Xiaomi 12X review

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.