Xiaomi 12 Lite

Verdict

The Xiaomi 12 Lite is an affordable smartphone that combines a gorgeous iridescent design with a smooth display and equally slick 67W fast charging. The 108-megapixel camera delivers bright results with natural colours but images are over-sharpened and the phone misses out on some key features available on the Xiaomi 12.

Introduction

Two of the most alluring reasons to opt for a flagship phone in 2023 are their sleek designs and capable cameras. However, that doesn’t mean you can’t get a stylish device with a huge camera for less. 

The Xiaomi 12 Lite is a perfect example of this. Not only does it have a stunning design but it also packs what Xiaomi calls a “studio-level” 108-megapixel triple camera. That isn’t even to mention the 120Hz refresh rate on the display or the inclusion of 67W fast charging. 

But how do these features perform in the real world?

Design and screen 

• The Xiaomi 12 Lite has a smooth, modern design 
• There’s no IP rating 
• The 6.55-inch display has a 120Hz refresh rate 

The Xiaomi 12 Lite is a beautiful phone that looks and feels more expensive than it is. The device has flat sides and curved corners reminiscent of Apple’s iPhone 14, along with a light-catching iridescent finish – at least on the Lite Green version I received. The surface can pick up fingerprints but they aren’t particularly obvious against the colour-shifting rear.

The phone also comes with a clear case for those who want to avoid getting their phone grubby and keep it safe from scratches. However, there’s no IP rating to protect the phone from dust or water.

The camera module is also gorgeous with its raised glass design and three lenses, led by a large 108-megapixel camera. 

There’s a volume switch and power button on the side, along with a USB-C port and SIM tray on the bottom edge of the phone. As with many phones these days, there’s no 3.5mm jack in sight. 

Turn the Xiaomi 12 Lite over and you’ll find a bright, 6.55-inch AMOLED DotDisplay with a 20:9 aspect ratio and a resolution of 2400 x 1080. 

The screen also has a 240Hz touch sampling rate and a 120Hz refresh rate, with the latter delivering a particularly smooth scrolling experience. The refresh rate is also adaptive, meaning it’s able to drop to a more standard 60Hz to save battery when not needed, though it’s not quite up to the standards of LTPO 3.0. 

Camera 

• The triple camera is led by a 108-megapixel main camera 
• Images are bright and detailed but often appear over-sharpened 
• The Xiaomi 12 Lite also records video at up to 4K/30fps

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

The camera takes advantage of a good range of features, including a night mode, portrait mode and eye-tracking. There are also some more unique editing tools features, such as AI SkyScaping, which allows you to replace the grey British sky in your photos with fluffy clouds or a starry night, as well as an erase tool that reminded me of the Magic Eraser on the Pixel 7. I had a lot of fun playing around with both of these tools, even if the new sky didn’t always look the most convincing. 

The main 108-megapixel camera delivers the same number of pixels as Samsung’s Galaxy S22 Ultra did before the S23 Ultra took the helm with its 200-megapixel camera. 108-megapixels is also significantly bigger than the 50-megapixel camera found on the Xiaomi 12. However, just because a camera boasts a high pixel count, that doesn’t automatically make it better.

I found images taken with the camera to be bright and detailed with very natural colours that veer more toward a cool colour palette. The colours don’t deliver the same punchy, saturated look you get from some phones, but reds and greens are still very vibrant.

However, images tended to come out over-sharpened, with this being particularly obvious outside of the 108-megapixel mode. For example, photos shot with the ultra-wide angle sensor don’t look as smooth as the 108-megapixel images, and the quality deteriorates quickly when using the zoom feature.

The rear camera is also capable of capturing 4K video at 30fps, or 1080p at up to 60fps, which I found to be detailed but, like photos, perhaps a little too sharp. 

The punch-hole camera on the front of the phone snaps 32-megapixel selfies which I found to be sharp and detailed. Zooming in, I could count every pore on my face yet, from afar, the camera somehow made my face appear smooth and glowy. The colours also appeared very soft and natural, though I do feel it wouldn’t hurt to add a little more contrast and warmth to the images. 

Performance 

• Powered by a mid-range Snapdragon chip 
• Comes with up to 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage 
• Runs MIUI 13 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 phone also comes with up to 8GB of LPDDR4X RAM and 256GB of storage. 

This is a chip designed to offer great mobile photography and gaming performance, so it’s no wonder Xiaomi has chosen it to pair with the 108-megapixel shooter.

I found the performance to be decent with apps quick to load and games generally smooth to run, though I did find that my movements lagged at times when playing Among Us.

If you’re looking for flagship-level performance, you’d be better off opting for the Xiaomi 12, as we found the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 chip in the smartphone offered excellent all-around performance. The same goes for the Xiaomi 12 Pro, which featured the same high-end chipset. 

Like the Xiaomi 12, the Xiaomi 12 Lite runs the company’s own MIUI 13 software based on the slightly older Android 12. I found the software to be quite nice to navigate with very little bloatware and a decent amount of customisation available through the Themes app. 

Battery life 

• The Xiaomi 12 Lite has a 4300 mAh battery 
• It supports 67W fast charging 
• There is no wireless charging support 

The phone is powered by a 4300mAh battery which I found was capable of running all day without requiring a recharge. 

I streamed HD video on the phone with full brightness for several hours to drain the battery and found it took 37 minutes to drop from 100% to 95% and just over 5 hours to fall to 60%. With more casual, everyday use the battery stretched even longer. 

Like the Xiaomi 12, the 12 Lite supports 67W turbocharging. I found this feature to be incredibly speedy, going from 0% to 100% in under an hour. Of course, this isn’t as fast as the 120W charging supported by the Xiaomi 12 Pro but it is, nevertheless, very impressive and provided enough time for me to get the battery up before heading out the door.

However, there’s no wireless charging or reverse charging on the Xiaomi 12 Lite. For that, you will need to pay extra and get the Xiaomi 12.

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