Xiaomi just announced the Xiaomi 12S Ultra in China at a virtual event today. The phone is part of the Xiaomi 12S series, which also includes the standard 12S and 12S Pro. Here, we will look at the specs, features, availability, and expected price of the Xiaomi 12S Ultra in Nepal.
Xiaomi 12S Ultra Overview:
1-inch type Sony IMX989 Sensor
To begin with, the headlining feature of this smartphone is Sony’s 1-inch camera sensor. In case you were unaware, the Xiaomi 12S Ultra is the first phone in the world to use Sony’s IMX989 flagship sensor. This has been co-engineered by Xiaomi and Sony with a reported development cost to be around USD 15 million.
Sony IMX989 is the first 1-inch image sensor built specifically for smartphones. We also had the Xperia PRO-I with a 1-inch sensor but that came from Sony’s RX100 VII compact camera.
To note, both are 1-inch type sensors, meaning they don’t have literal 1-inch diagonal lengths. Still, they look humongous compared to the camera sensor on other mainstream flagships.
Backed by Leica
Aside from a collaboration with Sony on camera hardware, the Xiaomi 12S series also marks the beginning of the Xiaomi-Leica partnership. Everything from the optical design to the imaging software of the Xiaomi 12S Ultra has been refined by Leica.
Here, the aforementioned 1-inch sensor is paired with Leica’s Summicorn 8P lens, which eliminates flare, chromatic aberration, and ghosting. In addition, each lens features an IR filter and an anti-glare coating.
On the other hand, the software feature includes two photographic styles called “Leica Authentic Look” and “Leica Vibrant Look”. These new filters offer a natural-looking image that focuses on light and shadow contrast adding depth to the photos.
Anyways, the camera hardware of the Xiaomi 12S Ultra includes a triple camera setup on the back led by a 50MP 23mm wide-angle primary camera. The other two rear cameras employ the 48MP Sony IMX586 1/2.0-inch sensor. One is a 13mm ultrawide lens with an f/2.2 aperture, while the other is a telephoto camera with a 120mm f/4.1 aperture.
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Design, Display
Moving on, Xiaomi 12S Ultra features a 6.73-inch E5 AMOLED panel with 3200 x 1440 pixels resolution and AdaptiveSync Pro support that helps the display refresh from 1Hz to 120Hz.
As for design, the smartphone flaunts a squared-off design with no sharp edges and a curved screen. It gets a faux leather treatment on the back and there’s also a 23K gold ring that covers the huge camera bump on the rear. Per Xiaomi, the camera design at the back is supposed to resemble the camera lens on a DSLR.
Moreover, the 12S Ultra has an IP68 rating for dust and water resistance and comes in black and green color options.
Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1
The Xiaomi 12 and 12 Pro were among the first smartphones to be powered by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 chipset. Likewise, Xiaomi 12S Ultra marks history as the first phone to have Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1 processor. This is Qualcomm’s latest chipset, which uses TSMC’s 4nm manufacturing process and provides 10% better CPU, 10% faster GPU, and 20% higher AI performance.
To keep the temperature in check, Xiaomi 12S Ultra utilizes a 3D cooling system which the company claims can improve smartphone efficiency by up to 100%. Along with this, the smartphone includes the brand’s own Xiaomi Surge G1 and Surge P1 chips, which are touted to boost battery performance.
Xiaomi will be offering the phone in 8GB and 12GB RAM variants with 256GB and 512GB of internal storage, respectively.
Battery and Charging
The phone relies on a 4,860mAh battery. Contrary to previous reports, Xiaomi 12S Ultra supports just 67W of wired charging. Furthermore, the phone also supports 50W wireless charging and 10W reverse wireless charging.
Xiaomi 12S Ultra Specifications:
- Display: 6.73″ WQHD+ E5 AMOLED panel, 120Hz refresh rate, AdaptiveSync, Gorilla Glass Victus
- Chipset: Qualcomm Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 (4nm) / Xiaomi Surge G1, Surge P1
- Memory: 8/12GB LPDDR5 RAM, 128/256GB UFS 3.1 storage (fixed)
- Software & UI: Android 12 with Xiaomi’s MIUI 13 on top
- Rear Camera: Triple;
– 50.3MP 1-inch Sony IMX989 (Hyper OIS)
– 48MP Sony IMX586 ultrawide
– 48MP Sony IMX586 telephoto - Front Camera: 32MP sensor (punch-hole cutout)
- Security: In-display fingerprint sensor, Face unlock
- Sensors: Accelerometer, Ambient Light, Gyroscope, Proximity, Electronic Compass, Linear Motor, IR Blaster
- Connectivity: Dual-SIM (Nano), WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/ax (Dual-band), Bluetooth 5.1, GPS / AGPS / Glonass / Beidou / NavIC / GLONASS / QZSS, NFC, 5G, USB Type-C
- IP Rating: Yes, IP68
- Battery: 4,860mAh, 67W fast charging, 50W wireless, 10W reverse wireless
Xiaomi 12S Ultra Price in Nepal and Availability
As far as the pricing is concerned, the base variant of the Xiaomi 12S Ultra retails at CNY 5,999. Likewise, the higher 12/256GB and 12/512GB model retails at CNY 6,499, and CNY 6999, respectively. We expect the price of Xiaomi 12S Ultra to start at NPR 125,000, if and when it launches in Nepal.
| Xiaomi 12S Ultra | Price in China | Price in Nepal (Expected) |
| 8/256GB | CNY 5,999 | NPR 125,000 |
| 12/256GB | CNY 6,499 | NPR 135,000 |
| 12/512GB | CNY 6,999 | NPR 145,000 |
- Meanwhile, check out our review of the Xiaomi 12 Pro.
