Xiaomi 12 Lite

Verdict

The Xiaomi 12 Lite is an inexpensive smartphone that mixes a stunning iridescent design with a clean show and equally slick 67W quick charging. The 108-megapixel digital camera delivers vivid outcomes with pure colors however pictures are over-sharpened and the cellphone misses out on some key options accessible on the Xiaomi 12.

Introduction

Two of probably the most alluring causes to go for a flagship cellphone in 2023 are their glossy designs and succesful cameras. Nonetheless, that doesn’t imply you’ll be able to’t get a trendy gadget with an enormous digital camera for much less. 

The Xiaomi 12 Lite is an ideal instance of this. Not solely does it have a shocking design nevertheless it additionally packs what Xiaomi calls a “studio-level” 108-megapixel triple digital camera. That isn’t even to say the 120Hz refresh price on the show or the inclusion of 67W quick charging. 

However how do these options carry out in the actual world?

Design and display screen 

• The Xiaomi 12 Lite has a clean, fashionable design 
• There’s no IP ranking 
• The 6.55-inch show has a 120Hz refresh price 

The Xiaomi 12 Lite is a good looking cellphone that appears and feels dearer than it’s. The gadget has flat sides and curved corners paying homage to Apple’s iPhone 14, together with a light-catching iridescent end – no less than on the Lite Inexperienced model I acquired. The floor can decide up fingerprints however they aren’t significantly apparent towards the colour-shifting rear.

The cellphone additionally comes with a transparent case for individuals who wish to keep away from getting their cellphone grubby and maintain it protected from scratches. Nonetheless, there’s no IP ranking to guard the cellphone from mud or water.

The digital camera module can also be beautiful with its raised glass design and three lenses, led by a big 108-megapixel digital camera. 

There’s a quantity change and energy button on the aspect, together with a USB-C port and SIM tray on the underside fringe of the cellphone. As with many telephones nowadays, there’s no 3.5mm jack in sight. 

Flip the Xiaomi 12 Lite over and also you’ll discover a vivid, 6.55-inch AMOLED DotDisplay with a 20:9 side ratio and a decision of 2400 x 1080. 

The display screen additionally has a 240Hz contact sampling price and a 120Hz refresh price, with the latter delivering a very clean scrolling expertise. The refresh price can also be adaptive, which means it’s in a position to drop to a extra customary 60Hz to avoid wasting battery when not wanted, although it’s not fairly as much as the requirements of LTPO 3.0. 

Digicam 

• The triple digital camera is led by a 108-megapixel most important digital camera 
• Photos are vivid and detailed however usually seem over-sharpened 
• The Xiaomi 12 Lite additionally data video at as much as 4K/30fps

The Xiaomi 12 Lite has a triple digital camera setup comprised of a 108-megapixel wide-angle sensor, an 8-megapixel ultra-wide angle sensor with a 120-degree subject of view and a 2-megapixel macro digital camera with a set 4cm focus. 

The digital camera takes benefit of vary of options, together with an evening mode, portrait mode and eye-tracking. There are additionally some extra distinctive enhancing instruments options, corresponding to AI SkyScaping, which lets you substitute the gray British sky in your photographs with fluffy clouds or a starry night time, in addition to an erase software that jogged my memory of the Magic Eraser on the Pixel 7. I had a variety of enjoyable enjoying round with each of those instruments, even when the brand new sky didn’t at all times look probably the most convincing. 

The principle 108-megapixel digital camera delivers the identical variety of pixels as Samsung’s Galaxy S22 Extremely did earlier than the S23 Extremely took the helm with its 200-megapixel digital camera. 108-megapixels can also be considerably greater than the 50-megapixel digital camera discovered on the Xiaomi 12. Nonetheless, simply because a digital camera boasts a excessive pixel rely, that doesn’t mechanically make it higher.

I discovered pictures taken with the digital camera to be vivid and detailed with very pure colors that veer extra towards a cool color palette. The colors don’t ship the identical punchy, saturated look you get from some telephones, however reds and greens are nonetheless very vibrant.

Nonetheless, pictures tended to return out over-sharpened, with this being significantly apparent outdoors of the 108-megapixel mode. For instance, photographs shot with the ultra-wide angle sensor don’t look as clean because the 108-megapixel pictures, and the standard deteriorates rapidly when utilizing the zoom function.

The rear digital camera can also be able to capturing 4K video at 30fps, or 1080p at as much as 60fps, which I discovered to be detailed however, like photographs, maybe a bit too sharp. 

The punch-hole digital camera on the entrance of the cellphone snaps 32-megapixel selfies which I discovered to be sharp and detailed. Zooming in, I may rely each pore on my face but, from afar, the digital camera in some way made my face seem clean and glowy. The colors additionally appeared very comfortable and pure, although I do really feel it wouldn’t harm so as to add a bit extra distinction and heat to the pictures. 

Efficiency 

• Powered by a mid-range Snapdragon chip 
• Comes with as much as 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage 
• Runs MIUI 13 primarily based on Android 12

The Xiaomi 12 Lite is powered by Qualcomm’s mid-range Snapdragon 778G chipset with the Kryo 670 CPU and Adreno 642L GPU. The cellphone additionally comes with as much as 8GB of LPDDR4X RAM and 256GB of storage. 

This can be a chip designed to supply nice cellular images and gaming efficiency, so it’s no surprise Xiaomi has chosen it to pair with the 108-megapixel shooter.

I discovered the efficiency to be respectable with apps fast to load and video games typically clean to run, although I did discover that my actions lagged at occasions when enjoying Amongst Us.

In the event you’re on the lookout for flagship-level efficiency, you’d be higher off choosing the Xiaomi 12, as we discovered the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 chip within the smartphone supplied glorious all-around efficiency. The identical goes for the Xiaomi 12 Professional, which featured the identical high-end chipset. 

Just like the Xiaomi 12, the Xiaomi 12 Lite runs the corporate’s personal MIUI 13 software program primarily based on the marginally older Android 12. I discovered the software program to be fairly good to navigate with little or no bloatware and an honest quantity of customisation accessible by way of the Themes app. 

Battery life 

• The Xiaomi 12 Lite has a 4300 mAh battery 
• It helps 67W quick charging 
• There is no such thing as a wi-fi charging help 

The cellphone is powered by a 4300mAh battery which I discovered was able to operating all day with out requiring a recharge. 

I streamed HD video on the cellphone with full brightness for a number of hours to empty the battery and located it took 37 minutes to drop from 100% to 95% and simply over 5 hours to fall to 60%. With extra informal, on a regular basis use the battery stretched even longer. 

Just like the Xiaomi 12, the 12 Lite helps 67W turbocharging. I discovered this function to be extremely speedy, going from 0% to 100% in below an hour. After all, this isn’t as quick because the 120W charging supported by the Xiaomi 12 Professional however it’s, however, very spectacular and supplied sufficient time for me to get the battery up earlier than heading out the door.

Nonetheless, there’s no wi-fi charging or reverse charging on the Xiaomi 12 Lite. For that, you will have to pay further and get the Xiaomi 12.

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