The Finalmouse Starlight-12 Phantom Small is an ultra-lightweight, wireless gaming mouse. It's a continuation of the Finalmouse Starlight-12 lineup, so it has the signature magnesium alloy shell with a honeycomb design to keep the weight very light. At 44.5g, it's one of the lightest mice we've ever tested, and it features newer Kailh 8.0 switches and some minor adjustments to the manufacturing process to address quality control concerns in previous Starlight-12 models. Its small, symmetrical shape is well-suited for small and medium hands using any grip type. Performance-wise, it uses Finalmouse’s proprietary Finalsensor. It has excellent click latency, a very low minimum lift-off distance, and four CPI presets. However, there's no companion software, so you can't adjust the sensor settings or reprogram any buttons.
Note: Finalmouse releases its mice in drops, meaning they're only available until stock runs out. At the time of publishing, the Finalmouse Starlight-12 Phantom drop is over, and all units were sold. Currently, you can only purchase them from third-party resellers, which is how we had to buy our unit.
Our Verdict
The small Finalmouse Starlight-12 Phantom is a decent mouse for office use. Although its scroll wheel can't unlock for a free-scrolling mode, and it doesn't have L/R wheel tilts for horizontal navigation, it does feel very well-built and comfortable. It's also fully compatible with both Windows and macOS. It connects with its USB receiver, but it doesn't support a Bluetooth connection, and there's no companion software to reprogram buttons.
- Extremely lightweight.
- Feels very well-built and sturdy.
- Fully compatible with both Windows and macOS.
- No companion software to reprogram buttons.
- Not Bluetooth compatible.
- Too small for large and extra-large hands to use comfortably.
The small Finalmouse Starlight Phantom is a great mouse for FPS gaming. It's extremely lightweight, and it feels very well-built and comfortable to use. In terms of performance, it has excellent click latency, a very low lift-off distance, and four CPI presets you can cycle through using the CPI button behind the scroll wheel. Also, its feet offer a smooth gliding experience on mousepads and desks. Unfortunately, there's no companion software, so you can't adjust the sensor settings or reprogram any buttons.
- Extremely lightweight.
- Feels very well-built and sturdy.
- Feet and cable glide smoothly on mousepads and desks.
- No companion software to reprogram buttons.
- Too small for large and extra-large hands to use comfortably.
The small Finalmouse Starlight-12 Phantom is a mediocre mouse for MMO gaming. It doesn't have as many buttons as dedicated MMO mice, and there's no companion software to reprogram buttons. But, on the upside, it does feel very well-built, and its excellent click latency, very low lift-off distance, and four CPI presets are all well-suited for gaming.
- Extremely lightweight.
- Feels very well-built and sturdy.
- Feet and cable glide smoothly on mousepads and desks.
- No companion software to reprogram buttons.
- Too small for large and extra-large hands to use comfortably.
- Not as many buttons as dedicated MMO mice.
The small Finalmouse Starlight-12 Phantom is an okay mouse for travel. While it feels well-built and comfortable to use, it doesn't have a storage compartment for its USB receiver, and it's not Bluetooth compatible.
- Extremely lightweight.
- Feels very well-built and sturdy.
- Not Bluetooth compatible.
- Lacks storage compartment for USB.
Changelog
- Updated Sep 16, 2022: We've converted this review to Test Bench 1.3. This update adds a new Sensor Latency test and makes minor changes to several of our existing tests, resulting in test result changes in several sections. For more information, you can check out our full changelog here.
- Updated Aug 17, 2022: Following the update to Test Bench 1.2, some of our test results have changed within both the Weight and CPI sections. We've added or modified some of the text in this article to clarify these changes.
- Updated Aug 15, 2022: We've converted this review to Test Bench 1.2. This update simplifies our Weight test and expands on our CPI test from Test Bench 1.1, resulting in changes to test results in both sections. For more details, you can see our complete changelog here.
- Updated Jun 09, 2022: We've updated this review to Test Bench 1.1, which revamped our click latency test methodology. We've updated the text to reflect our new results in various sections, including the Click Latency test box, Usages, Introduction, and other locations where we discuss click latency.
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Differences Between Sizes And Variants
The small Finalmouse Starlight-12 Phantom only comes in one colorway. There's a larger version of this mouse, the Finalmouse Starlight-12 Phantom Medium, that's also available. You can see the label of our unit here.
Popular Mouse Comparisons
The Finalmouse Starlight-12 Phantom is a continuation of the Starlight-12 lineup with a new colorway, some minor tweaks to the manufacturing process, new Kailh 8.0 switches, and a few adjustments to address some of the most common quality control issues present on mice in the original drop. At 44.5g, it's one of the lightest mice we've tested, and its size and shape are comparable to other ultra-light Finalmouse offerings like the Finalmouse Starlight-12 Small. As many users have reported, the scroll wheel is slightly off-center, though this doesn't impact the normal operation of the mouse.
For more options, check out our recommendations for the lightest mouse, the best wireless gaming mouse, and the best wireless mouse.
The Finalmouse Ultralight 2 - Cape Town and the Finalmouse Starlight-12 Phantom Small are both ultra-lightweight gaming mice, but the Phantom performs better overall. The Phantom has a better build quality thanks to its magnesium alloy shell, and it weighs 5g less than the Cape Town. The Phantom also has a lower minimum lift-off distance and a higher polling rate, and it's wireless. Alternatively, the Cape Town has a higher maximum CPI setting, and it's wired-only.
The Razer Viper Mini and the Finalmouse Starlight-12 Phantom Small are both ultra-lightweight gaming mice. However, the Razer is wired-only, and it has better click latency and more programmable inputs. It also has companion software, which allows you to set a custom CPI within a much wider range. On the other hand, the Finalmouse is wireless, feels better built, and it's 17g lighter. Also, it has a more consistent sensor and a lower minimum lift-off distance.
The Finalmouse Starlight-12 Phantom Small and the Finalmouse Starlight-12 Poseidon Small are essentially the same mouse in different colorways. The Phantom has a black and gold palette, while the Poseidon has a blue and light-blue palette.
The Finalmouse Starlight-12 Phantom Small and the Finalmouse Starlight-12 Small are both ultra-light gaming mice. However, the Phantom is the newest release in this Starlight-12 lineup and features a new colorway and newer Kailh 8.0 switches on its L/R buttons. The Phantom also addresses some of the quality control issues that appear on the Starlight-12 Small, like the right-click button. In terms of performance, the Phantom and the Starlight-12 perform similarly well, but the Phantom has somewhat better click latency.
The Finalmouse Starlight-12 Medium and the Finalmouse Starlight-12 Phantom Small are wireless, ultra-light gaming mice that perform very similarly, but they have some minor differences. The Starlight-12 Medium is larger and better suited for small to large hands. Meanwhile, the Phantom Small is better suited for small or medium hands, and it's 5g lighter. It also has marginally better click latency.
The Razer Viper Ultimate and the Finalmouse Starlight-12 Phantom Small are both wireless gaming mice, but the Viper performs better overall. The Viper has better click latency, a significantly wider CPI range, and more side buttons. Also, it has RGB lighting. On the other hand, the Phantom weighs 31g less and feels more solid thanks to its magnesium alloy shell. While the Viper has companion software to remap buttons and adjust sensor settings, the Phantom doesn't.
The Endgame Gear XM1r and the Finalmouse Starlight-12 Phantom Small are both lightweight gaming mice. However, the Endgame is a wired-only model. It also has lower click latency and feet that glide a bit more smoothly. On the other hand, the Finalmouse is 28g lighter. It connects wirelessly with a USB receiver and feels sturdier due to its magnesium alloy shell.
The GLORIOUS Model D and the Finalmouse Starlight-12 Phantom Small are both lightweight gaming mice with excellent click latency, but they have different features. The Finalmouse is 24g lighter, much smaller in size, and has a symmetrical shape. Also, it's wireless, and it has a lower minimum lift-off distance. On the other hand, the GLORIOUS has a right-handed shape, is wired-only, and has a wider CPI range. It comes with companion software that allows you to adjust sensor settings or remap buttons, which the Finalmouse lacks.
The Logitech G PRO X SUPERLIGHT and the Finalmouse Starlight-12 Phantom Small are both ultra-lightweight, wireless gaming mice, but the Logitech performs better overall. It has lower click latency, a more consistent sensor, and a significantly wider CPI range. Plus, it has companion software that allows you to adjust sensor settings and reprogram buttons. On the other hand, the Finalmouse feels better built, and it's about 15g lighter than the Logitech.
Test Results
The Finalmouse Starlight-12 Phantom has a symmetrical, low-profile shape with two black plastic buttons on the left side. Its honeycomb shell is made of magnesium alloy with a black, silver, and blue color scheme and silver paint splatter accents. The L/R click buttons and the scroll wheel have embossed accents on them. While there's no RGB lighting, there's a light inside the mouse that will change colors according to the battery life. If you're interested in an all-blue color scheme for this mouse, check out the Finalmouse Starlight-12 Poseidon Small.
The Finalmouse Starlight-12 Phantom in the small size is approximately 1mm longer than the Finalmouse Starlight-12 Small since the small plastic piece above the scroll wheel tapers off to a slight point rather than a blunt edge.
The Finalmouse Starlight Phantom has a superb build quality. The top shell is a sturdy magnesium alloy, and the bottom is made of a strong plastic called Ultem, which allows the wireless signal to escape. The bottom flexes slightly when you apply pressure, but this shouldn't be noticeable during everyday use. The Kailh 8.0 switches in the L/R buttons feel satisfying and clicky, and the side buttons also feel good to press. The CPI button behind the scroll wheel is very stiff compared to the same button on our Finalmouse Starlight-12 Small, and it requires significant force to press. This seems to be a relatively common issue reported by users online, though it seems Finalmouse may have made this design alteration intentionally to prevent accidental CPI changes. Like other Finalmouse Starlight-12 units we've tested, our unit's scroll wheel is off-center to the right; however, this doesn't impact the normal operation of the mouse.
According to Finalmouse, the small Finalmouse Starlight-12 Phantom weighs 42 grams. They also note that due to manufacturing complexities with the magnesium chassis, the actual weight may vary by up to 2 grams.
The Finalmouse Starlight Phantom Small has a symmetrical shape that feels relatively comfortable. Its small size makes it well-suited to users with small or medium hands, so those with large or extra-large-sized hands may find it uncomfortable to use for long periods. Though there are no side grips, it doesn't feel slippery in hand. There's a larger version of this mouse, the Finalmouse Starlight-12 Phantom Medium, that's better suited for users with larger hands.
This mouse is not well-suited for users with large or extra-large-sized hands as your fingers extend past the front of the mouse using this grip.
This mouse is not well-suited for a claw grip if you have large or extra-large-sized hands, as the mouse's small size requires you to curl your fingers at an uncomfortable angle.
Users with extra-large hands may feel uncomfortable using this mouse with a fingertip grip due to its small size.
Finalmouse claims that the Finalmouse Starlight Phantom has a continuous battery life of around 160 hours, an average use case life estimated at three weeks, a below-average use case life is estimated at seven weeks, and an idle use case life of 16 weeks. There's also a light inside the mouse that flashes when the battery is getting low.
The cable is excellent. It's flexible and doesn't retain kinks from the packaging. It also moves with minimal drag across desks and mousepads.
The feet glide smoothly on all surfaces, but they're slightly scratchy on desks.
- Finalmouse Starlight-12 Phantom Small
- Quick guide card
- User documentation
- Micro-USB to USB-A cable
- Wireless receiver
Using the CPI button behind the scroll wheel, you can cycle through four preset CPI settings; however, as we mentioned in our build quality tests, the CPI button is very stiff to press. There are two side buttons, which are bound to forward and backward by default, and a switch on the bottom to turn wireless mode on or off. Unfortunately, none of the buttons on the small Finalmouse Starlight Phantom are reprogrammable as there isn't any companion software.
This mouse has excellent click latency. It's more than suitable for achieving an extremely responsive-feeling gameplay experience in any game genre, including fast-paced and competitive games.
This mouse has four preset CPI settings of 400, 800, 1600, 3200, which you can cycle through using the CPI button behind the scroll wheel.
The mouse wheel feels precise and offers a smooth scroll experience with well-defined steps. It's fairly quiet but has a satisfying click when pressed.
Note: Like with previous Finalmouse Starlight-12 offerings, the scroll wheel on our unit is slightly off-center towards the right. It's a common issue that's been reported by many users. Fortunately, this issue doesn't affect the normal use of the mouse.
There's no companion software available for the Finalmouse Starlight Phantom.