Xiaomi 12 Pro: An Android 12 Powerhouse You Might Not Have Considered

Xiaomi's latest flagship 12 Pro phone packs top-end specs, including a potent Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 processor, three 50-megapixel rear cameras, 120-watt fast charging and a large, vibrant display.

It ticks many of the boxes you'd expect of a flagship phone in 2022 and it offers some solid competition to the likes of the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra, Oppo Find X5 Pro and Google Pixel 6 Pro. 

The Xiaomi 12 Pro will go on sale later this month in the UK and Europe, and while US and Australian availability has yet to be announced (at the time of writing), Xiaomi has confirmed that the phone will start at $999 for the 8GB RAM and 128GB storage variant (roughly £765 and AU$1,380 converted).

Click through to see more of this phone.

The phone is joined by the base Xiaomi 12 -- a 6.2-inch phone that packs the same processor but has a pared-back camera system along with a more affordable $749 price tag.

The 12 Pro has three 50-megapixel rear cameras: a standard zoom lens, an ultrawide lens and a 2x telephoto lens.

The design is functional, but this plain gray color doesn't stand out as much as the colorful designs on other phones in this price range.

Up against the iPhone 13 Pro, Pixel 6 Pro and Oppo Find X5 Pro I think the Xiaomi looks somewhat dull.

It runs Android 12.

The Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 processor is incredibly powerful, handling demanding games with ease.

Charging is done via USB-C. It supports 120-watt fast charging, which the company claims will take the phone from empty to full in just 18 minutes. 

The phone uses toughened Gorilla Glass Victus.

There's no IP rating for waterproofing, so keep it safe from spills.

The display is bright and vibrant.

A fingerprint scanner sits beneath the display.

The phone can be had in purple or blue, which I recommend if you find this gray option a bit dull.

The big display is great for gaming or watching videos.

Its performance puts it right alongside the top Android phones available right now.