Xiaomi is the world’s third-largest smartphone maker, but it surely’s typically would not really feel prefer it, particularly should you stay within the U.S. There, Samsung is the de facto Android telephone, with an occasional Motorola or a Google Pixel thrown in.
However despite the fact that Xiaomi’s model is extra highly effective in Asia and Europe, the corporate nonetheless makes great telephones. Living proof, its new flagship, the Xiaomi 13 Pro. After a lot of experimenting with completely different designs and options, it seems that Xiaomi has lastly settled in and produced a true flagship killer.
Elegant, slick, and slippery(*13*)
The Xiaomi 13 Pro will not promote on appears to be like alone. Xiaomi has been directionless with regards to smartphone design, altering issues radically with every new flagship, and by no means sticking to a recognizable, constant design language. The Xiaomi 13 Pro has a huge, sq. camera bump with barely seen lenses (evaluate this to the 12 Pro which had a big essential camera lens that dominated the again of the telephone) and distinguished Leica branding. It has a slick ceramic again, rounded edges, and it appears like a quality-made object.
The camera bump on the again is sort of giant. You will want a case.
Credit score: Stan Schroeder/ClassyBuzz
The unit I bought is black throughout, and if I am being beneficiant, I may evaluate the appear and feel to that of a luxurious black limousine. I desire it to the look of every other current Xiaomi telephone, however from a distance, it will possibly look a bit bland. I would fairly have one thing extra colourful; the worldwide model of the telephone additionally is available in white, which (judging from the promo images I’ve seen) fits it higher.
The rounded show edges and the ceramic again, whereas very nice to the contact, make the telephone extraordinarily slippery, so you will undoubtedly want a case for this one. Xiaomi included a very fundamental, see-through case with the telephone, however you will in all probability need one thing nicer.
Gorgeous show, numerous energy, and great battery life(*13*)
The show is a 6.73-inch, 120Hz AMOLED with a 3,200 x 1,440 pixel decision (you will have to show it on manually within the settings; the telephone defaults to a decrease decision to save lots of battery life). It is beautiful, with correct colours, deep blacks and loads of brightness whenever you want it. I in contrast it to the iPhone 14 Pro Max utilizing my favourite check for telephone shows, The Weeknd’s “Starboy” video, and could not inform which show is healthier.
Whereas I used to be at it, I blasted the sound on most. The Xiaomi 13 Pro has stereo audio system (down from quad audio system on the 12 Pro) and boasts Dolby Atmos sound with head monitoring (just like Apple’s Spatial Audio). The sound is sweet however not almost as loud and punchy because the sound coming from the iPhone 14 Pro Max.
With a 3,200 x 1,440 pixel decision, the Xiaomi 13 Pro is on par with a Samsung Galaxy S23 Extremely.
Credit score: Stan Schroeder/ClassyBuzz
Xiaomi was the primary firm to announce a telephone with Qualcomm’s new Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chip, the identical chip that powers the Samsung’s Galaxy S23 sequence. Coupled with 12GB of RAM, it makes this telephone quick sufficient that I by no means wished extra energy. The whole lot was fluid and responsive, irrespective of what number of apps I had open within the background. A sport of PUBG flew on the best potential settings, and a pop-up window supplied to additional optimize the telephone’s efficiency for gaming, although I did not discover a lot of a distinction.
Having reviewed most main Xiaomi flagships that got here out up to now couple of years, there was all the time a little one thing lacking. This time, I am comfortable to say that Xiaomi has lastly reached the purpose during which its flagship has principally each necessary characteristic you’ll be able to consider. Some highlights embrace extremely quick wired charging that’ll get the telephone from 1 to 100% in about 20 minutes, Wi-Fi 7 functionality, Bluetooth 5.3 assist, and IP68 mud and water resistance.
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Battery life was wonderful; the telephone lasted roughly two days, besides after I pushed it to the restrict with video games. However with charging being this quick, it did not even matter, I may all the time plug it in for a couple of minutes to get sufficient further battery juice to final me one other day.
An inexpensive quantity of bloatware(*13*)
Software program is historically the half during which telephones from Xiaomi (and most different Chinese language producers) do not feel very premium, principally as a result of they arrive loaded up with crap that you simply in all probability do not want. Xiaomi has made enhancements right here, although some non-Google, third-party apps nonetheless do come preinstalled. Most of it’s fairly widespread stuff, like Netflix, Spotify, and Reserving.com, however I would nonetheless desire to put in the apps I would like alone. Fortunately, all of it may be uninstalled.
The Xiaomi 13 Pro runs on the newest model of Xiaomi’s Android pores and skin, MIUI 14.0.11, with Android 13 beneath. It is a good and secure combo that does not shy from borrowing some options from iOS. A few of the new options in comparison with MIUI 13 embrace new menu icons which are actually a little simpler to see and the flexibility to create folders which can be about 4 instances as giant as common ones. I appreciated the adjustments and I felt at dwelling with the Xiaomi 13 Pro, despite the fact that my essential telephone is an iPhone. The most important points I’ve had was discovering that one pesky choice in a sea of settings, however that is a widespread ailment amongst Android telephones.
Am i able to simply do away with all these bubbles in a single swipe?
Credit score: Stan Schroeder/ClassyBuzz
One factor that did annoy me had been the fixed notifications bugging me to put in an app or do one thing that I do not care a lot about. Worse, a few of these notifications are inconceivable to flick off; as an alternative, the software program requires you to work together with them and even flip an choice on earlier than the notification bubble is dismissed.
A a lot improved zoom(*13*)
The facility is there, and the options are all there. Exterior of worth, because of this this telephone’s camera high quality will possible decide whether or not the 13 Pro is a true competitor for Samsung’s mighty Galaxy S23 Pro and Extremely telephones, in addition to Google’s Pixel 7 which do not boast a very excessive megapixel rely, however win on Google’s picture processing energy.
The principle camera lenses aren’t as distinguished as on Xiaomi’s current flagships, however the camera is general higher.
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Regardless of the completely different look of the camera system in comparison with final 12 months’s mannequin, the Xiaomi 13 Pro has related camera specs. The rear camera nonetheless has three 50-megapixel sensors: one for the huge, ultra-wide, and telephoto cameras. It is a sound system, a minimum of on paper, however the camera efficiency of Xiaomi telephones was a bit uneven lately.
With the Xiaomi 13 Pro, it appears that evidently the corporate (collectively with its camera companion, Leica), has lastly discovered a good steadiness. The telephone produces excellent images in all eventualities, even at evening.
I used to be most impressed with the telephoto camera, which I used to take some extremely sharp pictures within the nightfall. I’ve in contrast the Xiaomi on to the iPhone 14 Pro Max, and it blew it away when it got here to zooming in in low mild.
This photograph was taken at nightfall, with a 3.2x magnification.
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In daylight, the iPhone’s telephoto camera took barely sharper images, however I most well-liked the way more pure look of the images I took with the Xiaomi. Xiaomi’s software program defaults to 1x, 2x, and three.2x zoom; should you pinch out to get much more zoom, you will get 10x and 70x choices. I used to be stunned to see that even 10x images look fairly good, although something above that was principally ineffective because the images bought very artificial-looking.
Xiaomi’s telephoto camera takes great images in daylight as properly.
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All of that is in stark distinction to final 12 months’s Xiaomi 12 Pro, which had an underwhelming telephoto camera. Digging via the telephones’ specs reveals the explanation: Regardless of the equivalent 50 megapixel rely, the telephoto camera has been upgraded from a 48mm to a 75mm lens, and it now provides 3.2x optical zoom (in comparison with 2x optical zoom on the 12 Pro).
Xiaomi’s essential camera was principally great, producing very shiny and detailed images in low mild. Generally the low mild images leaned yellow, and typically the processing went too far, making the images unnaturally shiny, and leaving odd artifacts round mild sources (see picture beneath), however general the images had been by no means dangerous.
Xiaomi 13 Pro camera
The artifacts round mild sources spoil Xiaomi’s in any other case shiny and detailed evening photograph.
Credit score: Stan Schroeder/ClassyBuzz
iPhone 14 Pro Max camera
The iPhone 14 Pro Max took a sharper, extra correct photograph, but it surely’s a bit too darkish.
Credit score: Stan Schroeder/ClassyBuzz
Unsurprisingly, Xiaomi took wonderful images in daylight. The Leica-tuned camera software program provides two fundamental taking pictures modes, “Leica Vibrant” and “Leica Genuine.” I principally caught with the latter, however the distinction is refined, with “Vibrant” producing barely brighter images with extra vibrant colours.
If the circumstances are good, you’ll be able to swap to Xiaomi’s 50-megapixel mode, however more often than not it is higher to stay with the common taking pictures mode.
Credit score: Stan Schroeder/ClassyBuzz
Xiaomi 13 Pro’s ultra-wide camera is a step down in high quality, and ought to be used solely when the principle camera simply would not go huge sufficient.
The ultra-wide camera ought to be used sparingly.
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In the event you transcend Xiaomi’s fundamental camera options and faucet on the “Extra” button within the camera software program, you will get a ton extra choices, together with unique ones like Supermoon. Swiping far left within the backside menu will open up Pro mode, which lets you management almost each facet of the camera, together with white steadiness, ISO sensitivity, and shutter velocity. Total, there’s a ton of settings to undergo, and I reckon solely essentially the most persistent customers will attempt all of them out.
Lastly, the selfie camera is a 32-megapixel shooter that comes with a ton of choices, together with a multitude of filters and beautifying choices; do not go overboard otherwise you’ll find yourself wanting like a cartoon character. On default settings, the images come out very detailed however smooth and barely washed out, which is fairly straightforward to repair within the settings.
I assume that is how I look.
Credit score: Stan Schroeder/ClassyBuzz
Total, it seems that Xiaomi has lastly managed to place collectively a smartphone camera that takes great images in most eventualities. It could not win each battle towards different prime telephones, but it surely’ll all the time be aggressive.
The most effective Xiaomi telephone in a whereas(*13*)
The headphone jack is, sadly, absent.
Credit score: Stan Schroeder/ClassyBuzz
I like this telephone greater than I appreciated any Xiaomi telephone that got here out up to now couple of years. Its design will not be essentially the most thrilling, but it surely’s fairly modern however (make sure to take a look at each colours to see which one you fancy), with a beautiful show and a fancy ceramic again. It matches Samsung’s lately launched Galaxy S23 Plus on energy and options, and has a very succesful camera system. It costs extraordinarily quick, and its battery lasts as much as two days.
At writing time, I had no information on a essential piece of the puzzle: pricing. Characteristic-wise, the Xiaomi 13 Pro is a combine between the Galaxy S23+ and the Galaxy S23 Extremely, which begin at $999.99 and $1,199.99, respectively. If the Xiaomi 13 Pro in all fairness priced (for instance, the Xiaomi 12 Pro began at $999), will probably be a very sturdy competitor to any Android flagship on the market.
