Xiaomi 12: Insane Upgrades for the Tele Camera

If you can’t beat ‘em, join them, right? That’s exactly what Xiaomi plans to do next year with its 12 series. Xiaomi wants to go where no other phone maker has gone and… Samsung is gonna help.

Xiaomi with Samsung Camera?

It’s no secret Samsung is a giant with multiple baskets in the tech business, putting eggs here and there. Samsung is not just banking on phone sales to raise its income annually. Its factories and research facilities looking into displays and sensors play a big role, too. 

And, as you can imagine, Samsung isn’t keeping all the goodies for itself. The company started to collaborate with other phone makers that may be rivals, true, but not entities that can be erased from the mobile world, so why not join forces?

Xiaomi 12: Camera

That seems to be the plan for 2022 with Xiaomi. Mi 12 – no, Xiaomi 12 after the company cleaned things up and ditched the Mi – will rely on Samsung to make history. 

In what way? By coming out with a phone line that focuses less on the main camera and more on the tele one. Specifically, focusing on how to increase the optical zoom through a periscope coupled with a high res sensor; nothing that we’ve seen much of. 

Xiaomi will be challenging the status quo by giving attention just as much, if not more, to the second rear camera, the periscope one. Word is, it will debut the Xiaomi 12 with a 50MP tele sensor capable of 5x optical zoom. 

That’s a huge leap; if you remember, Mi 11 and Mix 4 offered between 8-13MP tele cameras. And, to keep it all in the same range, the vanilla and Pro phones will also ship with 50MP main and 50MP ultrawide cameras. 

The camera is definitely the thing everyone will be gushing about next year. And it won’t be just about the power of the tele but also the sensors used.

This is where Samsung comes in; Samsung will give these babies their Dual Pixel Pro GN5 sensor treatment. 

Some say Samsung will even give them a taste of the 200MP newly announced sensor. That one will go on the 12 Ultra, if you ask me, which would give users photography freedom and relieve frustration in low light scenarios. 

On the video side of things, you should know the 200MP sensor will give users the chance to shoot in 8K while the 50MP main will come with 1920fps super slow motion. 

A lot of place for creativity here!

If the 5x optical zoom feels a bit disappointing, we get you. We’ve been hearing Xiaomi was testing 10x optical zoom so the possibility for it was definitely there. But it was not ready to be deployed just yet.

Xiaomi 12: Processor and Battery

Obviously, the cameras are the crown jewels here. But anyone who depends on their phone on the daily knows that that’s not enough. And, although less glam, shocking or gossip-worthy, performance, battery and display are essential.

You won’t be too surprised to hear that Xiaomi 12 will offer the best in terms of performance. Without a proprietary chip to speak of, that means Snapdragon. And for 2022, Snapdragon 898 will be 50% more speedy than its predecessor. Not to mention, everyone who’s anyone won’t think twice before bringing it on board. 

Under the hood, you’ll also find a hefty battery and some next-gen charging abilities. I’m talking up to 200W wired charging when others are still struggling with 10W charging and up to 120W wireless charging.

That’s insane! We’re talking about charging your phone from 0 to 100 in.. minutes. By the time your Uber arrives, you’ll be done and ready to go. 

Xiaomi 12: Display and Refresh Rate

You’ll see the same push-the-limits approach when it comes to the front. The first thing you’ll see when checking out the phone? The display, at 6.8-inches or so for the vanilla model, and 2K resolution. More importantly, it will come with a dynamic 120Hz refresh rate. 

What was a rare sight at the beginning of the year will probably become a staple next year. 

Xiaomi 12: Release Date and Price

So when are we going to see these babies on the shelves? Judging from what we’ve seen so far, our best bet is March – April.

There will be the standard variant, the Pro version, then Ultra but also the Lite, SE and maybe even T to consider. Can’t say Xiaomi isn’t a nimble one!

If you’re thinking of going after the Ultra, you might have to wait until mid 2022, though. The company will show the vanilla and Pro to start off and then unveil the Ultra. 

As for price… it’s tricky. It could start at $890 and go up to $1200 but all that camera innovation could bump it up.

We’ll know more at the end of this year, including where it’s gonna sell, as Europe is a sure thing but the rest of the world, not so much.

Is the Xiaomi 12 series enough to help the company beat Apple at sales two years in a row?