Xiaomi 12X was launched on 31st December 2021 in China. It was launched as part of their flagship event alongside the Xiaomi 12 and 12 Pro. From the look and build quality, the 12X feels exactly like its big brothers. But the 12X comes at a far cheaper price compared to the other two. So, what were the cut corners here? And is the device worth it? Let’s find out in the detailed review of Xiaomi 12X.
Key Specifications of Xiaomi 12X
Design and Build Quality
The Xiaomi 12 line is part of their premium flagship offering. Just like the 12 and 12 Pro, the 12X comes with a gorgeous design that might feel outdated by 2022 standards. But that is not a bad thing. While phone companies like Samsung and Pixels are compromising on the ergonomics for innovative design, Xiaomi focused on comfort and usability.
The 12X comes in a compact form factor thanks to its near-bezel-less curved screen design. The front of the phone is protected by Corning Gorilla Glass Victus, the best yet from Corning. The back comes in two configurations. Users can choose between matte glass back or slightly more premium vegan leather.
The vegan leather gives the phone a unique look and it feels much more secure and comfortable to hold. The front and the back are held together by the stainless-steel frame. The volume rocker and the power button are situated on the right side of the phone. Sim tray, Type-C port, and a speaker are situated at the bottom of the phone. The top of the phone features another speaker for the stereo sound experience with Harman Kardon branding on it.
At 179 gm, the phone is considerably light and the compact form factor easily makes it a single hand phone.
Display
The display used in the Xiaomi 12X is the same as the flagship 12. Considering the comparatively lower price, this is easily the best display in its price bracket. The display is a 6.28 inch 120 Hz OLED panel with HDR 10+ and Dolby Vision. This alone should be enough to explain how good it is. In addition to that, there is 1B color calibration. The display can also get very bright at 1100 peak nits. The FHD+ resolution is good enough for 419 ppi.
In the test, the display held up really well. There is a common issue of color shift and mistouch with a curved display. But none of that is present here. There is no weird color shift from angular views. The display out of the box has a warm hue to it which is a classic Xiaomi trend. But the color can be easily calibrated from the display settings.
One drawback here is that there is no LTPO technology in the display. As a result, the display has a fixed refresh rate of either 60 Hz or 120 Hz. While it might sound great to have a constant 120 Hz, it does take its toll on the battery.
Overall, the display is sharp and crisp and one of the selling points of this device.
Camera
Speaking of selling points, the camera is another strong suit of this device. It has a triple camera setup akin to the Xiaomi 12. The users are getting a 50 MP f/1.9 wide-angle main shooter. There is also a 13 MP f/2.4 ultrawide sensor along with a 5 MP telephoto macro sensor. The ultrawide sensor has a super-wide 123-degree field of view. And the best thing here is the image processing. Even though the lens can shoot ultrawide, it doesn’t induce a fish eye effect.
The Sony main sensor is the same as seen in the OnePlus 9RT and Nord along with the 12. The sensor can take sharp images under direct sunlight. The images look clear with grains and a better dynamic range compared to the Xiaomi 11X. However, the colors look amped up in photos.
This is a common Xiaomi feature where the color looks unusually bright and crisp. The loss of natural color is even more pronounced in artificial lighting. The night sight does a decent job of capturing details but it tends to overexpose subjects at times.
However, the best feature of the phone is in its video. It can shoot up to 8K at 24 fps along with 4K at either 30 or 60 fps. The 32 MP wide-angle selfie also does a decent job but it’s nothing groundbreaking. For the price, the phone has a great camera setup with a few minor drawbacks.
Processor and Performance
Perhaps the greatest cut cost of this device is in the processor. Now that does not mean the processor is any less powerful. The processor here is the Snapdragon 870 5G. This was last year’s flagship and something that was used on the Xiaomi 11X. The processor is coupled with Adreno 650 GPU.
The Snapdragon 870 is a very capable processor. It can handle day-to-day tasks without a hiccup. The gaming experience is also amazing on this device. Graphic intensive leading titles like Fortnite, COD, and Asphalt 9 run without a frame drop and there are no heating issues as well.
It is more of a psychological thing that the phone comes with a previous generation processor. In day-to-day usage, the difference is hard to come by.
The OS here is the MIUI 13 based on Android 12. Previous Xiaomi users will have no problem adapting to the OS as it is much sleeker with some useful additions.
Battery and Charge Time
The phone boasts a 4500 mAh battery. It comes with a 67W fast charging which takes the phone from 0 to 100% in 39 minutes. However, there is no wireless charging on this device.
Price of Xiaomi 12X in Bangladesh
The Xiaomi 12X has not been officially launched in Bangladesh yet. The price range of this phone ranges from CNY. 2,668 (BDT 36051) to CNY. 3,201 (43,253) in China. 1 Chinese Yuan equivalents to BDT 13.51. The price in Bangladesh may vary due to tax issues and company policy. However, the exact price will be revealed after the official launch of the phone in the country.
Bottom Line
Xiaomi 12X combines the best of last year with some useful new additions. For its price, it brings a premium design and build quality with a great camera module. The battery is also amazing combined with the fast charging. The only drawback here is the processor but that is on paper only. Overall, the 12X hits the sweet spot between budget and performance.
