Xiaomi's 12T Pro packs a 200-megapixel camera, but without the Leica branding

After launching its first Leica-branded smartphones, including its super slim foldable phone, in China, Xiaomi is finally returning to international mode with new flagships. The Xiaomi 12T series is made up of two models, with the 12T Pro using Qualcomm's Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 processor and being the second phone in the world to pack a 200-megapixel camera. The 12T, on the other hand, uses MediaTek's Dimensity 8100-Ultra processor with a 108-megapixel main camera.

Like the Motorola Edge 30 Ultra (aka X30 Pro in China), Xiaomi's 12T Pro uses Samsung's ISOCELL HP1 sensor to capture 200-megapixel stills. While not as small as the newer ISOCELL HP3, the HP1 is still able to deliver features like 2x sensor-integrated zoom, 4-in-1 pixel binning to mimic pixel sites of 1.28µm for better sensitivity and super 16 in 1. pixel clustering to simulate even larger 2.56µm pixel sites for dark environments. If you choose to shoot in "Ultra HD" mode for 200-megapixel outputs, you can let the AI-powered "Xiaomi ProCut" tool analyze those shots and suggest ideal compositions.

In addition, this main camera has optical stabilization, and it is also capable of motion tracking focus, eye tracking focus, 8K video recording and HDR10+ video recording. Other 12T Pro shooters include an 8-megapixel ultra-wide camera (f/2.2, 120-degree field of view), a 2-megapixel f/2.2 macro camera, and a 20-megapixel punch-hole selfie camera f/2.24. camera on the other side of the phone. It's the same camera list for the slightly more affordable 12T, except for the less powerful 108-megapixel main camera powered by Samsung's ISOCELL HM6 sensor.

Richard Lai/Engadget

Surprisingly, there's no Leica branding here. Engadget reached out to Xiaomi about the matter, to which a rep responded, "While Leica is a partner in our strategic imaging upgrade, they won't necessarily contribute to every device." Presumably, the Leica collaboration is currently limited to Xiaomi's Chinese phones only, namely the Mix Fold 2 and the three 12S series models.

The 12T Pro and 12T have the same 6.67-inch AMOLED display, with a crisp 2712 x 1220 resolution (446ppi) at a 20:9 aspect ratio. You get a 120Hz adaptive refresh rate, with a touch sampling rate up to 480Hz for better scrolling and gaming. The 12T Pro's screen comes with a few extra features including Dolby Vision, HDR adaptive, adaptive reading mode and SGS Low Visual Fatigue certification.

The 5,000mAh battery in both 12T models supports 120W fast charging, which reportedly only takes 19 minutes to go from zero to 100%; and don't worry, the charger and cable are included in the box. As with most flagship phones, the 12T series pack stereo speakers that support Dolby Atmos, although only the 12T Pro have Harman Kardon tuning. Other features include NFC, Bluetooth (5.2 on the 12T Pro, 5.3 on the 12T) and infrared remote control. With the 12T series based on Android 12, Xiaomi guarantees three years of Android operating system updates as well as four years of security patches.

The 12T series will be available in three colors: blue, black and silver. The 12T Pro starts at 749 euros (about $740) with 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage, and the 12T starts at 599 euros (about $590) with the same configuration. Some regions can get up to 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage, but one thing's for sure: Xiaomi has already confirmed that no phones will be heading to the US. The closest of the lower 48 countries will be Mexico, via Walmart and AT&T.

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