Initial verdict: While we’re disappointed that Xiaomi decided to use plastic for the frame instead of aluminum, the 12T offers a decent set of upgrades compared to its predecessor in the Philippines–especially for the display, processor, and charging speeds. 

Pros

• Better display
• OIS on the main camera

Cons

• Plastic frame
• More expensive than last year’s 11T

Xiaomi 12T Philippines Specs:

• Dimensity 8100 processor
• 8GB LPDDR5 RAM
• 256GB UFS 3.1 storage
• 6.67-inch AMOLED display, 120hz refresh rate, 1220p resolution, 480hz touch sampling rate, support for HDR10+ and DCI-P3, 12-bit color
• 108-megapixel f/1.8 ISOCELL HM6 main camera with PDAF and OIS, 8-megapixel f/2.2 ultra-wide-angle camera, 2-megapixel f/2.4 macro camera
• 20-megapixel IMX596 selfie camera
• 4G, 5G
• WiFi 6E, Bluetooth 5.1, NFC, in-display fingerprint scanner
• Stereo speakers, Dolby Atmos
• 5000mAh battery
• 120w fast charging
• Android 12, MIUI 13

It has been a month since the Xiaomi 12T series became official globally, and the much-awaited budget flagship device makes its way to the Philippines. As a successor to the successful 11T and 10T series, the Xiaomi 12T has big shoes to fill as a value-for-money budget flagship offering. Does it still offer the same magic as its predecessors?

Unboxing and Packaging Contents

Like the 10T and 11T, you get a white box with the usual branding in front. The contents are the same as what you’d expect: the phone itself, documentation, silicone case, USB-C cable, and a 120w charger.

Design

Being under the 12 series, the Xiaomi 12T has the same camera module design, where the 108-megapixel main camera dominates the bump, while the other two cameras are found right below it. Like its predecessor, Xiaomi opted for a matte finish for the 12T’s glass back.

The 12T feels lighter than the 11T series, and that’s because Xiaomi opted to use plastic for the frame instead of aluminum. This is the biggest downside of the 12T, but we felt that Xiaomi had to downgrade the frame in order to add better features. It’s not a deal breaker, as there are a number of phones in the under Php 30k segment (and even some more expensive phones) that use plastic for the frame and even the back panel.

The button and port layout are the same as the 11T series, though the power button no longer doubles as a fingerprint scanner–the 12T now has an in-display fingerprint sensor instead. You still get stereo speakers and an IR blaster, but you still don’t get a headphone jack or a MicroSD card slot.

Display and speakers

Despite having a similarly-sized 6.67-inch 120hz AMOLED display, the one used on the Xiaomi 12T is better than the one used on the 11T series. This panel has a higher 1.5k resolution and supports more colors at 68 billion (vs 1 billion on the 11T series). You also get an in-display fingerprint scanner instead of a side-mounted variety.

We liked the performance of the AMOLED display used by the 11T series, and the same can be said with the Xiaomi 12T. It’s definitely better than its predecessor because of both the higher display resolution and the wider color coverage, delivering crisp and vibrant images that you’d usually expect on a premium flagship device.

Like its predecessor, you also get stereo speakers with the Xiaomi 12T, and they generally sound great for a Php 30k phone. There’s no headphone jack yet again, so you will need a USB-C dongle or a USB-C headset if you want to enjoy your wired cans.

Cameras

While it appears that the Xiaomi 12T retained the same camera setup used on the 11T series, it’s nice to know that you are getting OIS on the 108-megapixel main camera. The sensor itself, however, is slightly smaller at 1/1.67-inches (compared to 1/1.52-inches on the 11T), which also translates to the 12T having a wider 24mm focal length equivalent (the 11T series had a 26mm focal length equivalent).

You get the same 8-megapixel ultra-wide-angle camera, and the third camera has been downgraded to a 2-megapixel macro camera without autofocus.

The selfie shooter is now a 20-megapixel variety. While it has a higher resolution, the Xiaomi 12T uses a smaller 1/3.47-inch sensor (vs a 1/3.06-inch sensor on the 11T series).

Overall, the camera performance of the Xiaomi 12T is similar to what we experienced with the 11T: while they are not flagship-caliber, we appreciate the inclusion of OIS on the main camera to keep our shots blur-free. OIS is most useful with video, where our footage remains stable even when shooting in 4K.

Internals and battery

Powering the Xiaomi 12T is a Dimensity 8100 processor, and the review unit we got comes with 8GB RAM and 256GB internal storage. Compared to the Dimensity 1200 used on the 11T, you’re getting a significant performance upgrade with the Dimensity 8100 used on the 12T. We think that this is the best upper mid-range chip in the market right now, as the Dimensity 8100 can go head-to-head against flagship processors like Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 888.

We’re familiar with how the Dimensity 8100 performs when it comes to gaming, but we will do our usual set of tests to further confirm our claims.

Like its predecessor, you get a 5000mAh battery on the Xiaomi 12T, though charging speeds are now upgraded to 120w–which is slowly becoming the standard charging speed for higher-end Xiaomi phones. We’re familiar with how fast Xiaomi’s 120w charging speed is in practice, and we managed to hit from 0 to 60% with just 10 minutes of charging.

Wrap-up and initial conclusions

Despite a few downgrades especially with the build, the Xiaomi 12T is a decent follow-up to last year’s 11T with its high-resolution display that’s arguably the best in the under Php 30k segment. The processor used is a big upgrade over the Dimensity 1200 used by its predecessor, and upgrades in the camera and charging speeds make the Xiaomi 12T a well-rounded budget flagship phone.

Xiaomi 12T Price Philippines

The Xiaomi 12T is priced at Php 26,999 for the 8GB/256GB variant.