The wait is over! Xiaomi has officially unveiled the Xiaomi 12S series — Xiaomi 12S, Xiaomi 12S Pro, and Xiaomi 12S Ultra. All three devices were “co-engineered with Leica”.
The Xiaomi 12S and 12S Pro are actually minor upgrades from the Xiaomi 12 and 12 Pro, while the Xiaomi 12S Ultra is the successor of last year’s Mi 11 Ultra. Both the 12S and 12S Pro still have the same display as their predecessors — 6.28-inch Full HD+ AMOLED 120Hz for the 12S and 6.73-inch Full HD+ LTPO (1-120Hz) AMOLED for the 12S Pro. As for the 12S Ultra, it sports a 6.73-inch E5 Super AMOLED display with 3,200 x 1,440px resolution and AdaptiveSync Pro support, which can variably refresh from 1Hz to 120Hz.
Powering the Xiaomi 12S series is the new Qualcomm Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 processor that offers better performance with reduced power usage.
Both the 12S and 12S Pro have a triple-camera setup just like their predecessors. The 12S has a 50MP Sony IMX707 main + 13MP ultra-wide + 5MP telemacro, while the Pro model has the same 50MP Sony IMX707 main camera, together with other two 50MP cameras (2x optical and ultra-wide lenses).
As for the 12S Ultra, it also has a triple-camera setup. The 50.3MP 23mm wide-angle camera pioneers the 1-inch Sony IMX989 sensor. The two other cameras are both 48MP Sony IMX586 1/2.0-inch sensors, one is an ultra-wide cam and another one is a periscope cam.
As for the collaboration with Leica, the Xiaomi 12S series comes with Leica Summicron lenses and support for Leica imaging profiles. You can choose between the Leica Authentic Look and Leica Vibrant Look presets. Additionally, there are Leica filters — Leica Vivid, Leica Natural, Leica BW Natural, and Leica BW High Contrast.
The Xiaomi 12S series also supports a 10-bit RAW format calibrated by Adobe Labs, with color correction metadata embedded in the files. When using Adobe Lightroom to open photos shot on Xiaomi 12S series, Adobe Camera RAW software will automatically optimize photos based on metadata, providing professional photographers with a good starting point for post-production.
The Xiaomi 12S packs a 4,500mAh battery that supports 67W wired fast charging and 50W wireless fast charging, while the 12S Pro has a 4,600mAh battery that supports 120W wired fast charging and 50W wireless fast charging. As for the 12S Ultra, it has a 4,680mAh battery 67W wired fast charging, 50W wireless fast charging, and 10W reverse wireless charging.
The Xiaomi 12S Ultra is also the first flagship device to be equipped with two proprietary Xiaomi Surge chips — Xiaomi Surge P1 fast-charging chipset (available in 12S Pro as well) and Xiaomi Surge G1 battery management chipset, offering great improvements in battery management and overall user experience.
In terms of memory configurations, the Xiaomi 12S and 12S Pro are available in 8GB+128GB, 8GB+256GB, 12GB+256GB, and 12GB+512GB. The Xiaomi 12S Ultra comes in three variants — 8GB+256GB, 12GB+256GB, and 12GB+512GB. Unfortunately, Xiaomi has confirmed that the 12S Ultra is not going to be available outside China.
One more thing, Xiaomi has also announced the Xiaomi 12 Pro Dimensity Edition. The phone now comes with a 4nm MediaTek Dimensity 9000+ chipset but its ultra-wide and telephoto cameras have been downgraded to 13MP and 5MP sensors, respectively. It packs a bigger 5,160mAh battery, but the charging speed is downgraded to 67W.