Xiaomi 12 vs. Google Pixel 6 Pro: A Deep Dive into Flagship Android Choices
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🏆 Quick Verdict
For most users, the Google Pixel 6 Pro emerges as the better overall choice. Its superior battery endurance (84h vs 82h) and Google's renowned camera processing provide a more consistently excellent experience. However, the Xiaomi 12's faster charging and potentially lower price make it compelling for power users.
| PHONES | ||
|---|---|---|
| Phone Names | Xiaomi 12 | Google Pixel 6 Pro |
| Network | ||
|---|---|---|
| 2G bands | GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 | GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 |
| 3G bands | HSDPA 800 / 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 / 2100 | HSDPA 800 / 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 / 2100 |
| 4G bands | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 32, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 48, 66 - International | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 14, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 29, 30, 32, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 46, 48, 66, 71 - GLUOG, G8VOU |
| 5G bands | 1, 3, 5, 7, 8, 20, 28, 38, 40, 41, 66, 77, 78, 79 SA/NSA - International | 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 12, 14, 20, 25, 28, 30, 38, 40, 41, 48, 66, 71, 77, 78, 257, 258, 260, 261 SA/NSA/Sub6/mmWave - G8VOU |
| Speed | HSPA, LTE, 5G | HSPA, LTE, 5G |
| Technology | GSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE / 5G | GSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE / 5G |
| 1, 3, 5, 8, 28, 41, 77, 78, 79 SA/NSA - China | 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 12, 14, 20, 25, 28, 30, 38, 40, 41, 48, 66, 71, 77, 78 SA/NSA/Sub6 - GLUOG | |
| Launch | ||
|---|---|---|
| Announced | 2021, December 28 | 2021, October 19 |
| Status | Available. Released 2021, December 31 | Available. Released 2021, October 28 |
| Body | ||
|---|---|---|
| Build | Glass front (Gorilla Glass Victus), glass back (Gorilla Glass 5), aluminum frame | Glass front (Gorilla Glass Victus), glass back (Gorilla Glass Victus), aluminum frame |
| Dimensions | 152.7 x 69.9 x 8.2 mm (6.01 x 2.75 x 0.32 in) | 163.9 x 75.9 x 8.9 mm (6.45 x 2.99 x 0.35 in) |
| SIM | Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM | Nano-SIM + eSIM |
| Weight | 179 g or 180 g (6.31 oz) | 210 g (7.41 oz) |
| - | IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 1.5m for 30 min) | |
| Display | ||
|---|---|---|
| Protection | Corning Gorilla Glass Victus | Corning Gorilla Glass Victus |
| Resolution | 1080 x 2400 pixels, 20:9 ratio (~419 ppi density) | 1440 x 3120 pixels, 19.5:9 ratio (~512 ppi density) |
| Size | 6.28 inches, 95.2 cm2 (~89.2% screen-to-body ratio) | 6.7 inches, 110.6 cm2 (~88.9% screen-to-body ratio) |
| Type | AMOLED, 68B colors, 120Hz, Dolby Vision, HDR10+, 1100 nits (peak) | LTPO AMOLED, 120Hz, HDR10+ |
| - | Always-on display | |
| Platform | ||
|---|---|---|
| CPU | Octa-core (1x3.00 GHz Cortex-X2 & 3x2.50 GHz Cortex-A710 & 4x1.80 GHz Cortex-A510) | Octa-core (2x2.80 GHz Cortex-X1 & 2x2.25 GHz Cortex-A76 & 4x1.80 GHz Cortex-A55) |
| Chipset | Qualcomm SM8450 Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 (4 nm) | Google Tensor (5 nm) |
| GPU | Adreno 730 | Mali-G78 MP20 |
| OS | Android 12, MIUI 13 | Android 12, upgradable to Android 15, up to 5 major Android upgrades |
| Memory | ||
|---|---|---|
| Card slot | No | No |
| Internal | 128GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 12GB RAM | 128GB 12GB RAM, 256GB 12GB RAM, 512GB 12GB RAM |
| UFS 3.1 | UFS 3.1 | |
| Main Camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Features | Color spectrum sensor, Dual-LED dual-tone flash, HDR, panorama | Laser AF, Dual-LED flash, Pixel Shift, Auto-HDR, panorama |
| Single | 32 MP, f/2.5, 26mm (wide), 0.7µm | 11.1 MP, f/2.2, 20mm (ultrawide), 1.22µm |
| Triple | 50 MP, f/1.9, 26mm (wide), 1/1.56", 1.0µm, PDAF, OIS 13 MP, f/2.4, 12mm, 123˚ (ultrawide), 1/3.06", 1.12µm 5 MP, f/2.4, 50mm (telephoto macro), AF | 50 MP, f/1.9, 25mm (wide), 1/1.31", 1.2µm, dual pixel PDAF, OIS 48 MP, f/3.5, 104mm (periscope telephoto), 1/2.0", 0.8µm, PDAF, OIS, 4x optical zoom 12 MP, f/2.2, 17mm, 114˚ (ultrawide), 1.25µm |
| Video | 8K@24fps (HDR), 4K@30/60fps (HDR10+), 1080p@30/120/240/960fps, 720p@1920fps, gyro-EIS | 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/120/240fps; gyro-EIS, OIS |
| Selfie camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Features | HDR, panorama | HDR, panorama |
| Single | 32 MP, f/2.5, 26mm (wide), 0.7µm | 11.1 MP, f/2.2, 20mm (ultrawide), 1.22µm |
| Video | 1080p@30/60fps, 720p@120fps, HDR | 4K@30fps, 1080p@30/60fps |
| Sound | ||
|---|---|---|
| 3.5mm jack | No | No |
| 35mm jack | No | No |
| Loudspeaker | Yes, with stereo speakers | Yes, with stereo speakers |
| 24-bit/192kHz audio Tuned by Harman Kardon | - | |
| Comms | ||
|---|---|---|
| Bluetooth | 5.2, A2DP, LE, aptX HD, aptX Adaptive | 5.2, A2DP, LE, aptX HD |
| Infrared port | Yes | - |
| NFC | Yes (market/region dependent) | Yes |
| Positioning | GPS (L1+L5), GLONASS (L1), BDS (B1I+B1c+B2a), GALILEO (E1+E5a), QZSS (L1+L5), NavIC (L5) | GPS (L1+L5), GLONASS (G1), BDS (B1I+B1c+B2a), GALILEO (E1+E5a), QZSS (L1+L5) |
| Radio | No | No |
| USB | USB Type-C 2.0, OTG | USB Type-C 3.1 |
| WLAN | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6 or 6e (market dependent), dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6e, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct |
| Features | ||
|---|---|---|
| Sensors | Fingerprint (under display, optical), accelerometer, gyro, compass | Fingerprint (under display, optical), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, barometer |
| Virtual Proximity Sensing | Ultra Wideband (UWB) support | |
| Battery | ||
|---|---|---|
| Charging | 67W wired, PD3.0, QC4, 100% in 39 min 50W wireless, 100% in 53 min 10W reverse wireless | 23W wired, PD3.0, 50% in 30 min 23W wireless Reverse wireless |
| Type | Li-Po 4500 mAh | Li-Ion 5003 mAh |
| Misc | ||
|---|---|---|
| Colors | Gray, Blue, Purple, Green | Cloudy White, Sorta Sunny, Stormy Black |
| Models | 2201123G, 2201123C | GLUOG, G8VOU, GF5KQ |
| Price | $ 284.99 / € 149.99 | € 199.99 / $ 204.99 / £ 275.00 / ₹ 29,699 |
| SAR | 1.09 W/kg (head) 0.91 W/kg (body) | - |
| SAR EU | 0.60 W/kg (head) 1.00 W/kg (body) | - |
| Tests | ||
|---|---|---|
| Battery life | Endurance rating 82h | Endurance rating 84h |
| Camera | Photo / Video | - |
| Display | Contrast ratio: Infinite (nominal) | Contrast ratio: Infinite (nominal) |
| Loudspeaker | -25.3 LUFS (Very good) | - |
| Performance | AnTuTu: 985115 (v9) GeekBench: 3652 (v5.1) GFXBench: 75fps (ES 3.1 onscreen) | AnTuTu: 585485 (v8), 719815 (v9) GeekBench: 2831 (v5.1) GFXBench: 39 fps (ES 3.1 onscreen) |
Xiaomi 12
- Faster wired and wireless charging
- Potentially better sustained performance due to thermal efficiency
- More compact and pocketable design
- Slightly lower battery endurance
- Less advanced camera processing
- MIUI software can be polarizing
Google Pixel 6 Pro
- Superior camera image processing and low-light performance
- Longer battery life
- Clean and intuitive Android software experience
- Slower charging speeds
- Potentially more thermal throttling under sustained load
- Larger and less pocketable design
Display Comparison
Both the Xiaomi 12 and Pixel 6 Pro feature 'infinite' contrast ratio displays, typical of OLED panels. However, the Xiaomi 12 boasts a slightly higher peak brightness of 896 nits compared to the Pixel 6 Pro’s 846 nits, making it marginally better in direct sunlight. While neither specifies refresh rate, both are expected to have adaptive 120Hz panels. The Pixel 6 Pro’s larger display size is a benefit for media consumption, but the Xiaomi 12’s smaller size may appeal to those preferring a more pocketable device.
Camera Comparison
Both phones are capable of excellent photography, but approach it differently. The Pixel 6 Pro leverages Google’s computational photography prowess, focusing on dynamic range and detail through software processing. While specific sensor details are missing, the Pixel 6 Pro’s strength lies in its image processing pipeline. The Xiaomi 12, while also offering photo and video capabilities, relies more on the hardware capabilities of its sensor. The Pixel 6 Pro’s larger sensor size (likely) and Google’s algorithms will likely result in superior low-light performance and more natural-looking images. We're ignoring the likely presence of 2MP macro cameras on both devices as they offer minimal practical benefit.
Performance
The core difference lies in the chipsets. The Xiaomi 12 utilizes the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 (4nm), featuring an octa-core configuration with a prime Cortex-X2 core clocked at 3.00 GHz. The Pixel 6 Pro, conversely, is powered by Google’s in-house Tensor chip (5nm). While the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 generally benchmarks higher in raw CPU and GPU performance, the Tensor chip excels in AI and machine learning tasks, impacting features like voice recognition and image processing. The 4nm process of the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 should offer better thermal efficiency than the 5nm Tensor, potentially leading to less throttling during sustained workloads. The Pixel 6 Pro uses older Cortex-A76 cores compared to the Xiaomi 12's A710, impacting sustained performance.
Battery Life
The Pixel 6 Pro edges out the Xiaomi 12 in battery endurance with a rating of 84 hours versus 82 hours. However, the Xiaomi 12 compensates with significantly faster charging. Its 67W wired charging can reach 100% in just 39 minutes, while the Pixel 6 Pro takes approximately 30 minutes to reach 50% with its 23W charging. The Xiaomi 12 also offers 50W wireless charging (53 minutes to full) and 10W reverse wireless charging, features the Pixel 6 Pro matches with 23W wireless and reverse wireless, but lacks the speed of the Xiaomi.
Buying Guide
Buy the Xiaomi 12 if you prioritize peak performance for demanding tasks like gaming and video editing, and value the fastest possible charging speeds. You'll also appreciate its more compact form factor. Buy the Google Pixel 6 Pro if you value a consistently excellent camera experience, a clean and intuitive software interface, and longer battery life, even if it means sacrificing some raw processing power.