Xiaomi has officially taken the wraps off its latest flagship series, which also debuts the company’s much-hyped partnership with iconic camera imaging brand Leica.

Featuring camera systems jointly developed by the two, the Xiaomi 12S, Xiaomi 12S Pro, and Xiaomi 12S Ultra are said to empower content creators and users who want to take their photography and videography to the next level.

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Xiaomi is convinced that the 12S lineup will be the best camera phone you’ll ever use this year, but of course, that remains to be seen pending its official release and user scrutiny. The imaging hardware does look great on paper, though, especially when it comes to the Xiaomi 12S Ultra, which boasts a 1-inch Sony IMX989 sensor co-engineered with Sony and Leica.

All three smartphones are built around Qualcomm’s latest and greatest Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1 chipset as well — the first to do so at that — although Xiaomi will also offer a 12S Pro variant backed by the equally top-level MediaTek Dimensity 9000 Plus processor, which delivers 5% better CPU performance compared with its predecessor, the Dimensity 9000.

In China, the Xiaomi 12S lineup are priced as follows:

• Xiaomi 12S
  • 8GB/128GB: ¥3,999 (around $598 or P32,854 converted)
  • 8GB/256GB: ¥4,299 ($642 or P35,319)
  • 12GB/256GB: ¥4,699 ($702 or P38,605)
  • 12GB/512GB: ¥5,199 ($777 or P42,713)
• Xiaomi 12S Pro (Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1 variant)
  • 8GB/128GB: ¥4,699 ($702 or P38,605)
  • 8GB/256GB: ¥4,999 ($747 or P41,075)
  • 12GB/256GB: ¥5,399 ($807 or P44,362)
  • 12GB/512GB: ¥5,899 ($881 or P48,470)
• Xiaomi 12S Pro (Dimensity 9000 Plus variant)
  • 8GB/128GB: ¥3,999 ($598 or P32,854)
  • 12GB/256GB: ¥4,499 ($672 or P36,967)
• Xiaomi 12S Ultra
  • 8GB/256GB: ¥5,999 ($896 or P49,292)
  • 12GB/256GB: ¥6,499 ($971 or P53,400)
  • 12GB/512GB: ¥6,999 ($1,406 or P57,508)

It remains to be seen if Xiaomi does end up launching its newest flagship series in the Philippines, but given the brand’s strong local following, as well as the 12S’ importance to the company’s international image, it’s difficult to imagine the lineup being limited to the Chinese market.

Xiaomi 12S and Xiaomi 12S Pro

The 12S and 12S Pro share a similar rear design, but vary greatly in terms of screen size and resolution, wired charging capabilities, and primary camera setup. Firstly, the Xiaomi 12S has a smaller FHD+ AMOLED display, whereas the Xiaomi 12S Pro opts for a bigger 6.73-inch curved AMOLED panel with a 2K+ resolution.

Compared with the standard model, the Pro model packs a slightly larger battery that supports the company’s 120-watt fast-charging standard. The 12S, on the other hand, maxes out at 67 watts when plugged in to charge.

For taking pictures, the Xiaomi 12S uses a 50-megapixel camera with a large Sony IMX707 sensor accompanied by a 13-megapixel ultrawide camera and a 5-megapixel telephoto-macro option. The Xiaomi 12S Pro sports the same primary sensor on the back, in addition to two 50-megapixel sensors for portraits and ultrawide photos.

Xiaomi 12S specs

• 6.28-inch FHD+ AMOLED display, 120Hz refresh rate, 240Hz touch sampling rate, Corning Gorilla Glass Victus
• 4nm Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1 processor with 5G
• 8GB/12GB LPDDR5 RAM
• 128GB/256GB/512GB UFS 3.1 storage
• 50-megapixel main, 13-megapixel ultrawide, and 5-megapixel telephoto-macro cameras
• 32-megapixel front camera
• Under-display fingerprint reader
• 4,500mAh battery
• 67-watt wired charging
• 50-watt wireless charging, 10-watt reverse wireless charging
• MIUI 13, based on Android 12
• Color options: black, green, purple, and white color options

Xiaomi 12S Pro specs

• 6.73-inch 2K+ AMOLED display, 120Hz refresh rate, 240Hz touch sampling rate, Corning Gorilla Glass Victus
• 4nm Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1 processor with 5G/4nm MediaTek Dimensity 9000 Plus processor with 5G
• 8GB/12GB LPDDR5 RAM
• 128GB/256GB/512GB UFS 3.1 storage
• 50-megapixel main, 50-megapixel portrait, and 50-megapixel ultrawide cameras
• 32-megapixel front camera
• Under-display fingerprint reader
• 4,600mAh battery
• 120-watt wired charging
• 50-watt wireless charging, 10-watt reverse wireless charging
• MIUI 13, based on Android 12
• Color options: black, green, purple, and white color options

Xiaomi 12S Ultra

Finally, we have the Xiaomi 12S Ultra, the most impressive — and best-performing — phone of the lot. The Ultra model features an IP68-rated design for dust and water resistance, to go along with a leather-like rear in Classic Black and Verdant Green colors.

Around the back, you get a 50-megapixel main camera with a 1-inch Sony IMX989 sensor alongside a pair of 48-megapixel Sony IMX586 units — one for ultrawide shots and another for zoom photos. Xiaomi says the impressively large sensor size allows for better light-gathering capabilities, which should make the 12S Ultra suitable for shooting in low-light environments.

The Xiaomi 12S Ultra likewise brings a distinct Leica watermark, plus four camera filters from the German camera brand, including a monochrome one. For selfies and video chat, the flagship packs a 32-megapixel RGBW image sensor.

It likewise comes equipped with a 6.73-inch AMOLED LTPO E5 panel with a 120Hz adaptive refresh rate and a flagship-level Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1 5G chipset with up to 12GB LPDDR5 RAM and 512GB of UFS 3.1 storage. A 4,860mAh battery keeps the lights on and supports fast cable charging up to 67 watts and fast wireless charging up to 50 watts.

Xiaomi also says that the 12S Ultra uses its in-house Surge G1 battery-management chip to extend the battery life of the phone and maximize its capacity. The proprietary Surge P1 chipset, meanwhile, is said to improve charging efficiency while prolonging the battery’s lifespan.

Xiaomi 12S Ultra specs

• 6.73-inch 2K+ AMOLED LTPO 2.0 display, 120Hz refresh rate, 240Hz touch sampling rate
• 4nm Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1 processor with 5G/4nm MediaTek Dimensity 9000 Plus processor with 5G
• 8GB/12GB LPDDR5 RAM
• 256GB/512GB UFS 3.1 storage
• 50-megapixel main, 48-megapixel periscope telephoto, and 48-megapixel ultrawide cameras
• 32-megapixel front camera
• Under-display fingerprint reader, heart-rate sensor
• 4,860mAh battery
• 67-watt wired charging
• 50-watt wireless charging, 10-watt reverse wireless charging
• MIUI 13, based on Android 12
• Color options: Classic Black, Verdant Green

Xiaomi 12S series launch livestream, in case you missed it

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