The Xiaomi 12S Ultra’s Camera Sensor With Leica Optics
At the time of writing, the 1-inch Sony IMX989 sensor was the largest we’d seen on any smartphone.
Xiaomi launched the Xiaomi 12S Ultra, its most potent camera-centric flagship phone, in China. The 12S Ultra is a high-end phone with top-tier hardware, including Qualcomm’s latest Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 chip. But the new 1-inch Sony IMX989 primary camera sensor is the show’s star. In addition, because of Xiaomi’s recently announced partnership with the iconic German optics brand. The cameras in this phone are also getting the “Leica-treatment.”
FEATURES AND SPECIFICATIONS OF THE XIAOMI 12S ULTRA
The 12S Ultra has three cameras on the back, housed inside a relatively large circular module. At the time of writing, the primary sensor is a brand-new 1-inch Sony IMX989. The largest we’ve seen on any smartphone. Its 4-in-1 binned 12.5MP state has a resolution of 50.3MP with individual pixels at 3.2m. This sensor is housed behind an 8P lens with optical image stabilization that Leica has custom-tune to reduce flare. Ghosting, and chromatic aberration while taking photos.
Naturally, you get a couple of “exclusive” photographic styles in software, in this case, “Leica Authentic Look” and “Leica Vibrant Look,” as well as a bunch of filters that will make more sense to those who have used a Leica camera before.
The secondary and tertiary cameras are identical to those found on the Mi 11 Ultra. With two 48MP sensors, one with an f/2.2 ultra-wide-angle lens (128-degree field-of-view) also another with a periscope-style telephoto lens for a entire of 120x zoom (5x optical). By default, both cameras take 12MP photos.
The Xiaomi 12S Ultra is likely the first Android phone capable of recording videos in Dolby Vision HDR.
The 12S Ultra also has a 6.73-inch E5 AMOLED display with a 1440p resolution and a refresh rate of up to 120Hz. The Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 chip is pair with up to 12GB of RAM and up to 512GB of storage. The software is MIUI 13, which is based on Android 12.
The phone is power by a 4,860mAh battery that supports 67W wire and 50W wireless charging. The phone also supports 10W reverse wireless charging. Xiaomi has added two custom chips for battery management, the Surge P1, and G1. You also get an apparent elaborate 3D liquid cooling mechanism for long-term performance.
Harman Kardon-tuned stereo speakers with Dolby Atmos support and IP68 dust and water resistance round out the package.
