Xiaomi 12 Pro VS iPhone 13 Pro Review : Triple Camera Showdown

After our impressions with the Xiaomi 12 and the growth it's made from its predecessor; here comes the Xiaomi 12 Pro. Equipped with the new Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 inside, advanced pro-grade cameras and computational photography, the pro variant taking it a step further was inevitable.

But while we could focus this review on the almost identical construction over its standard version, we sought to carry out some extensive tests for its triple 50MP cameras against the likes of another triple array camera smartphone - The iPhone 13 Pro, with its own respected triple 12MP cameras, along with some factors that may make this Xiaomi 12 Pro phone to watch for in its class, a flagship that could stand amongst other premium smartphones.

From a design standpoint, this grey colourway and texture on the back surely adds an executive feel - wrapped around a sleek middle frame giving it elegance. It has a practical, comfortable fit in the hands weighing 204g, with seamless curves wrapping the device front-to-back and corner-to-corner measuring 8.2mm thin.

The overall look doesn't stray far away from the standard Xiaomi 12, with functionalities such as the reliable optical under-display fingerprint sensor and the new haptics when unlocking the phone being identical . Vibrational feedback felt through the glass has a satisfying feel when navigating through Xiaomi's MIUI 13.

When it comes to speakers, let’s revisit some of the complaints we had in the previous Xiaomi 11T Pro, the Xiaomi 11T Pro had loud dual speakers supported by Dolby Atmos, but we often found either side of the speaker easily blocked by the palm as it was placed parallel when held in landscape mode.

We have a nice surprise in the XIaomi 12 Pro instead. Xiaomi took notice of this small detail and listened to users' feedback experiencing the same ergonomic faults as we did and addressed it in this rendition. They placed the speakers diagonally to reduce this occurrence and added 2 extra speakers which makes it one of very few to adopt quad speakers. A commendable attention to detail to improve audio quality

The speakers themselves sound as good as you'd expect from hardware tuned by Harmon Kardon. Producing an immersive and balanced sound experience throughout any movie or content viewing experience.

Which is accompanied by top of the range WQHD+ AMOLED 6.73 inch display for an enjoyable visual experience, with peak brightness topping at 1500nits, 1440 x 3200 resolution, 521ppi density producing over 1 billion colours, and supports dynamic 120Hz refresh rate.

In other words, it strikes as a very colourful and power efficient display. AdaptiveSync Pro allows us to auto-adjust the LTPO display from 120Hz down to 1HZ depending on the content for smooth scrolling, swipes, and fast responses in gaming experiences.

We noticed fast response jumping between different apps running in the background on this phone, equipped with Android 12, 12GB of RAM, Snapdragon's 8 Gen 1 processor and Adreno 730. Our Geekbench scores boast one of the higher marks we've seen so far with a Single-Core score of 1247 and 3557 for Multi-Core.

This also factors in high graphics rendering capabilities with an average frame rate of 50fps and manages an overall score of 8236 on our 3D Mark Wild Life test, where it performed better than 95% of the results from all other devices. It maintains a consistent operating temperature even when put through its paces, with some occasional rise when using the cameras.

Now to the main event - pitting the Xiaomi 12 Pro cameras against one of the contenders for most consistent image quality outputs - the iPhone 13 Pro. Before we take a comparison captured from both phones, we shouldn't take away from how good the triple 50MP cameras actually is, which consist of an f/1.9 wide, an f/1.9 telephoto, and f.2.2 115° ultra-wide.

A highly promoted claim by Xiaomi is promising better low light performance with the Sony's IMX707 ultra-large sensor utilising a 2.44 nanometer 4-in-1 pixel-combining technology, with convincing outputs to match.

It produces very sharp, vibrant and consistent colours from all three lenses. Even portrait mode deserves a mention for doing very well at separating subjects even in lower lit environments with clever computations to optimally raise exposures for a balanced image.

Quite a familiar trait with the likes of an iPhone 13 pro which usually has an equal balance for a well exposed overall image. Daylight outputs on the 12 Pro however conjures more light thanks to the big sensor while retaining most of the blacks and shadows with much lesser noise. Low light performance is still better from the lower pixel count in the 12MP iPhone 13 Pro cameras, as larger sensors will ultimately struggle more in this department.

But again, we'd hate to take away the true capabilities of the Xiaomi 12 Pro as we had the chance to attend Xiaomi's own photography academy, bringing together visual storytellers alike and share their passions about the Xioami 12 series as these photo examples shown taken on the night of the event—capturing the essence of Wayang Kulit traditions and the creatives documenting how these works of art are made.

But where low light improvements are commendable is its Ultra Night Video feature, reducing noise and grain for the darker parts of an image. We personally prefer its output when set side by side of the iPhone 13 Pro footage examples. While the iPhone suggests a brighter overall image, the shadows are much richer from the Xiaomi 12 Pro and has a truer-to-life look. Which also reminds us of a phone we've previously reviewed that had similar outputs – the Sony Xperia Pro-i.

Which kinda explains the distinguishable similarities we experienced given how the sensor in this Xiaomi 12 Pro is manufactured by Sony themselves and might have adopted its colour science in this phone.

Also not forgetting Xiaomi's ProFocus feature which keeps subjects in focus, recognising moving objects as a focal point even when obstructed and continues to track immediately after the obstruction is cleared from the frame.

Battery life got us about 2 full days worth of casual use with its 4600mAh Li-Po battery and it also comes with a huge 120W Fast Charger that fully charges it to 100% in just 25 Minutes when Boost -Charging Speed toggle is enabled.

The Xiaomi 12 Pro comes standard with Android 12,12GB RAM and 256GB or 512GB of storage and starts at RM3,899 or S$1,349

As a pro variant, it sure does feel like one and while price differences may be a bit steep compared to the standard Xiaomi 12, it may arguably be justified. Its triple pro-grade cameras, Harmon Kardon quad speakers, smooth operations and fast computations, top of the line WQHD AMOLED 120Hz display, premium build and ergonomically balanced design, make a sound argument.

The Xiaomi 12 Pro may not break innovative records within its class or take the crown for best cameras, but it does break the mould of how good flagships can get without the hefty price-tag. Something more commonly seen from other manufacturers as of late.

Even so, we're pleased about how well communicated the people at Xiaomi are, factoring the most minute of details from general user feedback, translating them into improving where they can for the people that ultimately matter most in the end, You.

---

Written by Fitri Aiyub