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Introduction, specs, unboxing
The Xiaomi 12 flagship trio has finally gone global, and we are excited to have all three Xiaomi 12 models in our office. After reviewing the Xiaomi 12 Pro and Xiaomi 12, we are now gearing up for our thorough inspection of the Xiaomi 12X. It's like a Lite version of the Xiaomi 12, yet it's a heavy-duty model with the only thing that's light about it is its weight.
Indeed, the Xiaomi 12X is an incredibly compact and lightweight smartphone that is a sight for sore eyes (and hands) in this 2022 year. We have always been fans of this form factor and never miss an opportunity to enjoy having a reasonably sized phone in our hands and pockets.
Obviously, the 12X is identical to the Xiaomi 12 in everything but the chipset. This means it is of equal size, weight, and even colors. We can't but think of the Xiaomi 12 as the redundant phone of the trio - it has currently the most powerful hardware within a small body and under a 1080p display. And let's face it - that's an overkill, and what's worse, a throttling one. It's like putting a Ferrari engine in a Beetle.
That, and the lower price is what makes the Xiaomi 12X, the more attractive phone to explore. It's got a solid chipset, a premium display, up-to-date photography skills, and speedy charging.
Okay, obviously, we are hyped about the Xiaomi 12X, so let's get down to business.
The Xiaomi 12X, just like the Xiaomi 12, offers a 6.28-inch AMOLED screen with Full HD resolution, dynamic 120Hz refresh rate, 480Hz touch response, HDR10+ and Dolby Vision support, and Gorilla Glass Victus protection. This is the first panel ever on a mobile phone to come with 12-bit native color support for each pixel, which allows showing over 68 billion colors (let that number sink in)! This is the right way to truly enjoy Dolby Vision.
Then we have the Snapdragon 870 5G, which has proven to be one of the most desirable flagship-grade chipsets for its high-quality performance and great battery efficiency.
The triple camera on the back is the same as on the Xiaomi 12 - it features a 50MP OIS primary, a 13MP ultrawide, and a 5MP telemacro camera with AF for some proper closeup shots. 8K video capturing is available, along many other shooting modes. The front camera employs a 32MP sensor.
The Xiaomi 12X offers a Harman-Kardon stereo speaker setup with Dolby Atmos support that will be a great compliment to the Dolby Vision display. The phone comes with a 4,500mAh battery with support for 67W Mi Fast charging - yet another premium extra worth having.
And here come the complete Xiaomi 12X specs sheet.
Xiaomi 12X specs at a glance:
- Body: 152.7x69.9x8.2mm, 176g; Gorilla Glass Victus front, glass back, aluminum frame.
- Display: 6.28" AMOLED, 68B colors, 120Hz, Dolby Vision, HDR10+, 1100 nits (peak), 1080x2400px resolution, 20:9 aspect ratio, 419ppi.
- Chipset: Qualcomm SM8250-AC Snapdragon 870 5G (7 nm): Octa-core (1x3.2 GHz Kryo 585 & 3x2.42 GHz Kryo 585 & 4x1.80 GHz Kryo 585); Adreno 650.
- Memory: 128GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 12GB RAM; UFS 3.1.
- OS/Software: Android 11, MIUI 13.
- Rear camera: Wide (main): 50 MP, f/1.9, 26mm, 1/1.56", 1.0µm, PDAF, OIS; Ultra wide angle: 13 MP, f/2.4, 12mm, 123˚, 1/3.06", 1.12µm; Macro: 5 MP, f/2.4, 50mm, AF.
- Front camera: 32 MP, f/2.5, 26mm (wide), 0.7µm.
- Video capture: Rear camera: 8K@24fps, 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/120/240/960fps, gyro-EIS; Front camera: 1080p@30/60fps, 720p@120fps, HDR.
- Battery: 4500mAh; Fast charging 67W, 100% in 39 min (advertised), Power Delivery 3.0, Quick Charge 4.
- Misc: Fingerprint reader (under display, optical); Infrared port.
There is one obvious omission, and that's ingress protection rating. Xiaomi has given no official rating for the Xiaomi 12X, or the 12 for that matter, but we can confirm the phones are splash resistant. This is by no means proper water protection, but the 12X is not completely naked to the elements either.
The lack of zoom camera or at least lossless zoom is also a bit baffling, as the 12X has the power to process and crop high-res photos on the go.
Still, even with these question marks, the Xiaomi 12X is looking like one of the most attractive smartphones out there for its excellent balance between high-end features, power, and price. So, without further ado, here is the Xiaomi 12X.
Unboxing the Xiaomi 12X
The Xiaomi 12X is packed within a white paper box, just like most of the recent Xiaomi phones. Inside you will find a 67W charger and a 6A-rated USB USB-C cable.
As usual, the retail bundle also contains a soft transparent case, and we always appreciate this extra accessory.
Finally, the Xiaomi 12X arrives with a thin film that was applied on the screen's Gorilla Glass. It's a smudge magnet, but it also keeps scratches away - we'll leave the choice whether to keep it or peel it off up to you.
Design, build quality, handling
The Xiaomi 12X is an excellent smartphone with a balanced design, good looks, and a small footprint. In fact, the Xiaomi 12X is one of the most compact Android flagships on the market, together with the Samsung Galaxy S22.
Samsung Galaxy S22 and Xiaomi 12X
The Xiaomi 12 and 12X are identical, so we guess you have to trust us this is the 12X and not the 12. Not that it really matters for this chapter.
Anyway, like most premium smartphones nowadays, the Xiaomi 12X employs a dual-glass design and a metal chassis with a visible aluminum frame with a brushed surface. The front panel is as curved as the rear one making for one truly symmetrical shape that's easy to love.
Xiaomi has used a slightly curved sheet of Gorilla Glass Victus on top of the screen, while the back is covered with a Gorilla Glass 5 piece of the same shape. The fame is slightly curved, too, across all sides, though not enough to ruin the good grip it provides.
And while we are exploring the Xiaomi 12X overall design, we want to applaud the maker for its attention to the fine details and the overall symmetry that doesn't apply only to the shape, but the speaker grilles as well. The two outlets on the top and bottom are completely identical and symmetrical.
The Xiaomi 12X has no official IP certification, meaning it is neither dust- nor water-proofed. Still, a Xiaomi rep has confirmed for us that all three Xiaomi 12 phones have limited dust and splash insulation. And it is very much evident when we pop the SIM tray open. It's not great, obviously, but it is still better than nothing.
And now, let's take a closer look at the Xiaomi 12X.
The brand-new 6.28-inch 12-bit AMOLED is at the front. It has all sorts of premium tricks like 120Hz dynamic refresh rate, 480Hz touch response, HDR10+ and Dolby Vision support. The screen bezels are minimal, and the perforation for the selfie camera is nicely small.
There is an under-display fingerprint scanner, and it works nearly flawlessly. The sensor wakes up the moment you touch the glass, and then scans and unlocks the phone in an instant. It is among the fastest scanners we've experienced, and we have no complaints.
Above the screen, there is this almost invisible and incredibly thin outlet. This for earpiece purposes - the sound is coming from the top speaker. We've played for a while during calls and then YouTube videos and found out that audio is coming from both outlets - top and front. During calls, it's more directional, and you will clearly hear it from the front outing, while during media playback the sound gets out from everywhere - front, top, bottom. The experience is outstanding, so you should have no worries here.
And while we are talking about calls, the Xiaomi 12X features a virtual proximity sensor, like the Xiaomi 12 and 12 Pro. It works much better than expected, but it has its issues as it relies on numerous factors, including accelerometer input, and sometimes it may just fail because of wrong/inaccurate input.
The back of the Xiaomi 12X is beautiful and stylish. We have the purple 12X, and it's eye-catchy and with a matte, frost-like finish. Fingerprints and smudges do stick on this Gorilla Glass piece, though they are not as evident as on the black model. The purple hue is not eye-popping, and if it catches a bright light ray, it will disperse it in a cool way.
The only feature of interest on the back is the rectangular camera island that's made of an aluminum block. It contains the 50MP primary camera surrounded by a small metal ring and the flush 13MP ultrawide and 5MP macro cameras. The flash is also around.
The camera setup is jutting out a lot and makes the Xiaomi 12X wobble on a desk. If that's too annoying for you, the supplied case will reduce the wobbling.
And now, let's look around the frame. There is nothing on the left side of the 12X.
The volume and the power/lock keys are on the right, as usual.
One of the speakers, the IR blaster, and a secondary microphone sit on the top side of the Xiaomi 12X.
The bottom houses the primary microphone, the other speaker, the USB-C port, and the dual-SIM tray.
The Xiaomi 12X measures 152.7 x 69.9 x 8.2 mm and weighs 176 grams - that's 7mm taller and 9h heavier than the recent Galaxy S22 (which has a bit smaller 6.1" display).
The 12X handling experience is outstanding - it's compact and lightweight, with a solid and grippy enough build, as well as a beautiful yet not flashy design. The Xiaomi 12X is easily operated with one hand on the go, which is quite nice and will be appreciated by the users which appreciate this.
There is only one caveat on the Xiaomi 12X and that's the basic splash protection that isn't even officially mentioned. We have been hoping for years for Xiaomi to enhance its flagships with proper ingress insulations, but it seems the Ultra models are the only ones to be treated this way. Oh well.
The first 12-bit AMOLED screen on a smartphone
The Xiaomi 12X packs a 6.28-inch AMOLED screen of 1080p resolution. It is the first-ever panel with a native 12-bit color and it can display over 68 billion colors. This is the same screen you will also find on the Xiaomi 12, meaning the achievement is shared.
So, the OLED panel of the Xiaomi 12X has an actual resolution of 1,080 x 2,400 px or 419ppi. It supports 120Hz dynamic refresh rate, up to 480Hz touch sampling, and is HDR10+ and Dolby Vision certified. Dolby Vision is the only HDR standard that covers 12-bit colors, which means the Xiaomi 12X and the Xiaomi 12 are the only phones that can potentially show Dolby Vision content in its full glory.
The screen is protected by a slightly curved piece of Gorilla Glass Victus, and you get an additional protector that was applied in the factory.
We've completed our display test, of course, and the measurements are excellent across the board. The typical brightness we captured when working manually was 504 nits, but when the sunlight boost kicks in the Auto Brightness mode, the brightness became 925 nits! Xiaomi is promising up to 1100 nits of brightness, and they are easily achievable when using smaller color patterns than ours 75%.
The minimal brightness we measured at point white was a mere 1.8nit, an excellent one!
| Display test | 100% brightness | ||
| Black, |
White, |
||
| 0 | 504 | ∞ | |
| 0 | 925 | ∞ | |
| 0 | 494 | ∞ | |
| 0 | 896 | ∞ | |
| 0 | 506 | ∞ | |
| 0 | 1050 | ∞ | |
| 0 | 498 | ∞ | |
| 0 | 926 | ∞ | |
| 0 | 516 | ∞ | |
| 0 | 837 | ∞ | |
| 0 | 465 | ∞ | |
| 0 | 757 | ∞ | |
| 0 | 982 | ∞ | |
| 0 | 511 | ∞ | |
| 0 | 716 | ∞ | |
| 0 | 482 | ∞ | |
| 0 | 778 | ∞ | |
| 0 | 327 | ∞ | |
| 0 | 590 | ∞ | |
| 0 | 440 | ∞ | |
| 0 | 800 | ∞ | |
| 0 | 831 | ∞ | |
Color accuracy
The Xiaomi 12X fully supports the DCI-P3 wide color gamut. The phone's settings offer three different color models and additional Advanced Settings. The three options are Vivid (default, DCI-P3), Saturated (DCI-P3 with saturation boost), and Standard (sRGB). You can tweak the color temperature for each mode.
The default Vivid option is tuned to reproduce DCI-P3 faithfully, and we found it to be fairly accurate, excluding the slightly bluish-white and gray hues. Standard, on the other hand, has an outstanding accuracy to sRGB, including the white and gray colors.
There are Advanced Settings, where you can choose between Original (identify and calibrate colors on the go), P3 (same accuracy to P3 as Auto - pretty good), and sRGB (perfect accuracy to sRGB). But these Advanced Settings also allow for color, saturation, contrast and gamma correction in each mode.
Display settings
Refresh rate
The screen supports Auto and Custom refresh rates. The Auto is the default dynamic option that switches between 60Hz, 90Hz and 120hz on the go. If you select Custom, you will choose between 60Hz and 120Hz refresh rates. The 60Hz one is static, of course, while 120Hz offers the same dynamic switching as Auto.
Whether you've selected Auto or 120Hz, 120Hz is used across compatible apps and games, as well as the entire Android/MIUI interface. The screen reverts to 60Hz after a few seconds of inactivity. 60Hz is also used across all video apps and video playback and streaming. We did not find a use case for 90Hz, but tests showed the screen does support it when an app forces it.
Streaming
The Xiaomi 12X supports Widevine L1 DRM, and it is recognized across all popular streaming apps like Netflix and Prime Video as both HDR10 and Dolby Vision capable. Dolby Vision content is served readily, and we enjoyed an outstanding streaming experience with the highest possible quality.
Battery life
If you have followed our Xiaomi 12 reviews closely, you probably know already that battery life isn't the strongest side of the new flagship lineup. Well, we are happy to report this observation does not apply to the Xiaomi 12X.
The 12X model, while sporting the same 6.26-inch high-end OLED screen and the same 4,500mAh battery as the Xiaomi 12, it runs on the more everything-efficient Snapdragon 870 5G chipset. And that's why the Xiaomi 12X aced our battery life test by scoring a total endurance rating of 105 hours.
The 12X did better than the Xiaomi 12 and 12 Pro across all tests, including standby. In fact, it did a marvelous job on the onscreen tests and matched the Poco F3 in both.
Video test carried out in 60Hz refresh rate mode. Web browsing test done at the display's highest refresh rate whenever possible. Refer to the respective reviews for specifics. To adjust the endurance rating formula to match your own usage patterns check out our all-time battery test results chart where you can also find all phones we've tested.
Charging speed
The Xiaomi 12X, just like the most recent Xiaomi 12 and Redmi Note 11 Pro models, supports 67W fast wired charging. The phone ships bundled with the required 67W charger and 6A-rated cable.
The 67W charger took the battery from 0% to 45% in 15 minutes and up to 78% in 30 minutes. And this, of course, is incredibly fast.
30min charging test (from 0%)
Higher is better
- Xiaomi 12 Pro (120W)
100% - Realme GT2 Pro
91% - Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra
89% - Xiaomi 12
87% - Xiaomi Mi 11
83% - Xiaomi 12X
78% - Poco F3
67% - Samsung Galaxy S22+ (45W)
64% - Samsung Galaxy S22+ (25W)
62% - Apple iPhone 13 mini
61% - Asus Zenfone 8
60% - Sony Xperia 5 III
49%
A full charge requires 48 minutes on the charger. That's nowhere near close to the 120W charging of the Xiaomi 12 Pro, but it's still an excellent result.
Time to full charge (from 0%)
Lower is better
- Xiaomi 12 Pro (120W)
0:21h - Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra
0:37h - Realme GT2 Pro
0:40h - Xiaomi 12
0:46h - Xiaomi 12X
0:48h - Xiaomi Mi 11
0:50h - Poco F3
0:56h - Samsung Galaxy S22+ (45W)
1:01h - Samsung Galaxy S22+ (25W)
1:02h - Apple iPhone 13 mini
1:24h - Asus Zenfone 8
1:28h - Sony Xperia 5 III
1:50h
Unlike the Xiaomi 12, the Xiaomi 12X does not support wireless charging. There is no option for reverse wired or wireless charging either.
Speaker quality
The Xiaomi 12X has two standalone speakers on its top and bottom sides, symmetrically placed under equally large grilles. The top speaker has another front-facing outlet as it also serves the purpose of an earpiece. When you are in a call, the directional sound is coming from the thin front hole, while for everything else, you can hear it from all three outings - top, front, bottom.
The speakers are incredibly balanced and sound excellent. The setup is tuned by Harman/Kardon, and you can even see the logo next to the top speaker. Oh, and there is Dolby Atmos support, which makes the audio sound deeper and somewhat richer.
So, the speakers scored a Very Good mark on our loudness test, matching the ones on the Xiaomi 12X. The sound quality is very good, as well. We can hear rich sound with good presentation across all frequencies - from bass, through voice and mid-tones, up to the crispy high notes.
Use the Playback controls to listen to the phone sample recordings (best use headphones). We measure the average loudness of the speakers in LUFS. A lower absolute value means a louder sound. A look at the frequency response chart will tell you how far off the ideal "0db" flat line is the reproduction of the bass, treble, and mid frequencies. You can add more phones to compare how they differ. The scores and ratings are not comparable with our older loudspeaker test. Learn more about how we test here.
Android 11 under MIUI 13
The Xiaomi 12X boots Android 11 with the most current MIUI 13 version. Most of the new MIUI features are under the hood, though they should make for a smoother, smarter, and more secure experience.
This version of MIUI 13 is based on Android 11, and it does not include Android 12 features like the revamped widgets or the Privacy Dashboard either with options like a protected clipboard, approximate location, updated Face Unlock algorithm. The updated File Manager and Clock app with Bedtime mode is nowhere to be found either.
Unfortunately, the new live wallpapers showing microscopic stuff like how vitamin C and citric acid crystallize, as demoed by Xiaomi for MIUI13, are not available on the Xiaomi 12X series just yet.
Still, Xiaomi claims that MIUI has been reworked completely, even if you cannot tell that by the interface and its design alone - it looks and feels just like MIUI 12. But the new version reportedly focuses on much better resource distribution and should handle processor, RAM and storage usage better and smarter.
For example, MIUI 13 is supposed to keep track of the current use of the processor and RAM and suspend any currently unnecessary tasks to free resources and offer more fluid performance. Xiaomi promises a background process efficiency increase of up to 40% compared to the previous version.
Liquid storage is what sounds really cool and relevant for modern smartphones. Xiaomi says that in most phones, the storage performance is halved in 36 months due to inefficient storage management. And this is where MIUI 13 comes - it offers 60% better defragmentation efficiency than MIUI 12 and different competitors. So, the storage performance drop in 36 months should be merely 5%. This sounds impressive, so here is hoping this feature lives up to the hype.
The final optimization done within MIUI's core is power management - the new version's optimization should lead to a 10% drop in the power consumption compared to MIUI 12's.
There is also an improved Smart Sidebar for even more fluid multi-tasking with pop-up apps. And the privacy has been improved with a number of features, some of which unique.
And now, let's take a closer look at MIUI 13 on the Xiaomi 12X.
The Xiaomi 12X supports an Always-on display - it can be always on, scheduled, or appearing for 5s after a tap. There are a lot of AOD themes you can choose from. A few of those can also be customized.
Always-on display
Breathing light is called Notification effect in MIUI 13. It can work with or without Always-on Display. Basically, that's a fancier version of the notification LED that uses the edges of the display - they flash with colors upon new notifications.
One more thing, you can choose the lockscreen clock style, too.
Notification light • Notification light • Notification light • Lockscreen clock style
You unlock the screen via the under-display optical fingerprint scanner. The reader is easy to set up, blazing-fast, and the accuracy is superb. A 2D Face Unlock is available, too, but it is far less secure than the fingerprint option.
Biometrics
The homescreens are business as usual - they are populated with shortcuts, folders, and widgets. The leftmost pane, if enabled, is Google's Discover.
MIUI 13
MIUI 13 offers an app drawer, and it automatically organizes your apps into categories. The first is All, meaning it contains all apps. Then follow Communication, Entertainment, Photography, Tools, New, and Business. You can edit these categories or even disable them altogether.
You can disable the app drawer entirely if that's not your thing.
App drawer
Just like in MIUI 12, MIUI 13 offers an independent Notification shade and Control Center. You summon them like on the iPhones - pull down from the left part of the screen for the Notification Center, pull down from the right for the Control Center.
If you are not fond of this iPhone-ish split - you can disable the Control Center, and the shade will revert to its normal looks and operation.
Notifications • Toggles • Settings • The old combined view
The task switcher is familiar, too, if you've ever used a Xiaomi. It shows all of your recent apps in two columns. Tap-and-hold on any card for the split-screen and pop-up shortcuts (where available), or just swipe it left or right to close it.
There is a Floating Windows button on top of everything. You can put a compatible app in a floating state, but you only have one floating window at a time.
Task switcher • Task Switcher • Task switcher • Split screen • Floating window • Floating window
Themes have always been a huge part of MIUI, and they are available on MIUI 13, too. You can download new ones from the Themes store, and they can change wallpapers, ringtones, system icons, and even the always-on display style.
Themes
MIUI comes with its proprietary multimedia apps - Gallery, Music, Mi Video (with streaming options). There is also an MIUI File Manager. And, of course, a Mi Remote app that uses the integrated IR blaster.
Gallery • Music • Video • File Manager • Mi Remote
MIUI also offers a Security app. It can scan your phone for malware, manage your blacklist, manage or restrict your data usage, configure battery behavior, and free up some RAM. It can also manage the permissions of your installed apps, define the battery behavior of selected apps, and apply restrictions only to certain apps.
Security
And speaking of memory, MIUI 13 offers Memory Extension option that's active by default (you can disable it if you like). It reserves up to 3GB of the internal storage to serve as RAM extension. Less important memory blocks should come here.
RAM Extension
The Smart Sidebar is quite familiar - a small visible mark on the edge of the screen that expands into a menu anytime you swipe on it. You launch apps in pop-up windows from here. Of course, you can customize the actions for this menu. If you are within a multimedia app (like YouTube, Mi Video, Gallery, etc.) you will get the Video toolbox next to the shortcuts - it contains a Dolby Atmos switch, plus shortcuts for Screenshot, Record screen, Cast, and Play Video with the screen off. And, oh yes, the last one works on YouTube, no Premium subscription needed!
Smart Sidebar • Smart Sidebar • Pop-up apps • Video toolbox
Other interesting MIUI 13 improvements you may not notice at first include a better screenshot editor, a brand-new battery page with performance mode, and an option for the camera app to shoot videos with the screen turned off.
When you take a screenshot, you will notice a modern-looking interface with brushes, erasers, text and selection tools, among others.
The Battery page offers four battery modes - two power-saving types, Balanced (default), and a Performance option that may give a small performance boost for a while but then lead to throttling. Here, you can also check the battery temperature.
Screenshot editor • Battery page and options
Some MIUI ROMs include ads in the default apps, it is a well-known thing. On our Xiaomi 12 review units, we saw no ads even if the "recommendations" were enabled across all system apps. Still, if you happen to see ads on yours, just go to each system app's Settings and disable recommendations.
MIUI 13 has a lot of under the hood improvements that promise a smoother and faster experience right now and for the next couple of years due to many optimizations. The interface is pretty much MIUI 12 with a couple of tweaks here and there. So, if you didn't expect a groundbreaking redesign, you will feel right at home with MIUI 13. We don't expect Android 12 to change that either.
Performance and benchmarks
The Xiaomi 12X employs the Snapdragon 870 5G chipset by Qualcomm, as opposed to the vanilla Xiaomi 12 with its Snapdragon 8 Gen1 SoC. And, as we explained earlier, we think this is the right fit for a phone of such caliber and a 1080p screen. The Snapdragon 870 chipset is of the current flagship generation with all modern connectivity options, powerful performance, and better thermals leading to less throttling. Plus, it is a more power-efficient platform.
So, the Snapdragon 870 offers an octa-core processor with one Kryo Prime (Cortex-A77) core clocked at 3.2GHz, three Kryo Gold (Cortex-A77) cores running at 2.42GHz and four Kryo Silver (Cortex-A55) cores ticking at 1.8GHz.
The chip offers Adreno 650 GPU - one of the best on the market and it will allow smooth HRR gaming under a 1080p display.
The Xiaomi 12X launches with 8GB RAM and 256GB storage, but Xiaomi is expected to launch two more variants soon - the base model with 8GB RAM + 128GB storage, as well as the limited version with 12GB RAM and 256GB storage.
Xiaomi 12X and its modern chipset enable 5G support, Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.1, tri-band GPS, among other connectivity options.
And now, let's run some tests!
The Snapdragon 870 processor may not be the fastest on the market, but it remains among the most powerful Android CPUs and does a wonderful job.
GeekBench 5 (multi-core)
Higher is better
- Samsung Galaxy S22
3682 - Xiaomi 12
3652 - Xiaomi Mi 11
3489 - Xiaomi 12X
3168 - Xiaomi Mi 11 Lite 5G
2909 - Xiaomi 11T
2834 - Xiaomi 11 Lite 5G NE
2832 - Samsung Galaxy A52s 5G
2801 - OnePlus Nord 2
2792 - Poco X3 GT
2310
GeekBench 5 (single-core)
Higher is better
- Xiaomi 12
1187 - Samsung Galaxy S22
1171 - Xiaomi Mi 11
1085 - Xiaomi 12X
943 - OnePlus Nord 2
814 - Xiaomi Mi 11 Lite 5G
803 - Xiaomi 11 Lite 5G NE
787 - Samsung Galaxy A52s 5G
771 - Xiaomi 11T
742 - Poco X3 GT
693
The Adreno 650 GPU is equally relevant in 2022 even if it is not the most powerful GPU on the market. It doesn't need to be - it provides enough oomph for smooth 1080p gaming.
The Xiaomi 12X has an unlocked refresh rate in games, and if one can go north of 60fps, it will.
GFX Car Chase ES 3.1 (onscreen)
Higher is better
- Xiaomi 12
75 - Samsung Galaxy S22
62 - Xiaomi 12X
47 - Xiaomi 11T
40 - OnePlus Nord 2
38 - Poco X3 GT
38 - Xiaomi Mi 11 Lite 5G
35 - Xiaomi Mi 11
33 - Samsung Galaxy A52s 5G
28 - Xiaomi 11 Lite 5G NE
28
GFX Manhattan ES 3.1 (onscreen)
Higher is better
- Xiaomi 12
117 - Samsung Galaxy S22
96 - Xiaomi 11T
72 - Xiaomi 12X
70 - Poco X3 GT
68 - Xiaomi Mi 11
57 - Xiaomi Mi 11 Lite 5G
57 - OnePlus Nord 2
57 - Samsung Galaxy A52s 5G
49 - Xiaomi 11 Lite 5G NE
49
GFX Manhattan ES 3.0 (onscreen)
Higher is better
- Xiaomi 12
121 - Samsung Galaxy S22
116 - Xiaomi 12X
106 - Poco X3 GT
97 - Xiaomi 11T
96 - Xiaomi Mi 11
88 - Xiaomi Mi 11 Lite 5G
78 - Samsung Galaxy A52s 5G
69 - Xiaomi 11 Lite 5G NE
68 - OnePlus Nord 2
59
3DMark Wild Life Vulkan 1.1 (offscreen 1440p)
Higher is better
- Xiaomi 12
9535 - Samsung Galaxy S22
6749 - Xiaomi Mi 11
5673 - Xiaomi 12X
4320 - OnePlus Nord 2
4224 - Xiaomi 11T
4172 - Poco X3 GT
3991 - Xiaomi Mi 11 Lite 5G
3136 - Samsung Galaxy A52s 5G
2491 - Xiaomi 11 Lite 5G NE
2477
Then, the AnTuTu tests confirm the Xiaomi 12X is a powerful little smartphone and everyone should be happy with its speed.
AnTuTu 8
Higher is better
- Samsung Galaxy S22
745496 - Xiaomi Mi 11
668722 - Poco F3
631850 - Xiaomi 12X
598003 - OnePlus Nord 2
512164 - Poco X3 GT
506800 - Xiaomi Mi 11 Lite 5G
465534 - Samsung Galaxy A52s 5G
429675
AnTuTu 9
Higher is better
- Xiaomi 12
985115 - Samsung Galaxy S22
881428 - Xiaomi 12X
690298 - OnePlus Nord 2
598022 - Xiaomi 11T
590837 - Poco X3 GT
578505 - Xiaomi 11 Lite 5G NE
527663 - Xiaomi Mi 11 Lite 5G
522490 - Samsung Galaxy A52s 5G
506432
The Xiaomi 12X and its Snapdragon 870 5G chipset provide flagship-grade performance, and they can offer smooth high frame rate gaming. So, if performance was of any doubt on the 12X, you should be at ease now.
Finally, we ran a couple of stress tests, and you will be glad to hear that the Snapdragon 870 5G has an excellent CPU stability of 80%. The GPU throttling is a bit harsher with 72% stability, still a good one. Overall, the Snapdragon 870 chipset and its passive cooling solution do well within the Xiaomi 12X, and there is no observable throttling, no matter the task.
CPU stress test •
Even better, after a long stress test, the Xiaomi 12X is usually warm but nowhere near as hot as the Xiaomi 12X. The warmest spot on the 12X is at the left side of the frame, but, again, it is not as hot as the 12. And this excellent behavior is one of the reasons we'd recommend the Xiaomi 12X instead of the vanilla 12 if we had to pick one.
Excellent triple camera, no zoom
The Xiaomi 12X has the same camera as the Xiaomi 12 and one that is quite similar to what the Xiaomi Mi 11 had to offer - a high-res primary with OIS, a regular ultrawide shooter, and a 5MP camera with a telemacro lens for high-quality close-up shots.
The main camera uses a 50MP Sony IMX766 sensor. It is 1/1.56" in size with 1.0µm and a Quad-Bayer RGGB (2x2) filter. Having such a filter means the main camera combines four adjacent pixels and the resulting photos are 50/4=12.5MP in resolution.
The sensor is paired with a 6-element 24mm lens that is stabilized and has an f/1.88 aperture.
The ultrawide camera uses a 13MP OmniVision OV13B10 sensor with 1.12µm pixels and 14mm f/2.4 lens. The focus is fixed.
The macro camera utilizes a 5MP Samsung S5K5E9 1/5" sensor with 1.12µm pixels and 50mm f/2.4 telemacro lens. Autofocus is available and it works at distances between 3cm and 9cm or so.
The selfie camera has a 32MP OmniVision OV32B40 1/3" Tetra-pixel sensor with 0.7µm pixels. It sits behind an f/2.45 lens. The focus is fixed. The default output is 32MP for some reason even if Xiaomi promises 4-in-1 binning.
The camera app is simple and familiar. First, basic operation for changing modes works with sideswipes (on the modes scroller), and you can also tap on the modes you can see to switch to those directly. Up and down swipes don't work for switching between the front and rear cameras; only the toggle next to the shutter release does that.
You can add, remove, and rearrange modes in the main rolodex by going to the More tab and navigating to the edit button, and you can access that from the settings menu as well.
The hamburger menu at the far end of the screen is where you'll find additional options and modes, including Super Macro, plus the icon to access the settings. Next to that hamburger menu, you have a flash mode switch, an HDR switch, an AI toggle, a shortcut to Google Lens, and a magic wand with beauty effects and filters.
Camera app
There's an expanded Pro mode (for all three rear cameras), where you can tweak the shooting parameters yourself, and you can use it with the main and ultra-wide cameras. You get to pick one of 4 white balance presets or dial in the light temperature with a slider, there's a manual focusing slider (with peaking as an option, which is a rare sighting), and shutter speed (1/4000s to 30s, 20s for macro) and ISO control with the range depending on which camera you're using. A tiny live histogram is available, and a toggle for zebras can be found in the hamburger menu.
Camera app
Night mode is available on all major cameras, and there's also an Auto Night mode setting in the menu, enabled by default. Another option that caught our eye was Eye-tracking focus, also turned on by default.
Various long exposure photo presets and movie-like modes for videos are available in the More tab, too.
Daylight photo quality
The main camera shoots in 12.5MP by default, and the photos are excellent. They offer plenty of resolved detail and balanced sharpness, we like how areas of random detail are rendered well as opposed to the over-sharpened messes we've seen lately. Foliage, grass, building details - everything looks good.
The white balance across all photos is spot-on, and the colors are true to life. The contrast is high but not over the top, while the dynamic range is good and realistic.
Finally, the noise has been cleaned incredibly well, and there are no traces in the photos.
Main camera, 12.5MP
There is no telephoto camera on the Xiaomi 12X, and neither is an advertisement for lossless zoom. Still, there is a dedicated 2x zoom shortcut on the viewfinder, which we expected to provide a simple digital zoom.
We were wrong, though. While it's not lossless zoom per se, the 2x digital zoom involves some stacking and processing, which often nets better photos and what simple upscales would have looked like. Not the best, as we said, but good enough to make sense using it when necessary.
Main camera 2x zoom, 12.5MP
There is a 50MP mode available on the Xiaomi 12X, but it's not among the most potent high-res modes we've encountered. While the photos are not a simple upscale from the 12.5MP default ones, they are not that proficiently processed either. The detail is rather average, while everything is as good as on the standard photos.
We tried resizing those to 12MP and found the results identical to the default Photo shooting mode's output. This means shooting in 50MP mode is rather pointless.
Main camera, 50MP
The 13MP photos from the ultrawide camera are notably good, too. The processing is competent, and it offers the maximum detail it can from such sensor and lens, plus it does an excellent job with the distortion correction. The sharpening is not excessive; on the contrary - it's nicely balanced and helps for a natural look across all images.
The ultrawide photos have high contrast, realistic dynamic range, and mostly accurate colors. The noise is incredibly low for such type of camera.
Ultrawide camera, 13MP
We shot this scene with the automatic distortion correction off. If you like this fisheye-like look, you can disable the correction from the Advanced Settings.
Default • Not corrected
The 5MP macro camera is a pleasure to work with. It supports autofocus, and its lens provides for natural-looking, sharp and colorful closeups. The photos are detailed, with accurate colors, great contrast and low on noise.
Macro camera, 5MP
The 12.5MP portrait shot with the main camera on the back are simply outstanding! The subjects are incredibly detailed with a pleasant natural look thanks to a gentle sharpening and proficient noise reduction. The colors are realistic, the contrast - high.
The bokeh is lovely, too, while the separation has been done nearly flawlessly even if there is no dedicated depth sensor on the back.
Portraits, 12.5MP
The selfie camera is supposed to save 8MP photos, but instead, you will find 32MP selfies in the Gallery. And we couldn't find an option to change that.
Anyway, the 32MP selfies are good - there is enough detail for a selfie camera, the subject is always well exposed, HDR gets involved if necessary, and the dynamic range is always good but not at the expense of loss of contrast.
The colors on all selfies are lively and accurate, noise is handled well, and, overall, we liked these selfies very much. They are pretty big, though, 10MB or more, so we would have liked them even better at 8MP and lesser file size for sure.
Selfies, 32MP
You can shoot selfie portraits, too. HDR doesn't work in Portrait mode, and the subject separation isn't as accurate as on the rear camera, but these are still some solid portraits, nonetheless. We observed likable separation and convincing bokeh, while the subjects are detailed enough, with good colors.
Portrait selfies, 32MP
Note that if light conditions aren't ideal, the selfie sharpness and detail will noticeably drop, and the chance for blurred photos rises exponentially.
Low-light photo quality
The Xiaomi 12X has Auto Night Mode, and it is enabled by default. It is the same thing that Apple does with its Night Mode - the camera app decides when and where to use Night Mode and its exposure time. You have no say in any of this in the default Photo mode when Auto Night Mode is enabled.
The main camera uses Night Mode most of the time, though if the algorithm detects enough light - it won't take a Night Mode photo. If Night Mode was triggered, it often felt somewhat faster (a second or less) than when we chose it manually.
Anyway, the Auto Night Mode photos taken with the main camera on the Xiaomi 12X are superb. They are sharp and detailed, with gentle yet potent noise reduction, wonderful colors, excellent contrast and realistic exposure.
When the Night Mode triggers, it helps keep the highlights in check.
Overall, the automatic Night Mode does a great job on the main camera, and we suggest leaving it on.
Auto NM main cam, 12.5MP
The photos taken without Night Mode are not as sharp, and they are noisier. The color saturation is still good, and their contrast is great. If you are in a hurry, or the Night Mode gets in the way, the standard Photo mode won't disappoint you. Clipped highlights are more common here as the Auto HDR does not kick often.
No NM main cam, 12.5MP
And, as we said, the Night Mode photos are great - they are fast to shoot, sharp and clean of noise. Most importantly, they are not over the top and stay true to life.
Night Mode main cam, 12.5MP
The 2x zoomed photos turned out pretty good at night. As they are taken with the main camera, everything we said for the main camera applies here, too. Well, everything but the resolved detail - it is noticeably less, but the zooming is more advanced - not exactly lossless, but not pure upscale and crop either - and it helps for good-looking 2x photos.
Auto NM 2x zoom, 12.5MP
No NM 2x zoom, 12.5MP
Night Mode 2x zoom, 12.5MP
Finally, let's talk about the ultrawide camera.
With the default Auto Night Mode option enabled, the photos you would take with the ultrawide camera, no matter the scene, use HDR instead of Night Mode. The photos are not the bright - read darker than they should have been - but they have no clipped highlights, the noise is cleaned well, and the resolved detail is good for such camera. The colors saturation is good, too.
Auto NM ultrawide, 12.5MP
If you shoot without Auto Night Mode, the Auto HDR won't trigger most of the time, and you will get the same dark photos, but noisier and with clipped highlights. Still usable, sure, but why bother?
No NM 2x zoom, 12.5MP
You can always trigger the Night Mode manually, and we suggest doing so for the ultrawide camera. It improves the exposure a lot and helps for brighter and more realistic photos. The sharpness is better, and we can see lightly more detail, the noise is low, and the color saturation is improved. Overall, this is the way to shoot with the ultrawide camera at night.
Night Mode 2x zoom, 12.5MP
And here are photos of our usual posters taken with the Xiaomi 12X. You can see how it stacks up against the competition. Feel free to browse around and pit it against other phones from our extensive database.
Xiaomi 12X against the Galaxy S22 and the Poco F3 in our Photo compare tool
Video capturing
The Xiaomi 12X offers plenty of video capturing options and various creative modes. The main camera supports 8K videos at 24fps, as well as 4K up to 60fps. The ultrawide camera maxes out at 4K at 30fps, while the macro cam can do 1080p@30fps.
There is optical stabilization available on the main camera, while electronic stabilization is always-on and available on all snappers but the macro.
Then there's the Super Steady Mode shot with the main camera - it focuses more on stabilization rather than quality, as an action camera would do. Super Steady Pro mode is also available, which uses the ultrawide camera and heavy cropping for an even more stabilized footage if needed.
The video bitrate is 100Mbps for 8K and 50Mbps for 4K, while audio is always recorded in stereo at a high 320kbps bitrate.
The first video was shot in 8K@24fps with the main camera. It has accurate colors, great contrast, adequate dynamic range, but the resolved detail is average, and the picture is soft, probably because the video looks upscaled from 4K.
The 8K field of view is wider than the 4K, as there is no electronic stabilization working when shooting in 8K - the camera relies solely on the optical one.
The 4K clips from the main camera are excellent - the resolved detail is plenty, and the sharpness is just right for a very balanced and natural-looking footage. The videos are cleared of noise, the white balance is superb, and the colors are accurate and lively. The dynamic range is commendable.
Shooting a 2x 4K video is done by crop and upscale, meaning you won't get a sharp video, but the clip still looks good when watched on a phone, PC or even TV. So, if you need a zoomed video, you should use the zoom option.
The low-light 4K videos from the main camera are sharp and with good detail and colors, clean of noise at that. The exposure and the dynamic range could have been better, but other than that - some solid night footage we have here.
The 4K clips from the ultrawide camera are good, too. The image is sharp and detailed for such type of camera, the noise is kept low, and the dynamic range is okay. The colors are a bit punchier and cooler than they needed to be, but still - these 4K ultrawide videos are among the better ones we've seen.
Finally, here is the Xiaomi 12X in our video tool so you can make your own comparisons.
Xiaomi 12X against the Galaxy S22 and the Poco F3 in our Video compare tool
The competition
The Xiaomi 12X turned out to be a great little smartphone with one-of-a-kind premium OLED screen, outstanding performance and stability, great photo and video quality, superb battery life and charging speed. Its price is not half bad either - it launches at €699 for the 8GB/256GB version, while the 8GB/128GB model is expected to hit the shelves at €649 soon enough.
It's not the best year this 2022 as the world is in all sorts of crises - resource shortages, pandemic, war, and uncertain economy across the globe. The prices of everything went up, including the phones, and it is only natural they cost more than what their 2021 counterparts were selling for a year ago.
The first smartphone that comes to mind is the compact Samsung Galaxy S22 5G model with a 6.1-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X screen and IP68-rated design. It has a more powerful Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 chipset and offers a telephoto camera with 3x optical zoom. The 10MP selfie camera with AF is also preferable. The 8/128 model of the S22 starts at €820, but for the extra €120-170, you'd be getting water protection, optical zoom, and more power. On the other hand, the Xiaomi 12X has a better Dolby Vision screen and recharges much faster. And it is cheaper, obviously.
Samsung Galaxy S22 and Xiaomi 12X
The Realme GT2 Pro is a great alternative to the 12X. It has a similarly capable but larger 120Hz OLED screen with 10-bit color, the latest Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 chipset, a more potent triple camera with a 50MP primary, a 50MP ultrawide, and a 3MP microscope. The 8GB/128GB Realme GT2 Pro costs €50 over the 8GB/256GB model of the Xiaomi 12X and is worth considering for its different camera setup and Realme UI.
The Zenfone 8 costs the same as the Xiaomi 12X. It is fully water-resistant, packs an even smaller 5.9-inch 120Hz AMOLED and runs on the more powerful Snapdragon 888 5G chipset. It offers an overall better camera experience via the 64MP OIS primary, the 12MP ultrawide secondary with AF for closeups, and the front 12MP selfie camera with autofocus and 4K video capturing. You lose Dolby Vision support, but you gain more power, better photo and video experience, and a more compact form factor. Sounds like a good deal for sure.
The Sony Xperia 5 III costs €100 over the Xiaomi 12X and is worth considering for its compact and waterproofed body, faster hardware (SD888), and premium triple camera with 12MP OIS primary, 12MP telephoto with 3x and 4.4x optical zoom capabilities, and a 12MP ultrawide camera with AF for macro shots.
Samsung Galaxy S22 5G • Realme GT2 Pro • Asus Zenfone 8 • Sony Xperia 5 III
The 128GB model of the Xiaomi 12 costs €100 on top of the 256GB Xiaomi 12X and offers the latest Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 chipset and 50W fast wireless charging on top of the 12X feature set. We don't see any reasons for paying the extra, though - the chipset throttles within the 12's tiny body, plus it's an overkill for a 1080p screen. Then if you want to use the fast wireless charging, you need to shell more money for the proprietary charger.
We can't but mention the Poco F3, which is half the price of the Xiaomi 12X and is still widely available. The Poco F3 also features a 120Hz AMOLED, even with regular 8-bit color support, and runs on the same Snapdragon 870 5G chipset. The primary and ultrawide cameras on the back are inferior to the 12X's, and the charging speed is halved. But if you don't care that much for photo quality and you can live with 33W fast charging, then you can save a lot of money by getting the Poco F3 instead.
Xiaomi 12 • Xiaomi Poco F3
The verdict
The Xiaomi 12X is an excellent smartphone with a top-notch display, the first one with native 12-bit color and true Dolby Vision experience. It offers flagship-grade performance and connectivity, excellent speaker experience, long-lasting battery life and fast charging. We are also happy with its camera quality across the board.
The Xiaomi 12X has no ingress protection and lacks zoom capabilities - something we did expect from a €700 smartphone. Sure, we didn't imagine getting both at this price, not this year, but one of these features would have made the Xiaomi 12X an instant recommendation.
Obviously, there are better phones than the 12X, even if there is no match for its display. The Xiaomi 12X is a brand-new phone, and as it always happens, aging flagships are now cheaper and sometimes a preferable purchase over the 12X.
Still, the Xiaomi 12X is an easily likable smartphone with a reasonable price in 2022 terms, and we think it has everything to become a best-seller. Our suggestion for you is to exhaust all options around the €650-€700 price range, weigh the pros and cons, and then proceed to buy what suits you best. We are sure you will like the Xiaomi 12X as we did if you decide to get it. We do recommend this phone even at this price, though we will do it even more passionately when it gets its first price cut.
Pros
- Likable design, a rather compact and lightweight model.
- Outstanding 120Hz OLED, super bright.
- Excellent speakers.
- Dependable battery life, incredibly fast to charge.
- Flagship-grade performance, great stability.
- Very good photo and video quality.
Cons
- Not based on the latest Android 12 like Xiaomi 12.
- No rated water resistance.
- No zoom camera or proper lossless zoom.
- The selfies could have been better.
- A bit pricey at launch.
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