Xiaomi 12S Ultra vs Xiaomi 12 Pro: The Ultimate Showdown
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🏆 Quick Verdict
The Xiaomi 12S Ultra takes the crown with its superior camera system, more efficient Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 chip, and longer battery life. However, the 12 Pro's blazing-fast 120W charging and slightly lower price point make it a compelling alternative for those prioritizing speed and value.
| PHONES | ||
|---|---|---|
| Phone Names | Xiaomi 12S Ultra | Xiaomi 12 Pro |
| 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, 38, 40, 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, aluminum frame |
| Dimensions | 163.2 x 75 x 9.1 mm (6.43 x 2.95 x 0.36 in) | 163.6 x 74.6 x 8.2 mm (6.44 x 2.94 x 0.32 in) |
| SIM | Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM | Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM |
| Weight | 225 g (7.94 oz) | 204 g or 205 g (7.20 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) | 1440 x 3200 pixels, 20:9 ratio (~521 ppi density) |
| Size | 6.73 inches, 108.9 cm2 (~89.0% screen-to-body ratio) | 6.73 inches, 109.4 cm2 (~89.6% screen-to-body ratio) |
| Type | LTPO2 AMOLED, 1B colors, 120Hz, Dolby Vision, HDR10+, 1000 nits (HBM), 1500 nits (peak) | LTPO 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 (1x3.00 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, 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) |
| 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, HDR10+ |
| Sound | ||
|---|---|---|
| 3.5mm jack | No | No |
| 35mm jack | No | No |
| Loudspeaker | Yes, with stereo speakers | Yes, with stereo speakers (4 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, barometer |
| 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 | 120W wired, PD3.0, QC4, 100% in 18 min 50W wireless, 100% in 42 min 10W reverse wireless |
| Type | Li-Po 4860 mAh | Li-Po 4600 mAh |
| Misc | ||
|---|---|---|
| Colors | Black, Dark Green | Gray, Blue, Purple, Green |
| Models | 2203121C | 2201122C, 2201122G |
| Price | $ 288.00 | € 317.40 / $ 349.99 / £ 364.66 / ₹ 41,999 |
| SAR | - | 1.09 W/kg (head) 1.05 W/kg (body) |
| SAR EU | - | 0.60 W/kg (head) 1.00 W/kg (body) |
| Tests | ||
|---|---|---|
| Battery life | Endurance rating 93h | Endurance rating 74h |
| Camera | Photo / Video | Photo / Video |
| Display | Contrast ratio: Infinite (nominal) | Contrast ratio: Infinite (nominal) |
| Loudspeaker | -25.6 LUFS (Very good) | -29.5 LUFS (Average) |
| Performance | AnTuTu: 1039412 (v9) GeekBench: 4300 (v5.1) GFXBench: 51fps (ES 3.1 onscreen) | AnTuTu: 985226 (v9) GeekBench: 3682 (v5.1) GFXBench: 46fps (ES 3.1 onscreen) |
Xiaomi 12S Ultra
- Exceptional camera system (1-inch sensor)
- More efficient Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1
- Longer battery life
- Bright and vibrant display
- Wireless charging
- Higher price
- Larger and heavier design
- No microSD card slot
Xiaomi 12 Pro
- Blazing-fast 120W wired charging
- Slightly more compact design
- Lower price
- Excellent display
- Wireless charging
- Less efficient Snapdragon 8 Gen 1
- Shorter battery life
- Camera not as impressive as 12S Ultra
Display Comparison
Both phones boast excellent AMOLED displays with vibrant colors and a 120Hz refresh rate. The 12S Ultra measures a peak brightness of 1065 nits, slightly edging out the 12 Pro's 1050 nits. Both have infinite contrast ratios, providing deep blacks and excellent image quality. The 12 Pro's slightly smaller size might make it more comfortable for some users.
Camera Comparison
This is where the 12S Ultra truly shines. Its larger 1-inch sensor main camera delivers exceptional image quality, particularly in low light. The 12 Pro's camera system is still very capable, but it doesn't match the 12S Ultra's detail and dynamic range. Both offer excellent video recording capabilities.
Performance
The 12S Ultra's Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 offers a noticeable performance advantage over the 12 Pro's Snapdragon 8 Gen 1. The 8+ Gen 1 is more efficient, resulting in smoother multitasking and better sustained performance during demanding tasks. Both phones handle everyday use and gaming with ease, but the 12S Ultra has a slight edge for intensive workloads.
Battery Life
The 12S Ultra's endurance rating of 93h significantly surpasses the 12 Pro's 74h. This translates to noticeably longer battery life in real-world usage. While the 12 Pro's 120W charging is incredibly fast, the 12S Ultra's larger battery means you'll need it less often.
Buying Guide
The Xiaomi 12S Ultra is ideal for photography enthusiasts and power users who demand top-tier performance and battery endurance. The Xiaomi 12 Pro is a great choice for users who value incredibly fast charging, a slightly more compact design, and a more accessible price without sacrificing overall flagship features.