The Xiaomi 12 Lite styles it out with sleek looks and 108MP camera
You Lite up my life
With a trifecta of flagship handsets already out the door earlier this year, Xiaomi has now turned its attention to the more affordable end of the smartphone spectrum. The Xiaomi 12 Lite may have the same model number with the premium Xiaomi 12 and Xiaomi 12 Pro, but it doesn’t share much else: the new mid-ranger has a completely different design and more price-appropriate triple-lens camera setup.
Instead of borrowing the frosted glass and shapely curves seen in the rest of the Xiaomi 12 line-up, the 12 Lite gets a flat back and straight edges that are more than a little iPhone-esque. It’s made from plastic, not metal, which keeps weight down to a respectable 173g. You get niceties like an in-display fingerprint sensor, but no headphone jack or expandable storage.
It’s all change on the camera front, with a 108MP main snapper really packing in the pixels. The Samsung-built HM2 sensor has an f/1.88 aperture and supports eye-tracking autofocus, which could help keep your subjects looking crisp. We’re less enthused by the 8MP ultrawide and 2MP macro lens, though. There’s also a 32MP hole punch selfie camera up front.
The 6.55in AMOLED screen gets a 2400×1080 resolution and 120Hz refresh rate, along with both Dolby Vision and HDR10+ support. It’s joined by a set of stereo speakers that are Dolby Atmos approved, so should handle a spot of streaming video while on the move.
Inside, power comes from a Qualcomm Snapdragon 778G chipset, paired with either 6 or 8GB of RAM and 128 or 256GB of on-board storage, depending on specification. It’s running Android 12, with Xiaomi’s MIUI 13 skin on top.
Battery capacity is a modest 4300mAh, potentially a side effect of the phone’s svelte 7.29mm thickness. 67W rapid charging support promises quick top-ups, though, with a 50% charge taking around 13 minutes.
Initially revealed for a few select territories, the Xiaomi 12 Lite is set to go on sale across the rest of Europe soon, in Lite Green, Lite Pink and Black colours. UK prices have yet to be confirmed, but expect things to kick off from around £399/€399.
Tom Morgan-Freelander
Deputy Editor 
