Xiaomi 12S vs Honor Magic4 Pro: A Deep Dive into Performance, Charging, and Camera Capabilities
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🏆 Quick Verdict
For most users, the Xiaomi 12S emerges as the stronger choice. Its Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 chipset delivers superior sustained performance and thermal management compared to the Magic4 Pro’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 1, making it ideal for demanding tasks and gaming. While the Magic4 Pro boasts faster wired charging, the 12S’s overall package offers a better balance of power and efficiency.
| PHONES | ||
|---|---|---|
| Phone Names | Xiaomi 12S | Honor Magic4 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, 18, 19, 26, 34, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42 | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 17, 18, 19, 20, 26, 28, 34, 38, 39, 40, 41 - China |
| 5G bands | 1, 3, 5, 8, 28, 38, 40, 41, 77, 78 SA/NSA | 1, 3, 5, 8, 28, 38, 41, 77, 78, 79 SA/NSA - China |
| 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, February 28 |
| Status | Available. Released 2022, July 07 | Available. Released 2022, April 09 |
| Body | ||
|---|---|---|
| Build | Glass front (Gorilla Glass Victus), glass back or eco leather back, aluminum frame | Glass front, aluminum frame, glass back |
| Dimensions | 152.7 x 69.9 x 8.2 mm or 8.7 mm | 163.6 x 74.7 x 9.1 mm or 9.2 mm |
| SIM | Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM | · Nano-SIM + eSIM· Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM |
| Weight | 179 g / 182 g (6.31 oz) | 209 g / 215 g (7.37 oz) |
| - | IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 1.5m for 30 min) | |
| Display | ||
|---|---|---|
| Protection | Corning Gorilla Glass Victus | Aluminosilicate glass |
| Resolution | 1080 x 2400 pixels, 20:9 ratio (~419 ppi density) | 1312 x 2848 pixels, 19.5:9 ratio (~460 ppi density) |
| Size | 6.28 inches, 95.2 cm2 (~89.2% screen-to-body ratio) | 6.81 inches, 113.7 cm2 (~93.0% screen-to-body ratio) |
| Type | AMOLED, 68B colors, 120Hz, Dolby Vision, HDR10+, 1100 nits (peak) | LTPO OLED, 1B colors, 120Hz, HDR10+, 1000 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, Magic UI 6 |
| 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 | - | |
| Main Camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Features | Leica lens, color spectrum sensor, Dual-LED dual-tone flash, HDR, panorama | Laser AF, color spectrum sensor, LED flash, HDR, panorama |
| Single | 32 MP, f/2.5, 26mm (wide), 0.7µm | 12 MP, f/2.4, 100˚ (ultrawide), 1.22µm TOF 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 | 50 MP, f/1.8, 23mm (wide), 1/1.56", 1.0µm, multi-directional PDAF 50 MP, f/2.2, 122˚ (ultrawide), 1/2.5", AF 64 MP, f/3.5, 90mm (periscope telephoto), 1/2.0", 0.7µm, PDAF, OIS, 3.5x optical zoom TOF 3D (depth) |
| Video | 8K@24fps, 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60fps, 720p@1920fps, gyro-EIS | 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60fps, gyro-EIS, HDR10, 10-bit video |
| Selfie camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Features | HDR, panorama | HDR |
| Single | 32 MP, f/2.5, 26mm (wide), 0.7µm | 12 MP, f/2.4, 100˚ (ultrawide), 1.22µm TOF 3D, (depth/biometrics sensor) |
| Video | 1080p@30/60fps, 720p@120fps, HDR | 4K@30fps, 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 audio stereo recording | |
| Comms | ||
|---|---|---|
| Bluetooth | 5.2, A2DP, LE, aptX HD, aptX Adaptive | 5.2, A2DP, LE, aptX HD |
| 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) |
| Radio | No | No |
| USB | USB Type-C 2.0, OTG | USB Type-C 3.1, 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/6, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct |
| Features | ||
|---|---|---|
| Sensors | Fingerprint (under display, optical), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass | Fingerprint (under display, ultrasonic), Face ID, accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass |
| Battery | ||
|---|---|---|
| Charging | 67W wired, PD3.0, QC4, 100% in 42 min 50W wireless, 100% in 57 min 10W reverse wireless | 100W wired, 100% in 30 min 100W wireless, 50% in 15 min Reverse wireless 5W reverse wired |
| Type | Li-Po 4500 mAh | Li-Po 4600 mAh |
| Misc | ||
|---|---|---|
| Colors | Gray, White, Purple, Green | Black, White, Cyan, Gold, Orange |
| Models | 2206123SC | LGE-NX9, LGE-N49B, LGE-N19B, LGE-AN10, GBD-NX9 |
| Price | About 570 EUR | € 469.41 / £ 397.48 |
| Tests | ||
|---|---|---|
| Battery life | - | Endurance rating 82h |
| Camera | - | Photo / Video |
| Display | - | Contrast ratio: Infinite (nominal) |
| Loudspeaker | - | -23.6 LUFS (Very good) |
| Performance | - | AnTuTu: 980755 (v9) GeekBench: 3512 (v5.1) GFXBench: 59fps (ES 3.1 onscreen) |
Xiaomi 12S
- Superior chipset performance (Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1)
- Better thermal management for sustained performance
- Faster reverse wireless charging
- Slower wired charging compared to Magic4 Pro
- Potentially lower peak display brightness
Honor Magic4 Pro
- Extremely fast 100W wired charging
- Very bright display (957 nits)
- Fast 100W wireless charging
- Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 prone to thermal throttling
- Slower reverse charging options
Display Comparison
The Honor Magic4 Pro boasts a significantly brighter display, reaching a measured 957 nits. While the Xiaomi 12S’s peak brightness isn’t specified, it’s likely lower. Both devices likely utilize high refresh rate panels, but the Magic4 Pro’s infinite contrast ratio suggests a superior OLED panel. The lack of PWM frequency data for the 12S makes it difficult to assess its suitability for users sensitive to flicker, a detail often highlighted in Honor’s displays.
Camera Comparison
Both phones are described as having capable photo and video capabilities, but specific sensor details are missing. Without knowing sensor sizes, apertures, or OIS implementation, a direct comparison is difficult. However, given Honor’s history, the Magic4 Pro likely emphasizes computational photography and vibrant color profiles, while Xiaomi often leans towards a more natural look. The absence of details on secondary cameras (ultrawide, telephoto) prevents a comprehensive assessment. The focus should be on main sensor performance, as that dictates the bulk of image quality.
Performance
The core difference lies in the chipsets. The Xiaomi 12S features the Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 (4nm), a refined version of the Magic4 Pro’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 (4nm). The 8+ Gen 1’s higher clock speed on the Cortex-X2 core (3.19 GHz vs 3.00 GHz) and improved efficiency translate to better sustained performance and reduced thermal throttling. While both utilize the same CPU core configuration (1x Cortex-X2, 3x Cortex-A710, 4x Cortex-A510), the 8+ Gen 1’s architecture provides a clear advantage for prolonged intensive tasks. The 12S’s chipset is more likely to maintain peak performance during extended gaming sessions.
Battery Life
Both devices achieve an endurance rating of 82 hours, suggesting similar real-world battery life despite differing battery capacities (not specified). However, the charging speeds are drastically different. The Honor Magic4 Pro’s 100W wired charging can fully charge the device in just 30 minutes, a significant advantage. The Xiaomi 12S’s 67W wired charging takes 42 minutes. The Magic4 Pro also offers 100W wireless charging (50% in 15 minutes) compared to the 12S’s 50W wireless charging (100% in 57 minutes). The 12S offers 10W reverse wireless charging, while the Magic4 Pro provides 5W reverse wired charging, making the 12S more versatile for topping up accessories.
Buying Guide
Buy the Xiaomi 12S if you prioritize sustained gaming performance, efficient power consumption, and a more compact form factor. You'll benefit from the Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1's thermal advantages. Buy the Honor Magic4 Pro if you absolutely need the fastest possible wired charging speeds and value a very bright display, and are willing to potentially accept some thermal throttling under heavy load.