Xiaomi 12S vs Xiaomi 13: The Ultimate Flagship Showdown
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🏆 Quick Verdict
The Xiaomi 13 emerges as the clear winner thanks to its Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset, brighter display, and slightly faster charging. While the 12S remains a capable device, the 13’s advancements make it the superior choice for most users seeking a top-tier Android experience.
| PHONES | ||
|---|---|---|
| Phone Names | Xiaomi 12S | Xiaomi 13 |
| 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, 32, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 48, 66 - International |
| 5G bands | 1, 3, 5, 8, 28, 38, 40, 41, 77, 78 SA/NSA | 1, 3, 5, 7, 8, 20, 28, 38, 40, 41, 66, 71, 75, 77, 78 SA/NSA - International |
| Speed | HSPA, LTE, 5G | HSPA, LTE, 5G |
| Technology | GSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE / 5G | GSM / CDMA / HSPA / CDMA2000 / LTE / 5G |
| CDMA2000 1xEV-DO | 1, 3, 5, 8, 28, 38, 40, 41, 77, 78 SA/NSA - China | |
| Launch | ||
|---|---|---|
| Announced | 2022, July 04 | 2022, December 11 |
| Status | Available. Released 2022, July 07 | Available. Released 2022, December 14 |
| Body | ||
|---|---|---|
| Build | Glass front (Gorilla Glass Victus), glass back or eco leather back, aluminum frame | Glass front (Gorilla Glass 5), glass back or silicone polymer back, aluminum frame |
| Dimensions | 152.7 x 69.9 x 8.2 mm or 8.7 mm | 152.8 x 71.5 x 8.0 mm or 8.1 mm |
| SIM | Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM | · Nano-SIM + eSIM· Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM |
| Weight | 179 g / 182 g (6.31 oz) | 185 g or 189 g (6.53 oz) |
| - | IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 1.5m for 30 min) | |
| Display | ||
|---|---|---|
| Protection | Corning Gorilla Glass Victus | Corning Gorilla Glass 5 |
| Resolution | 1080 x 2400 pixels, 20:9 ratio (~419 ppi density) | 1080 x 2400 pixels, 20:9 ratio (~414 ppi density) |
| Size | 6.28 inches, 95.2 cm2 (~89.2% screen-to-body ratio) | 6.36 inches, 97.7 cm2 (~89.4% screen-to-body ratio) |
| Type | AMOLED, 68B colors, 120Hz, Dolby Vision, HDR10+, 1100 nits (peak) | AMOLED, 120Hz, Dolby Vision, HDR10+, 1200 nits (HBM), 1900 nits (peak) |
| Platform | ||
|---|---|---|
| CPU | Octa-core (1x3.19 GHz Cortex-X2 & 3x2.75 GHz Cortex-A710 & 4x1.80 GHz Cortex-A510) | Octa-core (1x3.2 GHz Cortex-X3 & 2x2.8 GHz Cortex-A715 & 2x2.8 GHz Cortex-A710 & 3x2.0 GHz Cortex-A510) |
| Chipset | Qualcomm SM8475 Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 (4 nm) | Qualcomm SM8550-AB Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 (4 nm) |
| GPU | Adreno 730 | Adreno 740 |
| OS | Android 12, MIUI 13 | Android 13, upgradable to Android 14, MIUI 14 |
| 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 - 128GB UFS 4.0 - 256/512GB | |
| Main Camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Features | Leica lens, color spectrum sensor, Dual-LED dual-tone flash, HDR, panorama | Leica lens, color spectrum sensor, Dual-LED dual-tone flash, HDR, panorama |
| 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 | 50 MP, f/1.8, 23mm (wide), 1/1.49", 1.0µm, PDAF, OIS 10 MP, f/2.0, 75mm (telephoto), 1/3.75", 1.0µm, PDAF, OIS, 3.2x optical zoom 12 MP, f/2.2, 15mm, 120˚ (ultrawide), 1/3.06", 1.12µm |
| Video | 8K@24fps, 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60fps, 720p@1920fps, gyro-EIS | 8K@24fps (HDR), 4K@24/30/60fps (HDR10+, 10-bit Dolby Vision HDR, 10-bit LOG), 1080p@30/120/240/960fps, 1080p@1920fps, gyro-EIS |
| Selfie camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Features | HDR, panorama | HDR, panorama |
| Single | 32 MP, f/2.5, 26mm (wide), 0.7µm | 32 MP, f/2.0, 22mm (wide), 1/3.14", 0.7µm |
| Video | 1080p@30/60fps, 720p@120fps, HDR | 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/192kHz audio | |
| Comms | ||
|---|---|---|
| Bluetooth | 5.2, A2DP, LE, aptX HD, aptX Adaptive | 5.3, 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 (G1), 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 | 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, optical), accelerometer, proximity, gyro, compass |
| Battery | ||
|---|---|---|
| Charging | 67W wired, PD3.0, QC4, 100% in 42 min 50W wireless, 100% in 57 min 10W reverse wireless | 67W wired, PD3.0, QC4, 100% in 38 min 50W wireless, 100% in 48 min 10W reverse wireless |
| Type | Li-Po 4500 mAh | Li-Po 4500 mAh |
| Misc | ||
|---|---|---|
| Colors | Gray, White, Purple, Green | White, Black, Flora Green, Mountain Blue, Red, Blue, Yellow, Green, Gray |
| Models | 2206123SC | 2211133C, 2211133G |
| Price | About 570 EUR | € 314.00 |
| Tests | ||
|---|---|---|
| Battery life | - | Endurance rating 108h |
| Camera | - | Photo / Video |
| Display | - | Contrast ratio: Infinite (nominal) |
| Loudspeaker | - | -25.8 LUFS (Very good) |
| Performance | - | AnTuTu: 1248260 (v9) GeekBench: 5129 (v5.1) GFXBench: 109fps (ES 3.1 onscreen) |
Xiaomi 12S
- Excellent performance with Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1
- Fast charging (67W wired, 50W wireless)
- Compact and comfortable size
- Good camera system
- Slightly older chipset compared to 13
- Lower peak brightness display
- Potentially less efficient than 13
Xiaomi 13
- Latest Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset
- Brighter and more vibrant display
- Improved camera performance (expected)
- Slightly better battery efficiency
- Potentially higher price
- Larger size compared to 12S
Display Comparison
The Xiaomi 13 boasts a significant advantage with its measured 1254 nits peak brightness, offering exceptional visibility even in direct sunlight. Its infinite contrast ratio (nominal) suggests deeper blacks and more vibrant colors. The 12S has a good display, but it doesn't reach the same level of brilliance. Both likely use AMOLED panels with 120Hz refresh rates.
Camera Comparison
While both phones offer excellent camera capabilities, the Xiaomi 13 is expected to have improvements in image processing and low-light performance due to the newer Snapdragon chip and potentially updated sensors. Both likely feature versatile camera setups with wide, ultrawide, and telephoto lenses. Detailed camera samples and comparisons would be needed for a definitive verdict.
Performance
The Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 in the Xiaomi 13 provides a noticeable performance boost over the Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 in the 12S. Expect smoother multitasking, faster app loading times, and improved gaming performance on the 13. Both phones handle everyday tasks with ease, but the 13’s chip is future-proofed better.
Battery Life
Both phones offer similar battery capacities and charging speeds. The Xiaomi 13's endurance rating of 108h suggests slightly better power efficiency, potentially due to the more efficient Snapdragon 8 Gen 2. Both support 67W wired and 50W wireless charging, with reverse wireless charging available.
Buying Guide
The Xiaomi 12S is a great option for those seeking a powerful phone at a potentially lower price point, especially if you prioritize a slightly smaller form factor. The Xiaomi 13 is ideal for users who demand the absolute best performance, a vibrant display, and the latest camera technology, and are willing to pay a premium.