We subjected the Xiaomi 12 to our rigorous SBMARK battery test suite to measure its performance in terms of range, charging and efficiency. In these test results, we will analyze how it fared in a variety of tests and several common use cases.
Overview
Key specs:
- Battery capacity: 4500mAh
- 67W charger (included)
- 6.28 inch OLED display, 1080 x 2400, 120Hz
- Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 (4 nm)
- ROM / RAM combination tested: 128GB + 8GB
Pros
- Lightning-fast wired charging, reaching 80% in just 27 minutes and 21 seconds
- Excellent wireless charging, reaching 80% in just 34 minutes and 55 seconds
- Excellent adapter efficiency
- Strong wireless charging efficiency
Cons
- Low autonomy, with less than 2 days in moderate use
- Problems while streaming music and videos, making calls and playing games
- Weak performance when using GPS navigation
- High discharge currents, especially when streaming music
- Very high residual power consumption when the device is fully charged and still on the wireless holder
The Xiaomi 12 battery experience really stands out when it comes to charging, thanks to its 67W charger. That strong charging experience extends to wireless as well. With a huge 120W wireless charger, this device offers some of the best wireless charging experiences found in our database.
Despite an excellent charging experience to power its good-sized 4500 mAh battery, the autonomy of the Xiaomi 12 is insufficient. Whether the settings are default or calibrated, the device struggles to achieve above-average runtimes, mainly due to its demanding specs, which require a lot of power. Battery efficiency also faltered, with overall high discharge currents.
Compared to devices in the same premium price range, the Xiaomi 12 battery shows decent on-the-go performance, but overall the autonomy and efficiency remain below average when compared to the entire database.
Test summary
About SBMARK Battery Tests: For the score and analysis in our smartphone battery reviews, SBMARK engineers perform a series of objective tests over a period of one week both indoors and outdoors. (See our introductory article and how we test articles for more details on our Smartphone Battery Protocol.)
The following section collects the key elements of our exhaustive tests and analyzes performed in SBMARK laboratories. Detailed performance evaluations in the form of reports are available upon request. Do not hesitate to contact us.
| Drums | Battery charger | wireless | Screen | Processor | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 mAh | 0W (not included) |
– | X | ||
| Realme GT 2 Pro | 5000 mAh | 65 W (not included) |
– | LTPO 1440 x 3216 |
Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 |
| Samsung Galaxy S22 (Snapdragon) | 3700 mAh | 25W (not included) |
15W | AMOLED 1080 x 2340 |
Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 |
Autonomy
46
Wiko Power U30
Wiko Power U30
How the autonomy score is composed
The range score is made up of three performance sub-scores: stationary, moving, and calibrated use cases. Each sub-score includes the results of a full range of tests to measure autonomy in all kinds of real-life scenarios.
63 hours
Light use
Active: 2h30 / day
45 hours
Moderate use
Active: 4 hours a day
29h
Intense use
Active: 7 hours a day
Stationary
49
Viva Y72 5G
Viva Y72 5G
A robot housed in a Faraday cage performs a series of touch-based user actions during what we call our “typical use scenario” (TUS) – making calls, streaming video, etc. – 4 hours of active use over a 16-hour period, plus 8 hours of “sleep”. The robot repeats this series of actions every day until the device is discharged.
In movement
58
Samsung Galaxy M51
Samsung Galaxy M51
Using a smartphone on the go puts a strain on autonomy due to additional “hidden” needs, such as the continuous signaling associated with the selection of the cellular network. SBMARK Battery experts take the phone outdoors and perform a well-defined set of activities while following the same three-hour travel itinerary (on foot, by bus, by subway …) for each device
Calibrated
47
Samsung Galaxy M51
Samsung Galaxy M51
For this series of tests, the smartphone returns to the Faraday cage and ours robots repeatedly perform actions related to a specific use case (such as games, video streaming, etc.) at a time. Starting at an 80% charge, all devices are tested until they have consumed at least 5% of the battery charge.
Reload
94
Realme GT Neo 3
Realme GT Neo 3
How the Charge score is composed
Charging is completely part of the overall battery experience. In some situations where battery life is minimal, knowing how fast you can charge becomes a problem. The SBMARK battery charge score consists of two secondary scores, (1) Full charge and (2) Quick boost.
Full charge
100
Realme GT Neo 3
Realme GT Neo 3
Full charge tests evaluate the reliability of the battery charge indicator; measure how long and how much energy the battery takes to charge from zero to 80% capacity, 80 to 100% as shown by the user interface, and up to an actual full charge.
The charging curves, in wired and wireless mode (if available) show the evolution of the battery level indicator as well as the energy consumption in watts during the charging phases towards full capacity.
The full charge time graph breaks down the time it takes to reach 80%, 100% and full charge.
Fast thrust
83
Realme GT Neo 3
Realme GT Neo 3
With the phone at different charge levels (20%, 40%, 60%, 80%), Quick boost tests measure the amount of charge the battery receives after being plugged in for 5 minutes. The graph here compares the average runtime gain from a 5 minute quick charge.
Efficiency
54
Apple iPhone 13 Pro
Apple iPhone 13 Pro
How the efficiency score is composed
The SBMARK energy efficiency score consists of two secondary scores, Charge up and Discharge rate, which combine both data obtained during a typical use scenario based on robots, calibrated tests and charge evaluation, taking into account the battery capacity of the device . SBMARK calculates the annual energy consumption of the product, shown in the graph below, which is representative of the overall efficiency during charging and in use.
Charge Up
79
Xiaomi 12 Pro
Xiaomi 12 Pro
The secondary charge score is a combination of four factors: the overall efficiency of a full charge, relative to the amount of energy needed to fill the battery versus the energy the battery can provide; the efficiency of the travel adapter when it comes to transferring power from an outlet to the phone; the residual consumption when the phone is fully charged and still connected to the charger; and the residual consumption of the charger itself, when the smartphone is disconnected from it. The graph below shows the overall efficiency of a full charge in%.
Discharge
51
Apple iPhone 13 Pro
Apple iPhone 13 Pro
The discharge secondary score evaluates the discharge rate of a battery during a test, which is independent of the battery capacity. It is the ratio of the capacity of a battery divided by its autonomy. A small capacity battery may have the same runtime as a large capacity battery, indicating that the device is well optimized, with a low discharge rate.

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