The 1 “sensors are the holy grail of small digital cameras: are they really that good? We’re about to find out as we already have a Xiaomi 12S Ultra to review. Unlike the recent Xperia Pro-I (which reused the sensor from the Sony RX100 VII), this phone is the first to use Sony’s new IMX989.
Sensor isn’t everything, however, processing matters just as, if not more, in these form factors. This is where Leica, the veteran German lens maker, has switched teams and lent its expertise to the entire 12S series.
This includes the Xiaomi 12S and 12S Pro, which are based on the original 12 and 12 Pro, although they also upgrade to the new Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 chipset for slightly extra performance and much better efficiency.
But let’s focus on the Ultra first. Compared to the 12S Pro it replaces the telephoto lens with a 5x periscope (120mm, in front of a 48MP sensor), the ultra wide-angle module is also different, although this has less impact. The other change concerns the battery. The new cell has a slightly larger capacity (4,860mAh vs 4,600mAh), but is slower to charge: 0-100% in 41 minutes via cable (vs.19 minutes) or 52 minutes wirelessly (vs.42 minutes).
The 12S Ultra uses the same 6.73 “display as the 12S Pro: a 1-120 Hz LTPO panel with a resolution of 1,440 x 3,200 pixels. Xiaomi 12S is smaller with a 6.28-inch 120Hz AMOLED display All three support HDR10 + and Dolby Vision.
Xiaomi 12S Ultra will only be launched in China at a price of 6,000 CNY. For comparison, this is $ 900 / € 880 (note: prices in China are lower than global). If you could, would you buy one?
The only direct comparison is with the Sony Xperia Pro-I, which also has a 1 “sensor, but doesn’t take full advantage of it (using only 12MP of the 20MP sensor). It also has a basic 2x telephoto lens (not the continuous zoom of the Xperia 1 IV) and a 12MP ultra wide angle. This also uses last year’s Snapdragon 888, but has a 4K 21: 9 OLED display, which allows it to act as an external monitor for Sony cameras. Keeping in mind that this is also intended as a pro, it sells for $ 1,600 / € 1,500.
The Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra can’t compete on sensor size, but the 108MP 1 / 1.33 “sensor is nothing to sneeze at. The phone also packs two telephoto lenses: 3x and 10x (both with 10MP sensors) and a 12MP ultra wide angle. This may be the best Samsung camera, but not everyone wants it (only) for its camera. Some want the S Pen stylus, some software support, some like One UI / DeX and so on The S22 Ultra costs $ 1,200 / € 1,250.
The vivo X80 Pro has a 50 MP 1 / 1.3 ”sensor, a 48 MP ultra wide angle and two telephoto lenses: 12 MP at 2x and 8 MP at 5x. A legendary German lens manufacturer also has its own name, Zeiss, who contributed to the T * lens coating and image processing (which is also handled by the bespoke vivo V1 + chip). The X80 Pro retails for € 1,100-1,300 depending on the exact region.
Sony Xperia Pro-I • Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra 5G • vivo X80 Pro
Are you interested in the Xiaomi 12S Ultra? Note: You can also vote here.
If you are looking for the Xiaomi 12S Ultra for its chipset, the Asus ROG Phone 6 and 6 Pro are also powered by the same 8+ Gen 1, as well as another gaming phone: the Red Magic 7S Pro. And of course the other two 12S phones this week, which are expected to be available globally.
Xiaomi 12S Pro will retail for CNY 4,700 ($ 700 / € 700). The global pricing has yet to be revealed, but the 12 Pro retails for € 900, so expect the 12S Pro to be on the same playing field (as we said, prices in China are lower than overseas).
The Samsung Galaxy S22 + uses the original Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 in some regions and the Exynos 2200 in Europe. It does not have an LTPO panel like the Xiaomi, while the cameras are a mixed bag: the main 50 MP has a smaller sensor (1 / 1.56 “vs. 1 / 1.28”), the telephoto lens has a 3x lens but only 10 MP sensor (compared to 2x 50 MP) and the ultra wide angle has a 12 MP base sensor (compared to 50 MP). The Galaxy also lacks the 12S Pro’s 120W fast charging, which steps up to 45W. And it doesn’t even have a capacity advantage. The S22 + costs $ 1,000 / € 1,050.
The Oppo Find X5 Pro has an LTPO panel (6.7 “120Hz QHD +, just like Xiaomi) and uses the Gen 1 non plus 8 chip. The main 50MP camera sensor is not that big (1 / 1.56 “vs 1 / 1.28”), the 50M ultra wide cam isn’t quite as wide (110 ° vs 115 °), but it has a large 1 / 1.56 “sensor. The telephoto lens is a standard 2x with a 13 MP sensor (vs 2x 50 MP). The X5 Pro can be yours for € 1,300.
Honor Magic4 Pro also has an LTPO panel (6.81 “120Hz, not quite QHD +) and is targeted with a main 50MP (1 / 1.56”), 50MP ultra wide angle and a 64MP periscope (3, 5x). It also has 100W fast charging, which approaches Ultra (00-100% in 30 minutes, instead of 19 minutes). You can get one for € 1,100.
Samsung Galaxy S22 + 5G • Oppo Find X5 Pro • Honor Magic4 Pro
Handshake: who is interested in the Xiaomi 12S Pro? Note: You can also vote here.
The Xiaomi 12S will cost CNY 3,700 in China ($ 550 / € 550), the original Xiaomi 12 costs € 700. It has a 6.28-inch screen, which is a bit small for a flagship, but the phone it’s not as compact as the Galaxy S22, which costs $ 800 / € 850. The S22 and S22 + have the same cameras, as do the 12S and 12S Pro, the main difference is in the display and battery.
There really aren’t any Snapdragon 8 (+) Gen 1 phones of this size and Xiaomi will win most of the price struggles. The Realme GT2 Pro has an MSRP of € 750 and packs a 50MP (1 / 1.56 “) and 50MP ultra wide-angle (150 °) main, but lacks a telephoto lens.
Samsung Galaxy S22 5G • Realme GT2 Pro
Would you buy a Xiaomi 12S? Note: You can also vote here.
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