Xiaomi 12S Ultra vs Xiaomi 12: A Detailed Showdown
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🏆 Quick Verdict
The Xiaomi 12S Ultra is the clear winner for camera enthusiasts and those prioritizing battery life. Its superior camera system and longer endurance outweigh the Xiaomi 12's slightly faster charging. However, the Xiaomi 12 remains a compelling option for those seeking a more compact and slightly more affordable flagship.
| PHONES | ||
|---|---|---|
| Phone Names | Xiaomi 12S Ultra | Xiaomi 12 |
| 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, 13, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 32, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 48, 66 - International |
| 5G bands | 1, 3, 5, 8, 28, 38, 40, 41, 77, 78, 79 SA/NSA | 1, 3, 5, 7, 8, 20, 28, 38, 40, 41, 66, 77, 78, 79 SA/NSA - International |
| Speed | HSPA, LTE, 5G | HSPA, LTE, 5G |
| Technology | GSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE / 5G | GSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE / 5G |
| CDMA2000 1xEV-DO | 1, 3, 5, 8, 28, 41, 77, 78, 79 SA/NSA - China | |
| Launch | ||
|---|---|---|
| Announced | 2022, July 04 | 2021, December 28 |
| Status | Available. Released 2022, July 09 | Available. Released 2021, December 31 |
| Body | ||
|---|---|---|
| Build | Glass front (Gorilla Glass Victus), eco leather back, aluminum frame | Glass front (Gorilla Glass Victus), glass back (Gorilla Glass 5), aluminum frame |
| Dimensions | 163.2 x 75 x 9.1 mm (6.43 x 2.95 x 0.36 in) | 152.7 x 69.9 x 8.2 mm (6.01 x 2.75 x 0.32 in) |
| SIM | Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM | Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM |
| Weight | 225 g (7.94 oz) | 179 g or 180 g (6.31 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 (~522 ppi density) | 1080 x 2400 pixels, 20:9 ratio (~419 ppi density) |
| Size | 6.73 inches, 108.9 cm2 (~89.0% screen-to-body ratio) | 6.28 inches, 95.2 cm2 (~89.2% screen-to-body ratio) |
| Type | LTPO2 AMOLED, 1B colors, 120Hz, Dolby Vision, HDR10+, 1000 nits (HBM), 1500 nits (peak) | AMOLED, 68B colors, 120Hz, Dolby Vision, HDR10+, 1100 nits (peak) |
| Platform | ||
|---|---|---|
| CPU | Octa-core (1x3.19 GHz Cortex-X2 & 3x2.75 GHz Cortex-A710 & 4x1.80 GHz Cortex-A510) | Octa-core (1x3.00 GHz Cortex-X2 & 3x2.50 GHz Cortex-A710 & 4x1.80 GHz Cortex-A510) |
| Chipset | Qualcomm SM8475 Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 (4 nm) | Qualcomm SM8450 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 | 256GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 12GB RAM, 512GB 12GB RAM | 128GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 12GB RAM |
| UFS 3.1 | UFS 3.1 | |
| Main Camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Features | Laser AF, color spectrum sensor, Leica lenses, Dual-LED flash, HDR, panorama | Color spectrum sensor, Dual-LED dual-tone flash, HDR, panorama |
| Single | 32 MP, f/2.4, 25mm (wide), 0.7µm | 32 MP, f/2.5, 26mm (wide), 0.7µm |
| Triple | 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) | 50 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), AF |
| Video | 8K@24fps, 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/120/240fps, 720p@3840fps, gyro-EIS, Dolby Vision HDR 10-bit rec. (4K, 1080p) | 8K@24fps (HDR), 4K@30/60fps (HDR10+), 1080p@30/120/240/960fps, 720p@1920fps, gyro-EIS |
| Selfie camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Features | HDR, panorama | HDR, panorama |
| Single | 32 MP, f/2.4, 25mm (wide), 0.7µm | 32 MP, f/2.5, 26mm (wide), 0.7µm |
| Video | 1080p@30fps | 1080p@30/60fps, 720p@120fps, HDR |
| 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 (market/region dependent) |
| 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, DLNA | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6 or 6e (market dependent), dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct |
| Features | ||
|---|---|---|
| Sensors | Fingerprint (under display, optical), accelerometer, gyro, compass, barometer | Fingerprint (under display, optical), accelerometer, gyro, compass |
| Virtual proximity sensing | Virtual Proximity Sensing | |
| Battery | ||
|---|---|---|
| Charging | 67W wired, PD3.0, QC4, 100% in 41 min 50W wireless, 100% in 52 min 10W reverse wireless | 67W wired, PD3.0, QC4, 100% in 39 min 50W wireless, 100% in 53 min 10W reverse wireless |
| Type | Li-Po 4860 mAh | Li-Po 4500 mAh |
| Misc | ||
|---|---|---|
| Colors | Black, Dark Green | Gray, Blue, Purple, Green |
| Models | 2203121C | 2201123G, 2201123C |
| Price | $ 288.00 | $ 284.99 / € 149.99 |
| SAR | - | 1.09 W/kg (head) 0.91 W/kg (body) |
| SAR EU | - | 0.60 W/kg (head) 1.00 W/kg (body) |
| Tests | ||
|---|---|---|
| Battery life | Endurance rating 93h | Endurance rating 82h |
| Camera | Photo / Video | Photo / Video |
| Display | Contrast ratio: Infinite (nominal) | Contrast ratio: Infinite (nominal) |
| Loudspeaker | -25.6 LUFS (Very good) | -25.3 LUFS (Very good) |
| Performance | AnTuTu: 1039412 (v9) GeekBench: 4300 (v5.1) GFXBench: 51fps (ES 3.1 onscreen) | AnTuTu: 985115 (v9) GeekBench: 3652 (v5.1) GFXBench: 75fps (ES 3.1 onscreen) |
Xiaomi 12S Ultra
- Superior Camera System
- Brighter Display
- Longer Battery Life
- Better Thermal Management
- Larger Size
- Potentially Higher Price
Xiaomi 12
- More Compact Design
- Slightly Faster Wired Charging
- Potentially Lower Price
- Less Impressive Camera
- Shorter Battery Life
- Potential for Thermal Throttling
Display Comparison
The Xiaomi 12S Ultra boasts a significantly brighter display at 1065 nits compared to the Xiaomi 12's 896 nits. While both offer excellent contrast ratios (nominally infinite), the Ultra's higher brightness provides better visibility in direct sunlight. Both utilize AMOLED technology with vibrant colors and smooth refresh rates, but the Ultra's extra brightness gives it a noticeable edge.
Camera Comparison
This is where the 12S Ultra truly shines. It features a significantly more advanced camera system, typically including a larger primary sensor (often a 1-inch sensor), enhanced zoom capabilities, and improved low-light performance. The Xiaomi 12's camera is still excellent, but it doesn't match the Ultra's capabilities. Expect noticeably better image quality and versatility from the 12S Ultra.
Performance
Both phones are powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon chips – the 12S Ultra with the 8+ Gen 1 and the 12 with the 8 Gen 1. While both are incredibly powerful, the 8+ Gen 1 in the 12S Ultra generally exhibits better thermal management and sustained performance, especially during demanding tasks. The CPU specs are similar, but the 8+ Gen 1's efficiency gives it a slight advantage.
Battery Life
The Xiaomi 12S Ultra holds a clear advantage in battery life, boasting an endurance rating of 93 hours compared to the Xiaomi 12's 82 hours. While both offer 67W wired and 50W wireless charging, the 12S Ultra's larger battery capacity contributes to its longer runtime.
Buying Guide
Who should buy the Xiaomi 12S Ultra? Photography lovers, power users needing extended battery life, and those who appreciate a larger, more immersive display. Who should buy the Xiaomi 12? Users preferring a more compact design, those prioritizing slightly faster wired charging, and those looking for a flagship experience at a potentially lower price point.