Xiaomi today launched its latest flagship Android smartphone in the Xiaomi 12S Ultra, but this one is exclusive to the Chinese market.
The Xiaomi 12S series consists of three devices, the Xiaomi 12S, 12S Pro and 12S Ultra.
All three devices share a camera partnership with Leica, a Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 processor and a high-end package overall. But every device is a little different.
Looking at the base model, the Xiaomi 12S has a 6.28-inch FHD+ display, 8GB or 12GB RAM and 128/256/512GB storage. The phone is powered by a 4500 mAh battery with wired fast charging up to 67W and wireless up to 50W. The camera array consists of a 50MP main sensor supported by a 13MP ultra-wide and a 5MP telephoto lens.
Xiaomi 12S in all four colors
Moving up to the ‘Pro’ model, it has a slightly larger 6.73-inch display and a 4,600mAh battery (120W wired, 50W wireless) and also includes a camera upgrade. There are three 50MP sensors for standard, ultra-wide and telephoto focal lengths. Both phones also have a 32MP selfie camera.
Both also carry co-branding from Leica, an established camera brand that previously lent its name to Huawei. Xiaomi says the cameras on these phones are “co-developed” with Leica.
The display also jumps to an LPTO AMOLED panel at 120Hz, as opposed to the standard 120Hz AMOLED on the lower model.
There’s also a Xiaomi 12S Pro version that uses MediaTek’s Dimensity 9000+ chipset instead of Qualcomm’s.
But the real attraction here is the flagship Xiaomi 12S Ultra. This top-tier smartphone is primarily focused on being the best piece of mobile camera hardware.
Alongside the core specs – Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1, 8/12GB RAM, 256/512GB storage, 6.73-inch QHD+ AMOLED display, 67W charging, IP68 water resistance – Xiaomi uses Sony’s 50.3MP IMX989 camera sensor, which is huge 1-inch sensor. Sony just announced the IMX989 last month, and it’s one of the largest mobile camera sensors ever made. Of course, this isn’t the first either, as we’ve seen 1-inch sensors in several previous devices. The big advantage of such a large physical sensor is better bokeh and light capture. The results tend to look closer to what a traditional point-and-shoot camera is capable of – Sony itself uses a 1-inch sensor in its RX100 series.
Lecia steps in to bolster the sensor with an 8P element lens and its coating. There are also special options “Leica Authentic Look” and “Leica Vibrant Look” in the software.
Apart from this primary sensor, however, the Xiaomi 12S Ultra also features a 48MP periscope telephoto lens and a 48MP sensor used for ultra-wide shots.
The Xiaomi 12S Ultra is also the first Android phone to support Dolby Vision HDR recording with 10-bit h.265 videos that can be shot in HLG.
All three devices ship with Android 12 and Xiaomi’s MIUI 13.
The real catch here for people outside of China, though, is that Xiaomi has no plans to launch the phone globally. Xiaomi usually releases an international version of its flagship smartphones for Europe and other parts of Asia, but that won’t be the case this time, as Engadget China’s Richard Lei reports.
Prices for the Xiaomi 12S family start at CNY 4,000 for the 12S, CNY 4,700 for the Pro and CNY 5,999 for the Ultra.
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