Xiaomi 13 and 13 Pro hands-on: good and cheap was yesterday
Xiaomi presented its new Xiaomi 13 series smartphones for the European market at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. In addition to the standard device, there is also a Xiaomi 13 Pro and a Line model. We took a closer look at the smartphones on site.
The Xiaomi 13 series has been available in China since December 2022, but it was only a matter of time before the new smartphones hit the European market. The time had come at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. Because Xiaomi presented three devices from the Xiaomi 13 series there, which should be available in Germany.
Xiaomi 13 and 13 Pro: new flagships for a high price
The Xiaomi 13 and 13 Pro are the two high-priced devices that are supposed to boast a Leica cooperation. The 13 Pro relies on a one-inch sensor with a resolution of 50 megapixels. The main camera is supported by a 50 megapixel telephoto camera and a 50 megapixel ultra wide-angle camera.
The new Pro model has a reflective back with a black camera element. (Image: BASIC thinking)
The new standard model, on the other hand, only has a twelve-megapixel telephoto camera and a ten-megapixel ultra wide-angle camera, which were also developed in cooperation with Leica.
The two devices have a 120 Hertz AMOLED display, with the 13 model at 6.36 inches being significantly smaller than the Pro model at 6.67 inches. The Pro model is also slightly rounded on the sides, so it doesn’t have a flat frame.
The new Pro model has a rounded display – unlike the Xiaomi 13 (Image: BASIC thinking)
The new Xiaomi smartphones rely on the latest Qualcomm SoC, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, for the processor. This should ensure faster performance and higher energy efficiency than the predecessor. The Xiaomi 13 has a 4500 milliamp battery, the Pro model even has 4820 milliamps.
The devices are both charged either wirelessly with 50 watts or by cable with 67 watts for the 13 and a full 120 watts for the Pro model. Both models come preinstalled with MIUI 14 based on Android 13 and are said to receive three major OS upgrades.
In terms of price, Xiaomi has increased significantly compared to the 12 series. The Xiaomi 13 costs a whopping 999 euros with 256 gigabytes of internal memory Pro model with the same amount of memory 1,299 euros. The standard model is also available in green, the Pro only in black or white.
As a pre-order bonus, Xiaomi is giving away a photo printer, two terabytes of Google Photos storage for six months and three months of YouTube Premium.
Xiaomi 13 Lite: Inexpensive mid-range with a few drawbacks
The Xiaomi 13 Lite was previously available in China as the Civi 2 and also starts in the Xiaomi 13 series. The device has a 6.55-inch rounded AMOLED display with 120 Hertz and also a 50-megapixel main camera.
For this, Xiaomi relies on an 8 megapixel ultra wide-angle camera and a two megapixel macro lens in the cheaper model. The two 32 and 8 megapixel front cameras have a “pill” shape, which is similar to the iPhone 14 Pro series.
The new Lite model has adopted the design of its front cameras from Cupertino (Image: BASIC thinking)
At 171 grams, the Lite is significantly lighter than its more expensive brothers. But it will probably not be due to the 4500 mAh battery. Because, like the Xiaomi 13, it can also be charged with 67 watts.
When it comes to the processor, however, the company relies on the slightly slower Snapdragon 7 Gen 1. There is eight gigabytes of RAM with 128 or 256 gigabytes of internal memory. MIUI 14 is also used as software, but based on the older Android 12 platform.
The Lite model will be available in pink, blue and black for 499 euros. The pre-order bonuses also apply. The new smartphones from Xiaomi will start in Germany on March 7, 2023 and can already be pre-ordered.
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The article Xiaomi 13 and 13 Pro hands-on: Good and cheap was yesterday by Nils Ahrensmeier first appeared on BASIC thinking. Follow us too Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
