Xiaomi 12S Ultra review

introduction

A one-inch camera sensor in a phone, and does this phone actually use it all? Xiaomi 12S Ultra has just arrived, the third installment of the company’s flagship range par excellence with an extra focus on imaging. Unfortunately, just like the pioneering Mi 10 Ultra, the latter won’t be sold outside of China, but at least we have one to review.

Xiaomi Ultras (from left to right): Mi 10 Ultra • Mi 11 Ultra • 12S Ultra

To avoid confusion, let’s make one thing clear from the start: you probably already know this, but no physical size of the “one-inch” sensor is actually one inch. It’s a long-standing oddity in digital camera sensor nomenclature, and we’ll cover it in more detail in the camera section of this review.

It’s still the largest camera sensor in a smartphone, tied to the Sharp Aquos R6 that virtually no one outside of Japan has seen and the Xperia Pro-I that has gotten more publicity but likely sold even fewer units. The Xiaomi only in China means that one inch will retain that exclusivity, but it’s even closer to a mainstream device than the other two.

Oh, and unlike Sony which crops from the center of its one-inch sensor, Xiaomi uses it all. And unlike the Sharp, the latest Ultra has advanced phase detection autofocus. So, tied in size it might be, but it is better – a truly remarkable camera, that’s for sure.

The rest of the rear configuration isn’t bad either – it’s pretty much the same as the Mi 11 Ultra. Still outstanding, and in many ways superior to the competition, but not entirely new. New is the selfie camera, however, and here it will have to do its duty: with the small display on the back now disappeared, more photographic operations will have to be managed by the front camera.

Outside of shooting, the 12S Ultra is a true flagship. The phone will launch in the second half of the year, so it’s time for the plus version of the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1. RAM and storage are ample, the display is state-of-the-art and the little niceties are here: IP68 rating, stereo speakers, infrared port. Battery capacity and charging capacity are not class-leading, but they should be fine. All in all, it’s not a spec sheet we can complain about, no.

Xiaomi 12S Ultra specifications at a glance:

• Body: 163.2×75.0x9.1 mm, 225 g; Glass front (Gorilla Glass Victus), back in eco-leather, aluminum frame; IP68 dust / water resistant (up to 1.5m for 30 minutes).
• Screen: 6.73 “LTPO2 AMOLED, 1B colors, 120Hz, Dolby Vision, HDR10 +, 1000 nit (HBM), 1500 nits (peak), resolution 1440x3200px, format 20: 9, 522ppi.
• Chipset: Qualcomm SM8475 Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 (4 nm): Octa-core (1×3.19 GHz Cortex-X2 and 3×2.75 GHz Cortex-A710 and 4×1.80 GHz Cortex-A510); Adreno 730.
• Memory: 256GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 12GB RAM, 512GB 12GB RAM; UFS 3.1.
• Operating system / software: Android 12, MIUI 13.
• Rear camera: Wide (main): 50.3 MP, f / 1.9, 23 mm, 1.0 “, 1.6 µm, multidirectional PDAF, laser AF, OIS; Ultra wide angle: 48 MP, f / 2.2, 13 mm, 1 / 2.0 “, 0.8 µm, Dual Pixel PDAF; Telephoto lens: 48 MP, f / 4.1, 120 mm, 1 / 2.0 “, 0.8µm, PDAF, OIS, 5x optical zoom; Depth: TOF 3D.
• Front camera: 32 MP, f / 2.4, 25 mm (wide angle), 0.7 µm.
• Video capture: Rear camera: 8K @ 24fps, 4K @ 30 / 60fps, 1080p @ 30/60/120 / 240fps, 720p @ 3840fps, gyro-EIS, Dolby Vision HDR 10-bit rec. (4K, 1080p); Front camera: 1080p @ 30.
• Battery: 4860 mAh; Fast charging 67W, Fast wireless charging 50W, 100% in 52 min (advertised), Reverse wireless charging 10W, Quick Charge 4, Power Delivery 3.0.
• Various: Fingerprint reader (under display, optical); NFC; Infrared port; stereo speakers.

Xiaomi 12S Ultra unboxing

The 12S Ultra comes in a black box to distinguish it from the lesser twelve, a distinction we also observed last year. It’s not the specially designed package the 10 Ultra appeared in, but it’s something of a statement nonetheless.

The contents do not bring surprises. A 67W charger is included, with a USB-AC cable to accompany – Xiaomi still uses proprietary charging technology. You also get a clear soft case for protection, although it doesn’t feel right to slap a piece of silicone that’s worth pennies on a premium phone like this. And it turns heads, the Xiaomi 12S Ultra.