Introduction
I have been using the Xiaomi 12S Ultra for about one month now, and it is one of the most balanced phones I have used in 2022. It features the latest Qualcomm chipset, Leica optics, and a refreshingly new design.
Let me start by saying, the Xiaomi 12S Ultra is a bold statement and reaffirms Xiaomi as a company capable of holding its own in the flagship smartphone space. That’s aside from the fact that Xiaomi is one of the biggest mid-range smartphone brands. This model builds on the reputation of its two previous predecessors but shares a bit more with the Mi 11 Ultra, especially with the outrageous camera bump design.
A disclaimer before we continue, this is going to be a long review because it is my belief that such a special device deserves the time and energy.
But before we dive in, here are the features:
| Dimensions | 163.2×75.0x9.1mm |
| Weight | 225g |
| Display | 6.73″ LTPO2 AMOLED, 1440x3200px Resolution, 552ppi, 120Hz Refresh Rate, Dolby Vision, HDR10+, 20:9 Aspect Ratio, 1500nit Peak Brightness, Corning Gorilla Glass Victus |
| Chipset | Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 (4 nm), Octa-core (1×3.19 GHz Cortex-X2 & 3×2.75 GHz Cortex-A710 & 4×1.80 GHz Cortex-A510) |
| Memory | 256GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 12GB RAM, 512GB 12GB RAM; UFS 3.1. |
| Rear Camera | 50.3 MP (1-inch) Primary Camera 48MP Ultra-wide Camera 48MP Telephoto Camera |
| Front Camera | 32 MP Selfie Camera |
| OS | MIUI 13 over Android 12 |
| Battery | |
| Others | Under Display Fingerprint Reader, NFC, Infrared Port, Harman/Kardon Stereo Speakers, IP68 Rated |
Unboxing
Unboxing is as normal as it gets. The Xiaomi came in a black package and contained the usual – a 67W fast charging brick, a soft transparent case, a USB-A to Type-C cable, a sim ejector, and some documentation.
For this review, I was sent the green one with 12GB RAM and 256GB ROM, but there is a black option also.
