On Monday, Xiaomi unveiled a new series of high-end smartphones, the 12S, using Sony image sensors and Leica lenses. The premium 12S series models are priced from RMB 3,999 to RMB 6,999 ($598 to $1,046).
Why it matters: With the new series, Xiaomi hopes to compete with rivals by offering high-end smartphones at a competitive price. The company has focused the series on quality lenses and imaging capabilities.
- Xiaomi’s new series is the first to use Qualcomm’s latest processor, making them potentially the fastest of all Android phones.
Details: The three models – Xiaomi 12S, 12S Pro and 12S Ultra – share the same processor, coming with slight differences in other specifications such as charging speed, cameras, display specifications and cooling system. The three models will be available on Wednesday exclusively in China, in two colors for the Ultra and four for the other two models, according to Android Authority.
- The phone uses the latest Qualcomm Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 processor. The theoretical performance of the Xiaomi 12S Pro surpasses all existing Android phones, scoring 1.1 million points in Antutu, a benchmarking application.
- The camera is an upgrade from the Xiaomi 12 series. Featuring Leica lenses, the series are Xiaomi’s first phones since Xiaomi announced a long-term strategic collaboration with Leica in May.
- The 12S series features the Leica lens and image profiles, while the Ultra version comes with special camera lens materials, such as new materials and aspherical lenses, to achieve better image quality. The Xiaomi 12S Ultra has three cameras from 13mm to 120mm.
- The Ultra model also uses the relatively largest 1-inch CMOS image sensor – the Sony IMX989 – behind the main camera. Such a large sensor helps achieve better image performance, especially in low light. Other brands such as Sony and Sharp have tried to adopt a large image sensor on smartphones, but both brands have relatively small smartphone shipments.
- The 12S series screen specifications follow industry standards and have fewer highlights. The Xiaomi 12S Pro and Ultra feature a 6.73-inch LTPO display with curved-edge design, supporting adaptive refresh rate and 2k resolution. The display can also present content with a peak brightness of up to 1,500 nits and native 10-bit color depth, providing a rich color gamut and smooth transition that the brand says ensures HDR entertainment.
- For battery and charging, the Xiaomi 12S Ultra will be the first model equipped with the new Xiaomi Surge G1 battery management chipset. It has a large 4860mAh battery, but the charging speed is 44% slower than the Xiaomi 12S Pro’s 100W fast charging.
- All three models support 50W wireless charging and 10W reverse charging.
Context: Chinese phone makers have often relied on partnerships with big-name camera or lens makers to broaden their appeal. Huawei has previously partnered with Leica for imaging systems in smartphones.
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Ward Zhou is a technology reporter based in Shanghai. It covers stories about the digital content industry, hardware and all things geek. Reach him at ward.zhou[a]technode.com. More from Ward Zhou
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