While the Xiaomi 12 and 12 Pro were some of the biggest phones of early 2022, they won't be joined by an Ultra sibling to replace the Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra.
This is something the company has confirmed itself, which could be a disappointment for fans of Xiaomi phones, however there is an alternative in the 12S Ultra (which also isn't available in all regions).
We'll have to wait for future Xiaomi generations to see a new super-premium phone then.
The Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra released in 2021 had a huge screen, three super-powerful cameras, a second display on the back, a snappy processor and quick charging. However, its high price made it a tough sell for many people.
So while last year's Ultra was impressive, it wasn't perfect, and there are lots of changes the Xiaomi 12 Ultra could make to get a better score from us. That's why we've also written up a short wish list for the new phone.
Cut to the chase
- What is it? The top-end member of the Xiaomi 12 family
- When is it out? Possibly Q3 2022
- How much will it cost? Around £1,199 / AU$1,799 (that’s roughly $1,600)
Xiaomi 12 Ultra price and availability
While the Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra launched in the middle of the year, we know a follow-up won't be coming a year later - this is something Xiaomi itself has confirmed. Apparently, the phone was planned for a March release but this was canceled.
However, the Xiaomi 12S Ultra is basically what we expected the 12 Ultra to be, with top-end cameras and a huge body. It's not going on sale outside China though.
The Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra was supremely pricey, costing £1,199 / AU$1,799 (that’s roughly $1,600), which made it comparable to the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra or iPhone 13 Pro Max. We wouldn't expect much to change this year.
Currently, leaks suggest the Xiaomi 12 Ultra will be just as expensive, judging by the specs at least, as we haven't heard any actual price leaks yet.
News and rumors
These are pieces of information that were leaked before the Xiaomi 12 Ultra was canceled - presumably, they're our only glimpse into a phone that won't go on sale.
Possibly the most important piece of Xiaomi 12 Ultra information we've seen doesn't come from a leak, but from other phones: the Xiaomi 12 and 12 Pro. The company has already released some of the series' non-Ultra offerings and commonalities between them may point to features in the Ultra.
Both the standard and Pro phones have the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 chipset, 120Hz refresh rate screens, 32MP front-facing cameras, 50MP main cameras, 50W wireless powering and a minimum of 8GB RAM and 128GB storage, going up to 12GB and 256GB respectively. We could see these same specs in the Ultra.
Moreover, the Pro has a 6.7-inch 2K screen, three 50MP rear cameras (including telephoto and ultra-wide snappers alongside the main) and 120W wired charging. It'd be curious if the Ultra presented a downgrade in any of those areas.
Now let's move on to leaks. They all focus on one aspect of the Xiaomi 12 Ultra: its camera bump. We've seen an aluminum mold of the phone, a digital render of it and a case for the device too, and each shows a circular camera bump that's absolutely huge – expect loads of rear cameras.
One other intriguing piece of information is that there could also be a Xiaomi 12 Ultra Enhanced. We don't know anything about the device save its name, but judging by that name, it's an even higher-end version of the 'standard' Ultra.
