Like Apple, Xiaomi has equipped its luxury smartphone series with a Pro variant. With this most expensive version, the Xiaomi 12 Pro, the Chinese smartphone maker pulls out all the stops. You can read whether that is enough to be a better alternative to Samsung and Apple in this Xiaomi 12 Pro review.
Xiaomi 12 Pro
Recommended retail price from € 1099,-
Colors blue, gray, purple
OS Android 12 (MIUI 13)
Screen 6.7 inch amoled (3200 x 1440, 120hz)
Processor 3 Ghz octa-core (Snapdragon 8 gen1)
RAM 12GB
Storage 256GB
Battery 4,600 mAh
Camera 50, 50 and 50 megapixels (rear), 32 megapixels (front)
Connectivity 5G, 4G (LTE), Bluetooth 5.2, Wi-Fi 6e, GPS, NFC
Format 16.4 x 7.5 x 0.8 cm
Weight 204 grams
Other Fingerprint scanner behind screen, 120 watt fast charger
Website www.mi.com
6 Score 60 
- Pros
- Design
- computing power
- Screen
- Charger
- Negatives
- Price
- MiUI 13
- Update Policy
The question is whether Xiaomi wants to offer an alternative to Samsung and Apple. It seems that the brand is trying harder than ever to seduce the former Huawei users. Since that brand has disappeared from the scene due to the trade embargo, Xiaomi has started to print on the box that smartphones of this Chinese brand do have Google apps and a collaboration with Leica was recently announced. This German camera brand previously worked with Huawei for the adjustment of the camera lenses.
Just to be clear: Leica has not collaborated with Xiaomi for the camera of this 12 Pro. The first device with this collaboration will be announced in July. Leica also does not make smartphone lenses. Xiaomi, like almost all other smartphone makers, uses Sony lenses. The difference is made in the software adjustment of these lenses.
Xiaomi 12 Series
The Xiaomi 12 series is the high-end series of the brand, which also mainly sells large numbers of budget smartphones under the Redmi and Poco flags. This series competes with devices in the higher price segment, where that service is actually only provided by Apple and Samsung. The series consists of the most affordable Xiaomi 12X, the regular Xiaomi 12 and this luxurious Xiaomi 12 Pro.
This Pro version costs 1100 euros. That is a lot of money for a smartphone and a lot more expensive than the regular Xiaomi 12 (€ 899). For that extra price you get a slightly larger and better screen, a faster charger and some increased camera specifications.
Xiaomi 12 Pro camera
In our review of the Xiaomi 12, we concluded that the camera was fine, but not a match compared to the cameras from Samsung, Google and Apple. Especially in difficult or low light conditions. When you switched from the primary camera to the zoom or wide-angle lens, this problem was worse and you also noticed that photos were blurry and noisier.
Also with this Xiaomi 12 Pro, the camera is not a match compared to the iPhone 13 or Samsung Galaxy S22. Compared to the Xiaomi 12, the difference is mainly in the secondary cameras. Where with many other smartphones (including the Xiaomi 12) switching to the wide-angle or telephoto lens also means that you lose a lot in quality, those differences are smaller with the Xiaomi 12 Pro. So nice.
However, all three lenses are still somewhat less in the dynamic range, as can be seen in the three sample backlit photos. When the lighting conditions become more difficult, you notice the big difference compared to the top brands.
From left to right: zoom camera, regular camera and wide angle camera.
MiUI 13
Unfortunately, in terms of software, things are sad with this Xiaomi 12 Pro. The MiUI software shell, which has been rolled out on Android 12, offers a budget experience on a premium smartphone. System apps with advertisements, bloatware and an intrusive (and highly unnecessary) virus scanner do not fit on a smartphone. Let alone one in the highest price range. Language errors, childish sounds and colors and misalignment complete the poor user experience.
The update policy also does not belong on an expensive smartphone like this one. Three Android updates and four years of security updates (on top of Android 12) is much less than Samsung and Apple offer for smartphones that often cost less. In addition, the rollout of these updates is also much slower.
Already when setting up the smartphone you are confronted with the data collection for advertisements.
High-quality device
In addition to the camera, the screen is also somewhat larger and more beautiful than the Xiaomi 12, which actually already offers good image quality. This screen may also be there. Thanks to a 1440p resolution, the 6.7-inch screen is very sharp. This screen is also a gem to look at in terms of color reproduction, brightness and (dynamic) refresh rate. The screen has curved edges, which is aesthetically pleasing. But not equally practical for everyone. Under the screen is a fingerprint scanner that works fairly quickly and accurately.
The back is also rounded off, and in combination with the matt back, the smartphone feels great in the hand. At the bottom you will find a tray in which you can place two SIM cards. It’s unclear to me why a memory card is not allowed in here. There is also no audio port.
You do get a 120 watt charger, with which you can charge your device insanely fast. Within minutes you have enough energy to get through half a day. Whether that’s good for battery health in the long run remains to be seen. You can also charge the Xiaomi 12 Pro wirelessly. The battery life is not disappointing: about a day and a half. MiUI is quite aggressive with cutting off apps that work in the background, on which you can exert too little influence yourself. This is good for the battery life, but less good for the operation of apps.
computing power
Also internally you get what you can expect from a premium smartphone. The Snapdragon 8 (Gen 1) with 12GB of RAM ensures that you can run all apps effortlessly. The chipset also provides fast data connections thanks to 5G and WiFi 6e support. You also have 256GB of storage at your disposal, which you cannot expand. The system takes up 27GB of this.
Alternatives to the Xiaomi 12 Pro
Compared to the Xiaomi 12, the differences are small in terms of smartphone, but disproportionately large if you look at the price. If you have your eye on this 12-series, then the regular one seems better in relation to price-quality. Although that device is also unable to compete with the big boy Apple and Samsung.
The class difference, especially in software, support and camera, is also far too big with this Xiaomi 12 Pro. Paying 1,100 euros for this smartphone cannot be justified if you can get a Galaxy S22+, Galaxy S21 Ultra, iPhone 12 Pro or iPhone 13 for comparable (or lower) amounts. These smartphones are actually better on all fronts. That pretty much removes the raison d’être from this Xiaomi 12 Pro, so it can be concluded that Xiaomi is not recommended in the high price segment. While in the low price segment the brand (including sub-brands Poco and Redmi) does score.
Conclusion: Buy Xiaomi 12 Pro?
The Xiaomi 12 Pro is a beautiful device, with a good screen, a lot of computing power, a decent camera and a very fast charger. Only the terrible software, mediocre support makes for an experience that doesn’t match the premium price. Competitors Samsung and Apple are much further along in this and also offer even better camera performance.
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