Xiaomi 12S vs. Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra 5G: A Head-to-Head Flagship Battle
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🏆 Quick Verdict
For most users, the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra 5G offers a more complete package. While the Xiaomi 12S boasts faster charging and a potentially cooler-running Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1, the S22 Ultra’s superior display, more refined camera system, and integrated S Pen functionality justify its higher price for power users.
| PHONES | ||
|---|---|---|
| Phone Names | Xiaomi 12S | Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra 5G |
| 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, 32, 38, 39, 40, 41, 66 - International |
| 5G bands | 1, 3, 5, 8, 28, 38, 40, 41, 77, 78 SA/NSA | 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 12, 20, 25, 28, 38, 40, 41, 66, 75, 77, 78 SA/NSA/Sub6 - International |
| Speed | HSPA, LTE, 5G | HSPA 42.2/5.76 Mbps, LTE (7CA) Cat20 2000/200 Mbps, 5G (5+ Gbps DL) |
| Technology | GSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE / 5G | GSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE / 5G |
| CDMA2000 1xEV-DO | 1, 3, 5, 7, 8, 20, 28, 38, 41, 66, 71, 260, 261 SA/NSA/Sub6/mmWave - USA | |
| Launch | ||
|---|---|---|
| Announced | 2022, July 04 | 2022, February 09 |
| Status | Available. Released 2022, July 07 | Available. Released 2022, February 25 |
| Body | ||
|---|---|---|
| Build | Glass front (Gorilla Glass Victus), glass back or eco leather back, aluminum frame | Glass front (Gorilla Glass Victus+), glass back (Gorilla Glass Victus+), aluminum frame |
| Dimensions | 152.7 x 69.9 x 8.2 mm or 8.7 mm | 163.3 x 77.9 x 8.9 mm (6.43 x 3.07 x 0.35 in) |
| SIM | Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM | · Nano-SIM + eSIM· Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM + eSIM (max 2 at a time) |
| Weight | 179 g / 182 g (6.31 oz) | 228 g / 229 g (mmWave) (8.04 oz) |
| - | IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 1.5m for 30 min) Armor aluminum frame with tougher drop and scratch resistance (advertised) Stylus, 2.8ms latency (Bluetooth integration, accelerometer, gyro) | |
| Display | ||
|---|---|---|
| Protection | Corning Gorilla Glass Victus | Corning Gorilla Glass Victus+ |
| Resolution | 1080 x 2400 pixels, 20:9 ratio (~419 ppi density) | 1440 x 3088 pixels, 19.3:9 ratio (~500 ppi density) |
| Size | 6.28 inches, 95.2 cm2 (~89.2% screen-to-body ratio) | 6.8 inches, 114.7 cm2 (~90.2% screen-to-body ratio) |
| Type | AMOLED, 68B colors, 120Hz, Dolby Vision, HDR10+, 1100 nits (peak) | Dynamic AMOLED 2X, 120Hz, HDR10+, 1750 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 (1x2.8 GHz Cortex-X2 & 3x2.50 GHz Cortex-A710 & 4x1.8 GHz Cortex-A510) - EuropeOcta-core (1x3.00 GHz Cortex-X2 & 3x2.50 GHz Cortex-A710 & 4x1.80 GHz Cortex-A510) - ROW |
| Chipset | Qualcomm SM8475 Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 (4 nm) | Exynos 2200 (4 nm) - EuropeQualcomm SM8450 Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 (4 nm) - ROW |
| GPU | Adreno 730 | Xclipse 920 - EuropeAdreno 730 - ROW |
| OS | Android 12, MIUI 13 | Android 12, up to 4 major Android upgrades, One UI 8 |
| Memory | ||
|---|---|---|
| Card slot | No | No |
| Internal | 128GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 12GB RAM, 512GB 12GB RAM | 128GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 12GB RAM, 512GB 12GB RAM, 1TB 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, LED flash, auto-HDR, panorama |
| Quad | - | 108 MP, f/1.8, 23mm (wide), 1/1.33", 0.8µm, PDAF, OIS 10 MP, f/2.4, 70mm (telephoto), 1/3.52", 1.12µm, PDAF, OIS, 3x optical zoom 10 MP, f/4.9, 230mm (periscope telephoto), 1/3.52", 1.12µm, PDAF, OIS, 10x optical zoom 12 MP, f/2.2, 13mm, 120˚ (ultrawide), 1/2.55", 1.4µm, dual pixel PDAF, Super Steady video |
| Single | 32 MP, f/2.5, 26mm (wide), 0.7µm | - |
| 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 | - |
| Video | 8K@24fps, 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60fps, 720p@1920fps, gyro-EIS | 8K@24fps, 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/120/240fps, HDR10+, stereo sound rec., gyro-EIS |
| Selfie camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Features | HDR, panorama | HDR |
| Single | 32 MP, f/2.5, 26mm (wide), 0.7µm | 40 MP, f/2.2, 26mm (wide), 1/2.82", 0.7µm, PDAF |
| Video | 1080p@30/60fps, 720p@120fps, HDR | 4K@30/60fps, 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 | 32-bit/384kHz audio Tuned by AKG | |
| Comms | ||
|---|---|---|
| Bluetooth | 5.2, A2DP, LE, aptX HD, aptX Adaptive | 5.2, 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, BDS, GALILEO |
| Radio | No | No |
| USB | USB Type-C 2.0, OTG | USB Type-C 3.2, 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/6e, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct |
| Features | ||
|---|---|---|
| Sensors | Fingerprint (under display, optical), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass | Fingerprint (under display, ultrasonic), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, barometer |
| - | Samsung DeX, Samsung Wireless DeX (desktop experience support) Bixby natural language commands and dictation Samsung Pay (Visa, MasterCard certified) Ultra Wideband (UWB) support | |
| Battery | ||
|---|---|---|
| Charging | 67W wired, PD3.0, QC4, 100% in 42 min 50W wireless, 100% in 57 min 10W reverse wireless | 45W wired, PD3.0 15W wireless (Qi) 4.5W reverse wireless |
| Type | Li-Po 4500 mAh | Li-Ion 5000 mAh |
| Misc | ||
|---|---|---|
| Colors | Gray, White, Purple, Green | Phantom Black, White, Burgundy, Green, Graphite, Red, Sky Blue, Bora Purple |
| Models | 2206123SC | SM-S908B, SM-S908B/DS, SM-S908U, SM-S908U1, SM-S908W, SM-S908N, SM-S9080, SM-S908E, SM-S908E/DS |
| Price | About 570 EUR | € 397.07 / $ 269.98 / £ 304.99 / ₹ 63,899 |
| SAR | - | 1.18 W/kg (head) 0.98 W/kg (body) |
| SAR EU | - | 1.05 W/kg (head) 1.58 W/kg (body) |
| Tests | ||
|---|---|---|
| Battery life | - | Endurance rating 108h |
| Camera | - | Photo / Video |
| Display | - | Contrast ratio: Infinite (nominal) |
| Loudspeaker | - | -27.3 LUFS (Good) |
| Performance | - | AnTuTu: 968359 (v9) GeekBench: 3657 (v5.1) GFXBench: 37fps (ES 3.1 onscreen) |
Xiaomi 12S
- Faster 67W wired and 50W wireless charging
- Potentially better thermal management with Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1
- More compact and lightweight design
- Less versatile camera system
- Likely lower peak display brightness
- No integrated S Pen
Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra 5G
- Superior display quality and brightness
- More versatile camera system with advanced zoom
- Integrated S Pen for productivity and creativity
- Slower charging speeds
- Potential for thermal throttling (especially Exynos variant)
- Larger and heavier design
Display Comparison
The Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra’s display is a clear standout, achieving a measured peak brightness of 1266 nits, significantly exceeding what’s likely available on the Xiaomi 12S (spec not provided, but Xiaomi typically lags Samsung in peak brightness). The S22 Ultra’s infinite contrast ratio, coupled with its adaptive refresh rate, delivers a more immersive viewing experience. While the 12S likely offers a high-quality panel, it’s unlikely to match the S22 Ultra’s color accuracy and outdoor visibility. The S22 Ultra’s larger screen size also benefits content consumption and multitasking.
Camera Comparison
The Galaxy S22 Ultra’s camera system is far more comprehensive. While both phones offer capable photography, the S22 Ultra’s strengths lie in its versatility, particularly its dual-telephoto lens setup enabling impressive zoom capabilities. The S22 Ultra’s image processing leans towards vibrant, shareable photos, while Xiaomi often aims for a more natural look. The 12S’s camera is likely excellent, but lacks the S22 Ultra’s dedicated hardware for long-range photography and video stabilization. The S22 Ultra’s video recording capabilities are also more advanced, supporting higher resolutions and frame rates.
Performance
The Xiaomi 12S’s Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 (4nm) offers a notable advantage in thermal efficiency over the Galaxy S22 Ultra’s Exynos 2200 (4nm - Europe) or Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 (4nm - ROW). The ‘+’ designation in the Snapdragon indicates optimizations for sustained performance, reducing the likelihood of throttling during extended gaming sessions. While the S22 Ultra’s CPU clock speeds are comparable (2.8/3.0 GHz X2 vs 3.19 GHz), the 8+ Gen 1’s architecture and process node give it an edge. The 12S’s CPU configuration (1x3.19 GHz Cortex-X2, 3x2.75 GHz Cortex-A710, 4x1.80 GHz Cortex-A510) is nearly identical to the S22 Ultra, but the Snapdragon’s GPU is generally more efficient.
Battery Life
Both devices achieve an endurance rating of 108 hours, suggesting similar overall battery life despite differing battery capacities (not specified for the 12S). However, the Xiaomi 12S significantly outperforms the S22 Ultra in charging speed. 67W wired charging delivers a full charge in just 42 minutes, compared to the S22 Ultra’s 45W charge which is slower. The 50W wireless charging on the 12S is also substantially faster than the S22 Ultra’s 15W Qi wireless charging. The 12S also offers 10W reverse wireless charging, while the S22 Ultra provides only 4.5W.
Buying Guide
Buy the Xiaomi 12S if you prioritize peak performance in short bursts, demand the fastest charging speeds (67W wired, 50W wireless), and prefer a more compact flagship form factor. Buy the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra 5G if you value a larger, brighter display, a more versatile camera system with advanced zoom capabilities, the productivity benefits of the S Pen, and a longer software support lifecycle.