The latest vanilla version of Xiaomi’s flagship series is not only a true flagship but also a compact flagship. With its small 6.28-inch display, it has dimensions similar to the iPhone 13 while providing an amazing specs sheet. It even comes with a good price, but does it offer a higher value for money than its predecessor Xiaomi Mi 11? The older Mi 11 is currently available at great street prices, that is the reason why it still represents a great option in 2022. This is a comparison between the specifications of the Xiaomi 12 and the Xiaomi Mi 11 which will help you to pick the best phone for your needs.

Xiaomi 12 vs Xiaomi Mi 11

Xiaomi 12 Xiaomi Mi 11
DIMENSIONS AND WEIGHT 152.7 x 69.9 x 8.2 mm,
179 g		 164.3 x 74.6 x 8.1 mm,
196 g
DISPLAY 6.28 inches, 1080 x 2400 pixels (Full HD+), OLED 6.81 inches, 1440 x 3200 pixels (Full HD+), AMOLED
PROCESSOR Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1, octa-core 3 GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 888, octa-core 2.84 GHz
MEMORY 8 GB RAM, 128 GB – 8 GB RAM, 256 GB – 12 GB RAM, 256 GB 6 GB RAM, 128 GB – 8 GB RAM, 256 GB – 12 GB RAM, 256 GB
SOFTWARE Android 12, MIUI Android 11, MIUI
CONNECTIVITY Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6, Bluetooth 5.2, GPS Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6, Bluetooth 5.2, GPS
CAMERA Triple 50 + 13 + 5 MP, f/1.9 + f/2.4
32 MP front camera		 Triple 108 + 13 + 5 MP, f/1.9 + f/2.4 + f/2.4
20 MP f/2.2 front camera
BATTERY 4500 mAh, fast charging 67W and fast wireless charging 50W 4600 mAh, Fast Charging 55W, Fast wireless charging 50W
ADDITIONAL FEATURES 5G, dual SIM, reverse wireless charging 5G, dual SIM, reverse wireless charging

Design

As already mentioned, the Xiaomi 12 is one of the most compact flagship phones out there. But if we exclude the dimensions, the Xiaomi Mi 11 is much more attractive in terms of design because it comes with a curved screen and a very high screen to body ratio. It is my favorite design of this comparison because of its curved screen and it is made with premium materials just like its successor: a glass back and an aluminum frame. It even comes in a special leather version, but it is exclusive for the Chinese market and you can not find it everywhere. On the other hand, the Xiaomi 12 is more compact and offers stronger Gorilla Glass Victus protection.

 

Display

Despite it being an old-generation phone, the Xiaomi Mi 11 has a better display. First of all, it comes with a wider diagonal: 6.81 inches, great for gamers and power users. Further, it has a higher Quad HD+ resolution with 1440 x 3200 pixels, while the Xiaomi 12 has a classic Full HD+ resolution. For the rest, these displays do not differ so much: they are both OLED panels with one billion colors, a 120 Hz refresh rate, and the HDR10+ certification, as well as a very high brightness (higher on the Mi 11 with a peak of 1500 nits) and in-display fingerprint scanners. In both cases, you get a great display, but the Mi 11 is superior.

 

Specs & Software

The mobile platform of the Xiaomi 12 did not even exist when Xiaomi Mi 11 was released for the first time. We are talking about the new Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 chipset, the best SoC by Qualcomm built at 4 nm and running at a max frequency of 3 GHz. It is a noticeable improvement if compared to the Snapdragon 888 found on the Xiaomi Mi 11. There are no improvements when it comes to the memory configurations: both have up to 12 GB of RAM and up to 256 GB of internal storage. Note that the Xiaomi 12 ships with Android 12 out of the box customized by MIUI 13, while Xiaomi Mi 11 runs Android 11 and MIUI 12.5: the former will get longer software support.

 

Camera

The camera of the Xiaomi 12 is a bit more advanced than the one found on the Xiaomi Mi 11 because of its better main sensor: a 50 MP camera with OIS. The secondary sensors are the same: a 13 MP ultrawide camera and a 5 MP telephoto macro camera, but the Xiaomi 12 has a better 32 MP selfie camera which supports 1080p video recording at 60 fps.

 

Battery

The battery of the Xiaomi Mi 11 is slightly bigger: the capacity is 4600 mAh, while the 12 stops at 4500 mAh. But this does not mean it will provide a longer battery life: the Xiaomi 12 has a more efficient processor as it is built at 4 nm, as well as a smaller display with a lower resolution. That is why it will most likely last more on a single charge. With the Xiaomi 12, you even get fast charging speeds thanks to 67W fast charging.

 

Price

Xiaomi Mi 11 is currently available for about €500/$565 in China, while Xiaomi 12 starts from €510/$575. While the former offers a better display, the latter has a better camera, faster charging, and a superior hardware department, but it is a compact phone. So the Xiaomi 12 wins the comparison, but only for those who like having a compact phone.

 

Xiaomi 12 vs Xiaomi Mi 11: PRO and CONS

Xiaomi 12

PRO

  • Better hardware
  • Very compact
  • Superior cameras
  • Faster charging
  • Android 12 out of the box

CONS

  • Small display

 

Xiaomi Mi 11

PRO

  • Curved screen
  • Wider display
  • More affordable
  • Wider availability (for now)

CONS

  • Inferior chipset
  • Android 11

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