Xiaomi 12 Lite review

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Introduction and specs

The Xiaomi 12 Lite arrives a bit later than the rest of the 12 series. Aside from the completely revamped, boxy and trendy design, it brings an updated 120Hz OLED panel, a better 108MP main camera and faster charging. The phone is powered by the Snapdragon 778G, which is up to the task.

The 12 Lite is also one of the first Xiaomi phones to offer Android 12 under the company's MIUI 13 interface.

Xiaomi 12 Lite specs at a glance:

• Body: 159.3x73.7x7.29mm, 173g; Gorilla Glass 5 front, glass back, plastic frame.
• Display: 6.55" AMOLED, 68B colors, HDR10+, Dolby Vision, 120Hz, 500 nits (typ), 800 nits, 1080x2400px resolution, 20:9 aspect ratio, 402ppi.
• Chipset: Qualcomm SM7325 Snapdragon 778G 5G (6 nm): Octa-core (4x2.4 GHz Kryo 670 & 4x1.8 GHz Kryo 670); Adreno 642L.
• Memory: 128GB 6GB RAM, 128GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 8GB RAM; UFS 2.2.
• OS/Software: Android 12, MIUI 13.
• Rear camera: Wide (main): 108 MP, f/1.9, 26mm, 1/1.52", 0.7µm, PDAF; Ultra wide angle: 8 MP, f/2.2, 120˚, 1/4.0", 1.12µm; Macro: 2 MP, f/2.4, 1/5.0", 1.75µm.
• Front camera: 32 MP, f/2.45, 1/2.8", AF.
• Video capture: Rear camera: 4K@30fps, 1080p@30/60/120fps; gyro-EIS; Front camera: 1080p@30/60fps, 720p@120fps.
• Battery: 4500mAh; Fast charging 67W, Quick Charge 4+, Power Delivery 3.0.
• Misc: Fingerprint reader (under display, optical); Infrared port; dual speakers; Virtual proximity sensing.

Another notable update is the selfie camera. It has a higher, 32MP resolution, but more importantly, it offers autofocus. That's an extremely rare feature nowadays, and even most flagship devices omit it. We find it cool, yet puzzling, since even the Xiaomi 12 and 12 Pro have the same 32MP shooters, but with fixed focus. Selfie lovers, rejoice!

It's nice to see the company able to fit the upgrade around the €400 mark, especially since many competitors bumped up their prices significantly. And if the Xiaomi 11 Lite 5G NE is anything to go by, price cuts will be coming sooner than you might expect. Even more so, there aren't many compact options around, and the Xiaomi 12 Lite seems to be targeting an audience seeking portability. After all, the 6.55-inch diagonal is rather compact in 2022. Moreover, the 12 Lite offers a lightweight and slim design.

Unboxing the Xiaomi 12 Lite

The device comes in a standard retail box containing the usual user manuals and the appropriate 67W wall charger. Of course, the USB-A to USB-C cable is also at hand used not only for charging but for data transfer as well.

Xiaomi has included a transparent silicone case that doesn't hide the design.