iPhone 14 and Galaxy S23 better watch out for

After postponing the presentation event, the Chinese brand has finally unveiled its Xiaomi 13 and 13 Pro. Two high-end smartphones positioned opposite the future iPhone 14 and Galaxy S23. Presentation.

The two new high-end phones from Xiaomi share most of their technical characteristics, but the “Pro” version goes a step further by offering a curved design and a more sophisticated photo experience. Here are two new flagships from the world’s top three in smartphones.

Xiaomi 13: iPhone-flavored design

The design of the Xiaomi 13 doesn’t reinvent the wheel with much of it being inspired by the iPhone: flat screen, flat edges, rounded edges. Xiaomi did not hide it and did not hesitate to compare it with the iPhone 14 at the presentation, in order to highlight the new product even more. Both phones are 71.5mm wide, but the Xiaomi 13’s 6.36-inch display occupies 93.3% of the total area, compared to the iPhone’s 88.8%.

A tour de force allowed by the thinnest black borders we’ve ever seen on a smartphone: 1.61mm on the top and sides, and 1.81mm on the bottom. In comparison, the iPhone 14 is 2.4mm, but perfectly symmetrical… The front photo module is integrated in a punch shape, which is pretty standard on Android phones. It all fits right in at 7.98 mm thick and weighs 189 g, with an IP68 certification for water resistance.

The Xiaomi 13 benefits from a 6.36-inch AMOLED panel with a definition of 1080 x 2400 pixels (414 ppi), a 120 Hz refresh rate, an announced peak brightness of 1900 nits, as well as HDR10+ and Dolby Vision compatibility.

But what really makes the Xiaomi 13 different is undoubtedly its main camera unit, which is square in shape divided into four. Three of the squares are occupied by the photo module we return to just below. The final box houses the LED flash as well as the Leica logo, bearing in mind that the partnership between the Chinese brand and the German camera manufacturer is still in effect.

Power, photos and autonomy

Unsurprisingly, the Xiaomi 13 and 13 Pro are equipped with Qualcomm’s latest chip engraved in 4 nm, the Snapdragon 8 Gen2. On the program: 37% additional CPU performance and 42% on the GPU side. Everything becomes 60% more energy efficient. The SoC is associated with 8 or 12 GB of LPDDR5 RAM and UFS 4.0 storage. A beautiful promise on paper that Xiaomi wants to fully exploit thanks to the “giant” cooling system. It will promise 30 minutes of gameplay at 60 FPS in Genshin Impact, with a maximum temperature of 43°C, which is quite acceptable.

On the photo side, Xiaomi 13 has a camera block equipped with three modules. The first is a 50 Mpx wide-angle (23 mm focal length) with f / 1.8 aperture, optical stabilization and a 1 / 1.49-inch sensor. The second module is a 12 Mpx ultra wide angle (15 mm focal length, 120°) with f/2.2 aperture and 1/3.06 inch sensor. The third module is a 10 Mpx telephoto lens (focal length 75 mm) with f/2.0 aperture, optical stabilization and x3.2 optical zoom. The selfie camera module measures 32 Mpx with an aperture of f/2.0.

The autonomy of the Xiaomi 13 is ensured by a 4500 mAh battery. The phone can regain 100% battery in 38 minutes thanks to 67W wired charging. It is also possible to charge wirelessly at up to 50W, which will only take 10 minutes longer. Finally, 10W reverse charging is in the game.

The curved Xiaomi 13 Pro goes a step further

The Xiaomi 13 Pro is logically equipped slightly better in terms of battery and fast charging, with a 4820 mAh battery, 120W wired charging (19 minutes) and 50W wireless charging (36 minutes). Return charge remains at 10W.

Design-wise, this version adopts a slightly different look reminiscent of some of the Galaxy S. This results in a curved back and a screen that leaves little room for the phone’s ultra-thin bezel. This “Pro” version is thicker (8.4 mm) and heavier (210 g) than its younger brother.

The size is explained by the larger screen. Indeed, the OLED panel measures 6.73 inches, with QHD definition of 1440 x 3200 pixels and peak brightness too at 1900 nits. We note that in the “Pro” version there is mention of the Gorilla Glass Victus protection which Xiaomi 13 does not benefit from. Another improvement is the presence of LTPO technology which offers a refresh rate that can go up from 1 Hz to 120 Hz depending on the content being displayed. Purpose: to maintain the autonomy of the phone.

The Xiaomi 13 Pro also stands out with its more muscular camera block. The main camera module (wide angle) is a 1-inch Sony IMX 989 with 50.3 Mpx resolution (23mm focal length) with f/1.9 aperture and optical image stabilization. The telephoto module is 50 Mpx (focal length 14 mm) with an aperture of f/2.2. Finally, the telephoto module is also 50 Mpx (focal length 75 mm) with f/2.0 aperture and x3.2 mm optical zoom.

Price and release date of Xiaomi 13 and 13 Pro

Despite their high-end configurations, the Xiaomi 13 and 13 Pro have very competitive prices in China, where they are expected from December 14th. For now, no price or release date has been announced for Europe or the United States. It’s generally necessary to wait a few months, therefore a release in the first quarter of 2023 should not be excluded in our region.

Xiaomi 13 price

• 8 + 128 GB: 3999 yuan (544 euros excluding tax)
• 8 + 256 GB: 4299 yuan (584 euros excluding tax)
• 12 + 256 GB: 4599 yuan (625 euros excluding tax)
• 12 + 512 GB: 4999 yuan (680 euros excluding tax)

Price of Xiaomi 13 Pro

• 8 + 128 GB: 4999 yuan (680 euros excluding tax)
• 8 + 256 GB: 5399 yuan (734 euros excluding tax)
• 12 + 256 GB: 5799 yuan (788 euros excluding tax)
• 12 + 512 GB: 6299 yuan (856 euros excluding tax)

The new Xiaomi 13 has an edge to show, especially when it comes to the price ratio of its equipment. They confront the iPhone 14 and 14 Pro, but also the future Samsung Galaxy S23 which should be presented in early 2023.

However, there is still an important point to clarify: the software experience. The phone should logically be released under Android 13 with the MIUI 14 interface, but there is no mention of product software support over time. As number three in the global smartphone market, Xiaomi will be inspired to follow the market leaders: Samsung and Apple.

Source :

Xiaomi