Wired
Last night’s Xiaomi conference, I believe many friends have seen it.
Unsurprisingly, the 12S series of mobile phones are simply three cups, and the cups are linked with Leica.
Among them is the long-awaited successor to the “Android Light” – Xiaomi Mi 12S Ultra. Good guy, it’s a joint name with Leica, and it’s a huge camera like the eyes.
Although this year’s Android Light lacks a screen, its recognition can be said to be the same as last year.
Regarding the parameters and prices of these mobile phones, I believe that many friends already know something, but compared with those tedious and detailed parameters, it is another question that is more curious.
Although this year is uncharacteristically, the press conference no longer talks about the word “high-end” in such a high-profile manner as before, but there is no doubt that what everyone cares most about is the key to the future development of Xiaomi mobile phones, which was proposed by Lei Jun a few years ago. question:
Whether this can be done depends on the product.
And just so, we have this key machine in our hands – the Xiaomi Mi 12S Ultra.
When I first saw this machine, I felt exactly the same as when I saw the 11 Ultra last year, the same highly recognizable, and the same top-heavy.
Xiaomi may also be aware of how heavy the ceramic back panel they made last year is. This year, taking advantage of the opportunity of co-branding with Leica, the back was replaced with the same Leica calfskin textured silicone leather.
The huge secondary screen of the 11 Ultra was canceled, and it was used to put down the one-inch CMOS module IMX989 that first appeared in the mobile phone and could be fully utilized.
In order to make this huge lens look less obtrusive, Xiaomi also deliberately wrapped a 23K gold wire around the side to increase the reflection and make it look much thinner than it actually is.
It’s a pity that wearing a mobile phone case will cover this circle of gold.
Hey, let me tell you, this has to make the almighty Baobao quickly come out with an accessory. If the Leica lens cap is replaced, then the ceremony of taking the lens cap will be complete.
Unofficial Accessories
Xiaomi Kuaishang Money, this idea does not need 200W, it is provided for free.
In short, although this big lens is seen in the middle, is it used in the end?
Although it may be due to the strict control of authorization by Leica, Xiaomi only has LEICA letters on the back panel this time, and there is no Coke logo as previously rumored.
However, the Coke logo has turned into millions and can be seen everywhere in the entire shooting system.
Photos taken with this phone can be stamped with Leica’s exclusive watermark below.
One thing to say, I feel that the photos in the mobile phone are marked with this watermark. . . I don’t deserve to be on my phone anymore. It might be more suitable to have it framed in the Louvre.
Of course, the cooperation between Xiaomi and Leica this time is not just about the appearance and watermark, except for 4 Leica filters. . .
Order: Native, Leica Vivid, Leica Natural, Leica Mono, Leica Mono HC ▼
This time, the Xiaomi Mi 12S Ultra has carried out a deep and more Leica-like tuning of the light entering the sensor at an earlier stage of imaging processing. That is, the “Leica native dual image quality” mentioned at the press conference.
Among them are the classic and German “Leica Classics”:
There is also “Leica Vivid” which is more vivid and has more vivid color contrast:
When the photography colleagues in the editorial department saw these proofs, they shouted poison on the spot! German! focus. . . @#￥%…
Of course, for a good photo, the camera alone is not enough. In addition to the Leica-specific lens and color matching, this time Xiaomi and Sony also jointly developed the legendary “one-inch outsole” – IMX 989.
This time, unlike the past, this is an uncut, fully utilized one-inch outsole. In the past, when many people complained about photography, they would come up with the phrase “the big one crushes people” to express the impact of CMOS size on image quality.
I think this Xiaomi Mi 12S Ultra can be said to be the best interpretation of this sentence. With the super light-sensing of the one-inch outsole, the mobile phone no longer relies on the method of multi-frame synthesis to produce films.
The benefits of this are not only to make the effect of taking pictures straight out more natural, but also to produce pictures faster. In addition, it makes it impossible to know how much computing power is saved when shooting videos. Perhaps thanks to it, this time the Xiaomi Mi 12S Ultra has become the first mobile phone in the Android camp that can support shooting Dolby Vision.
However, because of the use of the outsole, the equivalent focal length of the main camera of the 12S Ultra can run to the equivalent level of 23mm, so the overall look will be a bit wider when the main camera is mobilized.
The telephoto lens uses a 5x periscope, so when shooting, the default switching lens is to quickly switch between 1x and 5x. . .
This switch belongs to jumping from one extreme to the other. If Xiaomi can take an intermediate value here and make a double zoom to help us switch quickly, the experience may be improved.
In addition to the Leica native dual image quality with full pipeline access, Xiaomi also has a built-in master lens package. It simulates the classic black and white humanistic lens of 35mm, the rotary focus lens of 50mm, and the soft focus of 90mm, these classic lenses with different styles.
However, after the actual experience, I feel that it is not easy to play these three lenses well. Some test the skill of the photographer. I still hope that Xiaomi can optimize it in the future. As for the night scene, Xiaomi, which has been blessed with a Leica lens this time, can be said to be crazy.
Before looking at the proofs, I want to ask you a question: “Do we shoot things at night to make the night into the day?” Absolutely not, the night should have a romance that belongs to the night.
This time, Xiaomi and Leica’s complete lens customization, coupled with the one-inch large bottom of the IMX 989, can be said to have brought the most comfortable night scene photos in recent years.
The place that should be bright is bright, but it is absolutely not dazzling, and the place that should not be bright is not bright, but it will not be dead black. On the whole, the cooperation between Xiaomi and Leica this time can be full, at least in terms of “uniqueness”.
When you shoot the picture in front of you, you can feel that it is slightly different from the scenery we capture with the naked eye.
But it will give me the same joy of color recombination as film. The reorganized photos are also very attractive, which can bring a unique “sense of atmosphere” to the photos, so that in this era of digital photos, I suddenly regained the touch brought by the previous film machine.
Every time I press the shutter, it fills me with anticipation.
After talking about the unique image style after the cooperation between Xiaomi and Leica, let’s talk about the more “core” question: after switching to TSMC, how is the energy consumption and heat generation of this generation of 8+Gen1 controlled? Can you avoid “negative” optimization?
Just last weekend, I took this machine out for a walk, and I would like to share my experience with you first. Under the daily moderate experience of chatting on WeChat and not playing games much, the 12S Ultra lasted for nearly 10 hours, of which the screen-on time was nearly 6 hours.
If you don’t like to brush your phone while walking, this battery life is adequate for a whole day.
It should be noted that the battery capacity of Xiaomi Mi 12S Ultra has actually decreased compared to last year, but its battery life has still improved. This time Xiaomi is a “fruit-saving power-saving”: it is not just a pile of hardware, but a better choice. battery management system to extend its battery life.
The heating problem is much better than the previous generation 11 Ultra, not so hot. In terms of performance, I simply ran an AnTuTu:
It stands to reason that the Xiaomi Mi 12S Ultra is only used as a machine when the 8+Gen1 was launched in the early days, and it has not really exerted its strength. . .
But compared with the actual running score, it has been able to beat most of the 8Gen1 mobile phones on the market.
In terms of energy consumption, which everyone is more concerned about, I simply tested the Honor of Kings and 3Dmark first. Compared with the previous generation of 8Gen1, the energy consumption of both tests has been significantly reduced.
Xiaomi Mi 12 Pro King of Glory can run to 119 frames, but it can only run to 119 frames. The Xiaomi Mi 12S Ultra can run to 120 frames, which may be because the game only supports up to 120 frames.
As for the original God we are familiar with. . . In an air-conditioned room at 25 degrees, 50% brightness, and extreme picture quality, turn on the performance mode and run back and forth in Liyuegang.
After half an hour of experience, the frame rate can reach the level of 57.4 frames, which is gratifying. In the middle of 2022, there will finally be a mobile phone that can stabilize the ultimate picture quality of Yuanshen. Although the frame rate fluctuates to a certain extent, this experience can be said to be the glory of recasting the Android SoC. . .
So, can this machine that recasts the glory of Android build Xiaomi’s high-end road?
If we start from the “separate action” between Redmi and Xiaomi in 2019, this year may already be the third year for Xiaomi to go high-end.
This is the three years that Xiaomi is determined to go high-end, and it is also the three years that Xiaomi has been full of criticism. Over the years, the three words “Mi Chonggao” are still more sarcastic.
It’s very simple, because this is not something that can be done by the manufacturer when they release the product, but by consumers who say it from the bottom of their hearts after they buy it.
This year, at least the way of this conference is going “right”: Lei Jun changed his mouth full of “high-end” at the conference a few years ago. The mobile phone’s understanding of the image flagship.
Combined with the content of the conference and the experience, at least the video experience of this Xiaomi Mi 12S Ultra can be said to be quite unique.
In layman’s terms, this phone can give you an image experience that you can’t buy elsewhere. This is what high-end brands can do: any brand can pay a premium, but a high-end brand can make consumers accept a premium.
Consumers will also vote with their wallets.
I think Xiaomi is a brand that has no shortage of goodwill. Before hitting the high-end, good products with “moving people’s hearts and honest prices” are the characteristics of Xiaomi. Xiaomi always offers a friendly price for a sincere product that is full of materials.
However, if you stack materials, others can also stack materials, and if you give benefits, others can also give benefits. There is actually no threshold for this kind of favorability.
The industry benchmark Apple is actually full of controversy. You can even hear scolding when the price of new mobile phones soars, but consumers can just pay. Such brand beliefs do not rely on cost-effectiveness, but rely on things that the enemy does not have and I have to support the premium right.
What is the result of the Xiaomi Mi 12S Ultra’s impact on the high-end this time? Actually, there is no way to answer this question. At this time next year, the market will tell us the answer.
