Against the current development of smartphone screens that are getting bigger, the Xiaomi 12 comes with more compact dimensions than most Android smartphones currently available. Despite having a compact size, Xiaomi 12 turns out to be equipped with modern specifications and features that can compete with flagship smartphones at a price of tens of millions of rupiah.
This will place it as an alternative to the more sophisticated ASUS Zenfone 8 in the realm of smartphones with compact and tiny designs. Another tiny phone alternative comes in the form of the iPhone SE that uses iOS.
Xiaomi 12 design
The Xiaomi 12 has dimensions of 152mm high and 69mm wide, and a 6.28-inch screen. This compact phone comes in 3 color choices, namely Gray, Purple and Blue.
Pros of Xiaomi 12 design:
- Compact and easy to pocket
With a 6.1-inch screen, the dimensions of the Xiaomi 12 are compact and easy to pocket even in rather tight pants.
- Convenient one-handed operation
Its compact dimensions also make one-handed operation comfortable. This also means that the phone will be easier to hold with one hand for users with rather small hands.
Xiaomi 12 design flaws:
- The finishing of the body seems ordinary
There is nothing special about the back body of the Xiaomi 12. The finishing of the body is no different from a middle-class phone at a price of 4-5 million rupiah.
- The rear camera protrudes with the lens part unprotected
If placed on a flat surface such as a table, the rear camera module will be in direct contact with the potential for scratches if there is dust or gravel on the table. With a scratched lens, the results of photos and videos will be compromised.
Xiaomi 12 screen
Xiaomi 12 uses a 6.28-inch AMOLED DotDisplay Full HD + (2400 x 1800 pixels) screen with a refresh rate of 120Hz and a touch sampling rate of 480Hz.
The advantages of the Xiaomi 12 screen:
- Screen with above average brightness
In addition to looking sharp for various content, the Xiaomi 12 screen is also very bright than most smartphones. This is important for users who will be outdoors a lot.
- Screen quality makes it perfect for movies and games
With support for Dolby Vision and HDR10+, watching movies that support both standards on the Xiaomi 12 screen becomes a lot of fun. The color reproduction of the Xiaomi 12 AMOLED screen is also convenient when playing colorful games like Genshin Impact. The screen also looks sharper than phones with larger screens with similar resolutions.
- Smooth touch response with 120Hz refresh rate
Those who like to play action games like PUBG Mobile or Mobile Legend, will love the 120Hz refresh rate which makes the game feel smoother. Likewise, the screen response to touch was almost uninterrupted for the various applications we tried to run.
Xiaomi 12 camera
The Xiaomi 12 relies on a main camera with a 50-megapixel Sony IMX766 image sensor and an f/1.88 lens, a 13-megapixel ultra-wide camera with an f/2.4 lens, a 5-megapixel telemacro camera, and a 32-megapixel front camera with an f/2.45 lens.
Xiaomi 12 camera advantages
- The photos are very good in ideal lighting conditions and indoors
With a price close to 10 million rupiah, Xiaomi 12 is expected to be able to produce photos that are close to flagship class phones. And from the test results, the Xiaomi 12 main camera is proven to be able to produce excellent photos in ideal light conditions outdoors and indoors.
The ultra-wide camera is also capable of producing good photos when outdoors in ideal light conditions, although not as good as the photos from the main camera. However, the quality of the photos decreases somewhat when used indoors, but is still perfectly adequate for sharing on social media. It can be seen from the reduced detail and slightly overexposure because it has to balance light measurements in a wider space.
Here’s an example of a Xiaomi 12 photo in ideal light conditions, without editing and filters.
- The photos with digital zoom are quite good
There is no telephoto camera in the Xiaomi 12 rear camera line. Fortunately, the photos with 2x digital zoom are still quite adequate when viewed on the screen. The following is an example of a Xiaomi 12 photo with digital zoom, without editing.
- Amazing tele-macro camera
Hidden within the Pro mode, the Xiaomi 12’s telemacro mode is capable of producing stunning close-up photos. For the focus distance, the camera will be able to find focus from a distance of 3-7cm from the subject. You can adjust ISO, shutter speed and white balance in this mode. But if you don’t want the hassle, you can set it to automatic mode. One note, the telemacro mode which is capable of producing 5 megapixel photos is only effective for use in ideal light conditions such as during the day or in a room with abundant light.
The following is an example of a Xiaomi 12 macro photo without editing.
- The photos in low-light conditions are good
In low light conditions, the Xiaomi 12 main camera is able to produce good photos as long as the conditions are not too dark. Noise is quite minimal with maintained detail, while shooting with the main camera.
The camera will immediately switch to Night Mode if the light is felt to be lacking. But you can directly use Night Mode which is hidden in a collection of additional shooting modes. In addition to Night Mode, there is also an option to manually adjust camera settings.
- Portrait mode is pretty neat
In sufficient light conditions, the Xiaomi 12 Portrait mode is able to produce photos with a pretty neat bokeh effect. Make sure you set the background so that it is not too blurry so that the bokeh effect can resemble the results of DSLR and mirrorless camera photos.
Xiaomi 12’s video features are comprehensive, with support for video recording up to 4K 60fps and 8k resolutions. The video results are also good, especially in daytime conditions with abundant light.
- The Steady Video feature effectively stabilizes the camera while moving
For those who want to record videos while walking, there is a Steady Video feature that is quite effective in producing stable videos. However, this feature should be used in ideal light conditions. Here’s an example of a Xiaomi 12 stabilized video.
Disadvantages of Xiaomi 12 camera
- The results of the ultra wide camera photos are not good in low light conditions
The photos from the ultra-wide camera are still far below the main camera, with the image detail being drastically reduced due to a fairly aggressive noise reduction algorithm.
- Standard selfie results
In good light conditions, the selfie photos of the Xiaomi 12 are quite okay. But in dim light conditions, the photo quality from the front camera immediately drops dramatically. In addition to less sharp, detail on the face is also reduced drastically.
Xiaomi 12 performance
For the price, it turns out that the Xiaomi 12 packs specifications that are on par with more expensive flagship phones. On paper, its performance is on par with the Samsung Galaxy S22 Series.
Xiaomi 12 performance advantages
- Fast performance for playing games and other apps
We tried to play various popular Android games such as Genshin Impact with the highest graphics setting at 60fps and Xiaomi 12 was able to run it smoothly. Likewise, other heavy applications such as video editors, can also be run well by Xiaomi 12.
Lack of performance Xiaomi 12
- The body heats up quickly when used to play games and record videos for a long time
When working at full speed, the Xiaomi 12 body feels hot in the area around the rear camera lens. This happened while we were recording a video and playing a game for about 20 minutes. However, for the lower body, the temperature remains under control and does not feel hot in the hands.
- Below average battery life
With its compact body, the Xiaomi 12 can last about 11 hours for fairly frequent use. It’s below the average for most Android phones, which hit the 13-hour mark, but this isn’t surprising considering the dimensions are also below average.
Conclusion
Xiaomi 12 is here as a compact smartphone solution that has high performance and features equivalent to a flagship smartphone priced at tens of millions of rupiah. Indeed, there are some compromises that Xiaomi has to give up, such as a shorter battery life and a body that feels hot in a relatively short time when carrying out heavy tasks.
But with fast performance and captivating photo and video results, the Xiaomi 12 is able to be an attractive alternative for users who want a smartphone with compact dimensions. The price of the Xiaomi 12 which is set at USD $675 also makes it worthy of consideration for users who crave a smartphone with features equivalent to a flagship phone but at a more affordable price.
