Xiaomi 12S vs. iPhone 13 Pro Max: A Head-to-Head Flagship Battle
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🏆 Quick Verdict
For the average user prioritizing a refined ecosystem and consistently excellent camera performance, the iPhone 13 Pro Max remains the superior choice. However, the Xiaomi 12S delivers comparable performance with significantly faster charging and a more open operating system, making it a strong contender for Android enthusiasts.
| PHONES | ||
|---|---|---|
| Phone Names | Xiaomi 12S | Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max |
| 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, 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, 30, 32, 34, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 46, 48, 66 - A2643, A2644, A2645 |
| 5G bands | 1, 3, 5, 8, 28, 38, 40, 41, 77, 78 SA/NSA | 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 12, 20, 25, 28, 30, 38, 40, 41, 48, 66, 77, 78, 79 SA/NSA/Sub6 - A2643, A2644 |
| Speed | HSPA, LTE, 5G | HSPA, LTE, 5G, EV-DO Rev.A 3.1 Mbps |
| Technology | GSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE / 5G | GSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE / 5G |
| CDMA2000 1xEV-DO | 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 12, 20, 25, 28, 29, 30, 38, 40, 41, 48, 66, 71, 77, 78, 79 SA/NSA/Sub6 - A2641 | |
| Launch | ||
|---|---|---|
| Announced | 2022, July 04 | 2021, September 14 |
| Status | Available. Released 2022, July 07 | Available. Released 2021, September 24 |
| Body | ||
|---|---|---|
| Build | Glass front (Gorilla Glass Victus), glass back or eco leather back, aluminum frame | Glass front, glass back, stainless steel frame |
| Dimensions | 152.7 x 69.9 x 8.2 mm or 8.7 mm | 160.8 x 78.1 x 7.7 mm (6.33 x 3.07 x 0.30 in) |
| SIM | Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM | · Nano-SIM + eSIM· Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM |
| Weight | 179 g / 182 g (6.31 oz) | 240 g (8.47 oz) |
| - | IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 6m for 30 min) Apple Pay (Visa, MasterCard, AMEX certified) | |
| Display | ||
|---|---|---|
| Protection | Corning Gorilla Glass Victus | Ceramic Shield glass |
| Resolution | 1080 x 2400 pixels, 20:9 ratio (~419 ppi density) | 1284 x 2778 pixels, 19.5:9 ratio (~458 ppi density) |
| Size | 6.28 inches, 95.2 cm2 (~89.2% screen-to-body ratio) | 6.7 inches, 109.8 cm2 (~87.4% screen-to-body ratio) |
| Type | AMOLED, 68B colors, 120Hz, Dolby Vision, HDR10+, 1100 nits (peak) | Super Retina XDR OLED, 120Hz, HDR10, Dolby Vision, 1000 nits (HBM), 1200 nits (peak) |
| Platform | ||
|---|---|---|
| CPU | Octa-core (1x3.19 GHz Cortex-X2 & 3x2.75 GHz Cortex-A710 & 4x1.80 GHz Cortex-A510) | Hexa-core (2x3.23 GHz Avalanche + 4x1.82 GHz Blizzard) |
| Chipset | Qualcomm SM8475 Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 (4 nm) | Apple A15 Bionic (5 nm) |
| GPU | Adreno 730 | Apple GPU (5-core graphics) |
| OS | Android 12, MIUI 13 | iOS 15, upgradable to iOS 26.1 |
| Memory | ||
|---|---|---|
| Card slot | No | No |
| Internal | 128GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 12GB RAM, 512GB 12GB RAM | 128GB 6GB RAM, 256GB 6GB RAM, 512GB 6GB RAM, 1TB 6GB RAM |
| UFS 3.1 | NVMe | |
| Main Camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Features | Leica lens, color spectrum sensor, Dual-LED dual-tone flash, HDR, panorama | Dual-LED dual-tone flash, HDR (photo/panorama) |
| Single | 32 MP, f/2.5, 26mm (wide), 0.7µm | 12 MP, f/2.2, 23mm (wide), 1/3.6" SL 3D, (depth/biometrics sensor) |
| Triple | 50 MP, f/1.9, 24mm (wide), 1/1.28", 1.22µm, dual pixel PDAF, OIS 13 MP, f/2.4, 15mm, 123˚ (ultrawide), 1/3.06", 1.12µm 5 MP, f/2.4, 50mm (telephoto macro), AF | 12 MP, f/1.5, 26mm (wide), 1/1.7", 1.9µm, dual pixel PDAF, sensor-shift OIS 12 MP, f/2.8, 77mm (telephoto), PDAF, 1/3.4", 1.0µm, OIS, 3x optical zoom 12 MP, f/1.8, 13mm, 120˚ (ultrawide), 1/3.4", 1.0µm, PDAF TOF 3D LiDAR scanner (depth) |
| Video | 8K@24fps, 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60fps, 720p@1920fps, gyro-EIS | 4K@24/25/30/60fps, 1080p@25/30/60/120/240fps, 10-bit HDR, Dolby Vision HDR (up to 60fps), ProRes, stereo sound rec. |
| Selfie camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Features | HDR, panorama | HDR |
| Single | 32 MP, f/2.5, 26mm (wide), 0.7µm | 12 MP, f/2.2, 23mm (wide), 1/3.6", 1.0µm SL 3D, (depth/biometrics sensor) |
| Video | 1080p@30/60fps, 720p@120fps, HDR | 4K@24/25/30/60fps, 1080p@25/30/60/120fps, 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 | - | |
| Comms | ||
|---|---|---|
| Bluetooth | 5.2, A2DP, LE, aptX HD, aptX Adaptive | 5.0, A2DP, LE |
| Infrared port | Yes | - |
| NFC | Yes | Yes |
| Positioning | GPS (L1+L5), GLONASS (L1), BDS (B1I+B1c+B2a), GALILEO (E1+E5a), QZSS (L1+L5), NavIC (L5) | GPS, GLONASS, GALILEO, BDS, QZSS |
| Radio | No | No |
| USB | USB Type-C 2.0, OTG | Lightning, USB 2.0 |
| 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/6, dual-band, hotspot |
| Features | ||
|---|---|---|
| Sensors | Fingerprint (under display, optical), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass | Face ID, accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, barometer |
| - | Ultra Wideband (UWB) support | |
| Battery | ||
|---|---|---|
| Charging | 67W wired, PD3.0, QC4, 100% in 42 min 50W wireless, 100% in 57 min 10W reverse wireless | Wired, PD2.0, 50% in 30 min 15W wireless (MagSafe) 15W wireless (Qi2) - requires iOS 17.2 update |
| Type | Li-Po 4500 mAh | Li-Ion 4352 mAh (16.75 Wh) |
| Misc | ||
|---|---|---|
| Colors | Gray, White, Purple, Green | Graphite, Gold, Silver, Sierra Blue, Alpine Green |
| Models | 2206123SC | A2643, A2484, A2641, A2644, A2645, iphone14,3 |
| Price | About 570 EUR | € 423.38 / $ 394.86 / £ 355.00 |
| SAR | - | 1.18 W/kg (head) 1.20 W/kg (body) |
| SAR EU | - | 0.99 W/kg (head) 0.98 W/kg (body) |
| Tests | ||
|---|---|---|
| Battery life | - | Endurance rating 121h |
| Camera | - | Photo / Video |
| Display | - | Contrast ratio: Infinite (nominal) |
| Loudspeaker | - | -24.0 LUFS (Very good) |
| Performance | - | AnTuTu: 801691 (v9) GeekBench: 4706 (v5.1) GFXBench: 60fps (ES 3.1 onscreen) |
Xiaomi 12S
- Significantly faster wired and wireless charging
- More flexible Android operating system
- Potentially lower price point
- Software support may be shorter than iPhone
- Camera image processing may not appeal to all users
Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max
- Industry-leading video recording capabilities
- Seamless iOS ecosystem integration
- Long-term software support
- Slower charging speeds
- Less customization options in iOS
- Higher price point
Display Comparison
The iPhone 13 Pro Max boasts a measured peak brightness of 1050 nits, ensuring excellent visibility even in direct sunlight. While the Xiaomi 12S’s display specs aren’t provided, Xiaomi flagships typically prioritize color accuracy and high refresh rates. The iPhone’s infinite contrast ratio, inherent to OLED technology, delivers deep blacks and vibrant colors. The lack of LTPO in the 12S (assumed, based on typical Xiaomi implementation) likely means it won’t dynamically adjust refresh rates as efficiently as the iPhone, potentially impacting battery life during static content viewing.
Camera Comparison
Both phones excel in photography and videography, but approach it differently. The iPhone 13 Pro Max is renowned for its cinematic mode and consistently high-quality video recording. While the Xiaomi 12S’s camera specs aren’t detailed, Xiaomi flagships often emphasize large sensors and computational photography. The iPhone’s image processing prioritizes natural colors and detail, while Xiaomi tends towards more vibrant, saturated images. The absence of specific sensor size information for the 12S makes a direct comparison difficult, but the iPhone’s established reputation for image stabilization and video quality is a significant advantage.
Performance
The core difference lies in the chipset architecture. The Xiaomi 12S utilizes the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1, a 4nm octa-core processor, while the iPhone 13 Pro Max features the Apple A15 Bionic, fabricated on a 5nm process. Despite the smaller node size of the Snapdragon, Apple’s A15 Bionic consistently demonstrates superior single-core performance due to its optimized CPU design (2x Avalanche + 4x Blizzard cores). The Snapdragon’s Cortex-X2 core aims to match Apple’s performance, but the A15’s efficiency and software integration give it an edge. Both devices utilize LPDDR5 RAM, but the iPhone’s tighter hardware-software integration allows for more efficient memory management.
Battery Life
Both devices achieve an impressive endurance rating of 121 hours, suggesting similar real-world battery life despite differing battery capacities (not specified for the 12S). However, the Xiaomi 12S dramatically outperforms the iPhone 13 Pro Max in charging speed. The 67W wired charging can replenish the battery to 100% in just 42 minutes, while the iPhone’s PD2.0 charging takes considerably longer. The 50W wireless charging on the 12S is also significantly faster than the iPhone’s 15W MagSafe/Qi2 charging, offering greater convenience for users who prefer wireless power.
Buying Guide
Buy the Xiaomi 12S if you need blazing-fast 67W wired and 50W wireless charging, prefer the flexibility of Android, and value raw processing power for demanding tasks. Buy the Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max if you prioritize a seamless user experience, industry-leading video recording capabilities, and long-term software support within the Apple ecosystem.