Xiaomi 12S Ultra with Leica camera system unveiled

The new flagship camera will be available initially in China

After weeks of speculations, Xiaomi unveiled the much-anticipated flagship camera-centric phone Xiaomi 12S Ultra in Beijing.

As mentioned in the headline, Xiaomi has collaborated with Leica Camera AG, a world-renowned German imaging company to bring the Xiaomi 12S Ultra.

The new phone is the world’s first to boast a massive 1-inch camera lens. It comes with an 8P aspheric lens, which promises to address common photography issues such as flare, ghosting, and chromatic aberration.

Add to that, the camera module of Xiaomi 12S Ultra features anti-glare lens coating, lens edge ink coating, cyclic olefin copolymer material, and infrared light filter with spin coating technology. Together, these features promise to offer a clearer overall picture that is consistent across the lens.

The phone feature two unique modes— ‘Leica Authentic Look’ and ‘Leica Vibrant Look’. The former ensures the photo retains the light and shadow contrast and it adds a sense of three-dimensional depth to photos, with the characteristic excellence of Leica's time-proven light and shadow aesthetics.

On the other hand, the Leica Vibrant Look will enhance the colour of all the objects in the frame to enhance the visual quality of the images.

As far as the hardware is concerned, the new Xiaomi 12 Ultra boasts Leica Summicron 1:1.9-4.1 / 13-120 ASPH. Photography system-based triple-camera module— ultra-wide-angle 48MP (with 1/2-inch Sony IMX586, Dual-PD Auto-focus, support macro mode, 13mm f/2.2 lens) + 50.3MP wide (with 1-inch IMX989 sensor, Octa-PD Auto-focus, Lens edge ink coating, multi-layer ALD ultra-low reflectance coating, 3.2µm 4-in-1 Super Pixel) + 48MP Telephoto (with 1/2-inch IMX586 sensor, 1.6µm 4-in-1 Super Pixel, Dual-PD Auto-focus) with LED flash, support Leica Authentic Look, Leica Vibrant Look mode, Leica filters: (Leica Vivid, Leica Natural, Leica BW Natural, Leica BW High Contrast), Master-lens System, and HyperOIS. On the front, it boasts a 32MP RGBW image sensor.

Xiaomi 12S Ultra's primary camera sensor on the back. Credit: Xiaomi

Xiaomi 12S Ultra features a 6.73-inch QHD+ (3,200 x 1,440p) AMOLED LTPO display (E5 material) with a pixel density of 522ppi, features Dolby Vision and TrueColor Display technology, and is protected by Corning’s Gorilla Glass Victus shield. It supports 1,500nits brightness and 1-120Hz AdaptiveSync Pro. It also comes with an in-display fingerprint sensor, IR blaster, and dual-SIM slots.

On the back, it features a leather-like textured finish, and also, it has IP68 dust and water resistance rating, meaning the device can sustain underwater pressure up to 1.5 metres (around 5 feet) for close to 30 minutes.

Inside, it is powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 octa-core processor, 8GB / 12GB LPDDR5 (6400Mbps), 256GB / 512GB UFS 3.1, Android 12-based MIUI 13 OS and a 4,860mAh battery with support for 67W wired turbocharging, 50W wireless turbocharging and 10W reverse wireless charging.

Xiaomi also launched two other variants— a 12S Pro and a standard 12S.

Xiaomi 12S Pro comes with 6.73-inch QHD+(3,200 x 1080p) AMOLED display, supports 120Hz refresh rate, up to 1100 nits peak brightness, HDR10+, Dolby Vision, and is protected by Corning Gorilla Glass Victus shield. It also features an in-display fingerprint sensor and Infrared sensor.

It is powered by 4nm class Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen+ 1 octa-core processor, Adreno next-gen GPU, 8GB/12GB LPPDDR5 6400Mbps RAM with 128GB / 256GB / 512GB UFS 3.1 storage, MIUI 13 based on Android 12 and a 4,500mAh battery with 67W wired fast charging, 50W wireless second charge, and 10W Wireless rechargeable capability.

It also boasts a triple-camera module—main 50MP (with 1/ 1.28-inch Sony IMX707 sensor, f/1.9, OIS) + 50MP Samsung JN1 115-degree ultra-wide-angle lens (f/2.2) + 50MP Samsung JN1 2x portrait camera (f/1.9 aperture, 48mm focal length) with LED flash, support 8K video recording. And, it features a 32MP front camera.

On the other hand, the Xiaomi 12S features a 6.28-inch full HD+(2400 x 1080p) AMOLED display, supports a 120Hz refresh rate, up to 1100 nits peak brightness, HDR10+, Dolby Vision, and is protected by Corning Gorilla Glass Victus shield. It also features an in-display fingerprint sensor and Infrared sensor.

It is powered by 4nm class Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen+ 1 octa-core processor, Adreno next-gen GPU, 8GB/12GB LPPDDR5 6400Mbps RAM with 128GB / 256GB / 512GB UFS 3.1 storage, MIUI 13 based on Android 12 and a 4,500mAh battery with 67W wired fast charging, 50W wireless second charge, and 10W Wireless rechargeable capability.

It also boasts triple-camera module—main 50MP (1/ 1.28-inch Sony IMX707 sensor, f/1.9, OIS) + 13MP 123-degree ultra-wide-angle lens (f/2.4) + 5MP Telemacro camera (f/2.4) with LED flash, support 8K video recording. And, it features 32MP front camera with 80.5-degree (Field-of-View).

Xiaomi 12S Pro. Credit: Xiaomi

The company is offering the 12S Ultra in two colours- classic black and verdant green. It will be available initially in China and come in three configurations— 8GB RAM + 128GB storage, 8GB RAM +256GB storage, 12GB RAM + 256GB storage and 12GB RAM+ 512GB storage— for RMB 5,999, RMB 6,499 and RMB 6,999, respectively.

Xiaomi offering the 12S Pro in four colours- black, purple, green and white. It will be available initially in China and come in four configurations— 8GB RAM + 128GB storage, 8GB RAM +256GB storage, 12GB RAM + 256GB storage and 12GB RAM+ 512GB storage— for RMB 4,699, RMB 4,999, RMB 5,399 and RMB 5,899, respectively.

Xiaomi offering the generic 12S in four colours- black, purple, green and white. It will be available initially in China and come in four configurations— 8GB RAM + 128GB storage, 8GB RAM +256GB storage, 12GB RAM + 256GB storage and 12GB RAM+ 512GB storage— for RMB 3,999, RMB 4,299, RMB 4,699 and RMB 5,199, respectively.

Get the latest news on new launches, gadget reviews, apps, cybersecurity, and more on personal technology only on DH Tech.