The Xiaomi 12T Pro prioritizes pixels with 200MP camera
Top-tier refresh also gets latest Snapdragon silicon
If smartphone cameras were judged purely on pixel count, the Xiaomi 12T Pro would be up there with the very best. The new affordable flagship is packing a mammoth 200MP main snapper, leaving rival handsets in the dust – and there’s been no slacking elsewhere on the spec sheet, either.
The 6.67in handset is powered by Qualcomm’s latest and greatest Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 CPU, putting it on par with pricier flagships and ensuring it’ll have the grunt to cope with Android 12, along with just about any app or game you can throw at it. There’ll be a choice of 8GB and 12GB of RAM, and either 128GB or 256GB of on-board storage – meaning multitasking should be a breeze, and ample space for all the high-res pics you’ll be taking using the rear camera.
It uses the same Samsung-supplied 1/1.22in sensor as the superb Motorola Edge 30 Ultra we tested recently, with optical image stabilisation and 0.64um pixels that use algorithmic cleverness to boost low-light performance by 4x-ing or even 16x-ing up each snap. It’s paired with a f/1.69 lens that should manage plenty of natural bokeh, and will do 2x “zoom” by cleverly cropping the sensor’s output. You can also expect 8K video recording, an Ultra Night video mode, and Xiaomi’s ProFocus eye tracking for stills shooting.
The two accompanying lenses (an 8MP ultrawide and 2MP macro) aren’t quite so cutting-edge, but then this is something of a mainstream model rather than a high-end hero. Up front there’s a 20MP selfie cam.
Film fans will appreciate the high-res, high-refresh rate AMOLED display. It tops out at 2712×1220 and 120Hz respectively, with Dolby Vision and HDR10+ support, along with a peak 900 nits brightness and near-perfect contrast. Adaptive sync promises to drop the refresh rate to save on battery life, too.
When the 5000mAh cell has run dry you shouldn’t be waiting too long to top up: the phone supports Xiaomi’s 120W HyperCharge tech, which can go from empty to full in just under 20 minutes. There’s a beefy power brick included in the box, too.
Other niceties include Corning Gorilla Glass 5 up front to protect from scrapes and scratches, and an anti-glare glass back that should keep smears or smudges to a minimum. There’s also an in-display fingerprint sensor and stereo speakers tuned by Harman Kardon.
On paper, the Xiaomi 12T Pro looks like a potent upgrade on the already impressive Xiaomi 12 Pro we reviewed earlier in the year. It goes on sale in the UK later this year, in Black, Blue and Silver colours.
Expect prices to start at £699, although if you move before the 24th of October you’ll be able to snap one up at a reduced £599 – and score a free Redmi Pad at the same time.
Tom Morgan-Freelander
Deputy Editor 
