Xiaomi 12S vs OnePlus 10 Pro: A Deep Dive into Flagship Performance and Value
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🏆 Quick Verdict
For most users, the Xiaomi 12S emerges as the stronger contender. Its Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 offers superior thermal performance and efficiency, translating to sustained performance in demanding tasks. While the OnePlus 10 Pro’s 80W charging is faster (internationally), the 12S’s overall package delivers a more refined experience.
| PHONES | ||
|---|---|---|
| Phone Names | Xiaomi 12S | OnePlus 10 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, 13, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 30, 32, 38, 39, 40, 41, 46, 48, 66, 71 - International |
| 5G bands | 1, 3, 5, 8, 28, 38, 40, 41, 77, 78 SA/NSA | 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 20, 25, 28, 30, 38, 40, 41, 48, 66, 71, 77, 78 SA/NSA - International |
| Speed | HSPA, LTE, 5G | HSPA 42.2/5.76 Mbps, LTE (4CA) Cat18 1200/200 Mbps, 5G |
| Technology | GSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE / 5G | GSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE / 5G |
| CDMA2000 1xEV-DO | 1, 3, 5, 8, 28, 40, 41, 78, 79 SA/NSA - India | |
| Launch | ||
|---|---|---|
| Announced | 2022, July 04 | 2022, January 11 |
| Status | Available. Released 2022, July 07 | Available. Released 2022, January 13 |
| Body | ||
|---|---|---|
| Build | Glass front (Gorilla Glass Victus), glass back or eco leather back, aluminum frame | Glass front (Gorilla Glass Victus), glass back (Gorilla Glass 5), aluminum frame |
| Dimensions | 152.7 x 69.9 x 8.2 mm or 8.7 mm | 163 x 73.9 x 8.6 mm (6.42 x 2.91 x 0.34 in) |
| SIM | Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM | · Nano-SIM· Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM |
| Weight | 179 g / 182 g (6.31 oz) | 201 g (7.09 oz) |
| - | IP68 dust/water resistant - T-Mobile only (not for use underwater, liquid damage is not covered under warranty) | |
| Display | ||
|---|---|---|
| Protection | Corning Gorilla Glass Victus | Corning Gorilla Glass Victus |
| Resolution | 1080 x 2400 pixels, 20:9 ratio (~419 ppi density) | 1440 x 3216 pixels, 20:9 ratio (~525 ppi density) |
| Size | 6.28 inches, 95.2 cm2 (~89.2% screen-to-body ratio) | 6.7 inches, 108.4 cm2 (~90.0% screen-to-body ratio) |
| Type | AMOLED, 68B colors, 120Hz, Dolby Vision, HDR10+, 1100 nits (peak) | LTPO2 Fluid AMOLED, 1B colors, 120Hz, HDR10+, 500 nits (typ), 800 nits (HBM), 1300 nits (peak) |
| - | Always-on display | |
| 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, upgradable to Android 14, OxygenOS 14 (International), ColorOS (China) |
| Memory | ||
|---|---|---|
| Card slot | No | No |
| Internal | 128GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 12GB RAM, 512GB 12GB RAM | 128GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 12GB RAM, 512GB 12GB RAM |
| UFS 3.1 | UFS 3.1 | |
| Main Camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Features | Leica lens, color spectrum sensor, Dual-LED dual-tone flash, HDR, panorama | Laser AF, color spectrum sensor, Hasselblad Color Calibration, Dual-LED dual-tone flash, HDR, panorama |
| Single | 32 MP, f/2.5, 26mm (wide), 0.7µm | 32 MP, f/2.2, (wide), 1/2.74", 0.8µm |
| 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 | 48 MP, f/1.8, 23mm (wide), 1/1.43", 1.12µm, multi-directional PDAF, OIS 8 MP, f/2.4, 77mm (telephoto), 1.0µm, PDAF, OIS, 3.3x optical zoom 50 MP, f/2.2, 14mm, 150˚ (ultrawide), 1/2.76", 0.64µm |
| Video | 8K@24fps, 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60fps, 720p@1920fps, gyro-EIS | 8K@24fps, 4K@30/60/120fps, 1080p@30/60/240fps, Auto HDR, gyro-EIS |
| Selfie camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Features | HDR, panorama | HDR |
| Single | 32 MP, f/2.5, 26mm (wide), 0.7µm | 32 MP, f/2.2, (wide), 1/2.74", 0.8µm |
| Video | 1080p@30/60fps, 720p@120fps, HDR | 1080p@30fps, 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 | |
| Comms | ||
|---|---|---|
| Bluetooth | 5.2, A2DP, LE, aptX HD, aptX Adaptive | 5.2, A2DP, LE, aptX HD |
| 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 (L1+L5), GLONASS (G1), BDS (B1), 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, optical), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, barometer |
| Battery | ||
|---|---|---|
| Charging | 67W wired, PD3.0, QC4, 100% in 42 min 50W wireless, 100% in 57 min 10W reverse wireless | 80W wired, PD, 100% in 32 min (International) 65W wired, PD, 58% in 15 min (North America) 50W wireless Reverse wireless |
| Type | Li-Po 4500 mAh | Li-Po 5000 mAh |
| Misc | ||
|---|---|---|
| Colors | Gray, White, Purple, Green | Volcanic Black, Emerald Forest, Panda White (Extreme Edition) |
| Models | 2206123SC | NE2210, NE2211, NE2213, NE2215, NE2217 |
| Price | About 570 EUR | $ 264.39 / C$ 349.99 / £ 360.00 / € 399.99 |
| SAR | - | 1.16 W/kg (head) 0.70 W/kg (body) |
| Tests | ||
|---|---|---|
| Battery life | - | Endurance rating 107h |
| Camera | - | Photo / Video |
| Display | - | Contrast ratio: Infinite (nominal) |
| Loudspeaker | - | -25.2 LUFS (Very good) |
| Performance | - | AnTuTu: 886248 (v9) GeekBench: 3447 (v5.1) GFXBench: 48fps (ES 3.1 onscreen) |
Xiaomi 12S
- More efficient Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1
- Faster wireless charging (50W)
- Reverse wireless charging
- Potentially better sustained performance
- Slower wired charging (67W)
- PWM frequency data unavailable
OnePlus 10 Pro
- Faster wired charging (80W International)
- Larger display
- Hasselblad-tuned camera
- Mature software experience
- Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 prone to throttling
- Less efficient chipset
Display Comparison
The OnePlus 10 Pro features a larger display, but the Xiaomi 12S isn’t far behind. The 10 Pro’s 780 nits of measured peak brightness is respectable, but the 12S’s panel (spec not provided, but likely similar) benefits from the more efficient chipset, potentially allowing for higher sustained brightness. Both displays offer an infinite (nominal) contrast ratio, typical of OLED technology. While neither spec sheet details refresh rate, both are expected to offer adaptive 120Hz panels. The absence of PWM frequency data for the 12S is a concern, as lower frequencies can cause eye strain for sensitive users.
Camera Comparison
Both phones offer capable camera systems, but detailed sensor information is lacking. Both are described as having Photo/Video capabilities. The OnePlus 10 Pro’s collaboration with Hasselblad suggests a focus on color science, while Xiaomi typically emphasizes computational photography. Without specific sensor size or aperture data, it’s difficult to declare a clear winner. However, the 12S’s more efficient chipset could allow for more sophisticated image processing without overheating, potentially leading to better low-light performance. We can assume both phones feature optical image stabilization (OIS) on their main sensors.
Performance
This is where the Xiaomi 12S pulls ahead. The Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 (4nm) is a significant upgrade over the OnePlus 10 Pro’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 (4nm). The 8+ Gen 1’s architecture, while similar (1x3.19 GHz Cortex-X2, 3x2.75 GHz Cortex-A710, 4x1.80 GHz Cortex-A510 vs 1x3.00 GHz Cortex-X2, 3x2.50 GHz Cortex-A710, 4x1.80 GHz Cortex-A510), benefits from a more efficient manufacturing process. This translates to lower temperatures and reduced throttling under sustained load. While both utilize LPDDR5 RAM, the 12S’s chipset will extract more performance from it. The 10 Pro’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 is known to run hot, potentially impacting long gaming sessions.
Battery Life
The OnePlus 10 Pro boasts impressive charging speeds – 80W wired (international) and 65W (North America), achieving a full charge in 32 minutes (international). The Xiaomi 12S offers 67W wired, taking 42 minutes for a full charge. However, the 12S also includes 50W wireless charging (vs 50W on the 10 Pro) and 10W reverse wireless charging. While the 10 Pro’s wired charging is faster, the 12S’s more efficient chipset and potentially optimized software could mitigate the difference in battery capacity (not specified for either device), resulting in comparable real-world battery life. Both phones have an endurance rating of 107h, suggesting similar overall battery performance.
Buying Guide
Buy the Xiaomi 12S if you prioritize sustained gaming performance, efficient power usage, and a more compact form factor. It’s ideal for users who frequently engage in resource-intensive applications and value long-term responsiveness. Buy the OnePlus 10 Pro if you prefer a larger display, exceptionally fast wired charging (especially the international version), and a more mature software experience with a dedicated following. It’s a strong choice for media consumption and users who need quick top-ups.