Technological innovation has shifted the phone industry as more mid-range devices are becoming more up-to-par with flagship brands. Xiaomi has been among the most surprising brands to hit the market in the last couple of years.
Consumers are looking for budget-friendly alternatives with the increasing prices of iPhones and Samsung devices. Xiaomi is often placed on the top of the list, boasting flagship-level specs at an affordable price.
This year, the brand is releasing a trio of new smartphones tipped to give the iPhone a run for its money with the new camera specs.
Xiaomi’s new flagship phone, the Mi 12S Ultra, will be the biggest of its lineup so far. It carries a 6.73-inch OLED display with the Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1 chip, but its biggest draw is the camera-lens-shaped bulge on the back, giving it the look of a DSLR camera.
The lens holds three of the phone’s cameras – the 48 mp ultrawide, the 48 mp telephoto with 5x optical zoom, and the 50 mp main camera with a 1-inch sensor. The eye-catching camera bump’s system was co-engineered with Leica.
Xiaomi revealed to Engadget that it split the cost to develop the 1-inch image sensor with Sony. As a result, the upcoming Mi 12S Ultra will use the entire sensor compared to Sony using part of the sensor for its Sony Xperia Pro-I model late last year.
Although the camera is the Mi 12S Ultra’s main selling point, the phone also packs several features that can be seen in other flagship phones.
Xiaomi’s latest phone has IP68 water and dust resistance with a whopping 4,860 mAh battery that supports 67W wired fast charging. Additionally, the Mi 12S Ultra has a 120Hz refresh rate display and is tipped to be the first Android device with the ability to shoot in Dolby Vision HDR.
The Xiaomi Mi 12S Ultra will launch in two models – one with 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage (around $900) and a high-end model with 12GB of RAM and 512GB for around $1,050.
The brand is also selling two lower-end models: the 12S and 12S Pro, which both have a main camera sensor smaller than the Ultra (1/1.28-inch). In addition, the 12S and 12S Pro will have a 120Hz OLED display but come in at 6.28-inch and 6.73-inch, respectively. They will also use the same Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1 chip and be priced at $600 for the 12S and $700 for the 12S Pro.
