Xiaomi 12S Ultra Review: Vlog or Expert Photo Shoot Focus

After a glance doing a Xiaomi 12S Ultra review, you know it’s a camera-first smartphone. The front is the usual premium all-display affair. However, it is the rear where you get a phone with a retro camera. It is a large-size glass element atop an expanded camera isle surrounded by genuine leather. It is sort of like a Leica M6. So, The Xiaomi 12S Ultra specs for the primary 50MP 1-inch sensor with Leica’s professional optical lens focus on creative photography and video production for the vloggers. Is it worth the actual hype? Let us explore more.

The new Leica triple cameras on the back of the 12S Ultra are all at the pinnacle of smartphone imaging. The main imager has a 1-inch sensor and combines a 50.3MP in a 4-to-1 pixel binning to produce 12.5MP images. There is a multi-directional phase-detect autofocus, a laser aid to that AF system, optical stabilization, and a wide 23mm lens with f/1.9 aperture.

The new Xiaomi 12S Ultra review shows it is not just about the price tag. Xiaomi allied with imaging goliath Leica to tune the cameras on this smartphone. There are two special camera photo filters, Leica Vivid and Leica Authentic. The Vivid mode is what modern phone cameras look like—punchy and contrasty—while the latter brings a more toned-down true-to-life look.

Xiaomi 12S Ultra Review

The new Xiaomi 12S Ultra review for the design indicates it is similar to the Mi 11 Ultra. It has a nearly identical front, while its back offers a different layout. Almost all camera features are the same for the cameras. It has matching wide with enormous sensors, ultrawide with autofocus, and 5x telephoto periscopes.

Xiaomi 12S Ultra Specs and Features

The 12S Ultra will be a flagship phone when it launches in the second half of this year. It has a Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1 processor, 8GB/12GB RAM and 256GB/512GB storage capabilities, and an outstanding 2K 6.73-inch OLED display. The 4860mAh battery capacity and 67W charging capability aren’t class-leading but should do just fine for most users. All things considered, that’s not a spec sheet we can complain about.

 

Xiaomi 12S Ultra Specs Sheet

The Display

The Xiaomi 12S Ultra review for display shows it has a resolution of 1440x3200px (20:9 ratio, 522ppi pixel density), and it’s an LTPO 2K AMOLED panel that allows dynamic refresh rate switching between 1 and 120Hz. Like other phones from this brand, the 12S Ultra has all sorts of HDR support—including DolbyVision—and it’s a 10-bit panel, so it can render 1 billion color gradations.

This new Xiaomi phone, like its predecessor, scored very well in our brightness test. It’s brighter than the 12 Pro and on par with the iPhone 13 Pro Max and Vivo X80 Pro. Only Samsung’s own S22 Ultra can put out more nits, some 200 of them. Meanwhile, the 500ish nits in manual operation are the norm on a modern-day flagship phone, with only the iPhone allowing significantly higher brightness at the top end of its slider.

The Camera

The main camera of the 12S Ultra has an 8192x6144px resolution – let’s call it 50MP – and 1.6µm pixels. The functional sensor area is 13.11×9.83mm, and the sloping works out to 16.39mm. Multiply that by 1.5, and you get 24.85mm – or around one inch. Let’s not forget that we haven’t seen an IMX989 whitepaper (nor have we seen a Sony phone sensor whitepaper in a while), so these digits are just us working with what we have – they could be off one way or another barely.

In front of the sensor, Xiaomi has placed an 8-element lens with aspherical elements and stabilization. There is a 23mm equivalent focal length lens and an f/1.9 aperture. The Xiaomi 12S Ultra review for the other two rear cameras shows these are carried over from the Mi 11 Ultra. The hardware is still impressive even today. An IMX586 takes care of image capture (48MP, 1/2-inch, Quad Bayer), while a stabilized telephoto periscope is defined as covering a 120mm field of view and having an f/4.1 aperture. A back autofocus camera provides a 128-degree panorama and has an f/2.2 aperture.

Camera App

The camera app is the same as on other phones from this brand. However, the color scheme is red because of Leica’s collaboration with the firm. You can also pick between two modes, one based on the Vibrant and another on Authentic processing. After you’re past the welcome screen, you can switch back and forth between these modes as much as you like without restarting. There’s also an AI toggle that lets you adjust camera settings based on object recognition software instead of relying on manual settings.

 

At the near end of the camera app, you have a zoom switch to take you from ultra-wide, primary, and 5x zoom prospects. You can also tap on the active magnification to reveal even more zoom options: 2x, 10x, and 120x. In Pro mode, you can adjust the shooting parameters yourself. You can choose one of four white balance presets. Also, you can control the light temperature with a slider. There is a manual focusing slider with shutter speed and ISO control. It has ranges depending on which camera you’re using.

Photography and Video Results

The camera’s dynamic range is excellent. According to the Xiaomi 12S Ultra review for photography, it does a good job preserving highlights and shades. You will like the results straight out of the camera, but if you don’t, playing around with your favorite photo editing software can lift your shadows without much detriment to quality.

We certainly expect Ultra fans to know a thing or two about at least basic post-processing. The hardware on this new Ultrawide camera is essentially the same as its predecessor. That said, there’s one rather notable difference. This Leica camera phone has a narrower field of view, and it’s a result of more bold software distortion correction.

Selfies from the 12S Ultra are at 32MP resolution, which is too much for our liking. Still, these photos have exact and well-processed details—even at 1x magnification, the point is still there. It is better downscaling them to 12MP. Xiaomi’s new 12S Ultra smartphone can record video up to 8K24 with all three back cameras. There are also 4K30 and 4K60 modes. You can pick between the H.264 codec (default setting) and the H.265. Always-on stabilization is also functional.

Pros:

• Flexible 120Hz 2K Super AMOLED WQHD+ display with Dolby Vision and HDR 10 Plus E4 LTPO.
• NFC, IR Blaster, WIFI 6 support, Bluetooth 5.2.
• Leica professional optical lens.
• Dolby Vision with Hi-Res audio and video recording.
• Harman Kardon with Dolby Atmos dual speakers.
• Excellent price to performance ratio.
• HyperOIS offers rock solid photography for moving objects in daylight.

Cons:

• Not available outside China freely. Global launch yet to be seen.
• The telephoto camera is not great for nighttime shots.
• There are some inconsistencies in color rendition when recording videos and using the three rear cameras. 

Xiaomi 12S Ultra Price and Availability

Surprisingly, Leica partnered goliath camera phone is only freely available on AliExpress. The Xiaomi 12S Ultra price is US $1,099. It has a silicone case, a sim ejector pin, a manual, and a 67W charger.

The Verdict

XiaomiToday Rating: 4.9/5

Price: $994.54

Trending Deals: Xiaomi Mi Band 7 Pro Price US $59.95 Limited Time Super Deal

infinix Note 12 Pro 5G US $199 Shocking July 18th Super Deal

Shengmilo MX02S E-Bike Price $1,255 Limited Time Deal

FiiO BTR7 New Portable Bluetooth Amplifier Traits 320mW Gain

Nothing Launches Nothing Phone 1 Without Invite Code Purchase Now Available

Mibro S1 Best Value Earbuds $16.99 Special Early Bird Sale

Mibro C2 Cheap Apple Smart Watch Alternative $19.99 Launch

Xiaomi Mibro Lite, Mibro A1, and X1 Watch Hot Low Price Deal

Save More on Soundcore Life Q30 HiRes Certified Wireless Headphones

ARENTI VBELL1 Best Video Doorbell with 2K UHD has Google and Alexa