Of course, take these videos and reports with a grain of salt, as sometimes manufacturers remove components like selfie cameras from videos digitally in order to show the interface more clearly. This means that it could be a digitally generated device that is just there to showcase MIUI, and it won’t ever materialize.
Still, it is interesting that Xiaomi is presenting its software on an unknown device so close to the reported Xiaomi 12 series launch. The Xiaomi 12 phones should be announced later this month.
What we know about the Xiaomi 12
Recent reports state that Xiaomi will release three new phones very soon. These will be the Xiaomi 12, Xiaomi 12 Pro, and the Xiaomi 12 Ultra. The latter is reported to have at least three cameras in total, with the camera module rocking a bold new circular design. It is also reported that some, if not all of the phones, will have camera lenses from Leica. The high-end Xiaomi 12 Ultra is also reported to become the new champion in terms of charging speeds.
All of the Xiaomi 12 phones are expected to be powered by the brand new Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 processor. This processor is the successor to the Snapdragon 888 and 888+, and it should offer various upgrades to its processing power and AR capabilities. They are also expected to have a high refresh rate AMOLED screens and large batteries. The Xiaomi 12 and 12 Pro are reported to have a 50MP main camera. The Xiaomi 12 Ultra could rock a 108MP sensor or even one with more megapixels.
There are also reports of a fourth phone, which will be the Xiaomi 12 Lite. This phone could be powered by a less powerful processor, but still rock the design language and software of its more expensive siblings. The Xiaomi 12 Lite could be announced later than the rest of the phones from the series.
According to leaks, you should expect the Xiaomi 12, 12 Pro, and 12 Ultra to be announced on December 28.
How does the Xiaomi 12 series stack up to the 11 series
Xiaomi released its Mi 11 series earlier this year. The Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra was the creme de la creme of the series. This phone has a 50MP triple-camera system and a small second display placed next to the camera module. Its design is very slim and premium. The Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra also has very small bezels around its 6.8-inch AMOLED 120Hz display with Quad HD resolution.
In our Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra review, we note that this phone offers great performance. It is powered by a Snapdragon 888 processor, coupled with 8 or 12GB of RAM. Its battery life is better than average, and the phone supports 67W fast wired charging.
The new Xiaomi 12 Ultra will have even better specs. Most notably, it will use a more advanced processing power unit, an even better camera system, and offer faster charging. It seems like Xiaomi will ditch the back selfie display. It was a nice experiment, but we guess it won’t stick around.
The rest of the Xiaomi 12 phones should offer similar upgrades compared to their predecessors. Stay tuned for the official news about the release.