Xiaomi 12 vs Samsung Galaxy S22 5G: The Ultimate Showdown

The Xiaomi 12 and Samsung Galaxy S22 5G are two of the most compelling flagship smartphones of 2022. Both offer premium designs, powerful performance, and impressive camera systems, but they cater to slightly different audiences. Let's dive into a detailed comparison to help you decide which one is the best fit for your needs.
Phones Images

🏆 Quick Verdict

The Galaxy S22 5G edges out the Xiaomi 12 thanks to its brighter display, more refined software, and generally more consistent performance across regions. However, the Xiaomi 12 offers significantly faster charging and a more competitive price, making it a strong contender for value-conscious buyers.

PHONES
Phone Names Xiaomi 12 Samsung Galaxy S22 5G
Network
2G bandsGSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900
3G bandsHSDPA 800 / 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 / 2100HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 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, 32, 38, 39, 40, 41, 66 - International
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, 75, 77, 78 SA/NSA/Sub6 - International
SpeedHSPA, LTE, 5GHSPA 42.2/5.76 Mbps, LTE (7CA) Cat20 2000/200 Mbps, 5G (5+ Gbps DL)
TechnologyGSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE / 5GGSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE / 5G
 1, 3, 5, 8, 28, 41, 77, 78, 79 SA/NSA - China1, 3, 5, 7, 8, 20, 28, 38, 41, 66, 71, 260, 261 SA/NSA/Sub6/mmWave - USA
Launch
Announced2021, December 282022, February 09
StatusAvailable. Released 2021, December 31Available. Released 2022, February 25
Body
BuildGlass front (Gorilla Glass Victus), glass back (Gorilla Glass 5), aluminum frameGlass front (Gorilla Glass Victus+), glass back (Gorilla Glass Victus+), aluminum frame
Dimensions152.7 x 69.9 x 8.2 mm (6.01 x 2.75 x 0.32 in)146 x 70.6 x 7.6 mm (5.75 x 2.78 x 0.30 in)
SIMNano-SIM + Nano-SIMNano-SIM + eSIM· Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM + eSIM (max 2 at a time)
Weight179 g or 180 g (6.31 oz)167 g / 168 g (mmWave) (5.89 oz)
 -IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 1.5m for 30 min) Armor aluminum frame with tougher drop and scratch resistance (advertised)
Display
ProtectionCorning Gorilla Glass VictusCorning Gorilla Glass Victus+
Resolution1080 x 2400 pixels, 20:9 ratio (~419 ppi density)1080 x 2340 pixels, 19.5:9 ratio (~425 ppi density)
Size6.28 inches, 95.2 cm2 (~89.2% screen-to-body ratio)6.1 inches, 90.1 cm2 (~87.4% screen-to-body ratio)
TypeAMOLED, 68B colors, 120Hz, Dolby Vision, HDR10+, 1100 nits (peak)Dynamic AMOLED 2X, 120Hz, HDR10+, 1300 nits (peak)
 -Always-on display
Platform
CPUOcta-core (1x3.00 GHz Cortex-X2 & 3x2.50 GHz Cortex-A710 & 4x1.80 GHz Cortex-A510)Octa-core (1x2.8 GHz Cortex-X2 & 3x2.50 GHz Cortex-A710 & 4x1.8 GHz Cortex-A510) - EuropeOcta-core (1x3.00 GHz Cortex-X2 & 3x2.50 GHz Cortex-A710 & 4x1.80 GHz Cortex-A510) - ROW
ChipsetQualcomm SM8450 Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 (4 nm)Exynos 2200 (4 nm) - EuropeQualcomm SM8450 Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 (4 nm) - ROW
GPUAdreno 730Xclipse 920 - EuropeAdreno 730 - ROW
OSAndroid 12, MIUI 13Android 12, up to 4 major Android upgrades, One UI 8
Memory
Card slotNoNo
Internal128GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 12GB RAM128GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 8GB RAM
 UFS 3.1UFS 3.1
Main Camera
FeaturesColor spectrum sensor, Dual-LED dual-tone flash, HDR, panoramaLED flash, auto-HDR, panorama
Single32 MP, f/2.5, 26mm (wide), 0.7µm10 MP, f/2.2, 26mm (wide), 1/3.24", 1.22µm, Dual Pixel PDAF
Triple50 MP, f/1.9, 26mm (wide), 1/1.56", 1.0µm, PDAF, OIS 13 MP, f/2.4, 12mm, 123˚ (ultrawide), 1/3.06", 1.12µm 5 MP, f/2.4, 50mm (telephoto macro), AF50 MP, f/1.8, 23mm (wide), 1/1.56", 1.0µm, dual pixel PDAF, OIS 10 MP, f/2.4, 70mm (telephoto), 1/3.94", 1.0µm, PDAF, OIS, 3x optical zoom 12 MP, f/2.2, 13mm, 120˚ (ultrawide), 1/2.55" 1.4µm, Super Steady video
Video8K@24fps (HDR), 4K@30/60fps (HDR10+), 1080p@30/120/240/960fps, 720p@1920fps, gyro-EIS8K@24fps, 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/120/240fps, HDR10+, stereo sound rec., gyro-EIS
Selfie camera
FeaturesHDR, panoramaHDR
Single32 MP, f/2.5, 26mm (wide), 0.7µm10 MP, f/2.2, 26mm (wide), 1/3.24", 1.22µm, dual pixel PDAF
Video1080p@30/60fps, 720p@120fps, HDR4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30fps
Sound
3.5mm jack NoNo
35mm jackNoNo
Loudspeaker Yes, with stereo speakersYes, with stereo speakers
 24-bit/192kHz audio Tuned by Harman Kardon32-bit/384kHz audio Tuned by AKG
Comms
Bluetooth5.2, A2DP, LE, aptX HD, aptX Adaptive5.2, A2DP, LE
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, GLONASS, BDS, GALILEO
RadioNoNo
USBUSB Type-C 2.0, OTGUSB Type-C 3.2, OTG
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/6, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct
Features
SensorsFingerprint (under display, optical), accelerometer, gyro, compassFingerprint (under display, ultrasonic), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, barometer
 Virtual Proximity SensingSamsung DeX, Samsung Wireless DeX (desktop experience support) Bixby natural language commands and dictation Samsung Pay (Visa, MasterCard certified)
Battery
Charging67W wired, PD3.0, QC4, 100% in 39 min 50W wireless, 100% in 53 min 10W reverse wireless25W wired, PD3.0 15W wireless (Qi) 4.5W reverse wireless
TypeLi-Po 4500 mAhLi-Ion 3700 mAh
Misc
ColorsGray, Blue, Purple, GreenPhantom Black, White, Pink Gold, Green, Graphite, Sky Blue, Violet, Cream, Bora Purple
Models2201123G, 2201123CSM-S901B, SM-S901B/DS, SM-S901U, SM-S901U1, SM-S901W, SM-S901N, SM-S9010, SM-S901E, SM-S901E/DS
Price$ 284.99 / € 149.99$ 172.63 / C$ 304.00 / £ 186.11 / € 198.01
SAR1.09 W/kg (head)     0.91 W/kg (body)1.03 W/kg (head)     1.15 W/kg (body)
SAR EU0.60 W/kg (head)     1.00 W/kg (body)1.21 W/kg (head)     1.59 W/kg (body)
Tests
Battery life Endurance rating 82h Endurance rating 85h
Camera Photo / Video Photo / Video
Display Contrast ratio: Infinite (nominal) Contrast ratio: Infinite (nominal)
Loudspeaker -25.3 LUFS (Very good) -26.4 LUFS (Good)
Performance AnTuTu: 985115 (v9) GeekBench: 3652 (v5.1) GFXBench: 75fps (ES 3.1 onscreen) AnTuTu: 745496 (v8), 881428 (v9) GeekBench: 3682 (v5.1) GFXBench: 69fps (ES 3.1 onscreen)

Xiaomi 12

  • Faster Charging (67W wired)
  • Competitive Price
  • Clean Android Experience
  • Excellent Display

  • Potential Thermal Throttling
  • Less Consistent Camera Performance
  • Less Established Brand

Samsung Galaxy S22 5G

  • Brighter Display
  • Refined Software (One UI)
  • Consistent Performance (Snapdragon variant)
  • Strong Brand Reputation

  • Slower Charging
  • Higher Price
  • Exynos variant performance can be inconsistent

Display Comparison

The Samsung Galaxy S22 5G boasts a peak brightness of 982 nits, significantly higher than the Xiaomi 12's 896 nits. Both phones feature excellent contrast ratios (infinite nominal) and vibrant colors, but the S22's superior brightness makes it more usable outdoors. The S22 also generally has better color accuracy.

Camera Comparison

Both phones offer versatile camera systems. The Galaxy S22 5G generally produces more consistent and pleasing images across different lighting conditions, with better image processing. The Xiaomi 12's camera is capable, but can sometimes struggle with dynamic range and color accuracy. Video recording is excellent on both devices.

Performance

Both phones are powered by high-end chipsets – the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 or Exynos 2200 (depending on the S22 region). While both offer flagship-level performance, the Snapdragon variant of the S22 generally performs more consistently. The Xiaomi 12 can sometimes exhibit thermal throttling under sustained load. Both phones handle everyday tasks and demanding games with ease.

Battery Life

The battery endurance ratings are very close (82h vs 85h), suggesting similar real-world battery life. However, the Xiaomi 12's charging speeds are dramatically faster (67W wired, 50W wireless) compared to the Galaxy S22 5G (25W wired, 15W wireless). This means the Xiaomi 12 can be fully charged much quicker.

Buying Guide

The Xiaomi 12 is ideal for users who prioritize fast charging, a clean Android experience, and a more affordable flagship price. The Samsung Galaxy S22 5G is a better choice for those who value a brighter, more vibrant display, a more polished software experience (One UI), and a more established brand reputation.

Frequently Asked Questions

❓ Which phone has better software support?
Samsung generally offers longer software update support than Xiaomi, making the Galaxy S22 5G a better choice for users who prioritize longevity.
❓ Is the Xiaomi 12 worth considering if I'm on a budget?
Absolutely! The Xiaomi 12 offers flagship-level features at a more competitive price point, making it an excellent value proposition.