Xiaomi has launched the Xiaomi 12S series, which consists of three new smartphones: the Xiaomi 12S, the Xiaomi 12S Pro and the highly anticipated Xiaomi 12S Ultra. While the 12S and 12S Pro offer relatively minor upgrades over their predecessor, the Xiaomi 12S Ultra is clearly where Xiaomi has focused its efforts: the phone is a serious step up from the Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra (opens in a tab new).
Xiaomi 12S Ultra updates include an impressive camera system with Sony’s huge 1-inch IMX989 sensor, new camera hardware developed in collaboration with Leica, a better screen and a faster SoC. In short, it seems ready to offer the best camera phones on the market a run for its money.
The largest smartphone sensor
The Xiaomi Mi 12S Ultra now breaks the record for the largest effective camera phone sensor of the old Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra. Its one-inch sensor manufactured by Sony has also been used in Sony’s own Xperia Pro-I (opens in a new tab), but this phone only uses about 60% of the surface of the sensor.
Comparison of smartphone sensor sizes Main sensor size (inches) Main sensor size (mm) Xiaomi Mi 12S Ultra 1 inch 25.4 mmSony Xperia Pro-I1 inch 25.4 mmXiaomi Mi 11 Ultra 1/1, 12 inch 22.7 mmHuawei P40 Pro Plus 1 / 1.28 inch 19.8 mmHuawei Mate 19.8 mm 1 / 1.28 inch 19.8 mmSamsung S21 Ultra 1 / 1.33 inch 19.1 mmXiaomi Mi 111/1 .33 inch 19.1 mmOppo X3 Pro1 / 1.56 inch 16.3 mmApple iPhone 13 Pro Max1 / 1.7 inch 14.7 mm
Xiaomi 12S Ultra: Design
(Image credit: Xiaomi) (opens in a new tab)
Not to be missed is the Xiaomi 12S Ultra, a premium-looking phone that is dominated by the circular bump of the camera shot that occupies almost a third of the back of the phone.
The 163.17 x 74.92 x 9.06 mm and 225 g phone has an aluminum chassis and a curved screen, with a perforated camera in the center near the top edge. The back surface is covered in a high-end leather-like material that comes in classic green and black. It’s also more than just a beauty thing, with an IP68 rating resistant to water and dust.
Xiaomi 12S Ultra: specifications
(Image credit: Xiaomi) (opens in a new tab)
Qualcomm’s latest Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 chip is at the heart of the Xiaomi 12S Ultra, where there’s also a new 3D cooling system, which should help improve thermal in more demanding games and applications.
It has a 4860 mAh battery with 67 W cable charge and 50 W wireless charging support, perhaps the only feature we would have expected more, but it’s still very decent. The combinations of RAM and storage are: 8 GB / 256 GB, 12 GB / 256 GB and 12 GB / 512 GB.
As for the screen, the 12S Ultra has a large 6.73-inch screen, which has a 3200×1440 quadHD + panel with a pixel density of 522 pixels per inch, as seen in the Xiaomi 12 Pro (s opens in a new tab), released earlier this year.
Xiaomi 12S Ultra: camera system
(Image credit: Xiaomi) (opens in a new tab)
The new Xiaomi 12S series is the first to benefit from the company’s strategic partnership in imaging technology with Leica, which has sophisticated optical lenses developed jointly. As a top model, Xiaomi 12S Ultra’s 50.3 MP primary camera adopts an eight-piece aspherical lens, which will combat the common problems of smartphones such as flame, ghosts and color aberration. The Xiaomi 12S Ultra camera module also includes an anti-glare lens coating, a lens edge ink coating, cyclic olefin copolymer material and an infrared light filter with rotating coating technology, in order to provide a clear overall image, which is consistent across the lens.
A 48 MP ultra wide angle camera includes a Leica Summicron 1: 1.9-4.1 / 13-120 aspherical lens with dual PD autofocus and support for macro mode and a 48MP periscope telephoto camera with dual PD autofocus and HyperOIS complete the 12S Ultra’s serious triple camera system.
The leaks turned out to be true, as the Xiaomi 12S Ultra is equipped with a large 1-inch sensor, the Sony IMX989. Significantly larger than the sensors found on most other flagship vessels, it includes a Quad-Bayer pixel array with individual pixel sizes reaching 1.6 μm. After pixel grouping, this reaches 3.2 μm and is said to reduce noise, expand dynamic range, increase captured light, and achieve better overall images in low light conditions.
The Xiaomi 12S series “co-designed with Leica” also uses Leica image profiles, offering users a selection of “Leica Authentic Look” and “Leica Vibrant Look”. The “Leica Authentic Look” look is how you would expect a natural look, while retaining the contrast of light and shadows, which adds a sense of three-dimensional depth to your photos. The “Leica Vibrant Look” includes the entry of Xiaomi and Leica and is a more modern look that, according to Xiaomi, allows photographers to “capture the emotion of the moment, symbolizing Leica’s exploration in the space of photography of smartphones “. We can’t wait to try them.
Xiaomi 12S Ultra: price and availability
The Xiaomi 12S Ultra will go on sale in China starting July 8 with pre-orders open now. Unfortunately, Xiaomi has confirmed to us that the 12S series will not arrive in the US or UK, and we look forward to confirmation of what other markets (if any) will arrive and when.
In China, the 12S Ultra costs CNY 5,999 ($ 896) for the 8GB + 256GB variant, CNY 6,499 ($ 970) for the 12GB + 256GB variant and CNY 6,999 ($ 1045) for the 12 GB + 512 GB variant.
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