The Xiaomi 12S line has only just been unveiled, but another spin-off of the Xiaomi 12 series – the Xiaomi 12T – could be just around the corner.
That’s good news for Xiaomi fans, as the 12S models are only available in China, whereas the Xiaomi 12T and its siblings are likely to get a wider launch.
Below we’ve detailed everything we’ve heard about these phones so far, including when they might land, what they might cost, and what specs and features they’re likely to have. We’ll update this article whenever any new information comes to light too.
Then further down we’ve created a wish-list of things we want to see from the Xiaomi 12T, to make it a decent upgrade and a worthwhile purchase.
Cut to the chase
- What is it? The next upper mid-range Xiaomi phone
- When is it out? Probably before the end of 2022
- How much does it cost? Expect a mid-range price
Xiaomi 12T: release date and price
It’s not clear exactly when the Xiaomi 12T will land, but the Xiaomi 11T was unveiled in September of 2021, and went on sale in October, so a similar schedule in 2022 is possible for the Xiaomi 12T.
There’s evidence for that sort of timing too, as a Xiaomi phone believed to be the 12T has been certified by the FCC (opens in new tab) (Federal Communications Commission), and that usually happens within a few months of launch.
There’s no word on the price, but it might be in line with the Xiaomi 11T, which started at £499 (approximately $595 / AU$875). There will probably also be a Xiaomi 12T Pro, which could follow the Xiaomi 11T Pro in starting at roughly £599 (around $830, AU$1,130).
Don’t count on seeing either of these phones in the US, as Xiaomi doesn’t really have a presence there, but a UK launch is likely, and an Australian launch is possible.
Xiaomi 12T: news and leaks
We haven’t heard much about the Xiaomi 12T yet, but leaker and journalist @kacskrz (opens in new tab) claims that the phone will have a Dimensity 8100-Ultra chipset, which is a high but not quite top-end chipset.
Xiaomi 12T (tentative name)8GB/128GB8GB/256GB12GB RAM variant is possible tooAndroid 12/MIUI 13NFCSnapdragon 8+ Gen 1120Hz AMOLED120W fast chargingOIS.#Xiaomi #Xiaomi12TJune 27, 2022
That said, a week or so earlier we heard from leaker Mukul Sharma (opens in new tab) that the Xiaomi 12T would have a Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1 chipset.
So one of these sources might be wrong, or it could be that the Snapdragon model is actually the Xiaomi 12T Pro, as the Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1 is a top-end chipset.
According to Sharma, this phone will also have 8GB of RAM (though they claim there might also be a 12GB version), a choice of 128GB or 256GB of storage, a 120Hz AMOLED screen, 120W charging, a camera with optical image stabilization, and Android 12.
Xiaomi 12T: what we want to see
We don’t know for sure what the Xiaomi 12T and Xiaomi 12T Pro will offer yet, but hopefully Xiaomi has made the following changes.
1. Less heat
In our review of the Xiaomi 11T Pro we noted that it got rather hot when performing demanding tasks, and that’s not just something that could make it uncomfortable to hold, it can also lead to the phone limiting its performance until it cools down.
There’s not much point in having a high-end chipset if you can’t use it to its full potential, so hopefully this is something that Xiaomi will have solved for the 12T line.
There’s a good chance it will have done, as the Snapdragon 888 in the Xiaomi 11T Pro was known for overheating, whereas the chipsets that we’re rumored to be getting here aren’t so known for it.
2. A better positioned fingerprint sensor
The Xiaomi 11T line puts the fingerprint sensor on the side of the phone, but we found in our Xiaomi 11T Pro review that this could be hard to stretch to for users with smaller hands, so we’d like to see this rethought for the Xiaomi 12T.
Ideally, we’d like the fingerprint sensor to be put under the display, like it is on most remotely high-end handsets.
3. Slicker software
Xiaomi’s MIUI – the software it puts over Android – has never made for the slickest of interfaces, so while we’re sure MIUI isn’t going anywhere, we’d like to see it improved for the Xiaomi 12T.
We’re thinking fewer pre-installed apps, less intrusive security features (such as the way the Xiaomi 11T scans newly installed apps), and less in the way of bugs.
4. Wireless charging
Neither the Xiaomi 11T nor the Xiaomi 11T Pro have wireless charging, so this is an obvious addition for the Xiaomi 12T line – or at the very least the Pro model. Wireless charging can often be more convenient and preferable to wired charging, and at the very least it’s nice to have the option.
5. Make it less of a fingerprint magnet
One other issue we had with the Xiaomi 11T Pro was that the back tends to attract a lot of fingerprints, so we’d like to see that addressed in the Xiaomi 12T line, perhaps by changing the material or colors used on the rear.
If the Xiaomi 12T does all that it could be one of the best Xiaomi phones.
