion | |
| Google Pixel 7 | |
| Samsung Galaxy S22 | |
| Xiaomi 11T | |