Xiaomi 12S Ultra gets Praised, 12S and 12S Pro need to Prove themselves

It comes as no surprise – the Xiaomi 12S Ultra has people excited. We’re still working on the full review, but you can check out the camera samples from the phone in our impromptu 12S Ultra vs. Mi 11 Ultra shootout.

Last week’s poll shows that 2 in 3 voters are interested in the new Ultra. Many will even consider importing the phone – that 1” Sony sensor is unique and is supported by Leica’s lens making know-how and the faster ISP inside the Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1.

As some commenters point out, the import route may be just a pipe dream – as Xiaomi doesn’t intend for the 12S Ultra to be sold outside of China, it lacks support for certain 4G and 5G bands that may be vital in your region.

That said, maybe it does have the right bands for your region. Or maybe Xiaomi will put together an international version (the chip shortage is easing, finally). Even if not, this is one of the most exciting smartphones of 2022 in terms of photography.

That is an important qualification because if you don’t care about the camera all that much, you would be better served by the Xiaomi 12S Pro. Those extra 22g of weight on the Ultra, the nearly full millimeter of extra thickness – not to mention the massive camera bump – really put some people off.

At the end of the day, the 12S Pro has the same screen and chipset as the Ultra, faster charging too (120W vs. 67W) and it costs less, so why not. And this one is actually coming to global markets soon.

Half of voters would be interested in picking up the Pro, though half of those will wait for reviews before making the final decision.

Moving on to the Xiaomi 12S, the smallest phone of the trio was also the least convincing. Most people are not interested, though there are still quite a few that that might buy one. We will have to wait and see if they still feel the same way after Xiaomi reveals the global pricing.

One recurring complaint – in this poll and previous iterations – is that some just don’t like MIUI and Xiaomi’s software support schedule. Some enjoy Xiaomi’s software and are reporting timely updates, but others have had a negative experience. Xiaomi is all-in on MIUI now that the Android One attempts are over, but it might not hurt to have a lighter option available.