Xiaomi 12T series announced with masses of megapixels and 120W charging

The mid-range Xiaomi 12T and Xiaomi 12T Pro have just been unveiled, but while they carry mid-range prices, some of their specs are very much at the top end.

Starting with the Xiaomi 12T Pro, the highlight of this phone is undoubtedly its 200MP primary camera, which is a megapixel count almost no other phone can match – though the China-only Moto X30 Pro got there first (now available in other regions as the Motorola Edge 30 Ultra).

It might not be the most balanced camera system though, as that sensor is joined by just an 8MP ultra-wide and a 2MP macro, along with a 20MP front-facing snapper. Xiaomi promises strong low-light performance from these sensors, but that’s something we’ll have to put to the test come review time.

Another highlight is the Xiaomi 12T Pro’s 120W charging, twinned with its 5,000mAh battery, allowing for a full charge in just 19 minutes.

The rest of the specs include a 6.67-inch 1220 x 2712 AMOLED screen, with a 120Hz refresh rate, a top-end Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1 chipset, 8GB or 12GB of RAM, 128GB or 256GB of storage, 5G support and a glass back.

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As for the standard Xiaomi 12T, that has largely similar specs, but the main camera is just 108MP, the chipset is a slightly lesser MediaTek Dimensity 8100 Ultra, and there’s no 12GB RAM model.

There are other small differences too, with the Pro model, for example, offering sound tuned by Harman Kardon, which the standard Xiaomi 12T seems to lack, but the chipset and main camera are the main variations.

Both models come in a choice of black, silver or blue shades, and you’ll be able to grab them in the UK from October 20, with the Xiaomi 12T starting at £499 (around $570 / AU$875), while the Xiaomi 12T Pro starts at £699 (roughly $800 / AU$1,230).

These phones won’t be officially launched in the US and there’s no word on Australia currently, but it’s possible we’ll see them there via grey-market import.

The 12T series’ launch also played host to the release of the Redmi Pad (£269 – roughly $305 / AU$475), the Xiaomi Smart Band 7 Pro (£84.99 – roughly $95 / AU$150), the Redmi Buds 4 (£49.99 – roughly $55 / AU$90) and Redmi Buds 4 Pro (£84.99 – roughly $95 / AU$150) too.

Analysis: how the 12T compares to the 11T

Wondering how much Xiaomi has upgraded the 12T line from the Xiaomi 11T line? Well, the Xiaomi 11T Pro’s specs – including its charging power – are actually quite similar to the Xiaomi 12T Pro, for the most part, but the older phone has just a 108MP main camera and a more dated chipset.

In the case of the standard Xiaomi 12T, it’s the charging speed and the chipset that are the main upgrades from its predecessor, with the Xiaomi 11T charging at a slower but-still-decent 67W.

So while these new phones have some eye-catching specs, they don’t look like enormous improvements on their predecessors; at least on paper.

Still, they have the potential to rank among the best Xiaomi phones out there, depending on how well they perform in practice – which is something we’ll find out once we’ve put them through a full review.