Xiaomi 13 Ultra vs Xiaomi 12S Ultra: The Ultimate Showdown
| Phones Images | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
🏆 Quick Verdict
The Xiaomi 13 Ultra offers a significant upgrade with its Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset, brighter display, and faster charging. While the 12S Ultra remains a capable device, the 13 Ultra's improvements in performance, camera capabilities, and overall refinement make it the clear winner for most users.
| PHONES | ||
|---|---|---|
| Phone Names | Xiaomi 13 Ultra | Xiaomi 12S Ultra |
| 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, 20, 26, 28, 38, 40, 41, 66 - International | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 17, 18, 19, 26, 34, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42 |
| 5G bands | 1, 3, 5, 7, 8, 20, 28, 38, 40, 41, 77, 78, 79 SA/NSA - International | 1, 3, 5, 8, 28, 38, 40, 41, 77, 78, 79 SA/NSA |
| 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 | 2023, April 18 | 2022, July 04 |
| Status | Available. Released 2023, April 21 | Available. Released 2022, July 09 |
| Body | ||
|---|---|---|
| Build | Glass front (Gorilla Glass Victus), eco leather back, aluminum frame | Glass front (Gorilla Glass Victus), eco leather back, aluminum frame |
| Dimensions | 163.2 x 74.6 x 9.1 mm (6.43 x 2.94 x 0.36 in) | 163.2 x 75 x 9.1 mm (6.43 x 2.95 x 0.36 in) |
| SIM | Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM | Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM |
| Weight | 227 g (8.01 oz) | 225 g (7.94 oz) |
| IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 1.5m for 30 min) | IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 1.5m for 30 min) | |
| Display | ||
|---|---|---|
| Protection | Corning Gorilla Glass Victus | Corning Gorilla Glass Victus |
| Resolution | 1440 x 3200 pixels, 20:9 ratio (~522 ppi density) | 1440 x 3200 pixels, 20:9 ratio (~522 ppi density) |
| Size | 6.73 inches, 108.9 cm2 (~89.5% screen-to-body ratio) | 6.73 inches, 108.9 cm2 (~89.0% screen-to-body ratio) |
| Type | LTPO AMOLED, 68B colors, 120Hz, Dolby Vision, HDR10+, 1300 nits (HBM), 2600 nits (peak) | LTPO2 AMOLED, 1B colors, 120Hz, Dolby Vision, HDR10+, 1000 nits (HBM), 1500 nits (peak) |
| Platform | ||
|---|---|---|
| CPU | Octa-core (1x3.2 GHz Cortex-X3 & 2x2.8 GHz Cortex-A715 & 2x2.8 GHz Cortex-A710 & 3x2.0 GHz Cortex-A510) | Octa-core (1x3.19 GHz Cortex-X2 & 3x2.75 GHz Cortex-A710 & 4x1.80 GHz Cortex-A510) |
| Chipset | Qualcomm SM8550-AB Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 (4 nm) | Qualcomm SM8475 Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 (4 nm) |
| GPU | Adreno 740 | Adreno 730 |
| OS | Android 13, upgradable to Android 14, HyperOS | Android 12, MIUI 13 |
| Memory | ||
|---|---|---|
| Card slot | No | No |
| Internal | 256GB 12GB RAM, 512GB 12GB RAM, 512GB 16GB RAM, 1TB 16GB RAM | 256GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 12GB RAM, 512GB 12GB RAM |
| UFS 4.0 | UFS 3.1 | |
| Main Camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Features | Laser AF, color spectrum sensor, Leica lenses, Dual-LED flash, HDR, panorama, 67mm filter ring holder (optional) | Laser AF, color spectrum sensor, Leica lenses, Dual-LED flash, HDR, panorama |
| Quad | 50 MP, f/1.9 or f/4.0, 23mm (wide), 1.0"-type, 1.6µm, dual pixel PDAF, OIS 50 MP, f/1.8, 75mm (telephoto), 1/2.51", 0.7µm, dual pixel PDAF, OIS, 3.2x optical zoom 50 MP, f/3.0, 120mm (periscope telephoto), 1/2.51", 0.7µm, dual pixel PDAF, OIS, 5x optical zoom 50 MP, f/1.8, 12mm, 122˚ (ultrawide), 1/2.51", 0.7µm, dual pixel PDAF TOF 3D, (depth) | - |
| Single | - | 32 MP, f/2.4, 25mm (wide), 0.7µm |
| Triple | - | 50 MP, f/1.9, 23mm (wide), 1.0"-type, 1.6µm, dual pixel PDAF, OIS 48 MP, f/4.1, 120mm (periscope telephoto), 1/2.0", 0.8µm, PDAF, OIS, 5x optical zoom 48 MP, f/2.2, 13mm, 128˚ (ultrawide), 1/2.0", 0.8µm, dual pixel PDAF TOF 3D, (depth) |
| Video | 8K@24fps, 4K@24/30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/120/240/480/960/1920fps, gyro-EIS, Dolby Vision HDR 10-bit rec. (4K@60fps, 1080p) | 8K@24fps, 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/120/240fps, 720p@3840fps, gyro-EIS, Dolby Vision HDR 10-bit rec. (4K, 1080p) |
| Selfie camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Features | HDR, panorama | HDR, panorama |
| Single | 32 MP, f/2.0, 22mm (wide), 1/3.14", 0.7µm | 32 MP, f/2.4, 25mm (wide), 0.7µm |
| Video | 1080p@30/60fps, gyro-EIS | 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 | 24-bit/192kHz audio Tuned by Harman Kardon | |
| Comms | ||
|---|---|---|
| Bluetooth | 5.3, A2DP, LE, aptX HD, aptX Adaptive | 5.2, 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 (L1), BDS (B1I+B1c+B2a), GALILEO (E1+E5a), QZSS (L1+L5), NavIC (L5) |
| Radio | No | No |
| USB | USB Type-C 3.2, DisplayPort, OTG | USB Type-C 2.0, OTG |
| WLAN | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6e/7, tri-band, Wi-Fi Direct | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6e, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct, DLNA |
| Features | ||
|---|---|---|
| Sensors | Fingerprint (under display, optical), accelerometer, proximity, gyro, compass, barometer | Fingerprint (under display, optical), accelerometer, gyro, compass, barometer |
| Virtual proximity sensing | Virtual proximity sensing | |
| Battery | ||
|---|---|---|
| Charging | 90W wired, PD3.0, QC4, 100% in 35 min 50W wireless, 100% in 49 min 10W reverse wireless | 67W wired, PD3.0, QC4, 100% in 41 min 50W wireless, 100% in 52 min 10W reverse wireless |
| Type | Li-Po 5000 mAh | Li-Po 4860 mAh |
| Misc | ||
|---|---|---|
| Colors | Black, Olive Green, White, Orange, Yellow, Blue | Black, Dark Green |
| Models | 2304FPN6DC, 2304FPN6DG | 2203121C |
| Price | € 797.98 / $ 389.69 | $ 288.00 |
| SAR EU | 0.99 W/kg (head) 1.00 W/kg (body) | - |
| Tests | ||
|---|---|---|
| Battery life | - | Endurance rating 93h |
| Camera | - | Photo / Video |
| Display | - | Contrast ratio: Infinite (nominal) |
| Loudspeaker | - | -25.6 LUFS (Very good) |
| Performance | - | AnTuTu: 1039412 (v9) GeekBench: 4300 (v5.1) GFXBench: 51fps (ES 3.1 onscreen) |
Xiaomi 13 Ultra
- Significantly faster Snapdragon 8 Gen 2
- Brighter display (1207 nits)
- Faster 90W wired charging
- Improved camera processing
- Slightly better battery life in active use
- Potentially higher price
- Design may not appeal to everyone
Xiaomi 12S Ultra
- Excellent camera system
- Vibrant AMOLED display
- Good value for money (potentially)
- Premium build quality
- Slower charging speeds
- Older Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 chipset
- Lower peak brightness compared to 13 Ultra
Display Comparison
The Xiaomi 13 Ultra boasts a peak brightness of 1207 nits, significantly brighter than the 12S Ultra's 1065 nits. While both offer excellent color accuracy and sharpness, the 13 Ultra's increased brightness provides better visibility in direct sunlight. The 12S Ultra's 'Infinite' contrast ratio is a nominal value, but it still delivers impressive blacks and vibrant colors. Both use AMOLED technology with 120Hz refresh rates.
Camera Comparison
Both phones feature impressive camera systems, but the 13 Ultra takes the lead. While specific sensor details are similar, the 13 Ultra benefits from improved image processing and computational photography capabilities. Expect better low-light performance, more accurate colors, and enhanced dynamic range on the 13 Ultra. Both offer excellent video recording capabilities.
Performance
The Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 in the 13 Ultra is a substantial upgrade over the Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 in the 12S Ultra. The 8 Gen 2 offers improved CPU and GPU performance, resulting in smoother multitasking, faster app loading times, and better gaming performance. The 12S Ultra is still very capable, but the 13 Ultra's chipset provides a noticeable edge in demanding tasks.
Battery Life
The Xiaomi 13 Ultra demonstrates slightly better active usage battery life (10:09h) compared to the 12S Ultra. Both offer excellent endurance ratings (108h vs 93h), indicating impressive standby time. The 13 Ultra's 90W wired charging is significantly faster than the 12S Ultra's 67W, and its 50W wireless charging is also quicker.
Buying Guide
The Xiaomi 13 Ultra is ideal for photography enthusiasts, power users who demand the latest and greatest performance, and those who appreciate fast charging. The Xiaomi 12S Ultra is a great option for users seeking a premium experience at a potentially lower price point, especially if they prioritize excellent camera performance and a vibrant display, but don't need the absolute latest hardware.