Xiaomi is more than a smartphone manufacturer. Mi 12S Ultra is a recent example. The Chinese firm creates household appliances like Samsung, but it also has “side hustles” like the Xiaomi Electric scooter (one of the best-selling electric scooters worldwide) and a prototype EV due by the end of August.
All that aside, of course, I’d like to focus on Xiaomi’s phones, which started off with… well, not with a phone, but with a customizable launcher called MIUI. But over ten years later, Xiaomi’s reached this very point where other brands can look at its phones and learn something from them – as little or as much as they’d like, really.
Interestingly, though, Xiaomi’s flagship smartphones used to be the ones that took (and still take) some cues from the competition. While that’s far from uncommon for a newly-established brand (take a look at the Nothing Phone, which resembles an iPhone 12), it left many with the impression that Xiaomi was one of those “Chinese knock-off brands” – like the 130401284 ones that actually exist.
- MIUI is iOS-Android hybrid.
- Xiaomi’s MIUI mimics iOS before talking hardware.
Xiaomi isn’t the only Android maker to emulate Apple’s app drawer-less, minimalistic home screen, but it’s the closest. iOS and MIUI act differently despite Xiaomi’s iOS influence (its CEO has lauded Apple). MUI (Android) lets you rearrange icons and widgets freely.
MIUI is a custom Android skin. MIUI is considered the most functioning of iOS and Android. Xiaomi phones are a good option for iPhone users who want to switch to Android.
Mi 12S Ultra beats iPhone 13 Pro Max in DxOMark camera test
Xiaomi 12S Ultra ranks fifth in DxOMark’s worldwide smartphone camera rankings. It scored 138 points, pushing iPhone 13 Pro and 13 Pro Max out of the top 5.
The gadget is renowned for its overall image quality and adaptability, delivering two image signatures. The camera’s low-light mode has a large dynamic range. Ultra-wide and zoom cameras produce outstanding long-range photos. The camera offers extended dynamic range, natural texture rendering, and outstanding exposure in video mode.
The camera’s inconsistency results in differences in photos, even between successive shots. Also, the preview isn’t always accurate. The camera also suffers with strongly contrasting light settings.