vivo X Note vs Xiaomi 12 Pro: Which should you buy?

vivo X Note vs Xiaomi 12 Pro: The Xiaomi 12 Pro is one of the few flagship phones to come with three 50MP camera sensors at the rear. While the vivo X Note is one of the few flagship phones to feature a massive 7-inches display. So, between the Xiaomi 12 Pro and vivo X Note, which is better? Which should you buy?

In this post, I’ll compare the specs of the vivo X Note vs Xiaomi 12 Pro to help you decide which you should buy. At the end of this post, you should know which to buy and why.

vivo X Note vs Xiaomi 12 Pro Specs

Specs	vivo X Note	Xiaomi 12
Display	7-inch, 120Hz	6.7-inch, 120Hz
RAM	8/12GB	8/12GB
Storage	256/512GB	128/256GB
Back Camera	50 + 8 + 12 + 48MP	50 + 50 + 50MP
Front Camera	16MP	32MP
Chipset	Snapdragon 8 Gen 1	Snapdragon 8 Gen 1
Software	Android 12	Android 12
Battery	5,000mAh (80W)	4,600mAh (120W)
IP68 Rating	YES	NO

Display and Design

The vivo X Note comes with a massive 7-inch display, features a 120Hz refresh rate, an AMOLED panel, and has support for HDR10+. It has a 1440 x 3080 pixels resolution and its peak brightness is 1700 nits. It has a Glass front (Gorilla Glass) and its rear material has this leatherlike finish.

While the Xiaomi 12 Pro comes with a smaller 6.7-inch display, has the same AMOLED panel, and also has support for HDR10+ and a 120Hz refresh rate. It has a 1440 x 3200 pixels resolution and its display is protected by Gorilla Glass Victus. Its build material is Glass front (Gorilla Glass Victus), glass back (Gorilla Glass 5), and aluminum frame

The display and build of both smartphones are awesome. Both the vivo X Note and Xiaomi 12 Pro feature a display with QHD+ resolution with vibrant color. The display of the vivo X Note is about 0.3-inches bigger than the display of the Xiaomi 12 Pro. The vivo X Note is also certified to have IP68 water and dust resistant protection but the Xiaomi 12 Pro has no official IP68 rating.

Camera

The vivo X Note features a quad rear camera set-up and a single front camera. It has a 50MP main camera with PDAF, Laser AF, and OIS features. It also comes with an 8MP periscope lens that has OIS and 5x optical zoom capability. Then there is a 12MP telephoto lens with 2x optical zoom and a 48MP ultra-wide lens to complete the four cameras at the rear. Upfront, it has a 16MP selfie camera.

While the Xiaomi 12 Pro features triple rear cameras and a single selfie camera. At the rear, it has a 50MP main camera with Dual Pixel PDAF and OIS features. It also has a 50MP telephoto lens with 2x optical zoom and another 50MP ultra-wide lens. Upfront it comes with a 32MP selfie camera.

When it comes to photography and videography, both the Xiaomi 12 Pro and vivo X Note are very good phones. And the three 50MP rear cameras of the Xiaomi 12 Pro are really impressive. But, the vivo X Note offers lots of options and more camera features with its 5x and 2x telephoto cameras. And the 50MP main camera of the vivo X Note also features a Laser AF feature which is not available in the Xiaomi 12 Pro.

Performance | Storage | RAM | 5G

The performance you get on the vivo X Note is similar if not the same as the one you get on the Xiaomi 12 Pro. This is because both smartphones are powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 chip. Both phones have the same CPU cores, the same CPU clock speed, the same GPU cores (Adreno 730 GPU), the same ISP, the same NPU, and the same AI chips.

These two phones have support for 5G network connectivity. The RAM inside both smartphones starts at 8GB. The minimum internal storage capacity on the Xiaomi 12 Pro is 128GB while that of the vivo X Note is 256GB. The maximum storage capacity on the Xiaomi 12 Pro is 256GB while that of the vivo X Note is 512GB. There is also no space for storage expansion on either phone.

Software

The vivo X Note boots Origin OS Ocean based on Android 12 out of the box. vivo has promised three years of major software updates and security patches for this device. The Xiaomi 12 Pro boots MIUI 13 based on Android 12 out of the box. Xiaomi has also promised three years of major software updates and five years of monthly security patches for the Xiaomi 12 Pro.

Battery

The vivo X Note is powered by a 5,000mAh battery capacity with 80W fast charge support. While the Xiaomi 12 Pro is powered by a 4,600mAh battery with support for a 120W fast charge. Both phones have support for a 50W fast wireless charge.

vivo X Note vs Xiaomi 12 Pro: Price

The price of the Xiaomi 12 Pro with 8 + 128GB storage option is about $899 and the 8 + 256GB storage option of the vivo X Note is priced at $1,169. The extra RAM makes the vivo X Note the more expensive phone here.

Buy Xiaomi 12 Pro and vivo X Note

Xiaomi 12 Pro	Price	vivo X Note	Price
Buy on Giztop	$729	Buy on Giztop	$1,169

vivo X Note vs Xiaomi 12 Pro: Verdict

So, between the vivo X Note and the Xiaomi 12 Pro which should you buy? Although the vivo X Note is the better device here for some reasons, you should buy the Xiaomi 12 Pro. Allow me to explain.

Yes, the vivo X Note has a bigger screen, is water and dustproof, has a better camera setup, and has a bigger battery. But, it’s also the more expensive device to buy here. Not everyone loves big screens and when it comes to performance, the Xiaomi 12 Pro is just as powerful as the vivo X Note. So, it makes sense if you want to save some money while still getting a device that is good value for the money.

If you have the extra $400 to splash on the vivo X Note, by all means, go for the device. It’s the better phone among the two phones. But, keep in mind that you can get all the features you need in a flagship phone inside the Xiaomi 12 Pro and still save $400.

If I’m to score both phones, I’ll score the vivo X Note (52%) and the Xiaomi 12 Pro (48%). That extra screen space of the vivo X Note will come in handy for those that need it, especially when consuming media and multitasking. Plus you get to enjoy the IP68 water and dust resistance feature. But, this does not change the fact that the Xiaomi 12 Pro offers a very good value for the money here.