Xiaomi 12S Pro vs Xiaomi 12S Ultra: The Ultimate Showdown
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🏆 Quick Verdict
The Xiaomi 12S Ultra is the clear winner for photography enthusiasts and those prioritizing battery life. The 12S Pro offers significantly faster charging and a slightly more compact design, making it a compelling choice for users who value speed and convenience over ultimate camera capabilities.
| PHONES | ||
|---|---|---|
| Phone Names | Xiaomi 12S Pro | Xiaomi 12S Ultra |
| Network | ||
|---|---|---|
| 2G bands | GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 | GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 |
| 3G bands | HSDPA 800 / 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 / 2100 | HSDPA 800 / 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 / 2100 |
| 4G bands | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 17, 18, 19, 26, 34, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42 | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 17, 18, 19, 26, 34, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42 |
| 5G bands | 1, 3, 5, 8, 28, 38, 40, 41, 77, 78, 79 SA/NSA | 1, 3, 5, 8, 28, 38, 40, 41, 77, 78, 79 SA/NSA |
| Speed | HSPA, LTE, 5G | HSPA, LTE, 5G |
| Technology | GSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE / 5G | GSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE / 5G |
| CDMA2000 1xEV-DO | CDMA2000 1xEV-DO | |
| Launch | ||
|---|---|---|
| Announced | 2022, July 04 | 2022, July 04 |
| Status | Available. Released 2022, July 07 | Available. Released 2022, July 09 |
| Body | ||
|---|---|---|
| Build | Glass front (Gorilla Glass Victus), glass back or eco leather back, aluminum frame | Glass front (Gorilla Glass Victus), eco leather back, aluminum frame |
| Dimensions | 163.6 x 74.6 x 8.2 mm or 8.7 mm | 163.2 x 75 x 9.1 mm (6.43 x 2.95 x 0.36 in) |
| SIM | Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM | Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM |
| Weight | 203 g / 204 g (7.16 oz) | 225 g (7.94 oz) |
| - | IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 1.5m for 30 min) | |
| Display | ||
|---|---|---|
| Protection | Corning Gorilla Glass Victus | Corning Gorilla Glass Victus |
| Resolution | 1440 x 3200 pixels, 20:9 ratio (~521 ppi density) | 1440 x 3200 pixels, 20:9 ratio (~522 ppi density) |
| Size | 6.73 inches, 109.4 cm2 (~89.6% screen-to-body ratio) | 6.73 inches, 108.9 cm2 (~89.0% screen-to-body ratio) |
| Type | LTPO AMOLED, 1B colors, 120Hz, Dolby Vision, HDR10+, 1000 nits (HBM), 1500 nits (peak) | LTPO2 AMOLED, 1B colors, 120Hz, Dolby Vision, HDR10+, 1000 nits (HBM), 1500 nits (peak) |
| Platform | ||
|---|---|---|
| CPU | Octa-core (1x3.19 GHz Cortex-X2 & 3x2.75 GHz Cortex-A710 & 4x1.80 GHz Cortex-A510) | Octa-core (1x3.19 GHz Cortex-X2 & 3x2.75 GHz Cortex-A710 & 4x1.80 GHz Cortex-A510) |
| Chipset | Qualcomm SM8475 Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 (4 nm) | Qualcomm SM8475 Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 (4 nm) |
| GPU | Adreno 730 | Adreno 730 |
| OS | Android 12, MIUI 13 | Android 12, MIUI 13 |
| Memory | ||
|---|---|---|
| Card slot | No | No |
| Internal | 128GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 12GB RAM, 512GB 12GB RAM | 256GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 12GB RAM, 512GB 12GB RAM |
| UFS 3.1 | UFS 3.1 | |
| Main Camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Features | Leica lens, color spectrum sensor, Dual-LED dual-tone flash, HDR, panorama | Laser AF, color spectrum sensor, Leica lenses, Dual-LED flash, HDR, panorama |
| Single | 32 MP, f/2.5, 26mm (wide), 0.7µm | 32 MP, f/2.4, 25mm (wide), 0.7µm |
| Triple | 50 MP, f/1.9, 24mm (wide), 1/1.28", 1.22µm, dual pixel PDAF, OIS 50 MP, f/1.9, 50mm (telephoto), PDAF, 2x optical zoom 50 MP, f/2.2, 115˚ (ultrawide) | 50 MP, f/1.9, 23mm (wide), 1.0"-type, 1.6µm, dual pixel PDAF, OIS 48 MP, f/4.1, 120mm (periscope telephoto), 1/2.0", 0.8µm, PDAF, OIS, 5x optical zoom 48 MP, f/2.2, 13mm, 128˚ (ultrawide), 1/2.0", 0.8µm, dual pixel PDAF TOF 3D, (depth) |
| Video | 8K@24fps (HDR), 4K@30/60fps (HDR10+), 1080p@30/120/240/960fps, 720p@1920fps, gyro-EIS | 8K@24fps, 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/120/240fps, 720p@3840fps, gyro-EIS, Dolby Vision HDR 10-bit rec. (4K, 1080p) |
| Selfie camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Features | HDR, panorama | HDR, panorama |
| Single | 32 MP, f/2.5, 26mm (wide), 0.7µm | 32 MP, f/2.4, 25mm (wide), 0.7µm |
| Video | 1080p@30/60fps, 720p@120fps, HDR10+ | 1080p@30fps |
| Sound | ||
|---|---|---|
| 3.5mm jack | No | No |
| 35mm jack | No | No |
| Loudspeaker | Yes, with stereo speakers | Yes, with stereo speakers |
| 24-bit/192kHz audio Tuned by Harman Kardon | 24-bit/192kHz audio Tuned by Harman Kardon | |
| Comms | ||
|---|---|---|
| Bluetooth | 5.2, A2DP, LE, aptX HD, aptX Adaptive | 5.2, A2DP, LE, aptX HD, aptX Adaptive |
| Infrared port | Yes | Yes |
| NFC | Yes | Yes |
| Positioning | GPS (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) |
| Radio | No | No |
| USB | USB Type-C 2.0, OTG | USB Type-C 2.0, OTG |
| WLAN | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6e, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6e, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct, DLNA |
| Features | ||
|---|---|---|
| Sensors | Fingerprint (under display, optical), accelerometer, gyro, compass | Fingerprint (under display, optical), accelerometer, gyro, compass, barometer |
| Virtual proximity sensing | Virtual proximity sensing | |
| Battery | ||
|---|---|---|
| Charging | 120W wired, PD3.0, QC4, 100% in 19 min 50W wireless, 100% in 42 min 10W reverse wireless | 67W wired, PD3.0, QC4, 100% in 41 min 50W wireless, 100% in 52 min 10W reverse wireless |
| Type | Li-Po 4600 mAh | Li-Po 4860 mAh |
| Misc | ||
|---|---|---|
| Colors | Gray, White, Purple, Green | Black, Dark Green |
| Models | 2206122SC | 2203121C |
| Price | About 670 EUR | $ 288.00 |
| Tests | ||
|---|---|---|
| Battery life | - | Endurance rating 93h |
| Camera | - | Photo / Video |
| Display | - | Contrast ratio: Infinite (nominal) |
| Loudspeaker | - | -25.6 LUFS (Very good) |
| Performance | - | AnTuTu: 1039412 (v9) GeekBench: 4300 (v5.1) GFXBench: 51fps (ES 3.1 onscreen) |
Xiaomi 12S Pro
- Incredibly fast 120W wired charging
- Slightly more compact design
- Excellent performance
- Premium build quality
- Camera not as impressive as the Ultra
- Battery life could be better
- Availability outside China may be limited
Xiaomi 12S Ultra
- Exceptional camera system with large sensor
- Outstanding battery life
- Bright and vibrant display
- Premium build quality
- Slower charging speeds compared to the Pro
- Larger and heavier design
- Availability outside China may be limited
Display Comparison
The Xiaomi 12S Ultra takes the display crown with its higher peak brightness (1065 nits vs 1000 nits estimated for the Pro) and an impressive infinite contrast ratio. While both phones feature excellent AMOLED panels with 120Hz refresh rates, the Ultra's superior brightness makes it more visible in direct sunlight. The Pro's slightly smaller size might be preferred by some.
Camera Comparison
This is where the 12S Ultra truly shines. It features a significantly larger main sensor (likely a 1-inch type sensor) and a more versatile camera system overall. The Pro's camera is still excellent, but the Ultra offers superior image quality, especially in low light, and greater zoom capabilities. Video recording capabilities are also likely to be enhanced on the Ultra.
Performance
Both devices are powered by the Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1, ensuring blazing-fast performance for any task. Real-world performance differences will be minimal, with both handling demanding games and multitasking with ease. Cooling solutions might vary slightly, potentially impacting sustained performance under heavy load, but this is difficult to quantify without testing.
Battery Life
The 12S Ultra boasts an exceptional endurance rating of 93 hours, significantly outperforming the 12S Pro. While the Pro's 120W wired charging is incredibly fast (19 minutes to 100%), the Ultra's larger battery provides longer usage time between charges. The wireless charging speeds are comparable.
Buying Guide
The Xiaomi 12S Pro is ideal for users who want a powerful, fast-charging phone with a premium feel and don't prioritize having the absolute best camera system. The Xiaomi 12S Ultra is perfect for photography lovers, content creators, and those who need exceptional battery life and a larger, more immersive display.