Xiaomi 12 Pro vs. Asus ROG Phone 5s Pro: A Deep Dive into Performance and Endurance

The Xiaomi 12 Pro and Asus ROG Phone 5s Pro represent distinct approaches to the high-end Android market. The Xiaomi 12 Pro aims for a balanced flagship experience with cutting-edge processing power, while the ROG Phone 5s Pro prioritizes gaming performance and extended battery life. This comparison dissects their strengths and weaknesses to determine which device best suits your needs.
Phones Images

🏆 Quick Verdict

For the average user prioritizing all-around performance and faster charging, the Xiaomi 12 Pro emerges as the winner. Its Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 offers a theoretical performance edge, and its 120W charging is significantly faster than the ROG Phone 5s Pro’s 65W. However, gamers and power users will find the ROG Phone 5s Pro’s superior battery life and optimized cooling more valuable.

PHONES
Phone Names Xiaomi 12 Pro Asus ROG Phone 5s Pro
Network
2G bandsGSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900
3G bandsHSDPA 800 / 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 / 2100HSDPA 800 / 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1800 / 1900 / 2100
4G bands1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 32, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 48, 66 - International1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 29, 30, 32, 34, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 48, 66, 71
5G bands1, 3, 5, 7, 8, 20, 28, 38, 40, 41, 66, 77, 78, 79 SA/NSA - International1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 12, 20, 25, 28, 38, 40, 41, 66, 71, 77, 78, 79 SA/NSA
SpeedHSPA, LTE, 5GHSPA 42.2/5.76 Mbps, LTE (7CA) Cat20 1400/150 Mbps, 5G 4 Gbps DL
TechnologyGSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE / 5GGSM / HSPA / LTE / 5G
 1, 3, 5, 8, 28, 38, 40, 41, 77, 78, 79 SA/NSA - China-
Launch
Announced2021, December 282021, August 16
StatusAvailable. Released 2021, December 31Available. Released 2021, August 24
Body
BuildGlass front (Gorilla Glass Victus), glass back, aluminum frameGlass front (Gorilla Glass Victus), glass back (Gorilla Glass 3), aluminum frame
Dimensions163.6 x 74.6 x 8.2 mm (6.44 x 2.94 x 0.32 in)172.8 x 77.3 x 9.9 mm (6.80 x 3.04 x 0.39 in)
SIMNano-SIM + Nano-SIMNano-SIM + Nano-SIM
Weight204 g or 205 g (7.20 oz)238 g (8.40 oz)
 -Pressure sensitive zones (Gaming triggers) Touch sensor; ROG Vision monochrome PMOLED display (on the back)
Display
ProtectionCorning Gorilla Glass VictusCorning Gorilla Glass Victus
Resolution1440 x 3200 pixels, 20:9 ratio (~521 ppi density)1080 x 2448 pixels (~395 ppi density)
Size6.73 inches, 109.4 cm2 (~89.6% screen-to-body ratio)6.78 inches, 109.5 cm2 (~82.0% screen-to-body ratio)
TypeLTPO AMOLED, 1B colors, 120Hz, Dolby Vision, HDR10+, 1000 nits (HBM), 1500 nits (peak)AMOLED, 1B colors, 144Hz, HDR10+, 800 nits (typ), 1200 nits (peak)
Platform
CPUOcta-core (1x3.00 GHz Cortex-X2 & 3x2.50 GHz Cortex-A710 & 4x1.80 GHz Cortex-A510)Octa-core (1x2.99 GHz Cortex-X1 & 3x2.42 GHz Cortex-A78 & 4x1.80 GHz Cortex-A55)
ChipsetQualcomm SM8450 Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 (4 nm)Qualcomm SM8350 Snapdragon 888+ 5G (5 nm)
GPUAdreno 730Adreno 660
OSAndroid 12, MIUI 13Android 11, upgradable to Android 13, ROG UI
Memory
Card slotNoNo
Internal128GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 12GB RAM512GB 18GB RAM
 UFS 3.1UFS 3.1
Main Camera
FeaturesColor spectrum sensor, Dual-LED dual-tone flash, HDR, panoramaLED flash, HDR, panorama
Single32 MP, f/2.5, 26mm (wide), 0.7µm-
Triple50 MP, f/1.9, 24mm (wide), 1/1.28", 1.22µm, dual pixel PDAF, OIS 50 MP, f/1.9, 48mm (telephoto), PDAF, 2x optical zoom 50 MP, f/2.2, 115˚ (ultrawide)64 MP, f/1.8, 26mm (wide), 1/1.73", 0.8µm, PDAF 13 MP, f/2.4, 11mm, 125˚ (ultrawide) 5 MP (macro)
Video8K@24fps (HDR), 4K@30/60fps (HDR10+), 1080p@30/120/240/960fps, 720p@1920fps, gyro-EIS8K@30fps, 4K@30/60/120fps, 1080p@30/60/120/240fps, 720p@480fps; gyro-EIS
Selfie camera
FeaturesHDR, panoramaPanorama, HDR
Single32 MP, f/2.5, 26mm (wide), 0.7µm24 MP, f/2.5, 27mm (wide), 0.9µm
Video1080p@30/60fps, 720p@120fps, HDR10+1080p@30fps
Sound
3.5mm jack NoYes
35mm jackNoYes
Loudspeaker Yes, with stereo speakers (4 speakers)Yes, with stereo speakers (2 amplifiers)
 24-bit/192kHz audio Tuned by Harman Kardon24-bit/192kHz audio
Comms
Bluetooth5.2, A2DP, LE, aptX HD, aptX Adaptive5.2, A2DP, LE, aptX HD, aptX Adaptive
Infrared portYes-
NFCYes (market/region dependent)Yes
PositioningGPS (L1+L5), GLONASS (L1), BDS (B1I+B1c+B2a), GALILEO (E1+E5a), QZSS (L1+L5), NavIC (L5)GPS (L1+L5), GLONASS (L1), BDS (B1I+B1c+B2a), GALILEO (E1+E5a), QZSS (L1+L5), NavIC (L5)
RadioNoNo
USBUSB Type-C 2.0, OTGUSB Type-C 3.1 (side), USB Type-C 2.0 (bottom), OTG, accessory connector
WLANWi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6 or 6e (market dependent), dual-band, Wi-Fi DirectWi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6e, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct
Features
SensorsFingerprint (under display, optical), accelerometer, gyro, compass, barometerFingerprint (under display, optical), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass
 Virtual Proximity Sensing-
Battery
Charging120W wired, PD3.0, QC4, 100% in 18 min 50W wireless, 100% in 42 min 10W reverse wireless65W wired, PD3.0, QC5, 70% in 30 min, 100% in 52 min 10W reverse wired
TypeLi-Po 4600 mAhLi-Po 6000 mAh
Misc
ColorsGray, Blue, Purple, GreenMatte White
Models2201122C, 2201122GZS676KS
Price€ 317.40 / $ 349.99 / £ 364.66 / ₹ 41,999About 2000 EUR
SAR1.09 W/kg (head)     1.05 W/kg (body)-
SAR EU0.60 W/kg (head)     1.00 W/kg (body)-
Tests
Battery life Endurance rating 74h Endurance rating 110h
Camera Photo / Video-
Display Contrast ratio: Infinite (nominal)-
Loudspeaker -29.5 LUFS (Average) -24.0 LUFS (Very good)
Performance AnTuTu: 985226 (v9) GeekBench: 3682 (v5.1) GFXBench: 46fps (ES 3.1 onscreen) AnTuTu: 743021 (v8), 844901 (v9) GeekBench: 14278 (v4.4), 3672 (v5.1) GFXBench: 58fps (ES 3.1 onscreen)

Xiaomi 12 Pro

  • Faster Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 processor
  • Brighter display for outdoor visibility
  • Significantly faster charging speeds (wired and wireless)

  • Lower battery endurance
  • Potential for thermal throttling under sustained load

Asus ROG Phone 5s Pro

  • Superior battery life for extended use
  • Optimized thermal management for sustained gaming
  • Gaming-centric features like AirTriggers

  • Older Snapdragon 888+ chipset
  • Dimmer display compared to the Xiaomi 12 Pro

Display Comparison

The Xiaomi 12 Pro boasts a brighter display, reaching a measured 1050 nits compared to the ROG Phone 5s Pro’s 840 nits. This translates to better visibility under direct sunlight. While both displays offer a smooth experience, the Xiaomi 12 Pro’s likely utilizes a more advanced panel technology, potentially including LTPO for variable refresh rate, contributing to better power efficiency. The ROG Phone 5s Pro, however, prioritizes a larger screen real estate geared towards immersive gaming, though at the cost of peak brightness.

Camera Comparison

Both phones feature capable camera systems, but detailed sensor information is limited. The Xiaomi 12 Pro is marketed as a 'Photo / Video' focused device, suggesting a strong emphasis on image quality and video recording capabilities. The ROG Phone 5s Pro, while capable, prioritizes other features. Without specific sensor size or aperture data, it’s difficult to definitively declare a winner. However, Xiaomi’s history suggests a focus on computational photography and image processing, potentially giving it an edge in challenging lighting conditions. The ROG Phone 5s Pro’s camera is likely tuned for quick snapshots and social media sharing.

Performance

The Xiaomi 12 Pro’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 (4nm) chipset represents a generational leap over the ROG Phone 5s Pro’s Snapdragon 888+ 5G (5nm). The 4nm process node offers improved thermal efficiency, potentially mitigating throttling during sustained workloads. However, the ROG Phone 5s Pro benefits from Asus’s aggressive thermal management system, including a vapor chamber and AeroActive Cooler accessory, which can maintain higher sustained performance. The CPU architecture also differs; the Xiaomi 12 Pro features the Cortex-X2 core for peak performance, while the ROG Phone 5s Pro utilizes the Cortex-X1. In real-world usage, the Xiaomi 12 Pro will likely excel in short bursts, while the ROG Phone 5s Pro may maintain more consistent performance over extended gaming sessions.

Battery Life

The Asus ROG Phone 5s Pro clearly wins in battery endurance, achieving a measured 110 hours compared to the Xiaomi 12 Pro’s 74 hours. This substantial difference is due to the ROG Phone’s larger battery capacity and power-efficient design. While the Xiaomi 12 Pro offers incredibly fast 120W wired charging (100% in 18 minutes) and 50W wireless charging, the ROG Phone 5s Pro’s 65W wired charging (100% in 52 minutes) is still respectable. The ROG Phone 5s Pro also offers 10W reverse wired charging, a feature absent on the Xiaomi 12 Pro.

Buying Guide

Buy the Xiaomi 12 Pro if you need a versatile flagship with a stunning display, incredibly fast charging, and top-tier processing power for everyday tasks and demanding applications. Buy the Asus ROG Phone 5s Pro if you prioritize extended gaming sessions, exceptional battery life, and a device specifically engineered for mobile gaming with features like AirTriggers and a robust cooling system.

Frequently Asked Questions

❓ Does the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 in the Xiaomi 12 Pro overheat during prolonged gaming sessions?
The Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 is known to generate more heat than its predecessor. While the Xiaomi 12 Pro incorporates cooling solutions, sustained gaming at maximum settings may lead to thermal throttling, reducing performance over time. The ROG Phone 5s Pro, with its more robust cooling system, is better equipped to handle prolonged gaming without significant performance drops.
❓ How effective are the AirTriggers on the Asus ROG Phone 5s Pro for gaming?
The AirTriggers on the ROG Phone 5s Pro are ultrasonic shoulder buttons that provide a customizable and tactile gaming experience. They can be mapped to various on-screen actions, offering a competitive advantage in many games by allowing you to perform actions without obstructing your view. They are a key differentiator for the ROG Phone 5s Pro and highly valued by mobile gamers.
❓ Is the 120W charging on the Xiaomi 12 Pro safe for long-term battery health?
While 120W charging is incredibly fast, concerns about long-term battery health are valid. Xiaomi implements charging algorithms designed to mitigate battery degradation, such as slowing down the charging rate as the battery approaches full capacity. However, consistently using extremely fast charging may still contribute to faster battery wear over several years.