Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra vs Xiaomi 12S Ultra: The Ultimate Showdown
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🏆 Quick Verdict
The Xiaomi 12S Ultra edges out the Mi 11 Ultra thanks to its more efficient Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 chipset, brighter display, and slightly improved camera processing. While the Mi 11 Ultra remains a strong contender, the 12S Ultra offers a more refined and modern experience.
| PHONES | ||
|---|---|---|
| Phone Names | Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra | Xiaomi 12S Ultra |
| Network | ||
|---|---|---|
| 2G bands | GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 | GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 |
| 3G bands | HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 / 2100 | HSDPA 800 / 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 / 2100 |
| 4G bands | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 17, 20, 28, 32, 38, 40, 41, 42, 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 |
| 1, 3, 28, 41, 77, 78, 79 SA/NSA - China | CDMA2000 1xEV-DO | |
| Launch | ||
|---|---|---|
| Announced | 2021, March 29 | 2022, July 04 |
| Status | Available. Released 2021, April 02 | Available. Released 2022, July 09 |
| Body | ||
|---|---|---|
| Build | Glass front (Gorilla Glass Victus), ceramic back, aluminum frame | Glass front (Gorilla Glass Victus), eco leather back, aluminum frame |
| Dimensions | 164.3 x 74.6 x 8.4 mm (6.47 x 2.94 x 0.33 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 | 234 g (8.25 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 (~515 ppi density) | 1440 x 3200 pixels, 20:9 ratio (~522 ppi density) |
| Size | 6.81 inches, 112.0 cm2 (~91.4% screen-to-body ratio) | 6.73 inches, 108.9 cm2 (~89.0% screen-to-body ratio) |
| Type | AMOLED, 1B colors, 120Hz, HDR10+, Dolby Vision, 900 nits (HBM), 1700 nits (peak) | LTPO2 AMOLED, 1B colors, 120Hz, Dolby Vision, HDR10+, 1000 nits (HBM), 1500 nits (peak) |
| Platform | ||
|---|---|---|
| CPU | Octa-core (1x2.84 GHz Cortex-X1 & 3x2.42 GHz Cortex-A78 & 4x1.80 GHz Cortex-A55) | Octa-core (1x3.19 GHz Cortex-X2 & 3x2.75 GHz Cortex-A710 & 4x1.80 GHz Cortex-A510) |
| Chipset | Qualcomm SM8350 Snapdragon 888 5G (5 nm) | Qualcomm SM8475 Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 (4 nm) |
| GPU | Adreno 660 | Adreno 730 |
| OS | Android 11, upgradable to Android 13, MIUI 14 | Android 12, MIUI 13 |
| Memory | ||
|---|---|---|
| Card slot | No | No |
| Internal | 256GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 12GB RAM, 512GB 12GB RAM | 256GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 12GB RAM, 512GB 12GB RAM |
| UFS 3.1 | UFS 3.1 | |
| Main Camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Features | Laser AF, color spectrum sensor, Dual-LED flash, HDR, panorama, 1.1” AMOLED selfie display | Laser AF, color spectrum sensor, Leica lenses, Dual-LED flash, HDR, panorama |
| Single | 20 MP, f/2.2, 27mm (wide), 1/3.4", 0.8µm | 32 MP, f/2.4, 25mm (wide), 0.7µm |
| Triple | 50 MP, f/2.0, 24mm (wide), 1/1.12", 1.4µm, 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, 12mm, 128˚ (ultrawide), 1/2.0", 0.8µm, PDAF | 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@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/120/240/960/1920fps, gyro-EIS, HDR10+ rec. | 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 | 20 MP, f/2.2, 27mm (wide), 1/3.4", 0.8µm | 32 MP, f/2.4, 25mm (wide), 0.7µm |
| Video | 1080p@30/60fps, 720p@120fps, 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 Tuned by Harman Kardon | 24-bit/192kHz audio Tuned by Harman Kardon | |
| Comms | ||
|---|---|---|
| Bluetooth | 5.2, 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 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, DLNA | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6e, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct, DLNA |
| Features | ||
|---|---|---|
| Sensors | Fingerprint (under display, optical), accelerometer, gyro, compass | Fingerprint (under display, optical), accelerometer, gyro, compass, barometer |
| Virtual proximity sensing | Virtual proximity sensing | |
| Battery | ||
|---|---|---|
| Charging | 67W wired, PD3.0, QC4, 100% in 36 min 67W wireless, 100% in 39 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 | Ceramic White (Cosmic White), Ceramic Black (Cosmic Black) | Black, Dark Green |
| Models | M2102K1G, M2102K1C | 2203121C |
| Price | About 1500 EUR | $ 288.00 |
| SAR | 1.08 W/kg (head) 0.81 W/kg (body) | - |
| SAR EU | 0.55 W/kg (head) 0.99 W/kg (body) | - |
| Tests | ||
|---|---|---|
| Battery life | Endurance rating 95h | Endurance rating 93h |
| Camera | Photo / Video | Photo / Video |
| Display | Contrast ratio: Infinite (nominal) | Contrast ratio: Infinite (nominal) |
| Loudspeaker | -24.3 LUFS (Very good) | -25.6 LUFS (Very good) |
| Performance | AnTuTu: 688720 (v8) GeekBench: 3191 (v5.1) GFXBench: 33fps (ES 3.1 onscreen) | AnTuTu: 1039412 (v9) GeekBench: 4300 (v5.1) GFXBench: 51fps (ES 3.1 onscreen) |
Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra
- Excellent camera system
- Fast wired charging (67W)
- Bright and vibrant display
- Powerful Snapdragon 888
- Snapdragon 888 can throttle under sustained load
- Slightly older design
- Wireless charging is slower than 12S Ultra
Xiaomi 12S Ultra
- Superior camera performance (especially low-light)
- Brighter display (1065 nits)
- More efficient Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1
- Improved thermal management
- Slightly slower wired charging (67W)
- Wireless charging is slower than some competitors
- Potentially higher price
Display Comparison
The Xiaomi 12S Ultra features a noticeable upgrade in display brightness, reaching 1065 nits compared to the Mi 11 Ultra's 943 nits. Both offer excellent contrast ratios (infinite nominal), vibrant colors, and smooth 120Hz refresh rates. The 12S Ultra's increased brightness provides better visibility in direct sunlight.
Camera Comparison
Both phones have exceptional camera systems, but the 12S Ultra's larger 1-inch sensor on the main camera provides improved low-light performance and dynamic range. The 12S Ultra also benefits from Xiaomi's refined image processing algorithms, resulting in more natural-looking photos. Both offer impressive video recording capabilities.
Performance
The Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 in the 12S Ultra is significantly more efficient than the Snapdragon 888 in the Mi 11 Ultra. While both phones handle demanding tasks and games with ease, the 12S Ultra exhibits better thermal management and sustained performance over extended periods. The newer CPU architecture also contributes to improved overall speed.
Battery Life
Battery life is remarkably similar between the two devices, with both achieving an endurance rating of around 93-95 hours. The Mi 11 Ultra has slightly faster wired charging (36 minutes vs 41 minutes), but the 12S Ultra offers a respectable 50W wireless charging speed (52 minutes vs 39 minutes for the Mi 11 Ultra).
Buying Guide
The Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra is a great choice for users seeking a flagship experience at a potentially lower price point, especially if you prioritize fast wired charging. The Xiaomi 12S Ultra is ideal for those who demand the absolute best camera performance, a brighter display, and the latest Snapdragon processor, even if it means a slightly higher investment.