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Xiaomi 12S arrives with camera and chipset upgrades in the same compact design as the Xiaomi 12

The Xiaomi 12S is much closer to the Pro's feature set than the Xiaomi 12 was. (Image source: Xiaomi)
The Xiaomi 12S is much closer to the Pro's feature set than the Xiaomi 12 was. (Image source: Xiaomi)
Xiaomi has unveiled the Xiaomi 12S, which retains the design and footprint of the Xiaomi 12. Xiaomi has upgraded its smaller flagship smartphone in a few key areas though, including its primary camera and SoC. The Xiaomi 12S starts at CNY 3,999 (~US$598) with 8 GB of RAM and 128 GB of storage.

Xiaomi has introduced the Xiaomi 12S in China, the smallest member of the 12S series. Measuring 152.7 x 69.9 x 8.16 mm, the Xiaomi 12S weighs between 179 g and 182 g, depending on whether you have a leather or glass-backed model. Like the Xiaomi 12S Pro, the Xiaomi 12S shares many of its features with its predecessor, the Xiaomi 12.

However, more differences exist between the Xiaomi 12S and the Xiaomi 12 than the Xiaomi 12S Pro and the Xiaomi 12 Pro. For one, Xiaomi has equipped the Xiaomi 12S with the Sony IMX707 as its primary camera, also found in the Xiaomi 12S Pro. In comparison, the Xiaomi 12 utilises the weaker IMX766. The 32 MP front-facing, 13 MP ultra-wide and 5 MP macro cameras from last year's Xiaomi 12 remain, albeit with Leica optimisations.

(Image source: Xiaomi)
(Image source: Xiaomi)
(Image source: Xiaomi)
(Image source: Xiaomi)
(Image source: Xiaomi)
(Image source: Xiaomi)

Additionally, Xiaomi equips the 12S with a 6.28-inch AMOLED display that operates at 2,400 x 1,080 pixels with a 419 PPI, a 120 Hz refresh rate and a 240 Hz touch sample rate. For some reason, the latter is half the frequency of the Xiaomi 12, which offers a 480 Hz touch sampling rate. Moreover, the Xiaomi 12S retains its predecessor's 4,500 mAh battery with 67 W fast charging, although this powers the more efficient Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1 chipset.

Xiaomi has decided to sell the Xiaomi 12S in four colours and as many memory configurations, mirroring the Xiaomi 12S Pro. For some reason, the cheapest and most expensive configurations are only available in white and black colour options. For reference, the Xiaomi 12S is orderable in China at the following prices; the Xiaomi 12S is unlikely to launch outside China, though.

  • 8 GB of RAM/128 GB of storage - CNY 3,999 (~US$598)
  • 8 GB of RAM/256 GB of storage - CNY 4,299 (~US$643)
  • 12 GB of RAM/256 GB of storage - CNY 4,699 (~US$702)
  • 12 GB of RAM/512 GB of storage - CNY 5,199 (~US$777)

Purchase the Xiaomi Redmi Note 10 5G on Amazon

(Image source: Xiaomi)
(Image source: Xiaomi)

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> Expert Reviews and News on Laptops, Smartphones and Tech Innovations > News > News Archive > Newsarchive 2022 07 > Xiaomi 12S arrives with camera and chipset upgrades in the same compact design as the Xiaomi 12
Alex Alderson, 2022-07- 4 (Update: 2022-07- 4)