Verdict
The Xiaomi 13 manages to find a unequaled niche in the Android phone man , offering all the power uncommitted in a more heavyset shell . It ’s not a small phone , but it find comfortable to grapple than a lot of competition . add together in a full tv camera and a hopeful screen and you have get a very tempting package .
Pros
Cons
Key Features
Introduction
Xiaomi has team up up with Leica for its Xiaomi 13 series of phone , hoping to inject a little extra imagination knowledge into its 2023 flagship series .
It ’s truthful that theXiaomi 13 Prois the more interesting Xiaomi launch of 2023 , yet after drop the past few weeks testing out the little , tatty Xiaomi 13 and produce to verbalise directly to Leica reps about its television camera system , there ’s no doubt there ’s mickle to like here .
This is a compact , powerful and well - designedAndroid phonethat does n’t have many obvious failings , away from a little jank thanks to Xiaomi ’s MIUI software package .
Design and Screen
While they might be part of the same series , the Xiaomi 13 varies wildly in its excogitation to its Pro sib . And I have no doubts in say I much prefer the look , feel and overall dimensions of the Xiaomi 13 .
The Xiaomi 13 go for a very flat smell , something not often get wind with Android speech sound . Both the polished side and fantastic 6.36 - inchOLEDdisplay are devoid of curves , with the phone calculate a little like a glossieriPhone 14as a outcome . It’sIP68rated too , and the glass back permit forwireless charging – two features sometimes trench on devices without a ‘ Pro ’ moniker .
In this Flora Green hue , you ’ll see in the images , the Xiaomi 13 really does look great . It ’s a shame then that , at least in UK markets , the telephone set will only be available in a less interesting black finish .
It ’s got a heap of finesse too , from the very minimum bezel surrounding the screen to the refined camera housing on the back . This is easy one of the best - count Android phones around today .
At 189 gramme it is wanton and it is also one of the more compact flagship phones around . It ’s a phone that I can comfortably hold in one paw without having to stretch my thumb too much .
The cover is another star aspect , thanks to punchy colours and unattackable levels of luminosity . play backDolby Visioncontent through Netflix , the OLED panel did an excellent caper at highlighting the brilliant scene while ensuring the darker single were inky and immersive .
You do miss out on the 1440p resolution by not fatten up for the Pro , but at 6.36 column inch , a 1080p panel remain very sharp . It ’s a very brilliant display in even use , easily being usable out of doors on brighter day once the brightness has been pumped up all the way of life .
The regular Xiaomi 13 also miss out on theLTPOdisplay of the Pro model . The panel here wo n’t ramp down to 1Hz to keep major power , rather , it can be set to move between 60 and 120Hz in an adaptative mode – or to always stick at 120Hz . I jerk through the modes , eventually sticking to the 120Hz option as I found this gave the most uniform suave trope , even if it did affect battery life .
Performance
Powering the Xiaomi 13 is Qualcomm ’s top - tierSnapdragon 8 Gen 2chipset – the same atomic number 14 you ’ll happen in theOnePlus 11 . I ’ve been good impressed by the chip so far , particularly when it comes to GPU performance and staying cool .
While a title like Genshin Impact ca n’t be pushed up to maximum mise en scene everywhere , it gets close . Other game I stress all ran with easiness , and importantly without the phone get ardent . After the moderately disappointing 8 Gen 1 , Qualcomm has really improved things with the 2023 release .
In benchmark test , the Xiaomi 13 matches up with likewise - specced rivals like theOnePlus 11and I felt the same while using the speech sound on a daily basis . It ’s rare to have all this baron in a smaller consistence and it ’s sure welcome . Qualcomm ’s latest micro chip also enables futureproofing benefit , like support forWi - Fi 7 .
The chipset is twin with 8 or 12 GB of memory ( the dissipated LPDDR5X kind ) and 256 GB of storage – even though this is n’t the true 13 series flagship , it ’s great to see Xiaomi decide against slimming down the specification piece of paper too much .
However , the software experience left a small to be desired and it ’s one of my few tangible criticism of this gadget . I ’ve never been a huge fan of Xiaomi ’s MIUI and MIUI 14 still finger like an Android OS trying its secure to mimic Apple ’s Io , completely removing any of the minimalistic design Google has been adding to its own software establish in late years .
Some Android basic , like being able to swipe notice away from either side , are weirdly ditched and the quick stage setting panel is a dodgy iPhone rip - off that does n’t link instantly into the telling tincture as it does on just about every other Android phone . It ’s niggling things like that make using the Xiaomi 13 , at clock time , a frustrating experience .
There are also a lot of random ‘ bleep ’ and ‘ bloops ’ when you ’re interact with the software and a boatload of pre - installed rubble .
Camera
I palpate like I have said this hundreds of times over the preceding decennary , but the Xiaomi 13 series is focussing a lot on the camera . While the Pro model bags the true ‘ flagship ’ shooting experience with a 1 - inch sensor , the standard 13 is n’t short on imaging prowess .
Xiaomi partner with Leica last class , kicking off with the waiver of theXiaomi 12S Ultra . The Xiaomi 13 feels like the truthful worldwide starting of the partnership though , with Leica ’s brand featured to a great extent both in the selling and on the equipment itself .
If Leica partnering with a smartphone vender sounds intimate then I am not surprised . For a number of years , the camera brand was beplaster over Huawei’sbest phonesand some of the verybest camera phonesof the past ten years . That partnership cease in 2022 , and it seems Xiaomi snuck properly in and ink a mess to take over .
I ca n’t quite decide whether this is just a marketing gambit for both brand or a honest boon that ’ll importantly ameliorate the quality of Xiaomi ’s oculus . In truth , it ’s probably a little of both . There ’s no denying it befit both party . Xiaomi scram to slap the sword of arguably the world ’s most single television camera brand on its new phone and Leica make to appeal to many more customers across the world .
Yet , this is still very much a Xiaomi - designed television camera raiment with some Leica ‘ benefits ’ . Leica has n’t make the lens in one of its factories , or else using the condition co - engineered and make it exculpated it ’s had input in the invention procedure . This was the same with the Huawei partnership , and that conduct to some olympian tv camera .
Aside from the Leica branding ( interestingly there ’s no actual Leica logo ) you ’ll see the name pop - up throughout the camera app . Two shooting profiles are outstanding , with veritable aim to provide true - to - life images and Vibrant adding a footling extra colouring material to blastoff . There are also four Leica filters , and a shutter phone inspired by the brand .
It ’s all well and good partnering with an iconic make , but it ’s not an instantaneous road to winner . Oppo and OnePlus ’ tie - up withHasselblad , for example , has systematically felt like a everlasting marketing ploy to me .
Having spent a couple of hebdomad with the Xiaomi 13 , taking a lot of motion picture in all the various modal value , it ’s unmortgaged this is a very capable treble photographic camera system of rules that produces snaps that are by and large far more natural than those from Apple , Samsung and Google devices . Still , I do n’t think tv camera quality is as good as thePixel 7 , especially in depressed - light situations where images from the Xiaomi 13 can often let down .
In full term of specs , there ’s a 50MP main camera ( f/1.8 , OIS ) paired with a 10MP telephotograph and a 12.2MP extremist - wide . flip out the phone over and there ’s a 32MP camera on the front . There are some dandy Xiaomi trick too , including something it ’s call HyperOIS which does a great job at keeping favorite in focus as they cursorily move . I screen this out with my small dog and it did a neat job at farm photos that were n’t fuzzy as she was running about .
flip between the two Leica shot modes , the pictures from both do match the vision both brand name are intelligibly give out for . Even in the Vibrant mode , the saturation and punch of colours are massively toned down giving picnic a very decided look .
The two images above were take in a dingy elbow room with a unmarried small light beginning . The speech sound really brightens up the shots , but neither is a particularly unassailable representation of the tantrum as it was and the colours are badly muted to appropriate the extra brightness .
Shoot on a gray , drizzly day and the resultant are downright moody , with pile of detail that ’s far from oversharpened . The prototype look unspoiled , although when I was shooting more colourful instances the results left me a little bit cold . For example , shots from an artwork exhibition full of bright colours – especially purple and reds – came out lacking the slug I go from an iPhone 14 Pro Max .
The ultra - wide photographic camera does a good job at following the track set by the main sensor , however , the colours and detail from the telephoto drop a small giving you a much dissimilar image . As with many phones that do n’t cost around £ 1000/$1000 , the secondary cameras just are n’t in the same conference as the main one .
Battery Life
The Xiaomi 13 has a smaller 4500mAh battery than the 4820mAh - tote 13 Pro , however in literal use , both phones seem to last around the same amount of time . I would n’t send word flesh out for the Pro plainly because its bigger battery give the opinion of more stamina .
Whether it ’s down to the battery size , efficient Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset or a compounding of both , the Xiaomi 13 has lasted me well through full , busy years during the two - week reappraisal flow . Usually taking the sound off mission at 8 am , I could easy get to 11/11.30pm and still have between 10 - 20 % leave .
Very light users might get a little into a 2d twenty-four hour period , but that ’s not something I would feel convinced in achieving . If you stick the refresh charge per unit to 60Hz and ensure your brightness levels are wield you’re able to terminate the day with 30 % , but at this percentage point I felt like I was sacrifice the experience of the phone .
The Xiaomi 13 keep going 67w charging – and it comes with the correct chew in the box to reach those amphetamine – so even when the battery does eke down to zero it does n’t take long to get back up 100 % again .
Xiaomi claims a full 0 - 100 % charge direct 38 minute of arc and I would agree with this , with the telephone typically amaze a full armorial bearing in between 36- 42 minute . This is n’t as fast as theXiaomi 13 Pro , which can go from 0 - 100 % in under 20 moment , but it ’s much quicker than theSamsung Galaxy S23(about 90 minutes ) .
There ’s receiving set send too , up to 50w . Though this does demand a specific diggings that I do n’t have to test . On a even 15w inkpad , the phone take in over two hours to charge so if wireless charging is a feature you need then investing in the correct courser makes a lot of sentiency .
Should you buy it?
The Xiaomi 13 look , and feels , great . It ’s also not as bountiful as some of the other flagship phones around .
The Xiaomi 13 Pro is the one to plump for if you want the very best tv camera – it has a superscript telephoto and a much larger 1 - column inch sensing element .
Final Thoughts
With its Leica - infuse photographic camera , cunning design and standout screen , the Xiaomi 13 is a very good Android earphone .
There is strong competition from the Samsung Galaxy S23 ( £ 899 ) and OnePlus 11 ( £ 799 ) but the Xiaomi 13 offer up a workable option . I much choose the blueprint and general usability of the OnePlus 11 , for case , while it can match most of what the S23 offers at a cheaper damage .
There are areas Xiaomi could improve on to make this a straight standout gimmick . A simple , more focussed UI would make a big conflict , especially for me .
Trusted Score
How we test
We test every mobile earphone we retrospect exhaustively . We utilise manufacture - stock tests to compare features properly and we apply the speech sound as our main machine over the revue menses . We ’ll always tell you what we observe and we never , ever , go for money to survey a ware .
Find out more about how we test in ourethics policy .
FAQs
Yes .
It boasts 67W fast charging tech that , in my experience , takes around 40 minutes for a full charge .
