Xiaomi just came up with another top tier, Ultra flagship: the Xiaomi 12S Ultra. The latest Ultra device from the brand debuted more than a year ago: the Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra was officially announced on March 2021 and finally, we got its successor. The new flagship is also the first phone from the brand after the beginning of its cooperation with Leica: one of the most important brands in the world of photography. But if we exclude the cameras, what else is different between the new flagship and the older one? Is it worth spending more for the 12S or its predecessor is still a great option available at a very interesting price? This comparison between the specifications of the Xiaomi 12S Ultra and the Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra will give you the answer.

Xiaomi 12S Ultra vs Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra

Xiaomi 12S Ultra Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra
DIMENSIONS AND WEIGHT 163.2 x 75 x 9.1 mm, 225 g 164.3 x 74.6 x 8.4 mm, 234 g
DISPLAY  6.73 inches, 1440 x 3200p (Quad HD+), LTPO2 AMOLED  6.81 inches, 1440 x 3200p (Quad HD+), AMOLED
PROCESSOR Qualcomm Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1, octa-core 3.19 GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 888, octa-core 2.84 GHz
MEMORY 8 GB RAM, 256 GB – 12 GB RAM, 256 GB – 12 GB RAM, 512 GB 12 GB RAM, 256 GB – 8 GB RAM, 256 GB – 12 GB RAM, 512 GB
SOFTWARE  Android 12, MIUI  Android 11, MIUI
CONNECTIVITY  Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6e, Bluetooth 5.2, GPS  Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/ax/6e, Bluetooth 5.2, GPS
CAMERA Quad 50.3 + 48 + 48 MP + TOF 3D, f/1.9 + f/4.1 + f/2.2
32 MP f/2.5 front camera		 Triple 50 + 48  + 48 MP, f/2.0 + f/4.1 + f/2.2
20 MP f/2.2 front camera
BATTERY 4860 mAh, fast charging 67W, wireless charging 50W  5000 mAh, fast charging 67W, fast wireless charging 67W
ADDITIONAL FEATURES Dual SIM slot, 5G, IP68 waterproof, reverse wireless charging Dual SIM slot, 5G, water resistant (IP68), reverse wireless charging 10W, secondary display

Design

The Xiaomi 12S Ultra is a very beautiful phone. Its design reminds me of a real Leica camera thanks to its big and round camera module, as well as its outstanding leather back. It is definitely more attractive than its predecessor thanks to its leather back and, even though it features this impressive material, it is a waterproof phone with the IP68 certification allowing you to put it underwater up to 1.5 meters deep for a max time of 30 minutes. Besides its leather back, there is a frame made of aluminum and a glass front protected by Gorilla Glass Victus. The Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra does not stand a chance against the new model, but it is made with a ceramic back, a very premium material, and an aluminum frame.

 

Display

The Xiaomi 12S Ultra brings interesting upgrades in terms of display, even though it has a smaller 6.73-inch panel compared to its predecessor. This display is an AMOLED panel with a diagonal of 6.73 inches, a Quad HD+ resolution of 1440 x 3200 pixels, one billion colors, a 120 Hz refresh rate (adaptive refresh rate from 1 to 120 Hz), the HDR10+ certification, Dolby Vision, the Gorilla Glass Victus protection by Corning, and an in-display fingerprint reader. The Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra has almost the same specifications, but without the LTPO 2.0 technology and with a larger 6.81-inch diagonal. However, the Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra wins the display comparison because it adds a secondary display on the rear side which can be used to save energy or to shoot selfies with the rear cameras. This is an impressive feature you can rarely find on other phones, so it deserves to be mentioned.

 

Specs & Software

The Xiaomi 12S Ultra is equipped with a superior hardware department. First of all, it is powered by the Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 mobile platform: a chipset built at 5 nm with a max frequency of 3.19 GHz and an octa-core architecture. It is a better chipset than the Snapdragon 888 found on the Mi 11 Ultra and it is paired with up to 12 GB of RAM and up to 512 GB of UFS 3.1 internal storage. The Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra has the same configuration but with a weaker chipset. The Xiaomi 12S Ultra also wins the software comparison because it runs Android 12 out of the box instead of Android 11, so it will get longer software support.

 

Camera

The Xiaomi 12S Ultra is a better camera phone not only thanks to the cooperation with Leica but also because it has superior camera hardware. Its main camera is a 50.3 MP sensor with OIS and an f/1.9 focal aperture. It is paired with a 48 MP periscope sensor with 5x optical zoom, a 48 MP ultrawide camera, and a TOF 3D sensor for depth calculation. The Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra has a 50 MP main camera with a darker f/2.0 focal aperture, the same periscope sensor, and the same ultrawide camera, but it lacks a TOF 3D sensor and it comes with an inferior front camera (20 MP vs 32 MP).

 

 

Battery

The Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra wins the battery comparison because it has a bigger battery with a capacity of 5000 mAh and because it features faster wireless charging speeds thanks to a power of 67W. However, you should note that the 12S Ultra has a more efficient chipset and a smaller display, so its battery life could be better in a few scenarios, even though it has a smaller battery.

 

Price

You can currently find the Xiaomi 12S Ultra for about $1200/€1170, while the Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra is available for $649/€630 thanks to online street prices. Naturally, the 12S wins the comparison, but the Mi 11 Ultra has a much higher value for money.

 

 

Xiaomi 12S Ultra vs Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra: PRO and CONS

Xiaomi 12S Ultra

PRO

  • Better chipset
  • Superior cameras
  • Nice design
  • Superior display
  • Android 12 out of the box

CONS

  • Smaller battery

 

Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra

PRO

  • Secondary rear display
  • Bigger battery
  • Faster wireless charging speeds
  • More affordable

CONS

  • Inferior chipset

 

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