Home » Xiaomi 12S vs 12S Pro vs 12S Ultra: Which one is for you?

Xiaomi 12S vs 12S Pro vs 12S Ultra: Which one is for you?

Written By Louie Diangson
Published • July 6th, 2022
ComparisonsMobile
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Xiaomi recently announced its latest flagship series powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8+ Gen1 chipset, the Xiaomi 12S, 12S Pro, and the 12S Ultra. Since we have three different options, what’s the difference between them, and which one should you get? Find out in this specs comparison.

Xiaomi 12S	Xiaomi 12S Pro	Xiaomi 12S Ultra
6.28-inch FHD+ (2400 x 1080) AMOLED display, 419ppi	6.73-inch 2K (3200 x 1440) LTPO AMOLED display, 521ppi	6.73-inch 2K (3200 x 1440) LTPO2 AMOLED display, 521ppi
120Hz refresh rate, 240Hz touch sampling rate	120Hz refresh rate, 240Hz touch sampling rate	120Hz refresh rate, 240Hz touch sampling rate
Corning Gorilla Glass Victus	Corning Gorilla Glass Victus	Corning Gorilla Glass Victus
Qualcomm Snapdragon 8+ Gen1 SoC	Qualcomm Snapdragon 8+ Gen1 SoC	Qualcomm Snapdragon 8+ Gen1 SoC
Adreno 730 GPU	Adreno 730 GPU	Adreno 730 GPU
8GB, 12GB RAM	8GB, 12GB RAM	8GB, 12GB RAM
128GB, 256GB, 512GB UFS 3.1	128GB, 256GB, 512GB UFS 3.1	256GB, 512GB UFS 3.1
Triple-rear cameras: • 50MP F1.9 1/1.28-inch main • 13MP F2.4 ultrawide • 5MP F2.4 telephoto macro	Triple-rear cameras: • 50MP F1.9 1/1.28-inch main • 50MP F1.9 telephoto, 2x optical • 50MP F2.2 ultrawide	Quad-rear cameras: • 50.3MP F1.9 1-inch Sony IMX989 main camera w/ OIS • 48MP F4.1 1/2-inch periscope telephoto, 5x optical • 48MP F2.2 1/2-inch ultrawide • TOF 3D camera (depth)
32MP F2.5 front camera	32MP F2.5 front camera	32MP F2.5 front camera
Dual-SIM	Dual-SIM	Dual-SIM
5G, 4G LTE	5G, 4G LTE	5G, 4G LTE
WiFi 6e	WiFi 6e	WiFi 6e
Bluetooth 5.2	Bluetooth 5.2	Bluetooth 5.2
NFC	NFC	NFC
IR blaster	IR blaster	IR blaster
GPS, A-GPS, GLONASS, GALILEO, QZSS, BDS, NavIC	GPS, A-GPS, GLONASS, GALILEO, QZSS, BDS, NavIC	GPS, A-GPS, GLONASS, BDS, GALILEO, QZSS, NavIC
USB-C	USB-C	USB-C
Fingerprint scanner (in-display)	Fingerprint scanner (in-display)	Fingerprint scanner (in-display)
Dual speakers (Harman Kardon)	Dual speakers (Harman Kardon)	Dual speakers (Harman Kardon)
MIUI 13 (Android 12)	MIUI 13 (Android 12)	MIUI 13 (Android 12)
		IP68 dust and water-resistant
4,500mAh battery w/ 67W fast charging, 50W fast wireless charging, 10W reverse wireless charging	4,600mAh battery w/ 120W fast charging, 50W fast wireless charging, 10W reverse wireless charging	4,860mAh battery w/ 67W fast charging, 50W fast wireless charging, 10W reverse wireless charging
152.7 x 69.9 x 8.16 (glass) ~ 8.66 (leather)	163.6 x 74.6 x 8.16 (glass) ~ 8.66 (leather)	163.2 x 75 x 9.1 m
182 g (glass) ~ 179g (leather)	204 g (glass) ~ 203g (leather)	225 g

Table of Contents

Display

When it comes to the screen, the Xiaomi 12S Pro and 12S Ultra are almost identical. Both have 6.73-inch displays with 3200 x 1440 resolution or equal to 521ppi. They’re slightly different, though, in the panel. The 12S uses an LTPO AMOLED, while the 12S Ultra uses an LTPO2 AMOLED. The 2nd-gen LTPO is an improvement over the original and is capable of lowering the refresh rate to 1Hz to help save battery.

For the Xiaomi 12S, this one has a smaller 6.28-inch screen with 2400 x 1080 resolution or equal to 419ppi. For the panel, it uses AMOLED.

Speaking of refresh rates, all three support up to 120Hz refresh rates for buttery smooth animations and transitions, and a responsive touch sampling rate of 240Hz. For the Glass, all three use Gorilla Glass Victus.

Chipset and Memory

When it comes to the chipset, and RAM, the 12S, 12S Pro, and 12S Ultra sport Qualcomm Snapdragon 8+ Gen1 SoC with Adreno 730 GPU, and come in RAM capacities of 8GB and 12GB.

They slightly differ in storage, though, as the 12S and 12S Pro come in 128GB, 256GB, and 512GB variants, while the 12S Ultra only has 256GB and 512GB.

Cameras

When it comes to imaging, all sport Leica cameras but with different specs.

The 12S has a 50MP main, 13MP ultrawide, and 5MP telemacro. This is good for casual users who just want a versatile set of cameras.

For the 12S Pro, this one has a 50MP main, 50MP telephoto, and a 50MP ultrawide. This is for those who want high-resolution images, regardless of what lense they use.

For the 12S Ultra, you got the best from the series. We’re talking about a 50.3MP 1-inch Sony IMX989 sensor for the main, 48MP 1/2-inch for the presicoping telephoto with 5x optical zoom, 48MP 1/2-inch for the ultrawide, and a TOF 3D camera for depth sensing. This model is for those who want to take high-quality, high-resolution, and bright photos even at night.

For the front camera, all are equipped with a 32MP shooter.

Connectivity and other features

When it comes to connectivity, the three are identical. All have dual-SIM with 5G, WiFi 6e, Bluetooth 5.2, NFC, IR blaster, multi-band GNSS, and USB-C.

In terms of other features, they all have in-display fingerprint scanners and dual speakers tuned by Harman Kardon.

However, if you’re looking for a device that can handle water and dust, the 12S Ultra is the one to pick, thanks to its IP68 water and dust resistance.

Software-wise, all are running on MIUI 13 based on Android 12.

Battery

If we’re going to rank them, the 12S Ultra wins for having the largest capacity at 4,860mAh, followed by the 12S Pro at 4,600mAh, then the 12S at 4,500mAh.

However, they differ in fast charging, as the 12S Pro wins with 120W, followed by the 12S Ultra and 12S at 67W. It would have been nice, though, it the Ultra had 120W as well. But that’s not bad.

Which one to pick?

As of writing, the Xiaomi 12S series is yet to launch in the Philippines, so we can’t take the budget into consideration for now. But given the tiers, the Xiaomi 12S Ultra is for those with a bigger budget and who want the best cameras in a smartphone right now. The high-res screen, IP68 certification, and largest battery capacity are additional selling points.

However, if you’re a casual user, and just need something powerful enough to handle demanding applications, has versatile cameras, and a decent battery capacity, the Xiaomi 12S is a good starting point.

For those who have bigger demands in terms of screen resolution, cameras, battery, and fast charging, without getting into the price range of the 12S Ultra, the Xiaomi 12S Pro sits perfectly in the middle for that.

How about you guys? Which model are you going for? Let us know in the comments below.