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Xiaomi is aware of how one can make a superb mid-range cellphone, and it has seen a modicum of success on this space during the last 12 months. That is largely right down to a extra targeted technique that features launching telephones geared toward a mainstream viewers. Xiaomi now has two product strains on this class: the Lite sequence that delivers the necessities in an inexpensive bundle, and the T sequence that’s typically the primary to get new charging and digital camera improvements.
The Mi 11 Lite did a superb job distilling the very best components of the Mi 11 right into a mid-range bundle, and Xiaomi is now doing the identical with this yr’s flagships. The Xiaomi 12 Professional is among the many finest Android telephones I’ve used this yr, combining an outstanding digital camera bundle with a modern design, quick charging, and newest {hardware}. With the Xiaomi 12 Lite, the model is aiming to convey the essence of the Xiaomi 12 sequence into the mid-range class.
There is not any scarcity of rivalry on this section, with Samsung’s Galaxy A53 delivering a robust problem this yr, and Realme introducing the 150W GT Neo 3. So does the Xiaomi 12 Lite have what it takes to hold the baton for Xiaomi within the mid-range section? Let’s discover out.
About this evaluate
I am penning this evaluate after utilizing the Xiaomi 12 Lite for over two weeks in Hyderabad, India. The machine ran MIUI 13 out of the field (13.0.1.0) and didn’t get any updates. Xiaomi supplied the unit to Android Central for evaluate.
Xiaomi 12 Lite: Worth and availability
Xiaomi unveiled the Xiaomi 12 Lite on July 9, 2022, and the machine might be going up on the market later in July. The cellphone is obtainable in three shade choices — Lite Inexperienced, Lite Pink, and Black.
The 12 Lite is offered in three storage choices: a base 6GB/128GB mannequin, a model with 8GB/128GB, and an 8GB/256GB variant. The bottom model retails for the equal of $399, the 8GB/128GB mannequin prices $449, and the 8GB/256GB model is obtainable for $499.
Xiaomi 12 Lite: Design and display screen
Xiaomi likes to tinker with the design of its telephones yr after yr, and because of this, there is no design consistency within the numbered sequence. That mentioned, the model has executed a significantly better job lately of sustaining the identical design language between numerous fashions in the identical sequence. We noticed this final yr with the Mi 11 and Mi 11 Lite, with each units sharing an analogous aesthetic.
That is true to a fair better extent this yr with the Xiaomi 12 sequence, with the 12X, 12, and 12 Professional that includes the identical design. Nonetheless, that similarity would not prolong to the Xiaomi 12 Lite. The cellphone has the identical design for the digital camera housing on the again, however the island itself is not milled out of metallic like its siblings.
One other change is the addition of chrome inserts round all three digital camera modules, making the housing protrude simply that little bit extra out of the chassis. Meaning you get much more wobble when the machine is on a flat floor, making it almost unusable.
The modifications make the digital camera island not fairly as elegant as the remainder of the Xiaomi 12 sequence. However my largest subject with the design is the flat sides; the opposite fashions within the Xiaomi 12 sequence have flowing curves at the back and front that makes the units simple to carry and use, however that is not the case with the 12 Lite. The cellphone has flat sides and though it’s technically thinner at 7.2mm than the 8.2mm Xiaomi 12, it would not really feel that approach when utilizing the machine.
Xiaomi says the flat edges are designed to “boost your fashion-forward way of life,” which principally means you are sacrificing usability for a trendy cellphone. I am not a fan of this design pattern, however there are lots of units on this class that now sport flats sides and rounded corners, so it is right here to remain for a minimum of a couple of years.
The cellphone is obtainable in Lite Inexperienced, Lite Pink, and the usual Black choices, and the polycarbonate again has a matte end that forestalls smudging. I am utilizing the Lite Inexperienced mannequin, and it has a delicate gradient impact that appears good, with the colours switching between numerous shades of inexperienced primarily based on gentle reflecting the again.
Different design mainstays just like the IR blaster are intact, and there are not any points with construct high quality right here. Xiaomi ought to have retained the identical aesthetic as the remainder of the Xiaomi 12 sequence, as a result of as it’s, I am not enthused concerning the in-hand really feel of the 12 Lite.
Coming to the display screen, the Xiaomi 12 Lite has a 6.55-inch AMOLED panel with FHD+ (2400 x 1080) decision and 120Hz refresh. Not like Xiaomi’s flagships, the 12 Lite would not dynamically scale the refresh fee primarily based on the content material enjoying on the display screen, and also you’re restricted to both 60Hz or 120Hz, with the previous chosen out of the field. It is annoying that Xiaomi nonetheless would not present a approach for customers to manually choose the refresh fee throughout preliminary configuration.
The panel high quality itself is sort of good, providing good distinction ranges, viewing angles, and shade vibrancy. In true Xiaomi style, you get intensive customization over the colour stability, and there is a True Tone-style characteristic that routinely adjusts colours primarily based on ambient lighting circumstances. There are not any points with out of doors visibility both, with the display screen getting sufficiently vibrant.
One in all my favourite options on Xiaomi telephones is the stereo sound, with the opposite fashions within the Xiaomi 12 sequence providing giant audio system with similar channels on the prime and backside. You will not discover that right here; though the 12 Lite has good stereo sound, it is not as detailed because the Xiaomi 12 or 12X.
That mentioned, the 12 Lite remains to be fairly good for taking part in video games and streaming movies, and I’ve no points with the display screen itself. Xiaomi additionally did an amazing job with the bezels, sustaining an analogous consistency all through the entrance. Lastly, there is a layer of Gorilla Glass 5 masking the display screen, and like most telephones on this class, you get a factory-installed display screen protector out of the field.
Xiaomi 12 Lite: Efficiency and battery
Most mid-range telephones now characteristic MediaTek’s Dimensity {hardware}, and whereas Xiaomi went this route with a couple of telephones — the Xiaomi 11T had the Dimensity 1200 — most of its units proceed to be powered by Qualcomm silicon. We noticed this final yr with the Xiaomi 11 Lite 5G NE, and the Xiaomi 12 Lite is powered by the identical Snapdragon 778G platform.
The Snapdragon 778 is a identified amount at this level, with the chipset featured within the Galaxy A52s, Galaxy A73, Motorola Edge 30, and others. It’s constructed on a 6nm node and has two units of cores: 4 Cortex A78 that go as much as 2.4GHz, and 4 energy-efficient A55 cores at 1.8GHz. The Adreno 642L is first rate sufficient for gaming, however it’s overshadowed by the Mali-G77 that is within the Dimensity 1200.
Class | OnePlus Nord 2 | Xiaomi 12 Lite | Galaxy A53 | Xiaomi 12 Professional |
---|---|---|---|---|
CrossMark (Total) | 645 | 667 | 510 | 882 |
Productiveness | 653 | 656 | 551 | 755 |
Creativity | 664 | 637 | 472 | 1029 |
Responsiveness | 570 | 803 | 533 | 886 |
Geekbench 5.1 (single-core) | 803 | 786 | 743 | 1240 |
Geekbench 5.1 (multi-core) | 2405 | 2983 | 1929 | 3523 |
3DMark Wild Life (rating) | 4227 | NA | 2335 | 7382 |
3DMark Wild Life (FPS) | 25.3 | NA | 14.02 | 44.2 |
3DMark Wild Life Excessive (rating) | 1294 | NA | 642 | 1903 |
3DMark Wild Life Excessive (FPS) | 7.75 | NA | 3.8 | 11.45 |
That is clearly evident with artificial scores, with the Snapdragon 778G posts almost similar scores because the Dimensity 1200 for workloads involving the CPU, and that is as a result of each use the identical set of A78 and A55 cores. We see a greater multi-core rating for the 778G because it would not throttle its cores as early, however exterior of that, there is not a lot of a variance.
However the Mali-G77 is in an awesome lead for GPU-focused duties, delivering class-leading figures. I wasn’t in a position to get 3DMark figures for the Xiaomi 12 Lite — Xiaomi prevents entry to UL servers for evaluate items — however having examined the 11 Lite 5G NE final yr, there is a broad gulf between Qualcomm and MediaTek on this space.
The 11 Lite 5G NE posted scores of 2487 for the Wild Life workload and 653 for Wild Life Excessive, with the Dimensity 1200 posting scores as much as 50% higher. Primarily, the Snapdragon 778G is in the identical neighborhood of the Exynos 1280 on this regard, and for those who’re in search of a extra gaming-focused platform, MediaTek is clearly the best way to go right here.
That mentioned, the Snapdragon 778G is not quick on energy in every day use, and it holds up positive for informal gaming — so long as you are okay with decreasing the settings. I did not see any lag or slowdowns on the whole use, and I bought playable framerates in demanding titles with the settings turned down and did not see an excessive amount of jitter. In brief, that is greater than satisfactory for many use instances, and whereas it is not catered towards gaming, it holds up in every day use.
Elsewhere, the Xiaomi 12 Lite has dual-SIM as commonplace, and comes with Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.2, and a good set of Sub-6 5G bands. The worldwide variant I am utilizing has the next 5G bands — 1/3/5/7/8/20/28/38/40/41/66/77/78 — however the collection of bands will range primarily based on the nation.
As for storage configurations, the 6GB/128GB model feels somewhat dated contemplating most telephones on this class supply 8GB/128GB as commonplace, however you possibly can go for that variant, and there is a mannequin with 256GB of storage. Xiaomi is utilizing the older UFS 2.2 commonplace right here, however you will not see any distinction in day-to-day use.
Rounding out the {hardware}, the vibration motor is not pretty much as good as that of the Xiaomi 12 Professional, however it’s on par with different mid-range telephones, and also you get first rate suggestions. The in-screen module does a superb job as nicely; it would not take lengthy to authenticate and works unerringly.
Xiaomi hasn’t modified a lot on the battery facet of issues, with the 12 Lite that includes a 4300mAh battery with 67W wired charging. You will not discover wi-fi charging right here, however there’s a bundled 67W charger within the field.
The battery takes simply over 45 minutes to totally cost, and I did not have any points with battery longevity. The 12 Lite delivered a day’s value of use with out fail, however there have been instances when it fell under 15% by the top of the evening. If you’ll want to plug it in in the course of the day, it takes simply 17 minutes to get a cost of as much as 50%.
Xiaomi additionally has an optimized charging mode that limits the battery cost degree to ensure the cellphone is not drawing energy when plugged in in a single day.
Xiaomi 12 Lite: Cameras
The Xiaomi 12 Lite has three cameras, with the cellphone the newest to make use of a 108MP lens. Xiaomi has used the Samsung HM2 sensor in lots of telephones so far — together with the 11T Professional, Xiaomi 11i, and the Redmi Word 11 Professional — and it has a confirmed report of delivering good images in nearly any state of affairs. The 12 Lite additionally will get an 8MP wide-angle lens with 120-degree discipline of view, and a 2MP macro.
I am not going to speak an excessive amount of concerning the digital camera, as a result of there is not a complete lot that is completely different right here. Xiaomi likes to reuse sensors throughout its units, and that is smart when you think about simply what number of units the model releases over the course of a yr.
The digital camera interface itself is unchanged, with the taking pictures modes and toggles laid out the place they’re simple to find. You get a Night time mode, guide mode, and Xiaomi’s slate of film results which were a mainstay on its units for 15 months.
The Xiaomi 12 Lite takes good images in daylight conditions, delivering broad dynamic vary and correct colours. Pictures of foliage are rendered appropriately with various hues, however you miss out on finer particulars.
The cellphone does a good job in low-light conditions, sustaining a low ISO to make sure minimal noise and grain. The Night time mode does a superb job stitching photographs collectively and delivering detailed images at evening, and on the whole, the Xiaomi 12 Lite holds its personal towards different mid-range telephones on this specific space.
The 8MP wide-angle lens is not pretty much as good, and it struggles to take good images in low-light conditions. Not like the Nord 2T, nonetheless, the Night time mode works with the wide-angle lens, and you will get satisfactory pictures.
Total, the Xiaomi 12 Lite does a superb job on this class. It takes constant pictures more often than not, and it would not have points focusing in on a topic even in difficult lighting conditions. A greater auxiliary lens would have made the cellphone stand out simply that bit extra, however as it’s, you are getting a good bundle right here.
Xiaomi 12 Lite: Software program
The Xiaomi 12 Lite runs MIUI 13 primarily based on Android 12 out of the field. Xiaomi rolled out MIUI 13 earlier this yr, and whereas there aren’t lots of notable additions, the interface has lots of under-the-hood optimizations that make a distinction in every day use.
MIUI fundamentals have not modified for a couple of years, so that you get the identical cut up notification pane with the toggles off to at least one facet — accessible with a pull-down gesture from the correct facet of the display screen. The recents menu scrolls vertically and has a two-card structure by default. You get the choice to change again to the usual Android notification pane, and a horizontally-scrolling menu.
You may discover an app drawer that routinely kinds apps into completely different classes, there’s schedulable darkish mode, always-on mode with loads of configurability, and like all different Xiaomi telephones this yr, you get Google’s dialer and Android Messages because the default choices.
Principally, MIUI 13 might be instantly acquainted for those who’ve used a Xiaomi cellphone previously. There is not a lot in the best way of bloatware right here — in contrast to Realme UI 3.0 — and I did not see any adverts within the time I used the 12 Lite. A whole lot of Xiaomi companies can now be uninstalled as nicely, and on the whole, MIUI strikes the best stability between ease-of-use and customizability.
You get all of the options Google launched in Android 12 right here, however there is no Materials You design, and also you miss out on the dynamic shade picker. Different manufacturers have launched their very own model of the characteristic — One UI 4 and ColorOS 12 do a good job at it — however Xiaomi would not supply one.
As for updates, the Xiaomi 12 Lite will get two platform updates and three years of safety updates. With an increasing number of telephones on this class now providing three platform updates as commonplace, it appears like Xiaomi is on the backfoot right here. The model is not identified for well timed updates both, so you may have an extended wait earlier than the machine switches to Android 13 someday subsequent yr.
Xiaomi 12 Lite: The competitors
The Galaxy A53 continues to be the the very best mid-range cellphone because of its dependable {hardware} and robust software program feature-set. The cellphone would not stand out an excessive amount of, however you get a vibrant 120Hz AMOLED display screen, {hardware} that is nice in every day use, cameras that ship good images, and a big battery that lasts greater than a day.
The most effective half is that the A53 will get 4 assured Android OS updates — greater than some other machine on this class. The draw back is that it’s not as highly effective because the 12 Lite, and it would not cost as quick.
Nothing’s cellphone (1) is likely one of the most talked-about telephones of 2022, and for good cause. The machine has an intriguing design backed by the identical caliber of {hardware} because the Xiaomi 12 Lite, and also you get a couple of extras like wi-fi charging.
Google’s Pixel 6a is one other main launch on this class, with the cellphone that includes Google’s customized Tensor platform. Will probably be attention-grabbing to see the way it holds up towards the Pixel 6 sequence, but when its predecessors are any indication, it’ll have one of many strongest cameras within the mid-range class.
The Nord 2T and Realme GT Neo 3 even have quite a bit to supply on this class, with each telephones that includes highly effective {hardware} and quick charging tech.
Xiaomi 12 Lite: Do you have to purchase it?
You can purchase this if:
- You need a cellphone with dependable {hardware} for every day duties
- You want all-day battery life and quick charging
- You need a vibrant AMOLED display screen with 120Hz refresh and good distinction ranges
- You need a mid-range cellphone that takes good images
You should not purchase this if:
- You need a cellphone with wi-fi charging
- You need a clear UI with well timed updates
- You want a cellphone for gaming
Xiaomi hasn’t altered the method an excessive amount of with the Xiaomi 12 Lite, retaining the identical Qualcomm silicon, 120Hz AMOLED display screen, and connectivity choices. There are a couple of noteworthy additions although — you get a 108MP digital camera, and there is 67W quick charging now. It nails the fundamentals: it is quick in day-to-day use, the UI would not have lots of bloatware and there is lots of customizability, the digital camera takes nice images in difficult conditions, and the standard of the display screen mixed with stereo sound makes this a superb cellphone for streaming movies.
In brief, the Xiaomi 12 Lite has the basics of an amazing mid-range cellphone. However it’s prone to be overshadowed by upcoming launches on this class, and whereas it’s a good general machine, there’s no space the place it really excels — there is no main differentiator right here. As an illustration, the Galaxy A53 would not have the very best {hardware}, however it’ll get extra software program updates than some other Android cellphone. The Realme GT Neo 3 has lots of bloatware and the design is not elegant, however it has 150W charging tech, and is a gaming powerhouse.
Xiaomi might have executed extra to make the 12 Lite stand out on this crowded class. Because it stands, it’s a good choice to think about for those who’re already utilizing a Xiaomi cellphone. However for those who want a very nice digital camera or polished software program, there are higher options.
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