Xiaomi 12S Ultra vs. Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra: A Detailed Showdown
Xiaomi consistently delivers impressive flagship phones, and the 12S Ultra and Mi 11 Ultra are prime examples. Both boast stunning cameras and powerful performance, but which one truly comes out on top? This comprehensive comparison will delve into every aspect, helping you decide which device best suits your needs.
| Phones Images | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
🏆 Quick Verdict
The Xiaomi 12S Ultra edges out the Mi 11 Ultra thanks to its significantly more powerful Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 chipset and brighter display. While the Mi 11 Ultra offers slightly better battery endurance, the 12S Ultra's overall performance and camera improvements make it the superior choice for most users.
| PHONES | ||
|---|---|---|
| Phone Names | Xiaomi 12S Ultra | Xiaomi Mi 11 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 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, 20, 28, 32, 38, 40, 41, 42, 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, 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, 28, 41, 77, 78, 79 SA/NSA - China | |
| Launch | ||
|---|---|---|
| Announced | 2022, July 04 | 2021, March 29 |
| Status | Available. Released 2022, July 09 | Available. Released 2021, April 02 |
| Body | ||
|---|---|---|
| Build | Glass front (Gorilla Glass Victus), eco leather back, aluminum frame | Glass front (Gorilla Glass Victus), ceramic back, aluminum frame |
| Dimensions | 163.2 x 75 x 9.1 mm (6.43 x 2.95 x 0.36 in) | 164.3 x 74.6 x 8.4 mm (6.47 x 2.94 x 0.33 in) |
| SIM | Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM | Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM |
| Weight | 225 g (7.94 oz) | 234 g (8.25 oz) |
| IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 1.5m for 30 min) | 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 (~515 ppi density) |
| Size | 6.73 inches, 108.9 cm2 (~89.0% screen-to-body ratio) | 6.81 inches, 112.0 cm2 (~91.4% screen-to-body ratio) |
| Type | LTPO2 AMOLED, 1B colors, 120Hz, Dolby Vision, HDR10+, 1000 nits (HBM), 1500 nits (peak) | AMOLED, 1B colors, 120Hz, HDR10+, Dolby Vision, 900 nits (HBM), 1700 nits (peak) |
| Platform | ||
|---|---|---|
| CPU | Octa-core (1x3.19 GHz Cortex-X2 & 3x2.75 GHz Cortex-A710 & 4x1.80 GHz Cortex-A510) | Octa-core (1x2.84 GHz Cortex-X1 & 3x2.42 GHz Cortex-A78 & 4x1.80 GHz Cortex-A55) |
| Chipset | Qualcomm SM8475 Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 (4 nm) | Qualcomm SM8350 Snapdragon 888 5G (5 nm) |
| GPU | Adreno 730 | Adreno 660 |
| OS | Android 12, MIUI 13 | Android 11, upgradable to Android 13, MIUI 14 |
| Memory | ||
|---|---|---|
| Card slot | No | No |
| Internal | 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 | Laser AF, color spectrum sensor, Leica lenses, Dual-LED flash, HDR, panorama | Laser AF, color spectrum sensor, Dual-LED flash, HDR, panorama, 1.1” AMOLED selfie display |
| Single | 32 MP, f/2.4, 25mm (wide), 0.7µm | 20 MP, f/2.2, 27mm (wide), 1/3.4", 0.8µm |
| 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/2.0, 24mm (wide), 1/1.12", 1.4µm, 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, 12mm, 128˚ (ultrawide), 1/2.0", 0.8µm, PDAF |
| 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, 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/120/240/960/1920fps, gyro-EIS, HDR10+ rec. |
| Selfie camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Features | HDR, panorama | HDR, panorama |
| Single | 32 MP, f/2.4, 25mm (wide), 0.7µm | 20 MP, f/2.2, 27mm (wide), 1/3.4", 0.8µm |
| Video | 1080p@30fps | 1080p@30/60fps, 720p@120fps, gyro-EIS |
| 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, DLNA | 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, 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 36 min 67W wireless, 100% in 39 min 10W reverse wireless |
| Type | Li-Po 4860 mAh | Li-Po 5000 mAh |
| Misc | ||
|---|---|---|
| Colors | Black, Dark Green | Ceramic White (Cosmic White), Ceramic Black (Cosmic Black) |
| Models | 2203121C | M2102K1G, M2102K1C |
| Price | $ 288.00 | About 1500 EUR |
| SAR | - | 1.08 W/kg (head) 0.81 W/kg (body) |
| SAR EU | - | 0.55 W/kg (head) 0.99 W/kg (body) |
| Tests | ||
|---|---|---|
| Battery life | Endurance rating 93h | Endurance rating 95h |
| Camera | Photo / Video | Photo / Video |
| Display | Contrast ratio: Infinite (nominal) | Contrast ratio: Infinite (nominal) |
| Loudspeaker | -25.6 LUFS (Very good) | -24.3 LUFS (Very good) |
| Performance | AnTuTu: 1039412 (v9) GeekBench: 4300 (v5.1) GFXBench: 51fps (ES 3.1 onscreen) | AnTuTu: 688720 (v8) GeekBench: 3191 (v5.1) GFXBench: 33fps (ES 3.1 onscreen) |
| OUR TESTS | ||
|---|---|---|
| Battery (old) | Endurance rating 93h | Endurance rating 95h |
| Camera | Photo / Video | Photo / Video |
| Display | 1065 nits max brightness (measured) | 943 nits max brightness (measured) |
| Loudspeaker | -25.6 LUFS (Very good) | -24.3 LUFS (Very good) |
| Performance | AnTuTu: 1039412 (v9) GeekBench: 4300 (v5.1) GFXBench: 51fps (ES 3.1 onscreen) | AnTuTu: 688720 (v8) GeekBench: 3191 (v5.1) GFXBench: 33fps (ES 3.1 onscreen) |
Xiaomi 12S Ultra
- Superior Performance (Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1)
- Brighter Display (1065 nits)
- Improved Camera System
- Faster Charging
- Slightly lower battery endurance than Mi 11 Ultra
- Potentially higher price
Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra
- Excellent Battery Life (95h endurance)
- Fast Charging (36 min wired)
- Competitive Camera System
- Generally Lower Price (especially used)
- Older Chipset (Snapdragon 888)
- Lower Peak Brightness
- Performance lags behind 12S Ultra
Display Comparison
The Xiaomi 12S Ultra boasts a peak brightness of 1065 nits, significantly brighter than the Mi 11 Ultra's 943 nits. Both feature excellent contrast ratios (infinite nominal), offering vibrant and immersive viewing experiences. The 12S Ultra's higher brightness provides better visibility in direct sunlight.
Camera Comparison
Both phones feature impressive camera systems, but the 12S Ultra's sensor and image processing advancements give it an edge. Expect improved low-light performance, more detailed photos, and better video stabilization on the 12S Ultra. Both offer versatile zoom capabilities.
Performance
The Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 in the 12S Ultra is a substantial upgrade over the Snapdragon 888 in the Mi 11 Ultra. This translates to noticeably faster app loading times, smoother multitasking, and improved gaming performance. The 12S Ultra handles demanding tasks with greater ease.
Battery Life
The Mi 11 Ultra holds a slight advantage in battery endurance, with an endurance rating of 95 hours compared to the 12S Ultra's 93 hours. However, the 12S Ultra's faster charging speeds (both wired and wireless) partially compensate for this difference.
Buying Guide
The Xiaomi 12S Ultra is ideal for photography enthusiasts, gamers, and anyone seeking top-tier performance. The Mi 11 Ultra remains a strong contender for those prioritizing battery life and a slightly lower price point, especially if found at a discounted rate.
Frequently Asked Questions
❓ Is the Xiaomi 12S Ultra worth the upgrade from the Mi 11 Ultra?
If you prioritize performance and camera quality, then yes. The 12S Ultra offers a significant upgrade in both areas. However, if battery life is your top concern and you're on a budget, the Mi 11 Ultra remains a viable option.
❓ Which phone has better video recording capabilities?
The Xiaomi 12S Ultra generally offers better video recording due to its improved image stabilization and processing capabilities. Both phones can record high-quality video, but the 12S Ultra provides a more polished experience.