Xiaomi has shown that it can produce top of the range of absolute quality with line 12 released this year: powerful, handsome in photographs, splendid in design. But most of the users buy smartphones of mid-range, which are increasingly becoming reliable and of good quality. In this review we tell you Xiaomi 12 Lite, the smartphone that the Chinese company launches precisely to meet these needs. Which loses many of the jaw-dropping features of the top of the range, but not the quality screen and style.
Our Xiaomi 12 Lite review
The Xiaomi 12 Lite package that we opened for this review retains the minimal and elegant style for the 2022 line that we have seen in the “big brothers”. Xiaomi really wants to emphasize that this smartphone is part of the family, even with the addition of the 67W charger in the box like the 12 ‘base’ (while the Pro version reaches 120W).
But in design this smartphone differs a little from the lines established with the top of the range. The rear camera bump is reminiscent of the arrangement of the sensors the aesthetics of the base model, but otherwise Xiaomi 12 Lite is a smartphone with one own style.
The flat screen with a central punch at the top has thin bezels, which emphasize the square shape of the device. The back has a matte finish, which however in the coloring light green that we received for testing reflects light in a manner iridescent. Unfortunately it holds fingerprints a little too much, but with the supplied transparent silicone cover you can not worry about this detail.
The unlock and volume keys are both on the right, and have good tactile feedback and a satisfying click. Found two stereo speakers (which have a good volume) and at the bottom the USB-C for charging together with the SIM input (unfortunately no Jack input).
The best point, however, are weight and dimensions. Only 7.29 millimeters thick, it weighs just 173 grams. With such a large display and good battery, that’s a really positive highlight.
A very good quality screen
If the lightness in the hands of this device is our favorite feature, the display comes as a close second. During this review, Xiaomi’s screen seemed above average for the category, with the AMOLED technology which ensures deep contrasts and very vivid colors. The depth of the 12-bit color (for 68 billion colors) not seen in this price range often. And the result is of the highest quality.
Con Dolby Vision e HDR10+ you can enjoy a TV series on Netflix or a video on YouTube while fully enjoying the resolution from 1080×2400 pixel. The brightness, although not record-breaking, is more than sufficient even if you are outdoors in direct exposure to the sun.
In the Settings you can choose between a refresh rate da 60 o 120Hz. In the second case you will have a very responsive screen, which manages even the fastest transitions very easily and shines in games. Another option we encourage you to check out is color calibration, with several options available. We prefer Original color because it renders the media more faithfully, but the standard option Vivid sharpens the brilliance of colors for a pop that many may find better.
If all the display is passed with flying colors, the fingerprint reader Xiaomi 12 Lite undoubtedly passes the tests of our review, but without praise. It’s fast enough and very accurate, but it doesn’t shine in quality like the rest of the screen.
Xiaomi 12 Lite review, performance
Xiaomi has equipped the new 12 Lite with a Snapdragon 778G processor. In the test model, we had it available 8GB of RAM and 128GB of UFS 2.2 memory. These specifications lead to good results both in everyday use and in the benchmarks, which are average for this price range. But to play the slow memory you hear more, and the phone tends to get a little warm in longer sessions. That said, he will be able to di manage practically every businesswithout breaking any records.
The operating system is Android 12 con MIUI 13, which in the tests was able to manage in a rather brilliant way the RAM and the performance of the chip. Xiaomi’s operating system tends to pre-install a few more apps of the ones we would like, but also bring some interesting news. As the possible to see the notifications with a scroll down on the left side of the screen, while on the right find the Control Center to enable functions such as Bluetooth and adjust the brightness manually.
The level of customization we really like the interface. In addition, there are new apps to manage security and privacy, as well as to manage device performance.
In daily use we have encountered some problems opening the apps while we were updating the system applications. But otherwise it performed pretty well, never letting us down on the days we tested Xiaomi 12 Lite for this review.
The camera, many Pixels but some limits
Triple the camera sensor, equipped with a 108MP main sensor, an 8MP ultra-wide and a 2MP macro. They are arranged similar to the sensors of the ‘big brothers’ of the 12 series.
The main camera this year makes a really important qualitative leap, coming to count well 108MP. It is a Samsung’s ISOCELL HM2 sensor, which is large and capable of gathering a lot of light. Although there is the “108MP” option in the camera, by default the software merges 9 adjacent pixels into one for produce 12MP photographs really good quality.
The photographs in bright light are extremely detailed e without noise, with precise contours and excellent dynamic handling. Colors turn out maybe slightly more vivid than the photographed subject, but this feature is popular with many and undoubtedly works well for posting on social media. Shooting at 108MP you will get a lot of detail, but less contrast.
When the light goes down yes loses some di detail in the shadows, but the prominence remains of good quality and we do not notice any particular noise. The lack of a telescopic sensor is especially noticeable when you go beyond the x2 zoom: the images become less dynamic and show less personality.
The 8MP ultra-wide camera undoubtedly marks a noticeable drop in quality in general. But with the right lighting conditions it is still capable of give dynamism and good contrast. In the evening, however, you will prefer to use only the main one. The camera 2MP macro is not on the same level as the others and does not produce shots with sufficient level of detail. You will only use it in special situations.
The portrait mode is very good, although the background blur is not particularly pronounced (but you can fix it in post). There 32MP selfie camera denotes a good contrast and manages to evaluate the focus well, producing excellent results. It is above the category average.
The main sensor it also records at 2160p at 30fps. Optical stabilization (up to 1080p) allows you to record moving videos with confidence. For excellent videos you will probably have to spend more, but Xiaomi 12 Lite offers everything most users need.
Autonomy and fast charging
The battery from 4.300mAh and the efficient processor ensure good results in terms of autonomy. In the tests of our review, Xiaomi 12 Lite a particularly intense day ends with about 20% autonomy. If you don’t use the GPS navigation and limit the streaming time, you can even get to two days of average use without too many problems.
The 67W charger ensures very fast fast charging (even if the wireless one is missing). In half an hour you get over 80% autonomy, while for full recharge it is around three quarters of an hour. A quick 10-minute charge leaves you with over a third of battery life. If even in this price range we have seen smartphones with 120 or 150W of charging, you will hardly feel the difference in daily use. Xiaomi 12 Lite has a good autonomy and an above average recharge, even in this field it is more than promoted.
Xiaomi 12 Lite review: is it worth it?
With an official price starting from 459 euro, Xiaomi 12 Lite competes in a truly competitive price range. Only in the past few weeks have the Nothing Phone (1) come out with its revolutionary design and the Pixel 6a with all the software magic that Google is capable of. Mid-range phones are becoming more and more complete and interesting, stand out is more difficult.
Xiaomi 12 Lite he does well with one truly top of the range screen, a design full of stile. But above all by offering a complete experience: the main camera is of good quality, battery and charging are competitive, processor and software of good quality. In short, it is a good smartphone that you should undoubtedly consider when choosing your next device. If the price drops a little, it becomes a purchase to be recommended with your eyes closed.
PRO
- True top-of-the-range screen
- Lightweight and full of style
- A complete smartphone
VERSUS
- There are more powerful alternatives (especially for gamers)
- Lots of competition in this price range