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Xiaomi 12 Lite assessment: Relentless iteration
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Xiaomi is aware of how one can make a superb mid-range telephone, and it has seen a modicum of success on this space over the past 12 months. That is largely right down to a extra centered technique that features launching telephones aimed toward a mainstream viewers. Xiaomi now has two product traces on this class: the Lite sequence that delivers the necessities in an inexpensive package deal, 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 elements of the Mi 11 right into a mid-range package deal, and Xiaomi is now doing the identical with this yr’s flagships. The Xiaomi 12 Professional is among the many greatest Android telephones I’ve used this yr, combining an exceptional digital camera package deal with a modern design, quick charging, and newest {hardware}. With the Xiaomi 12 Lite, the model is aiming to carry the essence of the Xiaomi 12 sequence into the mid-range class.
There is no scarcity of rivalry on this phase, with Samsung’s Galaxy A53 delivering a powerful 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 phase? Let’s discover out.
About this assessment
I am scripting this assessment after utilizing the Xiaomi 12 Lite for over two weeks in Hyderabad, India. The system 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 assessment.
Xiaomi 12 Lite: Value and availability
Xiaomi unveiled the Xiaomi 12 Lite on July 9, 2022, and the system can be going up on the market later in July. The telephone is obtainable in three colour choices — Lite Inexperienced, Lite Pink, and Black.
The 12 Lite is bought 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 in consequence, there is no design consistency within the numbered sequence. That mentioned, the model has finished a a lot better job in recent times of sustaining the identical design language between varied fashions in the identical sequence. We noticed this final yr with the Mi 11 and Mi 11 Lite, with each units sharing an identical aesthetic.
Xiaomi switched up the design, with the 12 Lite that includes flat sides that make it extra unwieldy than the Xiaomi 12 or 12X.
That is true to a fair larger extent this yr with the Xiaomi 12 sequence, with the 12X, 12, and 12 Professional that includes the identical design. Nevertheless, that similarity does not lengthen to the Xiaomi 12 Lite. The telephone has the identical design for the digital camera housing on the again, however the island itself is not milled out of steel 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. Which means you get much more wobble when the system is on a flat floor, making it practically unusable.
The modifications make the digital camera island not fairly as elegant as the remainder of the Xiaomi 12 sequence. However my greatest challenge 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 telephone has flat sides and though it’s technically thinner at 7.2mm than the 8.2mm Xiaomi 12, it does not really feel that means when utilizing the system.
Xiaomi says the flat edges are designed to “boost your fashion-forward way of life,” which mainly means you are sacrificing usability for a classy telephone. I am not a fan of this design pattern, however there are a number of units on this class that now sport flats sides and rounded corners, so it is right here to remain for at the least a couple of years.
The telephone 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 varied shades of inexperienced based mostly 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 does not dynamically scale the refresh charge based mostly 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 does not present a means for customers to manually choose the refresh charge throughout preliminary configuration.
The 120Hz AMOLED display screen has glorious distinction and colour vibrancy — and the stereo sound is nice for streaming movies.
The panel high quality itself is kind of good, providing good distinction ranges, viewing angles, and colour vibrancy. In true Xiaomi style, you get in depth customization over the colour stability, and there is a True Tone-style characteristic that mechanically adjusts colours based mostly on ambient lighting circumstances. There are not any points with out of doors visibility both, with the display screen getting sufficiently vivid.
Considered one of my favourite options on Xiaomi telephones is the stereo sound, with the opposite fashions within the Xiaomi 12 sequence providing giant audio system with equivalent 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 continues to be fairly good for enjoying video games and streaming movies, and I’ve no points with the display screen itself. Xiaomi additionally did an excellent job with the bezels, sustaining an identical 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 recognized 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 (General) | 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 practically equivalent 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 does not throttle its cores as early, however exterior of that, there is not a lot of a variance.
The Snapdragon 778G has loads to supply, however the Dimensity 1200 is the outright chief for gaming.
However the Mali-G77 is in an amazing 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 assessment models — however having examined the 11 Lite 5G NE final yr, there is a extensive 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 should you’re in search of a extra gaming-focused platform, MediaTek is clearly the way in which to go right here.
That mentioned, the Snapdragon 778G is not quick on energy in each day use, and it holds up tremendous 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 acquired playable framerates in demanding titles with the settings turned down and did not see an excessive amount of jitter. Briefly, that is greater than sufficient for many use instances, and whereas it is not catered towards gaming, it holds up in each day use.
Elsewhere, the Xiaomi 12 Lite has dual-SIM as normal, 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 number of bands will differ based mostly on the nation.
As for storage configurations, the 6GB/128GB model feels just a little dated contemplating most telephones on this class supply 8GB/128GB as normal, however you’ll be able to go for that variant, and there is a mannequin with 256GB of storage. Xiaomi is utilizing the older UFS 2.2 normal right here, however you will not see any distinction in day-to-day use.
Rounding out the {hardware}, the vibration motor is not nearly 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 properly; it does 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 price of use with out fail, however there have been occasions when it fell under 15% by the tip of the night time. If that you must plug it in through 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 stage to verify the telephone is not drawing energy when plugged in in a single day.
Xiaomi 12 Lite: Cameras
The Xiaomi 12 Lite has three cameras, with the telephone the newest to make use of a 108MP lens. Xiaomi has used the Samsung HM2 sensor in a number of telephones so far — together with the 11T Professional, Xiaomi 11i, and the Redmi Notice 11 Professional — and it has a confirmed document of delivering good photographs 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 an entire lot that is totally 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 Evening mode, guide mode, and Xiaomi’s slate of film results which have been a mainstay on its units for 15 months.
The Xiaomi 12 Lite takes good photographs in daylight conditions, delivering extensive dynamic vary and correct colours. Photographs of foliage are rendered appropriately with various hues, however you miss out on finer particulars.
The telephone does a good job in low-light conditions, sustaining a low ISO to make sure minimal noise and grain. The Evening mode does a superb job stitching photographs collectively and delivering detailed photographs at night time, and on the whole, the Xiaomi 12 Lite holds its personal in opposition to different mid-range telephones on this specific space.
The 8MP wide-angle lens is not nearly as good, and it struggles to take good photographs in low-light conditions. Not like the Nord 2T, nonetheless, the Evening mode works with the wide-angle lens, and you will get satisfactory pictures.
General, the Xiaomi 12 Lite does a superb job on this class. It takes constant pictures more often than not, and it does not have points focusing in on a topic even in difficult lighting conditions. A greater auxiliary lens would have made the telephone stand out simply that bit extra, however as it’s, you are getting a good package deal right here.
Xiaomi 12 Lite: Software program
The Xiaomi 12 Lite runs MIUI 13 based mostly on Android 12 out of the field. Xiaomi rolled out MIUI 13 earlier this yr, and whereas there aren’t a number of notable additions, the interface has a number of under-the-hood optimizations that make a distinction in each day use.
Xiaomi did a superb job eliminating bloatware and advertisements inside MIUI, however well timed updates are nonetheless a problem.
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 1 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 mechanically kinds apps into totally 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.
Mainly, MIUI 13 can be instantly acquainted should you’ve used a Xiaomi telephone up to now. There is not a lot in the way in which of bloatware right here — in contrast to Realme UI 3.0 — and I did not see any advertisements within the time I used the 12 Lite. Loads of Xiaomi companies can now be uninstalled as properly, 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 colour 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 does not supply one.
As for updates, the Xiaomi 12 Lite will get two platform updates and three years of safety updates. With increasingly more telephones on this class now providing three platform updates as normal, it looks like Xiaomi is on the backfoot right here. The model is not recognized for well timed updates both, so you’ve an extended wait earlier than the system switches to Android 13 someday subsequent yr.
Xiaomi 12 Lite: The competitors
The Galaxy A53 continues to be the the greatest mid-range telephone because of its dependable {hardware} and powerful software program feature-set. The telephone does not stand out an excessive amount of, however you get a vibrant 120Hz AMOLED display screen, {hardware} that is nice in each day use, cameras that ship good photographs, and a big battery that lasts greater than a day.
One of the best half is that the A53 will get 4 assured Android OS updates — greater than another system on this class. The draw back is that it’s not as highly effective because the 12 Lite, and it does not cost as quick.
Nothing’s telephone (1) is likely one of the most talked-about telephones of 2022, and for good motive. The system 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 telephone that includes Google’s customized Tensor platform. It is going to be fascinating to see the way it holds up in opposition to the Pixel 6 sequence, but when its predecessors are any indication, it is going to have one of many strongest cameras within the mid-range class.
The Nord 2T and Realme GT Neo 3 even have loads 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 should purchase this if:
- You need a telephone with dependable {hardware} for each 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 telephone that takes good photographs
You should not purchase this if:
- You need a telephone with wi-fi charging
- You need a clear UI with well timed updates
- You want a telephone for gaming
Xiaomi hasn’t altered the system 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 does not have a number of bloatware and there is a number of customizability, the digital camera takes nice photographs in difficult conditions, and the standard of the display screen mixed with stereo sound makes this a superb telephone for streaming movies.
Briefly, the Xiaomi 12 Lite has the basics of an excellent mid-range telephone. However it’s prone to be overshadowed by upcoming launches on this class, and whereas it’s a good general system, there is no space the place it really excels — there is no main differentiator right here. As an example, the Galaxy A53 does not have the very best {hardware}, however it is going to get extra software program updates than another Android telephone. The Realme GT Neo 3 has a number of bloatware and the design is not elegant, however it has 150W charging tech, and is a gaming powerhouse.
Xiaomi may have finished extra to make the 12 Lite stand out on this crowded class. Because it stands, it’s a good possibility to contemplate should you’re already utilizing a Xiaomi telephone. However should you want a very nice digital camera or polished software program, there are higher alternate options.
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