Xiaomi 12 Lite Review: Price and Availability, Specifications first hand in depth Review

REASONS TO BUY

 +  Good-looking design

 +  Fast-charging battery

 +  Respectable performance

 +  Great screen for movies

 +  Excellent daytime camera

REASONS TO AVOID

 -  No wireless charging

 -  Camera lacks OIS or telephoto lens

 -  Poor macro camera

 -  Battery life could be better

We're currently experiencing a four-star smartphone epidemic, and based on its specifications, this Xiaomi 12 Lite appears to be another. From the OnePlus Nord CE 2 and Oppo Find X5 Lite to the Redmi Note 11 Pro 5G and a slew of other good-but-not-great Android phones on the market right now, nothing really stands out when everything is good enough.

So, what does Xiaomi do to keep its 12 Lite ahead of the competition? For starters, it has a slinky design that comes in a variety of colors, a smooth AMOLED screen technology, very fast charging, and an in-display fingerprint scanner. It has them all, but so do many of the best phones on the market.

The Xiaomi 12 Lite's front camera is more intriguing. Not only is there a selfie light for maximum flattery, but there's also autofocus for more natural-looking depth in selfies, and Xiaomi has loaded up on eye-tracking and smart selfie-boosting software.

Can the 12 Lite outperform the competition with one of the smallest batteries we've seen on a 2022 smartphone, not to mention Xiaomi's historically bloated UI?

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Xiaomi 12 Lite (Image credit: MI)

XIAOMI 12 LITE REVIEW: PRICE AND AVAILABILITY

The Xiaomi 12 Lite has currently been announced for a global release, but no specific regions have been confirmed. However, we do know that the phone comes in three colors and three memory capacities.

Starting at $399 (approximately £330) for the 6GB RAM, 128GB storage version, this spec should provide adequate performance for the majority of casual smartphone users. There's also a $449 (approximately £375) version with 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage for serious multi-taskers. Finally, the most expensive 12 Lite costs $499 (approximately £415) and comes with 8GB RAM and 256GB storage - ideal for app and file hoarders.

Xiaomi's initial pricing has historically been extremely optimistic. The Xiaomi 12 Pro was initially priced at $999, but when it arrived in the United Kingdom, it cost £1,049.

So, while we're reviewing the 12 Lite based on the information we have at this point, and this should be the online price for import stores like Ali Express, if the Xiaomi 12 Lite's starting price is much higher than $399 where you are, be cautious when researching the competition.

XIAOMI 12 LITE REVIEW: DESIGN

Xiaomi 12 Lite (Image credit: MI)

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With its curvy corners and flat sides, front and back, the Xiaomi 12 Lite look like a slender slice. The iPhone 13, Honor X8 and Oppo Reno 4 Z 5G all have similar styling, but the Xiaomi 12 Lite's frosted finish adds richness to the touch.

The Xiaomi 12 Lite, with plastic sides, a Gorilla Glass screen, and a glass back, doesn't feel like a high-end phone, but it also doesn't feel cheap. The flat sides are easy to grip, the frosty back feels luscious to the touch (if a little slippery), and the phone is lightweight and thin at just 173g and 7.3mm, which is 1g lighter and 1mm thinner than an iPhone 13. Coincidence? Hmm.

The front of the 12 Lite is entirely screen, with pleasingly even bezels framing it and a punch-hole selfie camera at the top. There's a USB-C port at the bottom, as well as a speaker and SIM card slot, and all of the controls are on the right side (screen facing).

In true Xiaomi fashion, the 12 Lite includes an IR blaster on the top, allowing you to use the Mi Remote app to control your TV or other compatible IR device. Finally, there's a stepped camera surround with three raised lenses around the back.

Unlike Apple, Samsung, and Sony, Xiaomi includes a charging brick and cable in the box, which is convenient given that the 12 Lite phone supports the brand's proprietary 67W fast-charging technology. There's also a soft plastic case and a screen protector pre-installed to keep it safe. Expect no official IP water or dust resistance rating, as with most midrange (and Xiaomi) phones.

If you like the look of the Xiaomi 12 Lite pictured in this review, it is available in Lite Green. It also comes in Black and Lite Pink. All three have the same diffuse matte back, which gleams with a pearlesque richness when the light hits it just right.

Finally, we're very pleased with the fit and finish of the 12 Lite. From the color-matched back and frame to the relatively fingerprint-resistant finish, to the slim size and weight and comfortable in-hand feel.

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Xiaomi 12 Lite (Image credit: MI)

XIAOMI 12 LITE REVIEW: DISPLAY

Xiaomi is known for providing rich, smooth, and punchy displays on its low-cost phones, and the 12 Lite continues the trend with gusto. With a screen size of 6.55 inches, it is large enough for comfortable swiping and watching.

With AMOLED screen technology and credentials that we wouldn't always expect at this price - HDR10+ and Dolby Vision - the phone displays content with panache.

The Xiaomi 12 Lite's tall 20:9 aspect ratio makes it ideal for watching wide-screen content. Ms Marvel appeared on Disney Plus and filled the screen beautifully. However, 16:9 displays have more letterboxing and aren't as immersive, and if you're a retro-gaming fan who plays 4:3 reboots like Final Fantasy IX, pictured above, expect hefty black bars either side of your content.

Thanks to a smooth 120Hz refresh rate that you can manually adjust. With a touch sampling rate of 240Hz, the 12 Lite is also responsive - ideal for gaming.

Xiaomi crams a lot of screen modes into the 12 Lite, from Sunlight mode, which activates the phone's peak 950-nit brightness outdoors, to reading mode and the ability to adjust the screen's color balance to your preferences. On a sunny day, we had no trouble seeing what was on-screen, and if you do, turn on Auto-Brightness and Sunlight mode to help your screen.

The 12 Lite, like the Redmi Note 11 Pro 5G, has a pair of stereo speakers on either side of the screen, which, when combined with Dolby Atmos spatial audio technology, gives us high hopes for the phone's sound. In reality, while adequate for the price, the Xiaomi 12 Lite's speakers grate at higher volumes, necessitating the use of wireless headphones.

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XIAOMI 12 LITE REVIEW: CAMERAS

Xiaomi 12 Lite (Image credit: MI)

The Xiaomi 12 Lite, like the Vivo V21 5G, is aimed at selfie enthusiasts with its high-spec front camera. With a 32-megapixel resolution and f/2.45 lens, the camera's secret selfie weapons are autofocus (which is lacking in most front cameras) and two LED lights hidden in the screen's bezel.

The main triple camera setup on the 12 Lite includes a 108MP main camera with an f/1.9 lens, an 8MP ultra-wide camera with an f/2.2 lens and 120o field of view, and a 2MP macro camera.

The main camera on the 12 Lite is the same great 108MP sharpshooter that Xiaomi shipped in 2021 with the excellent Xiaomi Redmi Note 10 Pro. Unsurprisingly, the results are very similar, with a lot of detail but a lot of heavy-handed processing. The camera is relatively quick to start up and take photos, as well as snappy to boot, and Xiaomi has loaded it with shooting modes.

When photos are taken in auto mode, they are downsampled from 108MP to 12MP. By lowering the resolution, Xiaomi increases contrast and saturation to ensure your photos are Instagram-ready, but it sacrifices object and shadow detail in the process.

When you switch to 108MP mode, the amount of detail captured by the 12 Lite's sensor is astounding. So, if the light is right, don't be afraid to increase the resolution. However, in low-light situations, Auto mode is the way to go.

Xiaomi 12 Lite (Image credit: MI)

When the Xiaomi 12 Lite detects a low-light situation, auto-night shooting is activated. This does not change modes, but rather increases the shutter speed to gather more light for exposure and capture a competitive low-light shot. You can, of course, switch to Night Mode for more consistent shots in low-light situations.

Fortunately, Night Mode is enabled on both the main and ultra-wide cameras, which is extremely useful when photographing landscapes in the evening. While the ultra-wide camera is a little soft and noisy when capturing black or dark elements, switching to night mode helps it out even in well-lit situations.

To be honest, the 12 Lite's macro camera is a bit of a waste of space. It's a fixed-focus, low-resolution sensor that can only be used in extremely bright conditions. Given how much detail the main camera captures in 108MP mode, you'd be better off using that mode for macro shots and cropping in for a close-up.

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The phone's selfie camera performs admirably in bright light, and autofocus is a welcome addition. Close-up shots of your eyes are possible, which is not possible with fixed-focus selfie cameras, and the portrait mode works well, with more realistic background defocus than most of the competition in its price range.

When taking selfies, the front LED lights add a sparkle to your eyes, and their illumination is more subdued than a big, bright screen flash, which is often overkill. In turn, while the Xiaomi 12 Lite hasn't mastered low-light selfies, it does feature a capable, versatile selfie camera in general.

XIAOMI 12 LITE REVIEW: PERFORMANCE

The Xiaomi 12 Lite is equipped with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 778G chipset, which is one of those processors that is powerful enough for most users while remaining relatively power-efficient.

The only time we noticed the phone needed to catch its breath was when we powered it up - it took a minute for all of our apps to populate on-screen. However, once started, the 12 Lite handled multiple apps and games with ease.

App support is excellent on Android 12 with MIUI 13, though Xiaomi's interface is heavier than most Android skins. Many people won't mind, especially if they're coming from an iPhone, because MIUI is the most iOS-like Android overlay available. However, it will turn off Android purists because heavy UIs can be troublesome.

Previously, Xiaomi's virus scanner displayed advertisements whenever we installed an app, and its dark mode frequently broke buttons in our Spotify music controls. Fortunately, these issues appear to have been resolved on the 12 Lite.

Xiaomi 12 Lite (Image credit: MI)

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The Xiaomi 12 Lite performs like a mid-range smartphone. In comparison to its more expensive, more powerful sibling, the Xiaomi 12 Pro, which averaged around 3,500 multi-core Geekbench scores, the Lite came in at 2,800. This is perfectly respectable, and capable of handling 3D games ranging from Genshin Impact on medium graphics settings to simpler 2D and 3D titles such as Streets of Rage 4.

Unlike the Xiaomi 12 Pro and other Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 phones that can play back games at full resolution, the 12 Lite didn't get too hot during our testing, making it more comfortable for extended periods of gaming than many flagships.

Many people will find the phone's 128GB storage sufficient. However, because there is no microSD card expansion, if you think you'll fill it up, go for the larger-capacity, 256GB model, especially with apps and games taking up more storage than ever - Genshin Impact alone is a whopping 15.28GB.

We had no trouble unlocking our phone quickly and securely thanks to a relatively responsive under-display fingerprint scanner and basic face recognition, and after a couple of weeks with the 12 Lite, we were generally impressed by how little we missed flagship power.

XIAOMI 12 LITE REVIEW: BATTERY AND CHARGING

Xiaomi's 12 Lite's 4,300mAh battery gives us the creeps - it's one of the lowest capacity batteries we've seen on an Android phone in a long time.

In terms of battery life, despite its small size, performance was not as poor as we had feared. If you don't mind setting the refresh rate of the screen to 60Hz, you can easily get through a full day with only about 20% of the power remaining. After a respectable 14 hours of screen-on time, the phone's battery depleted to 80% in our test.

However, if you activate the 120Hz screen mode, you'll need to be more mindful and may struggle to get through a full day of gaming, photography, movie watching, and downloading.

While there is no wireless charging, the Xiaomi 12 Lite charges quickly with 67W charging, going from 0% to 100% in around 40 minutes.

Xiaomi 12 Lite (Image credit: MI)

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XIAOMI 12 LITE REVIEW: VERDICT

The Xiaomi 12 Lite isn't perfect, but it could be one of the best low-cost smartphones in 2022. It looks great, has a brilliant, bright, and punchy screen, and the front and back cameras perform admirably for the price.

If the 12 Lite had expandable storage and a larger battery, it might have stood out a little more than it does. Having said that, Xiaomi still gets a lot right here, and if you can find it at a good price, it could be the obvious choice for anyone looking for a good selfie camera on a budget.