Xiaomi has just taken the wraps off its new 12S series of smartphones that consists of the compact (ish) 12S, the 12S Pro, and the star of the show with its huge 1-inch IMX989 sensor, the 12S Ultra. All three models are powered by Qualcomm’s new Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 processor and sport AMOLED displays along with Leica branded camera setups. We’ve got the details on Xiaomi’s 12S series for you after the break.
The Xiaomi 12S features a 120Hz 6.28-inch AMOLED panel with FHD+ resolution and 419 ppi, with the 12S Pro and 12S Ultra packing the same 6.73-inch AMOLED display with 1440 x 3200 resolution, 1-120Hz AdaptiveSync refresh rate, and support for HDR10+.
While none of the new phones could be construed as anything less than flagship material, the Xiaomi 12S and 12S Pro aren’t quite as high-end as the 12S Ultra. Sporting a choice of 8/12GB RAM, the 12S and 12S Pro can be had with 128/256/512GB of built-in storage, without MicroSD card support. The 12S Ultra will go on sale in 8/256GB, 12/256GB, and 12/512GB variants.
The entire 12S series sports Leica branding on their rear camera setups but this is where the Xiaomi 12S Ultra pulls way ahead of its siblings thanks to the monstrous 1-inch wide-angle sensor (Sony IMX989). The 50MP camera, with its 1-inch sensor and Quad-Bayer pixel array, will allow even more light to penetrate the lens and hopefully achieve better imagery in low-light conditions with reduced noise and an extended dynamic range. The 12S Ultra also features something called HyperOIS which ‘utilizes the gap between the two frames to drive the OIS motor to its original position, giving each frame a full, effective range of stabilization’. Whatever it is, it sure sounds like Xiaomi has been working hard on improving the camera experience on the 12S series.
Accompanying the 50MP main camera is a 48MP ultra-wide lens with a 128° FoV as well as a 48MP telephoto lens that is capable of 120x digital zoom. There’s also a 32MP front-facing camera housed in the punch-hole on the display.
The Xiaomi 12S offers a more modest setup with a 50MP main sensor (Sony IMX707), a 13MP ultra-wide lens, and a 5MP macro lens. The 12S Pro takes things up a notch with its trio of 50MP sensors (IMX707) for main camera, telephoto, and ultra-wide duties. As with the Ultra, both the Xiaomi 12S and 12S Pro have a 32MP front-facing camera.
Things get a little weird in the charging department, with the Xiaomi 12S Pro offering speedy 120W wired charging while both the 12S and 12S Ultra make do with 67W wired charging. The entire 12S series supports 50W wireless charging.
Battery Capacity:
- Xiaomi 12S – 4,500mAh
- Xiaomi 12S Pro – 4,600mAh
- Xiaomi 12S Ultra – 4,860mAh
The three phones will run MIUI 13 (based on Android 12) out of the box, and will go on sale in China initially before hopefully being released in other markets.
Pricing starts from:
- Xiaomi 12S: RMB 3,999 (~$595)
- Xiaomi 12S Pro: RMB 4,699 (~$700)
- Xiaomi 12S Ultra: RMB 5,999 (~$895)
| Xiaomi 12S Ultra | |
|---|---|
| Display | 6.73-Inch Samsung E5 AMOLED LTPO, 3,200 x 1,440 Resolution, 522ppi, 1,500nits peak brightness, 1-120Hz Adaptive Sync, 10-bit color depth, P3 color gamut, Dolby Vision, HDR10+, HDR10, HLG |
| Processor | Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 |
| Memory | 8/12GB LPDDR5, (6400Mbps) |
| Storage | 256/512GB UFS 3.1, FBO Storage Refresh |
| Imaging System | Wide angle: 23mm f/1.9 8P Aspheric Lens 1″ sensor (SONY’s IMX989) 50.3MP Quad-Bayer pixel array Pixel Binning: 12.5MP, 3.2µm 4-in-1 Super Pixel Octa-PD Auto-focus Ultra-wide angle: 13mm f/2.2 Telephoto: 120mm f/4.1 Periscope |
| Front Camera | 32GB RGBW |
| Battery | 4,860mAh, Xiaomi Surge G1 Battery Management Chip |
| Charging | 67W Turbo Charging |
| Wireless Charging | 50W Wireless Charging, 10W Reverse Wireless Charging |
| Audio | Symmetrical Stereo Speakers SOUND BY Harman Kardon, Support Dolby Atmos X-axis linear motor |
| Connectivity | Dual 5G, 4×4 MIMO, Wi-Fi 6, 4K QAM, 160MHz Channel, 2×2 MIMO, Bluetooth 5.2, Supports BLE Audio, Supports Snapdragon Sound, Multi-functional NFC |
| Ingress Protection | IP68 dust and water resistance |
| Operating System | MIUI 13 based on Android 12 |
| Dimensions | 163.17 x 74.92 x 9.06mm |
| Weight | 225g |
| Colors | Vegan Leather: Classic Black/Verdant Green |
| Variants | 8GB+256GB 12GB+256GB 12GB+512GB |
