Xiaomi debuts the Xiaomi 12X as a Snapdragon 870-powered, cheaper alternative to the Xiaomi 12

While the Xiaomi 12 and Xiaomi 12 Pro may have been the stars of Xiaomi's launch event in China today, the company also debuted another smartphone, the Xiaomi 12X, as a more affordable, premium option.

The Xiaomi 12X appears to get the same display as the regular Xiaomi 12. It's a 6.28-inch FHD+ 120 Hz AMOLED with intelligent variable refresh rate, HDR10+ support, and a peak brightness of 1600 nits. Under the hood is a Snapdragon 870, a capable chipset that still performs brilliantly without the heating pitfalls of more recent Qualcomm flagship SoCs. That's joined by up to 12 GB of LPDDR5 RAM and 256 GB of UFS 3.1 storage. 

Camera-wise, the Xiaomi 12X sports the same 50 MP IMX766 on the Xiaomi 12, also with optical image stabilization. There's a 13 MP ultra-wide-angle lens as well as a 5 MP tele-macro lens. At the front is a 32 MP selfie shooter, similar to the Xiaomi 12 and Xiaomi 12 Pro. Other specs include a 4500 mAh battery, 67 W charging, Harman Kardon stereo speakers, and MIUI 13.

The Xiaomi 12X is scheduled to go on sale on December 31. It will be available in variants of 8/128 GB, 8/256 GB, and 12/256 GB, costing CNY 3,199 (US$500), CNY 3,499 (US$550), and CNY 3,799 (US$595), respectively. 

Buy the Mi 11i on Amazon.