Key Points:
- Xiaomi is the world’s second-largest smartphone manufacturer in the entire world. It’s second only to Samsung, which holds the top spot globally.
- Xiaomi 12 Lite goes above and beyond what is expected of a smaller smartphone of this type. It’s a wonderful mid-range smartphone offering from Xiaomi, making it an excellent option for smartphone users on a budget.
- The Xiaomi 12 Lite offers four cameras in total, each one worthy of note. The largest camera is particularly significant with sharp quality. Its high dynamic range is stunning, and its added contrast only emphasizes these qualities to great effect.
- Other Xiaomi models — like the 11T Pro — can reach a full charge in as little as 20 minutes. All in all, we’ve found that the Xiaomi 12 Lite’s battery is decidedly middle-of-the-pack.
While the name might not be a household one here in America, the truth is that Xiaomi is the world’s second-largest smartphone manufacturer in the entire world. It’s second only to Samsung, which holds the top spot globally.
Among the youngest companies ranked on the Fortune Global 500, Xiaomi first emerged in 2010 and has since commanded a strong lead in the smartphone industry — not only in the company’s country of origin, but also abroad. Their latest model, the Xiaomi 12 Lite 5G Smartphone, is the next in a long line of excellent products.
Let’s take a thorough look at the Xiaomi 12 Lite 5G Smartphone. We’ll begin with a roundup of the best deals you can get on the phone, then move on to an overview of the product itself. We’ll pay close attention to the particulars, like release date, price, models, features, specifications, and so on.
From there, we’ll give a proper review of the phone itself, as well as weigh the pros and cons of the product. In the end, we’ll determine whether or not the Xiaomi 12 Lite 5G Smartphone is truly worth buying. Let’s dive right in, starting with the best deals today.
Best Deal Today: Xiaomi 12 Lite 5G Smartphone
Here are some of the best prices on the internet for the Xiaomi 12 Lite 5G Smartphone available today.
- Xiaomi 12 Lite 5G + 4G LTE (128GB + 8GB) - Lite Green (Amazon) – $377
- Xiaomi 12 Lite 5G + 4G LTE (256GB + 8GB) - Black (Amazon) – $415
- Xiaomi 12 Lite 5G (128GB + 6GB) – Black (Walmart) – $319
- Xiaomi 12 Lite 5G (256GB + 8GB) – Black (Newegg) – $399
Xiaomi 12 Lite 5G Smartphone Overview
Now that we know where to find a good price on the Xiaomi 12 Lite 5G Smartphone, it’s worth taking an in-depth look at everything that makes it worthy of consideration in the first place. From release date to MSRP, from its different models to its various features and specs, here’s a comprehensive overview of the Xiaomi 12 Lite 5G Smartphone.
Release Date and Price
The Xiaomi 12 Lite 5G Smartphone was first announced on July 9th, 2022, and made available just 48 hours later on July 11th. (It was released alongside several other Xiaomi 12 models, which we’ll discuss more at length below.)
The price of the phone begins at an MSRP of $359 for the base model 128GB storage + 6GB RAM, with costs only increasing from there as storage and memory are also increased. The top-of-the-line model, with 256GB storage + 8GB RAM, has an MSRP verging on $499 or more (depending on the retailer).
Different Models
In addition to the aforementioned storage and memory options for the Xiaomi 12 Lite 5G Smartphone (not to mention the three color combinations Lite Green, Lite Pink, and Black), there are also a number of different Xiaomi 12 models to choose from. Apart from the 12 Lite, these include:
- Xiaomi 12 (December 2021)
- Xiaomi 12X (December 2021)
- Xiaomi 12 Pro (December 2021)
- Xiaomi 12 Pro Dimensity (July 2022)
- Xiaomi 12S (July 2022)
- Xiaomi 12S Pro (July 2022)
- Xiaomi 12S Ultra (July 2022)
- Xiaomi 12T (October 2022)
- Xiaomi 12T Pro (October 2022)
Clearly, there’s no shortage of Xiaomi 12 models to pick and choose from. That’s ten different varieties in less than a year, including the 12 Lite!
Features
- Will NOT work on Verizon AT&T/BOOST/CRICKET or any CDMA Carrier. 5G + 4G LTE (Tmobile Users requieres a previous sim card activated) Worldwide Unlocked Dual Nano sim . FCC ID: 2AFZZ123G
- Dual Sim (No MICRO SD Slot) 5G NR: n1, n3, n5, n7, n8, n20, n28, n38, n40, n41, n66, n77, n78 / LTE FDD: 1/2/3/4/5/7/8/12/13/17/18/19/20/26/28/32/66 LTE TDD: 38/40/41/42/48 / WCDMA: 1/2/4/5/6/8/19 2G...
- Snapdragon 778G Kryo 670 CPU, up to 2.4GHz Adreno 642L GPU
- 108MP wide-angle camera 1/1.52” sensor size 6P lens 8MP ultra-wide angle camera f/2.2 120° FOV 2MP macro camera f/2.4 Fixed focus (4cm focus distance, cannot focus at infinity) Rear camera...
- 32MP in-display selfie camera f/2.45 5P lens Dual LEDs Front camera photography features Eye tracking focus Night mode AI Beautify AI portrait mode with bokeh and depth control Front camera video...
Let’s bring the focus back to the Xiaomi 12 Lite 5G Smartphone. In addition to the following specifications, we’ve listed the phone’s key features below. The nine other Xiaomi 12 models offer variations on these features, but these particular combos are exclusive to the Xiaomi 12 Lite alone:
- Dolby Vision HDR10+ display
- Corning Gorilla Glass 5 on front and back
- Three rear cameras with up to 4K quality
- 67W fast charging
- Fingerprint scanner built into the screen
- Dolby Atmos sound
- Bluetooth 5.2
- Variety of sensors including a proximity sensor, an ambient light sensor, an accelerometer, a gyroscope, an electronic compass, a linear motor, an IR blaster, and more
- Super thin design
As you can see, these features look and sound pretty on par with the rest of the smartphones on the market today. There’s nothing particularly groundbreaking among these features, but there’s also nothing holding the Xiaomi 12 Lite back from the competition either. All in all, an expected but nevertheless welcome batch of features.
Specifications
| Product Name | Xiaomi 12 Lite 5G Smartphone |
| Manufacturer | Xiaomi |
| Release Date | July 2022 |
| MSRP | Starting at $359 |
| Dimensions | 6.27 in. x 2.9 in. x 0.29 in. |
| Weight | 6.1 oz |
| SIM | Dual SIM |
| Display Type | 120Hz AMOLED with 68 billion Dolby Vision HDR10+ colors and 950 nits peak brightness |
| Display Size | 6.55 in. |
| Screen Resolution | 20:9 (1080p x 2400p) |
| Screen Type | Corning Gorilla Glass 5 |
| Storage & Memory | 128GB + 6GB RAM, 128GB + 8GB RAM, 256GB + 8GB RAM |
| Cameras | Rear Wide: 108 MP, f/1.9, 26mm Ultrawide: 8 MP, f/2.2, 120˚ Macro: 2 MP, f/2.4 Front Wide: 32 MP, f/2.5 |
| Camera Resolution | 4K at 30fps, 1080p at 30/60/120fps |
| Charge Speed | 50% in 13 minutes |
| Operating System | Android 12, MIUI 13 |
| Model Number | 2203129G |
| Available Colors | Lite Green, Lite Pink, Black |
Xiaomi 12 Lite 5G Smartphone Review
All of these models, features, and specifications are fine and good, but how do they all come together to create a functional smartphone? In other words, we know all about the individual parts, but how do they work together as a whole?
Let’s break down the Xiaomi 12 Lite 5G Smartphone in-depth below, reviewing the good, the bad, and the weird for one of Xiaomi’s latest iterations of the 12. We’ll begin with the phone’s camera and battery — two of the most important considerations for any smartphone — before moving on to things like storage, display, and the competition.
Camera Performance
The Xiaomi 12 Lite offers four cameras in total, each one worthy of note. The largest camera is particularly significant, by our account. Its quality is sharp, its high dynamic range is stunning, and its added contrast only emphasizes these qualities to great effect.
The ultrawide camera and the macro camera — located beneath the larger main camera — are much less impressive by comparison. Photos are less vibrant, less sharp, less detailed… all-around worse than the photos taken with the main camera.
The front-facing camera is quite standard. It’s more or less on par with rival front-facing cameras from Samsung, Apple, and the like, delivering the same kind of moderately sharp and relatively high-quality photos we’ve come to expect from a smartphone selfie camera.
You could feasibly argue the quality is superior to that of the ultrawide and macro camera, but one thing is for certain: none of the other three cameras can really compare to the quality of the Xiaomi 12 Lite’s main camera. It’s the best of the bunch by far.
As far as the Xiaomi 12 Lite camera’s features are concerned, there are a couple worth noting here. Namely, Pro Mode, a new feature that allows you to tweak and customize the camera’s settings like you could on a professional camera.
It’s a feature that’s seriously lacking on rival smartphones, and one that makes the Xiaomi 12 Lite stand apart from the crowd with confidence. From white balance to shutter speed to adjustable ISO, it’s a one-of-a-kind camera feature that’s almost worth the price of the phone itself.
Battery Life
All too often in the smartphone sphere, cool features and impressive specifications mean nothing if the battery life of the phone can’t handle it all. This begs the question: What’s the battery life like on the Xiaomi 12 Lite?
We already know that the phone offers astonishingly fast charging, capable of reaching 50% charge in less than 15 minutes. But what about the battery as a whole? How long does it last, and how long does it take to get to 100%? With so many cameras, such high brightness, and such a large screen, it’s a pressing question indeed.
In a comprehensive battery test, we determined that the Xiaomi 12 Lite can handle about 25 hours of talk time, 13 hours of web surfing, or 17 hours of video streaming. These figures pale in comparison to other Xiaomi models, even ones from the 11th generation and earlier.
Let’s be clear about this, though; this is the Lite model, after all. It wouldn’t be fair to dock the smartphone points simply for being a “lighter” version of the Xiaomi 12 and the like. You know you’re sacrificing battery life when you buy this smaller, thinner, lighter version of the phone.
As far as charging speed is concerned, the Xiaomi 12 Lite can be fully charged in less than 50 minutes. (This is in addition to the aforementioned 50% fast charging speed of 13 minutes.) That’s a whole 30 minutes faster than the comparable Apple iPhone SE (2022) and a good 15 minutes faster than the earlier Xiaomi 11 Lite.
Alas, we’d be remiss if we failed to mention that other Xiaomi models — like the 11T Pro — can reach a full charge in as little as 20 minutes. All in all, we’ve found that the Xiaomi 12 Lite’s battery is decidedly middle-of-the-pack.
Storage Space
- Will NOT work on Verizon AT&T/BOOST/CRICKET or any CDMA Carrier. 5G + 4G LTE (Tmobile Users requieres a previous sim card activated) Worldwide Unlocked Dual Nano sim . FCC ID: 2AFZZ123G
- Dual Sim (No MICRO SD Slot) 5G NR: n1, n3, n5, n7, n8, n20, n28, n38, n40, n41, n66, n77, n78 / LTE FDD: 1/2/3/4/5/7/8/12/13/17/18/19/20/26/28/32/66 LTE TDD: 38/40/41/42/48 / WCDMA: 1/2/4/5/6/8/19 2G...
- Snapdragon 778G Kryo 670 CPU, up to 2.4GHz Adreno 642L GPU
- 108MP wide-angle camera 1/1.52” sensor size 6P lens 8MP ultra-wide angle camera f/2.2 120° FOV 2MP macro camera f/2.4 Fixed focus (4cm focus distance, cannot focus at infinity) Rear camera...
- 32MP in-display selfie camera f/2.45 5P lens Dual LEDs Front camera photography features Eye tracking focus Night mode AI Beautify AI portrait mode with bokeh and depth control Front camera video...
Is there anything more important to a smartphone user than storage space? By our account, it’s undoubtedly one of the most significant components of any phone today. Without proper storage and memory, all of your smartphone’s features and specs might as well be for nothing.
So, where does the Xiaomi 12 Lite fall? The phone gives you three possible options to choose from, each with its own unique price: 128GB storage with 6GB RAM, 128GB storage with 8GB RAM, and 256GB storage with 8GB RAM.
Uniquely enough, the Xiaomi 12 Lite actually runs with two distinct operating systems: Android 12 and MIUI 13. This is significant, as the operating system pertains directly to the kind of RAM and storage management you’re going to get. With the 12 Lite’s 128GB models, you can feasibly store over 20 hours of camera footage.
You can double that for the phone’s 256 GB model. Comparatively, that translates to something like 3,000 apps for the 128GB models and over 6,000 for the 256GB model. That’s more than enough storage, especially for casual smartphone users.
No matter if you choose the 6GB or 8GB RAM option for your Xiaomi 12 Lite, you’re unlikely to encounter any serious performance issues — even with the most involved, high-functioning apps on the market.
This is as much memory as some laptop computers boast, making the Xiaomi 12 Lite a high-performing powerhouse in its own right. Couple this with such high storage space, and it’s clear to see that this is one particular area where the Xiaomi 12 Lite 5G Smartphone really manages to excel.
Display Quality
HDR10+, Dolby Vision, OLED… these are words and phrases you might hear tossed around a lot in reference to a television’s display, but it’s not often you hear them in reference to a smartphone screen. And yet, the Xiaomi 12 Lite has them all: 68 billion HDR10+ colors, a Dolby Vision-certified OLED screen, 950 nits of peak brightness, and an overall resolution of 1080p x 2400p.
Here, we have yet another area where the Xiaomi 12 Lite truly excels. These specs would describe a solid 4K TV, let alone a smartphone. The same goes for the phone’s refresh rate, which comes in at 120Hz. Again, this is superior to even some cheaper 4K TVs, which might only clock in at 60Hz.
For the price of the Xiaomi 12 Lite, it’s remarkable just how great the display quality on this phone is. It rivals (and, in some comparisons, even exceeds) the display quality of even the most expensive smartphones in its class. With prices starting at $359 MSRP, it’s available to us at just a fraction of the cost, as well. It’s undoubtedly the display quality of a $1,000+ phone.
Competition
With all of these factors taken into consideration, we’ll close out this thorough review with a brief comparison of the Xiaomi 12 Lite versus some of the other top smartphones on the market today.
| Xiaomi 12 Lite | |
|---|---|
| Size & Weight | 6.27 in. x 2.9 in. x 0.29 in; 6.1 oz |
| Cameras | 4 cameras; 4K at 30fps, 1080p at 30/60/120fps |
| Battery | 4300 mAh |
| Storage Space | 128GB + 6GB RAM to 256GB + 8GB RAM |
| Screen Resolution | 1080p x 2400p |
| Starting Price | $359.00 |
| iPhone SE 2022 | |
|---|---|
| Size & Weight | 5.45 in. x 2.65 in. x 0.29 in; 5.08 oz |
| Cameras | 2 cameras; 4K at 24/30/60fps, 1080p at 30/60/120/240fps |
| Battery | 2018 mAh |
| Storage Space | 64GB + 4GB RAM, to 256GB + 4GB RAM |
| Screen Resolution | 750p x 1334p |
| Starting Price | $378.95 |
| Xiaomi 11 Lite | |
|---|---|
| Size & Weight | 6.32 in. x 2.98 in. x 0.27 in; 5.54 oz |
| Cameras | 4 cameras; 4K at 30fps, 1080p at 30/60/120fps |
| Battery | 4250 mAh |
| Storage Space | 64GB + 4GB RAM to 128GB + 8GB RAM |
| Screen Resolution | 1080p x 2400p |
| Starting Price | $239.99 |
| Samsung Galaxy A53 | |
|---|---|
| Size & Weight | 6.28 in. x 2.94 in. x 0.32 in; 6.67 oz |
| Cameras | 5 cameras; 4K at 30fps, 1080p at 30/60fps |
| Battery | 5000 mAh |
| Storage Space | 128GB + 4GB RAM to 256GB + 8GB RAM |
| Screen Resolution | 1080p x 2400p |
| Starting Price | $334 |
As we can see, the Xiaomi 12 Lite is smaller than the Xiaomi 11 Lite and the Samsung Galaxy A53, has cameras superior to the Samsung Galaxy A53, and a battery better than the iPhone SE 2022 and the Xiaomi 11 Lite. It also offers better storage and memory than all the competition. That’s why we consider the Xiaomi 12 Lite a superb offering in the “lite” smartphone space.
Xiaomi 12 Lite 5G Smartphone Pros and Cons
| Pros of Xiaomi 12 Lite 5G Smartphone | Cons of Xiaomi 12 Lite 5G Smartphone |
|---|---|
| Incredibly lightweight and thin, even for its size | Battery life leaves something to be desired |
| Very fast processing speeds | Overall performance pales in comparison to other phones in the same price range |
| Remarkable camera quality | No IP protection rating for dust, water, and other damaging intrusions |
| Fast charging | No MicroSD slot |
| Dependable OS | Lacks a headphone jack |
| An InfraRed port that allows the phone to double as a remote control | Poor fingerprint scanning |
Xiaomi 12 Lite 5G Smartphone: Is It a Buy?
While the Xiaomi 12 Lite 5G Smartphone is a leading contender in the “lite” smartphone market, it’s not going to be a buy for every smartphone user. Here are the things to consider when trying to decide whether or not the phone is for you.
©Justin Sijbolts, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons – License
Buy It If…
You’re Looking for an Affordable, High-Quality Smartphone
The Xiaomi 12 Lite 5G Smartphone is one of the very best in its class. While you wouldn’t struggle to find a superior smartphone in a higher price range, the Xiaomi 12 Lite goes above and beyond what is expected of a smaller smartphone of this type. It’s a wonderful mid-range smartphone offering from Xiaomi, making it an excellent option for smartphone users on a budget.
You Don’t Care About Battery Life
Given its smaller size and reduced weight, the Xiaomi 12 Lite had to make some sacrifices. Battery life is just one of them. And while it’s not going to go and die on you after just a few hours of use, its battery life is obviously less than some competitors’ offerings.
It’s still going to give you all-day battery life, however. So, if you don’t mind a little less battery life, the Xiaomi 12 Lite remains a good option for you.
Don’t Buy It If…
You Need More Storage
While 256GB of storage is going to be plenty of space for the casual smartphone user, some of us need a lot more than that.
Whether you’re a photographer, a videographer, a vlogger, a smartphone gamer, or some other sort of high-storage-capacity smartphone user, 256GB is going to get used up pretty quickly. For this reason, you might want to pass on the Xiaomi 12 Lite — especially since there’s no space for a MicroSD card.
You Use Wired Headphones
If you’re still a wired headphones loyalist — which is understandable, given the short battery life of most wireless headphones — you will not have any luck with the Xiaomi 12 Lite. Like other smartphones in recent years, the Xiaomi 12 Lite does away with the headphone jack in order to make the phone thinner and lighter. This is a major blow to wired headphones users and a deciding factor in choosing not to buy the Xiaomi 12 Lite.
Up Next…
- The 10 Largest Smartphone Companies In The World, And What They Do: Xiaomi is based in China – read here to discover where other Smartphone companies are located.
- iPhone 14 vs iPhone 14 Plus: 8 Key Differences and Full Comparison: If you aren’t on a budget and want a top tier phone – read our review of the two newest iPhones.
- iPhone 14 Pro Max vs Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra: Full Comparison: Samsung Galaxy offers an alternative to the iPhone 14 Pro Max that may be just what you need. Read our full comparison before you decide!
The image featured at the top of this post is ©Framesira/Shutterstock.com.
