Xiaomi 12X Evaluate: Moveable Prowess

With the 12X, Xiaomi has mainly taken its Mi 11X from final yr and has made an ‘S’ variant because the two fashions are very related (together with the very same processor).

Whereas it shares rather a lot with the Mi 11X earlier than it, there’s rather a lot to love with the Xiaomi 12X like the gorgeous AMOLED display, snappier efficiency and twice as quick charging. It is also a less expensive possibility than its stablemates, the Xiaomi 12 and Xiaomi 12 Professional.

Design & Construct

8.2mm thick
176g
No IP ranking

Like its Xiaomi 12 counterpart, the Xiaomi 12X is pretty compact and simple to carry in a single hand. That is particularly useful for these not within the huge telephones of immediately just like the Galaxy S22 Extremely or Pixel 6 Professional.

At simply 176g, the cellphone has simply the correct quantity of heft. A part of that’s as a result of the cellphone is produced from aluminium and Gorilla Glass Victus which makes it really feel like a stable slab of steel and glass with out making it appear too heavy.

Talking of the again, the Xiaomi 12X is available in various colors however the evaluate unit offered was within the purple possibility which is a refined color however seems to be nice in comparison with the black and blue choices.

There’s a digicam bump on the again of the machine which may make the machine wobbly on a desk. Fortunately, Xiaomi does provide a transparent case within the field, so you possibly can nonetheless admire the color and hold your cellphone flat on a desk.

One main omission on the 12X is an official IP ranking, the cellphone is splash resistant nevertheless it’s in all probability not a good suggestion to go for a swim with the cellphone, because it probably received’t survive.

Display & Audio system

6.28in
AMOLED
Full HD+
120Hz with AdaptiveSync

For the show, Xiaomi has gone with a 6.28in AMOLED show, which is Full HD+ in decision and helps HDR10+ and Dolby Imaginative and prescient for video content material that helps these requirements.

Like most Android flagships lately, the 12X’s show includes a 120Hz refresh fee that’s adaptive and might swap between 60Hz and 120Hz both robotically or set by the person. This is identical because the Xiaomi 12 and you will have to get the 12 Professional to get an LTPO show that may go all the best way from 120- to 1Hz.

The show seems to be nice in most lighting circumstances, due to its 1,100 nits of peak brightness. The display additionally options an in-display fingerprint reader that works pretty rapidly at unlocking your machine.

For audio system, the Xiaomi 12X has stereo audio system (one on the highest and one on the underside) which might be tuned by Harman Kardon and assist Dolby Atmos. The stereo audio system can get pretty loud and sound good however can fluctuate relying on what music you might be taking part in by them.

There are some choices to regulate the Dolby Atmos settings like between Dynamic, Music, Video and so forth however I discovered that leaving it on Dynamic offers the general greatest sound.

Specs & Efficiency

Snapdragon 870
As much as 12GB RAM
As much as 256GB storage

Like its predecessor, the Xiaomi 12X is working Snapdragon 870 which isn’t as new and flashy because the Snapdragon Eight Gen 1 that’s within the 12 and 12 Professional. It is also the identical chip present in less expensive telephones just like the Poco F3 and Moto G100.

Relying on the mannequin, the 12X comes with both 8- or 12GB of RAM with 128- or 256GB of UFS 3.1 storage.

Having 8GB of LPDDR5 RAM and the united states3.1 storage actually helps make the cellphone really feel quicker. Every little thing from opening apps, utilizing the digicam and taking part in video games is snappy. Plus having that 120Hz show helps make the expertise really feel rather a lot smoother.

You possibly can see the way it carried out in benchmarks under together with the opposite Xiaomi 12 fashions and key rivals. It is price mentioning that the equally priced Realme GT 2 comes with a more recent Snapdragon 888 processor so provides higher futureproofing than the 12X’s 2021 chip.

With the Snapdragon 870, you’ll be getting 5G assist (with dual-SIM 5G standby assist) together with Wi-Fi 6 assist and Bluetooth 5.2.

Cameras

50Mp foremost
13Mp ultrawide
5Mp telemacro
32Mp selfie digicam

As a substitute of going with an excellent excessive megapixel rely for the digicam, Xiaomi has determined to offer all three fashions within the 12 collection the identical MP rely – for the principle sensor not less than. The principle digicam on the 12X is a 50Mp sensor alongside a 13Mp ultrawide and 5Mp telemacro.

It will have been good to have a telephoto lens as an alternative of a macro lens because it’s extra sensible in on a regular basis use.

The principle lens on the 12X can seize some nice photographs. When in superb lighting circumstances, the photographs from the principle lens have vibrant and considerably punchy colors that actually pop. However if you happen to’re searching for one thing that’s extra natural-looking, you’ll wish to look elsewhere in your digicam wants.

The evening mode is a little bit of a unique story if taken with some good scene lighting like a avenue lamp or ambient gentle, then evening photographs will end up nice. However taking pictures one thing that’s mainly full darkness received’t provide any good outcomes.

When utilizing the ultrawide lens, there may be some drop in high quality, particularly because the ultrawide lens is 13Mp whereas the principle is 50Mp happening 12Mp by way of pixel binning.

That being stated, you possibly can choose to shoot in 50Mp however you received’t have entry to the opposite lenses, only a 2X cropping in.

On the video aspect of issues, the Xiaomi 12X can shoot in as much as 8K nevertheless it’s restricted to 24fps. You can too shoot in as much as 4K/60fps and 1080p/60fps. Video high quality is nice in each 4K and 1080p with a vibrant palette and OIS (optical picture stabilization) that retains your footage trying easy.

Across the entrance is the 32Mp digicam that’s made for selfies that look nice with a great quantity of element to make your topic (almost definitely your self) stand out.

Battery Life & Charging

4500mAh
67W wired charging
Adapter included

Regardless of its skinny profile, the Xiaomi 12X has a reasonably beefy 4500mAh battery. The Xiaomi 12X was capable of simply final a full day, while not having to prime up in-between the day, even when the show is about to 120Hz and 75-80% brightness.

In our PCMark for Android check, the Xiaomi 12X lasted 11 hours and 4 minutes, which is a stable outcome outpacing many rivals.

Not like the Xiaomi 12 and 12 Professional, the 12 doesn’t function wi-fi charging. If you happen to do have to cost up, although, the Xiaomi 12X comes with a 67W charger that may cost to 50% in 15 minutes and 90% in 30. The cellphone does get pretty heat when utilizing the quick charger however nothing too uncomfortable.

Much like different Android units lately, the Xiaomi 12X options the model’s personal variant of adaptive charging referred to as Optimised charging. This function will assist cut back battery ageing and can be taught out of your each day charging habits.

Software program & Apps

Android 12
MIUI 13
Three years of OS updates

On the software program aspect, the Xiaomi 12X is working Android 12 with the corporate’s newest MIUI 13 working on prime. Whereas it’s nonetheless distinctly Xiaomi, there are some components of inventory Android or one thing you’d discover on the newest Google Pixel telephones.

There are fairly a number of pre-installed apps like Fb, Spotify and a few cellular video games like Bubble Shooter & Associates however fortunately these may be uninstalled with ease.

For these trying so as to add a bit of fashion to your Xiaomi 12X’s UI, there’s a Themes app with plenty of free and paid wallpapers, ringtones, and icon kinds to select from.

For software program updates, Xiaomi has beforehand promised three years of Android updates and 4 for safety updates. This implies you must be capable to replace your Xiaomi 12X to not less than Android 15.

It stays to be seen how well timed Xiaomi might be when distributing their updates to their Xiaomi 12 collection.

Worth & Availability

Whereas the remainder of the Xiaomi 12 collection is offered within the UK, there’s at the moment no launch data for the Xiaomi 12X.

In markets the place the Xiaomi 12X is offered, the machine begins at $649/€699 (round £499) and is available in two variants:

The Xiaomi 12X’s price ticket places it inside shut vary of the £599/$599 Google Pixel 6, and £499 Realme GT 2. If you’d like one thing cheaper, take into account the likes of the OnePlus Nord 2 at £399.

Take a look at extra choices in our greatest cellphone and greatest mid-range cellphone charts.

Verdict

The Xiaomi 12X is an effective general machine that can catch the attention of some potential cellphone consumers for various causes.

First, the machine is on the smaller aspect in comparison with different flagship smartphones and regardless of its $649 value, it seems to be and seems like a well-made and premium machine.

When you aren’t getting the newest chip from Qualcomm, the Snapdragon 870 remains to be a lot highly effective for on a regular basis duties. Plus you’re nonetheless getting a 120Hz AMOLED show, quick 67W charging and a set of cameras that works effectively in most conditions.

There are some downsides to the Xiaomi 12X like the dearth of wi-fi charging, official waterproofing and MIUI received’t be to everybody’s tastes.

If you’d like higher cameras, look to the Pixel 6, in any other case the Realme GT 2 might be a superb selection in case your coronary heart is not set on a steel and glass design.

Specs
Xiaomi 12X: Specs

Android 12 w/ MIUI 13

6.28in FHD+ AMOLED 120Hz curved show, 20:9, 480Hz contact sampling, HDR10+, Dolby Imaginative and prescient

In-display fingerprint sensor

Gorilla Glass Victus

7nm Qualcomm Snapdragon 870

8/12GB RAM LPDDR5

128GB/256GB UFS 3.1 non-expandable storage

50Mp, f/1.9, foremost digicam with OIS

13Mp, f/2.four ultrawide digicam

5Mp, telemacro digicam with autofocus

32Mp, f/2.54 front-facing digicam