The Xiaomi 12S Ultra is finally here after being speculated for so long. The flagship device is a worthy successor to last year’s Mi 11 Ultra. The device comes with all the flagship specs we all expect, but Xiaomi has had more focus on the photography area, by partnering with Leica to make sure this is the best photography smartphone of this time.
The Xiaomi 12S Ultra features a wide, 6.73-inch E5 Super AMOLED which has a 3,200 x 1,440px resolution, and contains LTPO technology that enables it to switch from 1Hz to 120Hz of refresh rate. the phone weighs approximately 225g and is IP68 water and dust-resistant.
Of course, Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 sits at the Helm of this device, backed up by either 8GB, or 12GB of RAM, and 256GB or 512GB of UFS 3.1 storage. MIUI 13 skin ontop of Android 12 is the software powering this device.
There is a 4,860mAh battery on the inside, which supports 67W charging and 50W wireless charging, plus 10W reverse wireless charging. Xiaomi’s Surge P1 Charging chip protects the battery from overcharging and extends the lifeline of the battery, while the Surge G1 chip regulates the use of the battery, which will go a long way in sustaining the battery cells.
The Xiaomi 12S Ultra sports a 50.3MP 23mm wide-angle camera which is the flagship 1-inch IMX989 sensor made by Sony, and this is the first smartphone to make use of this sensor.
The other auxiliary sensors on the Xiaomi 12S Ultra include a 48MP Sony IMX586 1/2.0-inch sensor, which was previously used in the Mi 11 Ultra, a 12MP ultrawide which is a 13mm f/2.2 capable autofocus and macro shots, and another 12MP sensor which is a telephoto camera, having a 120mm f/4.1 periscope.
the Xiaomi 12S Ultra is the first Android phone to support Dolby Vision HDR recording. when recording in 4K, you get 30fps and 60fps at up to 80Mbps, reducing to 1080p, you get 60fps at 55Mbps and 30fps at 35Mbps, this could potentially replace that camera that makes your Youtube videos.
Leica has also made some upgrades to this camera system, featuring two photography modes; “Leica Authentic Look” which aims for a natural image, focusing on light and shadow contrast, adding depth to photos,and the “Leica Vibrant Look” which merges Xiaomi’s computational photography smarts with Leica’s aesthetic to create a beautiful “vibrant” images.Leica also threw in some filters which are: Leica Vivid, Leica Natural, Leica BW Natural, and Leica BW High Contrast.
Xiaomi 12S Ultra comes in Classic Black and Verdant Green colors. Unfortunately, this device won’t be available outside China, just like the Mi 10 Ultra. The device will go for CNY 5,999 (8/256GB), CNY 6,499 (12/256GB), and CNY 6999 for the (12/512GB).