Xiaomi launched the Xiaomi 12S Ultra last week, making it the best flagship from the brand. The phone features exceptional hardware and comes with a brand-new partnership with the German photography giant, Leica. We have already seen how interesting the 12S Ultra is in real life, but today, let’s take a quick look at how it fares in comparison with Vivo’s biggest flagship of the year, the Vivo X80 Pro.
Xiaomi 12S Ultra vs Vivo X80 Pro
| Xiaomi 12S Ultra | Vivo X80 Pro | |
| DIMENSIONS AND WEIGHT | 163.2 x 75 x 9.1 mm, 225 g | 164.6 x 75.3 x 9.1 mm, 215 g |
| DISPLAY | 6.73 inches, 1440 x 3200p (Quad HD+), LTPO2 AMOLED, 1500 nits | 6.78 inches, 1440 x 3200p (Quad HD+), AMOLED, 1500 nits |
| PROCESSOR | Qualcomm Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1, octa-core 3.19 GHz | Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1, octa-core 3 GHz |
| MEMORY | 8 GB RAM, 256 GB – 12 GB RAM, 256 GB – 12 GB RAM, 512 GB | 256 GB – 8 GB RAM, 256 GB – 12 GB RAM, 512 GB – 12 GB RAM |
| SOFTWARE | Android 12, MIUI 13 | Android 12, Funtouch 12 |
| CONNECTIVITY | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6e, Bluetooth 5.2, GPS | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6, 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 |
Quad 50 + 8 + 12 + 48 MP, f/1.6 + f/3.4 + f/1.9 + f/2.2
32 MP f/2.2 front camera |
| BATTERY | 4860 mAh, fast charging 67W, wireless charging 50W | 4700 mAh, fast charging 80W, wireless charging 50W |
| ADDITIONAL FEATURES | Dual SIM slot, 5G, IP68 waterproof, reverse wireless charging | Dual SIM slot, 5G, water resistant (IP68), reverse wireless charging |
Design
Both, the Xiaomi 12S Ultra and the Vivo X80 Pro, are large phones with an equally large camera setup. The Xiaomi 12S Ultra comes in an eco-friendly leather option in green and black shades, while the Vivo X80 Pro features a glass back in black, blue, and orange color options.
Note that while the Xiaomi 12S Ultra is protected by Corning Gorilla Glass Victus, like its predecessors, the Vivo model features Schott Xensation Up protective glass on the back. That said, from our experience, both are pretty good at protecting your phone from scratches.
As mentioned above, both phones have large camera modules. While Xiaomi features a circular camera housing, the Vivo model comes with a rectangular camera housing, similar to what we’ve seen on previous Vivo flagships.
Both the phones come with stereo speakers, but no MicroSD slot or 3.5mm headphone jack.
Display
Both the phones have competent flagship-level displays.
The Xiaomi 12S Ultra comes with a 6.73-inch AMOLED panel with Quad HD+ resolution (1440 x 3200p), 120Hz adaptive refresh rate, HDR10+ certification, and Dolby Vision. The screen is protected by Corning’s Gorilla Glass Victus.
On the other hand, the Vivo X80 Pro features a 6.78-inch AMOLED screen with a 120Hz refresh rate, HDR10+, and 1500 nits peak brightness. Unlike other models featuring Corning glass, the Vivo model comes with a Schott Xensation Up protective glass.
Specs & Software
The Xiaomi 12S Ultra comes with the latest Snapdragon 8+ gen 1 processor, bringing in better performance and significantly better efficiency too. On the other hand, the Vivo X80 Pro comes with the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 chip that was announced several months back. In terms of performance, this gives the Xiaomi model an edge over the Vivo flagship.
The Xiaomi 12S Ultra comes with up to 12GB RAM and 512GB of storage. The Vivo model matches the same memory configuration. Both use the UFS 3.1 storage standard.
Finally, for software, the Xiaomi 12S Ultra runs on MIUI 13 based on Android 13 while Vivo X80 Pro comes with FunTouchOS 12 based on Android 12.
Camera
Given that these two models are premium flagships from their respective brands, they feature powerful cameras. Xiaomi has partnered with Leica for the 12S Ultra, while Vivo has tied up with the lens maker Zeiss for its camera setup.
The Xiaomi 12S Ultra comes with a 50.3MP main camera with OIS and f/1.9 aperture. This is paired with three other sensors – a 48MP periscope 5x zoom camera, a 48MP ultra-wide camera, and a 3D ToF sensor for depth. On the front, it features a powerful 32MP shooter.
On the other hand, the Vivo X80 Pro features a 50MP primary shooter, 8MP periscope camera with 5x optical zoom, another 12MP telephoto shooter with 2x optical zoom, and a 48MP 114˚ ultra-wide shooter. Much like the 12S Ultra, the Vivo X80 Pro features a 32MP selfie camera.
We’ve seen how the Xiaomi 12S Ultra cameras are pretty impressive this time. But the Vivo X80 Pro is no slouch either, so end of the day, it will be a matter of personal preference as to which one you think has the best camera.
Battery
The Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra comes with a large 5000mAh battery with fast 67W wired and 50W wireless charging. The Vivo X80 Pro features a 4700mAh battery with an even faster charging at 80W. Similar to the Xiaomi model, the Vivo flagship comes with 50W wireless charging support. Both phones feature reverse wireless charging.
Price
You can currently find the Xiaomi 12S Ultra for about $1200/€1170, while the Vivo X80 Pro is available for around $900/₹79,999 online.
Being an older model, the Vivo X80 Pro has the price advantage, but if you want the best of the 2022 flagship, the Xiaomi 12S Ultra could be a better bet, especially because of its new-gen chipset.
Xiaomi 12S Ultra vs Vivo X80 Pro: PROs and CONS
Xiaomi 12S Ultra
PROs
- New and better chipset
- Powerful cameras
- Good Design
- Dolby Vision-certified display
CONS
- Bulky form factor
Vivo X80 Pro
PROs
- Better Design
- More affordable
CONS
- Inferior chipset
- Bulky Form Factor
