Xiaomi has new flagships. The Xiaomi 12S and Xiaomi 12S Pro are now official and are poised to become strong candidates for the best mobile of the year, with permission of the 12S Ultra model. The S versions are perhaps not the most groundbreaking, but they are an evolution that improves some of the weaknesses of the previous generation and serves to offer the latest technology available on the market.
The Chinese manufacturer is synonymous with power and access to the latest components. With the new Xiaomi 12S and Xiaomi 12S Pro the Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1 processor is trained, a chip with the surname ‘Plus’ that serves as the basis for this new Xiaomi 12S range that also debuts its alliance with Leica in the photographic section.
Xiaomi 12S and Xiaomi 12S Pro Datasheet
| Xiaomi 12S | Xiaomi 12S Pro | |
|---|---|---|
| Screen | 6.28″ AMOLED 2,400 x 1,080 px 120Hz Gorilla Glass Victus 1,100 nits | 6.73″ AMOLED LTPO 3,300 x 1,440 px 120Hz Gorilla Glass Victus 1,500 nits |
| Processor | Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1 | Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1 |
| Memory | 8 / 12GB LPDDR5 | 12GB LPDDR5 |
| Storage | 128 / 256 GB UFS 3.1 | 256 / 512GB UFS 3.1 |
| Battery | 4,500 mAh Fast charging 67W Wireless charging 50W Reverse wireless charging 10W | 4,600 mAh Fast charging 120W Wireless charging 50W Reverse wireless charging 10W |
| Rear Camera | Main: 50 megapixels Sony IMX707 Wide-angle: 13 megapixels Telemacro: 5 megapixels Processing alongside Leica | Main: 50 megapixels Sony IMX707 Wide-angle: 50 megapixels with f/1.9 Telephoto: 50 megapixels Processing alongside Leica |
| Front Camera | 32 megapixels | 32 megapixels |
| Connectivity | Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.3, GPS, NFC, USB Type-C | Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.3, GPS, NFC, USB Type-C |
| Operating System | Android 12 with MIUI 13 | Android 12 with MIUI 13 |
| Dimensions and Weight | 152.7 x 69.9 x 8.16mm 182g | 163.6 x 74.6 x 8.16mm 204g |
| Others | Fingerprint reader under the screen, Harman Kardon stereo speakers | Fingerprint reader under the screen, Harman Kardon stereo speakers |
| Price | From 3,999 yuan | From 4,699 yuan |
With Qualcomm’s ‘Plus’ chip and camera signed by Leica
The new Xiaomi 12S and Xiaomi 12S Pro are closely related to their predecessors, the Xiaomi 12 and Xiaomi 12 Pro. Between them they are also quite similar, differing in screen size and especially in the photographic section.
The Xiaomi 12S arrives with a 6.28-inch AMOLED panel with FullHD resolution, while the Pro model goes up to 6.73″ with a 2K resolution. Both offer a 120 Hz refresh rate and in the case of the latter, it opts for an LTPO panel.
This generation introduces the latest processors from Qualcomm and MediaTek, the latter arriving in a specific version of the Xiaomi 12S Pro. Both will feature the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1, a chipset with cores up to 3.2 GHz, manufactured in 4 nanometers, which promises 10% more power and 30% less consumption, compared to the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1.
Accompanying the new processors we have up to 12 GB of LPDDR5 RAM and storage of up to 512 GB. As for the battery, the new Xiaomi will offer 4,500 and 4,600 mAh respectively, with up to 120 W fast charging that sets them apart from most of their competitors. As Xiaomi explains, the device has improved its autonomy thanks to the efficiency of the processor.
At the photographic level, the new Xiaomi 12S arrives with the Leica signature. After a period alongside Huawei, the classic photography brand bets on Xiaomi to complement the new flagships. A collaboration where Xiaomi explains that “the result is very different” to what they had before.
The Xiaomi 12S incorporates a 50-megapixel IMX707 sensor from Sony, along with two additional 13-megapixel sensors for the wide-angle and a 5-megapixel rangefinder. In the case of the Pro model, the 50-megapixel Sony sensor is again used, but it is complemented by two other sensors with the same number of megapixels, for the wide-angle and telephoto lenses.
Versions and prices of the Xiaomi 12S and 12S Pro
The new Xiaomi 12S and Xiaomi 12S Pro have just been presented in China. At the moment it is unknown if they will reach other markets and when they will be available. These are their official prices, in the different configurations:
- Xiaomi 12S (8 GB + 128 GB): 3,999 yuan
- Xiaomi 12S (8 GB + 256 GB): 4,299 yuan
- Xiaomi 12S (12 GB + 256 GB): 4,699 yuan
- Xiaomi 12S (12 GB + 512 GB): 5,199 yuan
- Xiaomi 12S Pro (8 GB + 128 GB): 4,699 yuan
- Xiaomi 12S Pro (8 GB + 256 GB): 4,999 yuan
- Xiaomi 12S Pro (12 GB + 256 GB): 5,399 yuan
- Xiaomi 12S Pro (12 GB + 512 GB): 5,899 yuan
