Xiaomi 12 Pro: When you imagine a flagship smartphone, the likes of Samsung and Apple likely come to mind first.
But Xiaomi, a name long synonymous with budget devices, has been quietly inching its way towards the premium space.
Step forward the Xiaomi 12 Pro – a phone that looks great, has huge power, and is rammed full of the very best hardware, yet still comes in at a price that won’t leave your bank manager reaching for the cyanide.
Is it flagship killer without the killer price? Let’s unpack that.
Design and Construction: Luxury Inside and Out
The Xiaomi 12 Pro wastes no time making an impression. Couple the glass and metal sandwich, curved edges and matte finish, and it feels more premium in the hand.
At about 205g, it’s not the lightest of phones, but the weight is a comfortable balance rather than overly bulky.
The camera module is perhaps a bit brash, but still looks stylish and sophisticated.
The watch lacks an official IP rating, which may be disappointing to some, but it does feel sturdy and well-constructed, capable of withstanding everyday bumps and knocks.
Display: Simply Stunning
The 6.73-inch LTPO AMOLED display is one of the Xiaomi 12 Pro’s biggest highlights.
That includes Quad HD+ resolution, 120Hz dynamic refresh rate, and support for HDR10+ as well as Dolby Vision. If you want the short version, it’s one of the best screens on a smartphone, period.
The visuals are sharp, bright, and smooth whether you’re playing Fortnite or Netflix shows or perusing Instagram.
The adaptive refresh rate means the phone smartly switches between 1Hz and 120Hz depending on what you’re doing, which helps to save battery while keeping things smooth when necessary.
Action: Beast Mode Summary: Unless you’re counting fumbles, there’s really no critique for Lynch’s Week 12 performance.
Under the hood, the Xiaomi 12 Pro draws power from the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 chipset, coupled with up to 12GB of LPDDR5 RAM and UFS 3.1 storage. It’s a powerhouse.
Apps open fast, multitasking is a breeze, and even graphically intense games play without a hitch — though the phone does get hot under extended load.
For those who just use a phone casually and for power users, performance will be a non-issue.
You’re also getting MIUI 13 on top of Android 12, with its excellent customizations and optimizations — although it does continue to lag under some bloatware and there is the occasional burst of notification clutter.
Camera: Imaging Done at Flagship-level
Xiaomi didn’t skimp on this either. The phone features a triple 50MP camera setup – wide, ultra-wide, and a 2x telephoto.
The primary sensor has been taken from Sony’s IMX707 with a 48MP (megapixel) resolution that is capable of clicking sharp, detailed images in both daylight, as well in low light.
Dynamic range, and color accuracy are strong, and night mode really pulls in light without going overboard.
The ultra-wide lens keeps good detail and color uniformity, and the portrait mode through the 2x zoom lens just gives you great depth.
The 32MP front facing camera also snaps clean, sharp selfies and copes well with video calls.
Video records up to 8K, and stabilization is decent even at 4K.
Battery, Charging and Fast and the Furious
The phone includes a 4600mAh battery, and is capable of lasting more than a day with moderate usage. But the real showstopper? That last figure is for its 120W wired charging.
Xiaomi says it can go from 0 to 100% in about 18 minutes, and it’s not far off. You also get 50W wireless charging, that’s faster than lots of wired chargers in this class.
Yes, it does come with the charger in the box — a feature that can be welcome when it seems others are leaving it behind.
Pros and Cons
Pros:
Beautiful, high resolution QHD+ AMOLED display with 120Hz refresh rate.
Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 powers the flagship-grade performance you expect
Premium design and build
fast charging up to 120W and wireless charging up to 50W
Great all-around camera arrangement
Cons:
May become warm after heavy use
MIUI is still quite bloated, and has quirks here and there.
No official IP rating
Slightly bulky for some users
Xiaomi 12 Pro: Final Verdict
Xiaomi 12 Pro is an evidence that you don’t have to spend 1 lakh to get a fully premium smartphone experience.
From an amazing display and rapid charging to an impressive camera system and sleek design, it offers just about everything people would expect from a top-end phone — without driving your wallet insane.
It’s not perfect, but it’s pretty damn close. For anyone itching to move up to flagship level without moving in to the ultra premium club this phone should be high on your list.
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