Xiaomi 12T puts a MediaTek twist on the mid-range
Dimensity-flavoured phone shares plenty with top-tier sibling
We all like a bit of choice. It’s why tins of Quality Street are always a winner at Christmas – everyone’ll find something they like. Xiaomi hasn’t quite gone for the full chocolate box with its latest smartphone duo, but the Xiaomi 12T still has plenty to choose from. It swaps a Snapdragon CPU for MediaTek power, and dials back the main camera’s megapixels, while keeping just about everything else the same.
Launching alongside the more potent Xiaomi 12T Pro, the regular 12T shares the same seriously rapid charging, same glorious glass design, same retina-pleasing AMOLED screen.
That means a whopping 120W for wired top-ups, which should take the 5000mAh battery from 0 to 100 in under twenty minutes. A 6.67in, 2712×1220 resolution display with HDR10+, 120Hz adaptive refresh rate for silky smooth scrolling. And all-screen styling with a built-in fingerprint sensor, to look just as high-end as anything else in Xiaomi’s smartphone line-up. Not bad at all for £499.
The biggest change is the Dimensity 8100-Ultra, pretty much MediaTek’s most powerful processor, which promises top-tier performance without the price premium. You’re looking at a £200 saving compared to the 12T Pro and its Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1, which isn’t to be sniffed at.
Xiaomi has also gone for a 108MP camera sensor here, down from 200MP on the 12T Pro. The Samsung-supplied HM6 sensor still has plenty of pixels to go round, supports optical image stabilisation, and has a sizeable 1/1.67in size, so should be capable of detailed pics in daylight, and noise-free ones once the sun goes down. The f/1.7 lens should deliver convincing bokeh blur, too.
The two secondary snappers are the only real indication this is a more wallet-friendly model: the ultrawide gets an 8MP sensor and f/2.2 lens, while the macro camera makes do with a 2MP, f/2.4 sensor.
You’ll be able to pick up a Xiaomi 12T towards the end of October in a choice of Silver, Black and Blue colours. The 128GGB model will set you back £499, while the 256GB variant will cost £549 – although there’s a discount to be had for early birds. Order between the 20th and 24th of October and the 128GB model drops to £399, with the 256GB version diving to £499.
Tom Morgan-Freelander
Deputy Editor 
