Xiaomi is one of the top three players in the smartphone market, and while it saw 2022 financially, it also saw some great products from the company. It has also seen him invest significant sums in the electric vehicle sector, which we hope will pay off in the future.
In the smartphone world, we’ve seen more than a dozen Redmi Note 11 phones, some very competitive Poco phones, and some exciting monsters from the Xiaomi 12 series. Here’s a list of Xiaomi’s ups and downs from the last year , as we have seen — Series 13 is not included as it is too new to judge at this time.
Winner: Xiaomi 12S Ultra
This smartphone instantly stole our hearts as soon as it landed for our review. The main camera has a 50MP 1-inch sensor along with two other shooters which are among the most capable in their fields. It’s clearly a must-have phone for the photographer, although some rear shooters don’t live up to the high standards set by the main camera.
The 12S Ultra also packs a Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 chipset, an impressive 1440p display and an IP68 rating, which, while nothing new, is a huge step up for Xiaomi. Beautiful packaging no matter how you look at it.
Loser: Xiaomi 12S Ultra
Unless you’re looking to buy one, you can’t. Xiaomi has localized the 12S Ultra to China, meaning international markets haven’t seen an Ultra for eighteen months.
Xiaomi Ultras (from left to right): Mi 10 Ultra • 12S Ultra • Mi 11 Ultra
We are very sad that this phone did not escape the domestic market, and whatever problems prevented Xiaomi from launching it globally, it may have cost it dearly.
Winner: Xiaomi 12T Pro
In a year without Ultra phones, Xiaomi’s next best thing is the Pro variants. While the Xiaomi 12 Pro was the company’s international flagship, we liked the more affordable Xiaomi 12T Pro, announced in the second half of 2022. It features a Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 chipset and a 200MP camera – features that are not available on the Xiaomi 12T Pro Other Xiaomi devices internationally.
What we also liked about the 12T Pro is its amazing screen, powerful battery with 120W fast charging, and excellent audio output. There is also a limited edition Daniel Arsham configuration, which makes the phone look like a work of art. It is clearly one of Xiaomi’s bestselling products.
Loser: 18 strong Xiaomi Redmi Note 11 series
The Redmi Note family is the best-selling Xiaomi wallet. They are mid-range and fit into several price brackets thanks to the many different versions. However, Xiaomi seems to have gone too far this time and ended up confusing journalists and enthusiasts.
Major markets like India and China have the same phone names but with different specs. Some were fifth generation, some were not. It would take a decent amount of research to find out which phones are actually available to you and how they rank. There are even more if you want to make sure you get the best value for money, which is usually essential for intermediate guards.
In the end, the company saw 60 million Redmi Note units shipped globally, and it reached 300 million units, which isn’t a disaster, but it admitted it needed to streamline its range in the future.
Winner: Poco F4 GT
The Poco F4 GT is a flagship chip phone that ticks all the right boxes for a wide range of smartphone gamers. It has pop-up triggers, RGB LEDs on the back that actually work instead of being there for aesthetics, and a 120Hz screen as befits any self-respecting gaming rig.
It also has polished software and a very aggressive price tag, which made it an obvious choice for many people.
Loser: Xiaomi Mix Fold 2
Xiaomi’s second-generation foldable, the Mix Fold 2, follows in the footsteps of the first generation. This means that it has not reached the international market. Worse still, the phone looked a little lackluster for a second-gen product.
Xiaomi Mix Fold 2
The Mix Fold 2 was with us for a test, and we liked how thin it was. However, the fact that custom MIUI offers limited multitasking capabilities takes away a lot of the benefits of the large internal display.
Then there’s the overheating graphics unit, poor camera performance, and relatively high price compared to other foldables. We hope the third time around will be lucky and the Mix Fold 3 will feel more like a high-end device and less like a hastily assembled prototype.
