Xiaomi 12 Pro Review
The Xiaomi 12 Pro is the flagship phone that replaced the Mi 11 Pro in April of last year. Unlike previous flagships, the 12 Pro has all the best features that Xiaomi can offer, a blazing fast android chip, excellent camera hardware, premium design, and more.
In this article, I'll take you through my Xiaomi 12 Pro review and see if it's worth buying in 2023.
Let's dive in and find out!
Is Xiaomi 12 Pro worth buying?
Having personally tested and evaluated the Xiaomi 12 Pro, I can confidently say that it is definitely worth buying for those who are in the market for a high-end smartphone with top-of-the-line features. While it does come with a higher price tag compared to other Xiaomi models, the impressive performance and features justify the cost.
The Xiaomi 12 Pro boasts a powerful Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 processor, making it incredibly fast and responsive, even when running multiple apps simultaneously. The high-quality camera system with advanced features, such as optical image stabilization and 8K video recording, further adds to the overall value of the device.
The sleek and stylish design of the Xiaomi 12 Pro is another standout feature, with a vibrant AMOLED display that provides an immersive viewing experience. While there are a few cons to consider, such as the lack of water resistance certification and the absence of a headphone jack, the overall benefits and features of the Xiaomi 12 Pro make it a solid investment.
Highlights of the Xiaomi 12 Pro
- Versatile Cameras - A large primary sensor and good secondary cameras make the Xiaomi 12 Pro an awesome camera for all situations.
- Gorgeous Display - 10-bit LTPO AMOLED panel with support for up to 1 Billion colors and 120 Hz adaptive refresh rate is smooth, bright, and vibrant.
- Beautiful Design - One of the best-looking smartphones, with premium Corning Gorilla Glass Victus on both sides for protection.
Xiaomi 12 Pro Review
Does the Xiaomi 12 Pro Have the Usual Design?
The Xiaomi 12 Pro is one of Xiaomi’s most premium phones, it is second to only the newly launched Xiaomi 12S Ultra. Given its price, Xiaomi has justified it by offering one of the best looking phones in my opinion. I love the back with its cool metal triple camera module.
The Xiaomi 12 Pro feels amazing in hand too, its glass back can be slippery for dry hands, but the matte finish makes it feel smooth and premium. It's just amazing how flagship phones feel so nice. On the sides, the Xiaomi 12 Pro has a slim aluminum frame, which makes the phone feel thin and sleek in hand.
The phone has a USB-C port on the bottom along with a speaker grill and the SIM slot. Unfortunately, there is no SD card support or 3.5mm jack on the Mi 12 Pro like most flagships nowadays.
Apart from that, on the top, you can find another speaker grille along with the Harmon Kardon branding. You can also find the Infrared sensor which is a staple of most Xiaomi phones. The stereo speakers are loud and clear with good stereo separation, all of which make the phone a good entertainment device.
Overall, the design and build quality of the Xiaomi 12 Pro are top-notch. The phone is protected with Gorilla Glass Victus on the front with at least Gorilla Glass 5 on the back (found on Xiaomi 12 too). The phone is fairly large but the thin sides will make it comfortable for most users.
The only negatives are that there is no 3.5mm jack, and no microSD support. And one more big negative is the lack of IP rating at this price. There is not even a basic IP53 rating found on most Xiaomi phones, even budget ones.
If you can look past these three, then you would be happy with the Xiaomi 12 Pro’s design. You can choose the Xiaomi 12 Pro in India from Blue, Purple, or Gray options, and all of them look great.
Does the Xiaomi 12 Pro Display Perform Well?
The phone boasts an LTPO AMOLED screen with 1B colors, 120Hz refresh rate, and Dolby Vision and HDR10+ certification. The display is a generous 6.73 inches, which is around 89.6% of the screen-to-body ratio and has a resolution of 1440 x 3200 pixels that is crisp and clear, with a pixel density of about 521 ppi.
One of the standout features of this display is its impressive brightness levels. The Xiaomi 12 Pro has a maximum brightness of 1000 nits (HBM) and a peak brightness of 1500 nits, making it incredibly easy to use outdoors even on the sunniest of days.
Another feature that caught my attention is the phone's color accuracy. The colors are true-to-life and vivid, making for an immersive viewing experience. The 120Hz refresh rate also makes scrolling through content smooth and seamless, and the display's responsiveness is impressive.
No matter what you throw at the Xiaomi 12 Pro, it will surely display them well. Its combination of impressive brightness, color accuracy, and durability make for an outstanding viewing experience.
How's the Performance of the Xiaomi 12 Pro?
The Xiaomi 12 Pro launched with the best hardware you could get at the time. Equipped with Android 12 OS and MIUI 13, this smartphone offers a smooth and seamless user experience. The user interface is clean and easy to navigate, with plenty of customization options to suit individual preferences.
The Xiaomi 12 Pro does not have a card slot, which may be a concern for some users who require additional storage space. However, the ample internal storage options offered by the device may suffice for most users.
The phone also used a lot of battery when hit with sustained loads, more on this later. In any case, the overall experience with the Xiaomi 12 Pro was still great from a performance standpoint.
The RAM, storage, and display are all the best in the business, so day-to-day use with the Xiaomi 12 Pro is excellent as well. Opening apps, switching between apps, browsing, and camera performance was all snappy.
Overall, Its powerful chipset, smooth user interface, and ample storage options make it an excellent choice for anyone in the market for a high-performance smartphone.
Is the Xiaomi 12 Pro Truly the Best Camera Phone?
Before the launch of the Xiaomi 12S Ultra, the Xiaomi 12 Pro was Xiaomi’s best camera phone. The phone boasts a triple camera setup on the rear, with each lens offering a whopping 50 MP resolution. The wide-angle lens provides a 24mm focal length, while the telephoto lens offers 2x optical zoom. There's also an ultra-wide lens that provides a 115˚ field of view, perfect for capturing sweeping landscapes or tight indoor shots.
The camera performance of the Xiaomi 12 Pro is great but won’t blow you off because Xiaomi was saving all the amazing stuff for the Xiaomi 12S Ultra. However, the Xiaomi 12 Pro performs well in almost all conditions. Photos taken in low light do suffer from noise and softness, but it is nothing too bad.
The camera comes with several features such as dual-LED dual-tone flash, HDR, and panorama mode, which enable me to capture shots with stunning detail and dynamic range. I also appreciated the ability to shoot video at 8K resolution with HDR, which is truly impressive for a smartphone camera.
The built-in gyro-EIS ensured that the videos remained stable, even during fast-moving action shots.
The front-facing camera, which comes in at 32 MP, was also impressive, producing sharp and detailed selfies. Its HDR and panorama modes were also effective, ensuring that my self-portraits were well-exposed and had excellent contrast.
For the price, it is one of the best cameras you can get on a smartphone. Even if not the best, it is the most versatile.
How Long Does the Xiaomi 12 Pro Battery Last?
Xiaomi phones feature some of the best battery technologies among smartphones. It is truly impressive that they can cram so much battery capacity and powerful charging technologies into thin smartphones.
Equipped with a Li-Po 4600 mAh non-removable battery, this smartphone boasts an impressive charging speed that can fully charge the device in just 18 minutes using its 120W wired charging capability, which is a major plus for those always on the go
In terms of wireless charging, the Xiaomi 12 Pro does not disappoint, offering a 50W wireless charging capability that fully charges the device in just 42 minutes. This makes it a convenient option for those who prefer to charge their device wirelessly.
Throughout my testing, I was impressed by the battery performance of the Xiaomi 12 Pro, especially its charging speed. It was a major advantage for me to have a fully charged phone in just a few minutes. The Xiaomi 12 Pro's battery performance is a definite highlight, making it a great choice for those looking for a smartphone with fast charging capabilities.
Pros and Cons of buying the Xiaomi 12 Pro
Pros
- Impressive battery performance with fast charging capabilities
- High-quality camera system with advanced features
- Top-of-the-line Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 processor for smooth performance
- Sleek and stylish design with a vibrant AMOLED display
- Generous amount of storage and RAM options
Cons
- No expandable storage option
- No headphone jack, requiring the use of adapters or wireless headphones
- Limited availability in certain regions
- Higher price point compared to other Xiaomi models
- Lack of water resistance certification, making it more susceptible to water damage.
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