Marketed in China since December 2022, the all-new Xiaomi 13 Pro has only invaded the French market since February 26. Although its recent release still makes it unknown to consumers, its status as a very high-end smartphone has already earned it a comparison with the Galaxy S23 Ultra and the iPhone 14 Pro Max. This includes price, features, appearance, performance, display, and camera quality. Accompanied by many novelties, it raises questions for enthusiasts of new technologies and neophytes. The most important of these remains: In the next few lines, we will try to answer it.
A Special Design
Measuring 162.9mm x 74.6mm x 8.4mm and featuring slightly curved bezels, the Xiaomi 13 Pro has relatively similar specs to its predecessor, the Xiaomi 12 Pro, in terms of build. However, to justify its place in the top-of-the-range category, the manufacturer wanted to bring some advantages, such as sealing (IP68 certified).
Thus, in addition to its high resistance to dust, the smartphone allows immersion underwater up to 1.5 m deep for a maximum duration of 30 minutes. Gorilla Glass Victus on the front and back is added to guarantee optimal security. Although it benefits from a premium quality finish, the Xiaomi 13 Pro has an overall design that is far from flawless. Indeed, for a smartphone released in December 2022, it displays a very old-school appearance.
However, to stand out from its competitors, the Chinese brand wanted to stand out by adopting a glossy back, defying all trends in the high-end market. While most devices in this segment favor vegan leather and matte coating, Xiaomi dares to be authentic and opts for glass with a glossy finish that leaves room for fingerprints. A detail that does not go unnoticed since it makes it appear permanently “dirty.”
Excellent Display Quality
Its screen is one of the aspects in which the Xiaomi 13 Pro does best. This is thanks to a 6.73-inch OLED board with a 2K goal of 1440 x 3200 p, a refreshing pace of 120 Hz, and a most extreme brilliance of 1900 nits. As if that were not enough, the smartphone incorporates LTPO technology which automatically adjusts the refresh rate according to the type of content consumed. Dolby Vision and HDR10+ compatibility is added to the package for an almost flawless multimedia and navigation experience.
More Than Decent Performance
In terms of performance, Xiaomi has nothing to complain about with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor, 8 to 12 GB of RAM, and 128, 256 to 512 GB of internal storage, depending on the variant chosen. A significant difference from its predecessor creates a range effect. However, behind this impressive firepower hides a defect long criticized for Xiaomi products.
This is the total absence of thermal throttling, which can directly affect the smartphone’s durability. Indeed, above 45°, the temperature is highly likely to harm the components. This leads us to wonder if its optimal execution speed and exceptional stability are worth the effort compared to its durability.
A Very Nuanced Photo Module
To ensure you are well in the race, the Chinese manufacturer is betting on a triple photo module carried by a 50.3 MP main lens, a 50 MP ultra-wide-angle lens, a 50 MP telephoto lens, and a front camera. 32 MP resolution. Unsurprisingly, its rendering in daylight is just sensational. This is thanks to the 1-inch lens and the Leica mode. Well helped by an effective telephoto lens, the camera allows a zoom of 3.2 x and 5x without losing quality.
Even in this aspect, the Xiaomi 13 Pro loses a little in the face of giants such as Samsung and Huawei. For its part, the selfie camera is of very good quality. On the other hand, there is a flaw with very detailed foreground subjects and blurred or too smooth backgrounds. The Xiaomi 13 Pro does well at night or in low-light conditions. However, it is generally disadvantaged against the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra and iPhone 14 Pro Max, which perform particularly well in low light. As for the videos, we have nothing to complain about. Indeed, the Xiaomi 13 Pro allows recording up to 8K at 24 FPS.
Excellent Battery Life Combined With Outstanding Charging Options
The Xiaomi 13 Pro has a 4820 mAh battery with wired (120 watts), wireless (50 watts), and reverse (10 watts) charging options. According to the results of our tests, the latest addition to the Chinese brand has a battery life of around 14 hours. Although higher than the previous model, the figure remains average compared to high-end standards.
A relatively correct autonomy for a day of use, but which may prove insufficient in the event of heavy stress. On the charging side, the Xiaomi 13 pro has nothing to envy its competitors. Indeed, it can go from 0 to 100% charge in less than 20 minutes with the 120-watt fast wired charge and in 36 minutes with a 50-watt charger.
A User Interface And An Operating System That Lives Up To Expectations
To always innovate, Xiaomi runs its latest smartphone on the MIUI 14 ROM, the new overlay signed by Xiaomi, dedicated to Android 13. Although it does not yet bring any real visual and functional changes, the MIUI has several modules. Also, its many pre-installed applications must make a better impression on users. Nevertheless, many interesting features compensate for this shortcoming and make it forgotten. Among the most remarkable are the double clock widget, the improved version of the windowed mode, and the voice trigger integrated into the photo application.
Our Verdict
You’ll agree that the Xiaomi 13 Pro didn’t steal its place in the high-end category. However, this is something other than an impeccable device. Indeed, we detected some flaws, such as a camera that could have been more versatile, a relatively outdated design, and many pre-installed applications.
Although the smartphone’s price seems high, it is lower than its competitors. It is also justified by great autonomy and performance in terms of exceptional fast charging, without forgetting that it offers a perfectly calibrated screen for multimedia content, very good photo quality under high brightness, and a very high level of scalability.
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