Xiaomi 12 Pro fails to stand apart, but that’s good?

04/29/22 • 23 min

There isn’t a wow factor about the Xiaomi 12 Pro, but that might actually be a good thing.

Gadgets 360 deputy reviews editor Roydon Cerejo and senior reviewer Sheldon Pinto join host Akhil Arora to discuss the new Xiaomi flagship smartphone.

The 12 Pro boasts similar hardware to phones in its range, and it doesn’t have anything to set itself apart. Xiaomi has polished the look and feel though, and the 12 Pro feels like a premium device.

Read: Xiaomi 12 Pro first impressions

That said, it’s got the lot. A Dolby Vision display that can go down to 1Hz refresh rate, rear cameras with wider aperture than you normally see, quad speakers with Dolby Atmos, and 120W fast charging that’s in line what’s currently out there.

But in terms of features, the 12 Pro is missing an IP rating, which you can in fact get on more affordable phones such as Samsung’s Galaxy FE range and even Xiaomi’s own budget phones.

Hit play to hear us delve into each of those facets.

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Chapters

Intro (00:00)
Pro is not Ultra (00:27)
The cameras (06:03)
The competition (12:02)
The missing (14:48)
Display and software (18:42)
Outro (22:51)

Photo credits: Sheldon Pinto/Gadgets 360

There isn’t a wow factor about the Xiaomi 12 Pro, but that might actually be a good thing.

Gadgets 360 deputy reviews editor Roydon Cerejo and senior reviewer Sheldon Pinto join host Akhil Arora to discuss the new Xiaomi flagship smartphone.

Read: Xiaomi 12 Pro first impressions

But in terms of features, the 12 Pro is missing an IP rating, which you can in fact get on more affordable phones such as Samsung’s Galaxy FE range and even Xiaomi’s own budget phones.

Hit play to hear us delve into each of those facets.

Follow Gadgets 360 on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.

Write to us at [email protected]

Chapters

Intro (00:00)
Pro is not Ultra (00:27)
The cameras (06:03)
The competition (12:02)
The missing (14:48)
Display and software (18:42)
Outro (22:51)

Photo credits: Sheldon Pinto/Gadgets 360

Previous Episode

Are affordable smartwatches worth it?

India’s smartwatch market is growing, but that depends on how you look at it.

Gadgets 360 senior reviewers Ali Pardiwala and Aditya Shenoy, and IDC India research director Navkendar Singh join host Akhil Arora to talk about that and more.

As with all things tech, India remains a cost-sensitive market, with average selling price in fact going down in recent years, Singh tells us. Low-cost smartwatches have taken over from fitness bands (while the premium segment struggles).

That’s because these ‘basic’ watches — Rs. 4,000 or less — are cramming in a lot of features, though they naturally don’t naturally fare well in accuracy. But does the Indian consumer care?

Read: The best smartwatches to buy in India

For those who do, you’re going to have to pay a lot — with premium watches from Apple and Samsung coming in at 5–10 times the price. They’re in the ecosystem play, which could’ve been Google’s were it not for its failures with WearOS.

Hit play to hear us delve into each of those facets.

Follow Gadgets 360 on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.

Write to us at [email protected]

Chapters

Intro (00:00)
How India is faring (00:24)
The market split (05:00)
Bands are dead (11:24)
What Indians want (14:50)
Buying advice (23:57)
Ecosystem play (29:32)
Outro (32:41)

Cover: Samsung. Photo credits: Noise, Realme, Xiaomi, Fire Boltt, Ali Pardiwala/Gadgets 360, Apple

Next Episode

Alexa, how well do you know India?

Alexa, what’s the latest episode of the Orbital podcast about?

Amazon India’s Alexa chief Dilip R.S. and Gadgets 360’s in-house Alexa expert Ali Pardiwala join host Akhil Arora to discuss Alexa’s growth in India.

The biggest challenge for any voice assistant is to make it understand its users. For one, Alexa must adapt to “Indian English” words and our varied accents. On top of that, it must also navigate the fact that we frequently use two (or more) languages in the same sentence.

Still, Amazon Echo devices have been bought in 85 percent of pin codes in India, Dilip notes. Of course, it’s another matter how useful they are — and how many are actively being used.

For more such trends, tune into the episode. We also touch upon how Amazon pushes to integrate Alexa into non-Amazon devices and platforms, and how thanks to Alexa, voice is the first mode of interaction with the Internet for some.

Follow Gadgets 360 on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.

Write to us at [email protected]

Chapters