The Xiaomi 13 is likely to be a big upgrade over the Xiaomi 12.Boasting an exceptionally bright display, phenomenal performance and a handsome straight-edged design, the Xiaomi 13 is an impressive Android flagship that deserves a much wider market.
Pros
+Smart-looking design
+Impressively bright display
+Speedy Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor
Cons
-Memory options vary by region
Xiaomi 13: Two-minute review
The Mi 13 is the successor to the company’s flagship Mi 12 in 2022 and maintains the philosophy of its predecessor: premium performance in a compact package.
Aside from a slight increase in size, the phone’s display remains largely unchanged, but Xiaomi’s knack for brightness and bright colors is reflected in a sleeker, almost iphone-like body that puts the Mi 13 in the “pretty” camp of the best Android phones today.
The Mi 13’s Leica-branded camera setup aside, if you’re as enamored of Apple’s straight-edge aesthetic as I am, the phone’s resemblance to the best iphones is a positive, not a negative, factor.
The Xiaomi 13’s impressive speeds are made possible by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset – similar to the processor you’ll find powering Samsung’s newly-released Samsung Galaxy S23 line – and the device is offered in two memory variations: 8GB or 12GB of LPDDR5X RAM, paired with 256GB of UFS 4.0 storage.
The phone’s 4,500mAh battery remains unchanged from the Xiaomi 12 – meaning you still get at least one whole day’s juice on a single charge – and the latter’s 67W wired charging, 50W wireless charging and 10W reverse wireless charging capabilities are carried over, too.
The Mi 13(left) and the Mi 13 Pro(right)
>>>BP4D Battery for Xiaomi 13 Pro
On paper, the biggest difference between the Xiaomi 13 and its predecessor is the former’s Leica-branded camera array. Comprising a 50MP f/1.8 main shooter with OIS (optical image stabilization), a 10MP f/2.0 telephoto camera with 3.2x optical zoom, and a 12MP f/2.2 ultrawide sensor, the Xiaomi 13’s camera setup makes the phone a much more versatile beast for photographers; primarily because Xiaomi’s Leica partnership allows for two distinct shooting modes: Vibrant and Authentic. The former makes colors look brighter and more saturated, while the latter replicates the original Leica look by encouraging bolder contrast and a greater dynamic range, which proves a nice differentiator between this and other Android phones.
If you’re looking for one of the very best camera phones, though, the Xiaomi 13 still doesn’t hold a candle to the photography performance offered by its Pro-grade sibling – the Xiaomi 13 Pro – or the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra and iPhone 14 Pro.
The bottom line is this: the Xiaomi 13 is an excellent flagship option for Android fans with a soft spot for Apple’s design philosophy. It doesn’t beat the competition in any one area, but Xiaomi’s latest premium offering still delivers almost everything you could want from a smartphone to an extremely high standard.
Xiaomi 13 : Specs
| Dimensions: | 71.5 x 152.8 x 8 mm |
| Weight: | 185g / 189g |
| OS: | Android 13 with MIUI 14 |
| Screen size: | 6.36 inches |
| Resolution: | 1080 × 2400 pixels |
| CPU: | Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 |
| RAM | 8GB / 12GB (region-dependent) |
| Storage: | 256GB |
| Rear Cameras: | 50MP (wide), 10MP (telephoto), 12MP (ultrawide) |
| Front Camera: | 32MP |
| Battery: | 4,500mAh |
Xiaomi 13 : Design
- iPhone 14-like straight-sided design is a great size
- Corning Gorilla Glass Victus protection
- Nice color options internationally
Xiaomi has opted for a decidedly iPhone 14-like design with the Xiaomi 13, which is by no means a criticism.
Coming in at 71.5 x 152.8 x 8mm and weighing 185g, the phone sports a glossy, straight-edged aluminum body that’s more conservative than boundary-pushing, but it feels great in the hand, and its size – for me, at least – hits a rare sweet spot between being comfortable to navigate and large enough to look impressive. For reference, the Xiaomi 13 sits halfway between the Samsung Galaxy S23 and Samsung Galaxy S23 Plus (and therefore the S22 and S22 Plus) in terms of size, almost to the millimeter.
Internationally, the Xiaomi 13 is available in three standard colors: black, white and Flora Green. In China, the company has also produced a gray and a light blue version, as well as limited edition iterations in more eye-catching red, green, yellow and blue finishes.
Design score: 4.5 / 5
Xiaomi 13 : Cameras
- Smart-looking Leica-branded triple rear camera setup
- 3.2x 10MP f/2.0 telephoto lens w/ OIS
- Strong 50MP main sensor
The Xiaomi 13 boasts a Leica-branded triple rear camera setup consisting of a 50MP f/1.8 main shooter with OIS, a 10MP f/2.0 telephoto camera with 3.2x optical zoom and OIS, and a 12MP f/2.2 ultrawide sensor. The latter camera represents the biggest difference between the Xiaomi 13 and its predecessor, which limped along with an underwhelming 5MP ‘telemacro’ sensor. Xiaomi’s partnership with Leica has also brought with it an ALD lens coating that reduces reflectivity and thus improves image clarity, collectively rendering the overall appearance of the phone’s camera setup much smarter than that of the Xiaomi 12.
Cameras score: 4 / 5
Xiaomi 13 : Performance and audio
- peedy Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset
- WiFi 7
- Powerful Dolby Atmos speakers
The Xiaomi 13 packs the best mobile SoC Qualcomm has to offer right now in 2023: the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2. There’s no bespoke version of the chipset here (which you’ll find in Samsung’s Galaxy S23 line), but from a practical point of view, the Xiaomi 13 still boasts the fastest silicon around (the Xiaomi 13 Pro uses the same processor, too). In fact, the phone’s Geekbench 6 scores were almost identical to those of the Samsung Galaxy S23 Plus, suggesting the difference between the two processors is negligible.
The Xiaomi 13 has felt suitably speedy in my time spent with the device. Neither gaming nor general browsing has caused the phone to noticeably heat up, with FIFA Mobile – my usual benchmark test for mobile gaming – running as smoothly as could be hoped for on a mobile device.
The Xiaomi 13 is a 5G phone, so you’ll be able to connect to the faster mobile network if it’s offered where you live, but as with all phones, your speeds will depend more on your network and area than the phone you’re using. WiFi 7 is also an impressively new networking technology that – if you can connect to a compatible network – will support up to 3.6Gbps.
I was pleasantly surprised with the Xiaomi 13’s audio credentials, too. I’m not one for playing music or videos out loud, but the phone’s Dolby Atmos-tuned dual speakers are exceptionally loud and bass-rich.
Performance score: 5 / 5
Xiaomi 13 review: Battery life
- 4,500mAh battery is the same capacity as predecessor
- 67W wired fast charging (charger in box)
The Xiaomi 13 has a 4,500mAh battery that supports 67W wired charging, 50W wireless charging and 10W reverse wireless charging. That’s the same battery tech as you’ll find in its predecessor, the Xiaomi 12, and will be plenty fast enough for most users.
In our tests using the phone’s 67W charger – which, mercifully, is included in the box (good job, Xiaomi!) – the Xiaomi 13 charged to 41% in 15 minutes, 78% in 30 minutes and 100% in 46 minutes.
With most of the phone’s the bells and whistles engaged – 120Hz refresh rate, auto brightness, several open apps and so on – the phone comfortably lasted a full day of relatively heavy use. If you’re someone who only lightly scrolls and sends a handful of messages each day, I’d say you’ll probably get two days from the Xiaomi 13, which is about the same as you can expect from the Galaxy S23, Galaxy S23 Plus and iPhone 14 under similar usage conditions.
I like to run a little streaming experiment when testing phones, and the Xiaomi 13 passed with flying colors. After booting up YouTube and streaming an entire two-hour film in 1080p at medium brightness, the phone’s battery had only drained 10%. In other words, you won’t need to fret about the Xiaomi 13’s charge when watching lengthy videos during a commute or long flight (though4Kstreaming will, for obvious reasons, drain power at a faster rate).
Battery life score: 4 / 5
Should you buy the Xiaomi 13?
Buy it if…
You want the Android experience in an iPhone-style package
The Xiaomi 13 is the most iPhone-like Xiaomi phone to date, but you’re still getting the Android 13 (underneath MIUI 14) experience.
You want a full-featured Android flagship that isn’t a Samsung
Despite not boasting the same camera credentials as its pricier sibling, the Xiaomi 13 will remain a top-tier handset for several years, thanks to its industry-leading processor and impressive display.
