Xiaomi has just announced its latest flagship series: the Xiaomi 13 and 13 Pro. Both handsets run on Qualcomm’s latest and greatest Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset, based on TSMC’s 4nm manufacturing process. Perhaps more importantly, the two devices offer a substantial upgrade in terms of cameras and show off a new design. They are only launching in China, but we expect them to be released globally soon enough.
Xiaomi 13 Pro
In all respects, the screen of the Xiaomi 13 Pro remains unchanged. The Xiaomi 12 Pro had a 6.73-inch screen and we have the same one with almost identical specs. Those include a 120Hz variable refresh rate because it’s an LTPO panel, 1440 x 3200px resolution, HDR10+, Dolby Vision, HLG, and 1920Hz DC dimming against aggressive PWM. The display also has an ambient color temperature sensor that allows it to adjust the color temperature on the fly.
The only upgrade here is the advertised maximum and peak brightness. The display on the new 13 Pro can illuminate the entire surface at 1,200 nits, while peak brightness during HDR video playback can reach 1,900 nits, for example.
The aforementioned Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 is paired with next-generation LPDDR5X memory and UFS 4.0 storage.
As far as cameras are concerned, the Xiaomi 13 Pro again has a triple 50MP setup on the rear, but with notable upgrades. The famous 1-inch Sony IMX989, 1.6µm sensor of the Xiaomi 12S Ultra is now paired with a Leica-branded lens with an f/1.9 aperture and Hyper OIS.
The telecamera is also getting a major upgrade. It’s 50MP again but with another 3x zoom range and Leica Floating Lens element, but with a slightly smaller f/2.0 aperture. The interesting thing is that it has a close focus distance of just 10cm.
The ultrawide doesn’t get any new luxury technology – it’s the good old 50MP, f/2.2, 14mm unit with macro support, meaning AF is also on the menu.
The battery gets a slight bump to 4,820mAh and is paired with Xiaomi’s Surge G1 chip allowing for safe 120W wired charging and 50W wireless charging. There’s also the usual 10W reverse wireless charging. Nothing new here.
Other features include Dolby Atmos tuned stereo speakers with Dolby’s new head-tracking feature, IR blaster and, of course, IP68 dust and water protection, which is a new addition to Xiaomi’s mainstream flagship range.
Xiaomi 13 Pro in all colors
The device comes in four coats of paint over the ceramic back: white, black, green, and a sort of light blue, which is a leather iteration and not ceramic. The camera island is now square with oval corners.
xiaomi 13
The Xiaomi 13’s screen is now slightly larger, measuring 6.36 inches diagonally, and has essentially the same specs as before: 1080 x 2400 pixel resolution, 120Hz refresh rate (no detailed check available as it’s not an LTPO) , Dolby Vision, HDR10+ and HLG support and is aided by an ambient color temperature sensor, but the OLED panel matches the 13 Pro’s maximum and peak brightness – 1,200 and 1,900 nits respectively.
The rear camera setup also gets the Leica treatment on all of its cameras. The main unit is 50MP, f/1.8, 23mm, 1/1.56″, 1.0µm and Hyper OIS. More importantly, we now have good telephoto on board, which was the main drawback of the Xiaomi 12. There’s a 10MP OIS-assisted camera with a Leica lens, f/2.0 aperture and native 3x zoom, the ultrawide is now 12MP with an f/2.2 aperture, likely without autofocus support.
The battery setup is also the same: a 4,500mAh cell capable of 67W fast wired charging, 50W wireless charging and 10W reverse wireless charging.
The bonus features of the Xiaomi 13 also include Dolby Atmos stereo speakers with Dolby Head Tracking, an IR blaster and IP68 certification against water and dust.
Xiaomi 13 main colors
Unlike the Pro, the vanilla version settles for standard glass on the back and comes in black, light green, light blue, gray and white. Additional flashy colors are also available – red, yellow, green and blue, but only the light blue option is made of leather, just like the Pre. And while the rear camera island design is identical to that of the 13 Pro, the vanilla 13 stands out with a glossy, flat side bezel with iPhone-esque vibes.
xiaomi 13
Prices and availability
The two phones are available for pre-order in China and will ship from December 14. The Xiaomi 13 in the basic 8/128 GB edition costs CNY 3,999 ($575), while the top 12/512 GB edition costs 4,999 ($720). The middle 8/256 GB and 12/256 GB units are CNY 4,299 and CNY 4,599 respectively.
The most affordable 8/128 GB version of the Xiaomi 13 Pro is 4,999 ($720) and the most spacious 12/512 GB costs CNY 6,299 ($900). International availability and pricing will be announced at a later date.
