Now that Samsung and Huawei have released their flagships to market, it’s the turn of Xiaomi to announce three of their own: the new 12 Series for global markets consists of the Xiaomi 12 Pro, Xiaomi 12, and Xiaomi 12X.
The Xiaomi 12 Pro and Xiaomi 12 feature the latest Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 processor, built on a 4nm process – the die shrink contributes to a performance boost of 30 per cent along with 25 per cent better energy efficiency over its predecessor. And on the ‘budget’ Xiaomi 12X, we have the 7nm process Snapdragon 870 from 2021, which still is a capable top-tier SoC.
All three phones pack high-performance cooling systems featuring a large vapour chamber coupled with multiple layers of graphite to improve heat dissipation.
But one of the highlights has got to be the display panel, which Xiaomi says is capable of delivering over 68 billion colours. The Xiaomi 12 (6.28″) and 12X (6.28″) offer AMOLED Dot Displays rated A+ by Displaymate and specced for a 120 Hz refresh rate (480 Hz polling) and 1100 nits peak brightness. And as to be expected, they support Dolby Vision and HDR 10+ as well.
The 6.37″ Xiaomi 12 Pro goes a little further with an interesting display – an LTPO (hybrid of LTPS and IGZO) backplane tech that is similar to displays found on the current generation Apple Watch and the Google Pixel 6 Pro. It’s known to be extremely power-efficient, and furthermore, Xiaomi claims the 12 Pro can intelligently adjust from 1 Hz to 120 Hz via a feature it calls AdaptiveSync Pro.
Audio-wise, the Xiaomi 12 and 12X sport a set of stereo speakers by Harman Kardon with Dolby Atmos tech, while the 12 Pro gets a pair of tweeters and a pair of woofers for a more well-rounded sound profile.
All phones in the 12 series boast a three-camera array that covers a wide range of shooting needs. The Xiaomi 12 and 12X get a 50 MP main camera with the Sony IMX766 sensor, a 13 MP ultrawide and a 5 MP telephoto, and the three phones share a 32 MP front camera.
The star of the show inevitably is the 12 Pro’s camera module, which features three cameras (wide, ultrawide, telephoto) with 50 MP sensors. The main sensor is a large 1/1.28″ (1.22um) Sony IMX707, making its debut in a smartphone; it’s actually larger than the sensor in the Samsung S22 Ultra. Both the Xiaomi 12 and 12 Pro can record in 8K resolution.
Camera software wizardry comes in the form of proprietary AI algorithms such as ProFocus (include eye and face autofocus capabilities), which identifies and tracks objects, and prevents out-of-focus shots of moving or veiled subjects. Ultra Night Video features proprietary algorithms to record video in extreme low-light.
The fast charging features for the 12 series is also pretty much on par for flagships. The Xiaomi 12 and 12X use 4,500mAh batteries that support 67W charging while the Pro is equipped with a 4,600 mAh battery with 120W charging. The Xiaomi 12 Pro and Xiaomi 12 also support 50W wireless charging and 10W reverse charging. Xiaomi AdaptiveCharge, an algorithm that learns your charging habits to improve efficiency, is available on the Xiaomi 12 Pro and Xiaomi 12.
Local availability and pricing for the three devices have yet to be announced, though international pricing is along the lines of US$649 (approx. $885) for the 12X, US$749 (approx. $1,022) for the 12, and US$999 (approx. $1,363) for the 12 Pro. All three devices are available in grey, purple, and blue.
UPDATE:
Xiaomi 12 Pro and Xiaomi 12 have been confirmed for Singapore and are available in the following configurations:
- Xiaomi 12 Pro 12GB+256GB – $1,349
- Xiaomi 12 8GB+128GB – $999 (pre-orders on Lazada and Shopee only)
- Xiaomi 12 8GB+256GB – $1,049
Pre-orders are ongoing till 1 April at all Xiaomi Authorized Stores, Selected Partners’ and Telcos’ Stores, as well as on Lazada and Shopee. To purchase from Telcos, kindly check with M1, Singtel and StarHub for more information.
Those who pre-order will also receive the following incentives:
- 1 Free screen replacement (within first 6 months of purchase)
- 2 Years warranty
- 3 Years of Android OS upgrades
- 4 Years of security upgrades
Furthermore, if you order the Xiaomi 12 (8GB+256GB) or Xiaomi 12 Pro, you will receive a gift bundle worth up to $799, featuring a Xiaomi Soundbar 3.1ch + Subwoofer. The bundle can be collected at the Xiaomi Authorised Store in Suntec City from 15 April onwards. , after you’ve collected your brand new flagship device from your preferred location. Customers are advised to contact the number on their premium gift redemption letter (received when collecting smartphone devices) to check for stock availability which they will receive prior to collection.
