Expectations rise as Xiaomi’s cheaper phones leak with high-end specs
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Xiaomi has traditionally followed its annual flagship phone refresh with a few more modest mid-range variants with a T to their name – and so with the Xiaomi 12 and Xiaomi 12 Pro in the wild, we’re now waiting for the Xiaomi 12T and the Xiaomi 12T Pro to the surface.
Thanks to the mostly accurate tipsters on WinFuture (opens in new tab), we now have a lot more information about the two upcoming phones. The new leak covers some of the rumors we’ve heard before, some new details and also some images of the T phones.
The Xiaomi 12T and the Xiaomi 12T Pro will apparently use plastic frames instead of the metal of the flagship versions, and both phones will have a 6.67-inch AMOLED display with a resolution of 2712 x 1220 pixels and a refresh rate of 120 Hz. . The battery capacity is also the same on both models: 5,000 mAh.
Processors and cameras
There will be differences in the inside, it seems. The 12T is powered by a MediaTek Dimensity 8100 Ultra CPU and has 8GB of RAM and a choice of 128GB or 256GB of storage. There’s a triple-lens camera on the back of the phone, we’re told, led by a 108MP main sensor.
As for the 12T Pro, it gets a faster Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1 processor. It comes with 8 GB or 12 GB of RAM, depending on the region, and 256 GB of storage. It is rumored that this phone will also have a triple-lens rear camera, although this module will have a 200MP main camera.
That’s something we’ve heard before, and it would be the first 200MP camera sensor to turn it into a Xiaomi phone. We should know very soon whether or not these leaks are true – the phones are rumored to be officially launched next week.
Analysis: a spread of options
It’s getting harder and harder to keep up with all the different handsets that come from all the different phone manufacturers each year – and Xiaomi is certainly not alone in spreading its device launches over several months.
Apple, Google, Samsung, OnePlus and others follow the same strategy to offer both flagship and mid-range phone options, although each company’s approach isn’t identical. For example, Apple is selling older handsets to bridge the price gap between its flagships and the iPhone SE, rather than launching a mid-range.
And it’s those price points that are crucial – these phone makers want to make sure that whatever your budget, there’s something that interests you in their current range. It’s more money for them and it’s more choice for us because not everyone wants to spend a huge sum of money on something like the iPhone 14 Pro Max.
All this brings us back to the Xiaomi 12T and the Xiaomi 12T Pro. Xiaomi phones usually impress when it comes to combining powerful specs with value for money, and given what we saw with the Xiaomi 11T Pro last year, our expectations are high.