Xiaomi launched its latest series of phones today at MWC 2023 - the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. The Xiaomi 13 series consists of the flagship Xiaomi 13 Pro, Xiaomi 13, and Xiaomi 13 Lite – and this time, they are going global!
Previously only available in the Chinese market the Xiaomi 13 Series will be available in the UK, Europe, and Asia, although don't hold out too much hope for seeing it in US stores soon, with complicated political and carrier relationships holding things up.
What does the latest from Xiaomi hold and how will it compete with the best camera phones?
Xiaomi 13 Pro & 13 – Cameras
The headline feature of the Xiaomi 13 Pro is it's huge (for a smartphone) 1-inch camera sensor, this sensor actually debuted in the Xiaomi 12S Ultra last year, but this is the first time it is seeing a wider rollout to a global audience. For comparison, a 1-inch sensor is the same as the kind used in compact cameras such as the Sony ZV-1F or Canon G5 X, so this has some serious photographic potential. Larger sensors typically allow for increased dynamic range, a wider spectrum of color and larger pixels let in more light for better night performance.
The camera system itself is designed in partnership with the master crafters at legendary camera maker Leica. Offering a three-lens setup, with a 23mm lens sitting in front of that big 1-inch sensor, as well as a 75mm floating telephoto camera and a 14mm wide-angle camera. The floating 75mm lens allows SLR-style internal focusing, enabling images to be captured with focus from 10cm to infinity, making this a very versatile lens.
The regular Xiaomi 13 forgoes the 1-inch sensor and floating lens design for a more affordable package, but still includes a triple camera system with a 23mm main camera lens, 75mm static telephoto, and 15mm ultra wide-angle lens.
Both the 13 Pro and 13 feature a raft of expert photo features from Leica to complement its lenses including a Leica Authentic Look and Leica Vibrant Look, two classic inspired looks from Leica cameras, as well as other Leica-inspired features including filters, watermarks, and the Leica classic shutter sound. The Xiaomi 13 Pro also supports 10-Bit RAW DNG Camera and Colour Profiles created by Adobe.
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Xiaomi 13 Pro & 13 – Hardware
Xiaomi 13 Pro and Xiaomi 13 are both powered by the latest Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 mobile platform, which offers enhanced graphical processing over previous generations as well as better power efficiency. Xiaomi claims the CPU is 37% faster and 47% more power efficient than the last generation of mobile devices, with the GPU power improved by 42% and efficiency improved by 49%.
Xiaomi 13 Pro is equipped with a large 4,820mAh battery, powered by 120W HyperCharge, it is capable of charging to 100% in just 19 minutes. The Xiaomi 13 offers a slightly smaller 4,500mAh battery supported by 67W wired turbocharging and 50W wireless turbocharging. Both the Xiaomi 13 Pro and Xiaomi 13 are equipped with Xiaomi's Surge battery management system, which works in conjunction with the Surge charging chip for improved battery life.
The Xiaomi 13 Pro sports a 6.73-inch 120Hz AMOLED display, capable of achieving 1,200 nits full-screen brightness and 1,900 nits peak brightness, it also supports accurate colors with TrueColor as well as Dolby Vision and HDR10+. The phone is available in Ceramic Black and Ceramic White colors. The Xiaomi 13 has a 6.36-inch FHD+ AMOLED display and is available in Black, White, and Flora Green colors.
Xiaomi 13 Lite
The Xiaomi 13 Lite offers a lot of the same great features and experiences as the other phones in the 13 Series, although is differentiated by its dual front cameras. A 32MP main front camera captures large and detailed images, while a second 8MP front camera provides additional depth information for more natural looking out-of-focus areas in selfies.
Aimed at avid social media content creators, the 13 Lite offers a number of useful software features, including Dynamic Framing, which detects the number of people in the frame, and auto-adjusts the field of view and zoom level to compensate and minimize distortion in the final image. Selfie zoom, Pocket mirror, and Xiaomi Selfie Glow are all additional features to improve the selfie experience.
The Xiaomi 13 Lite is equipped with a Snapdragon 7 Gen 1 mobile platform, a responsive 6.55-inch 120Hz AMOLED display, and 67W wired fast charging capabilities for its 4,500mAh battery, at just 7.23mm thin and weighing 171g.
Price and availability
The Xiaomi 13 Pro and 13 will be available for purchase starting on March 14 from Xiaomi's website and authorized retail partners and carriers. Currently we are waiting to hear more on international pricing but in the UK, the Xiaomi 13 Pro will cost £1,099 for 12GB RAM and 256GB of memory, and the Xiaomi 13 will cost £849 for 8GB RAM and 256GB memory.
The Xiaomi 13 Lite will be priced at £449 for 8GB RAM and 128GB of memory and will be available to purchase from February 26.
You can check out more on the best camera phones with reviews in our guide. You can also find more of the best budget camera phones and best phones for video recording and vlogging.
