Today we are reviewing the mighty Xiaomi 13 Pro. This weighty slab is going straight for the Galaxy S 23 Ultras jugular, with its terrifyingly good camera tech, ultra-fast charging battery, and lots of other posh, shiny bits. Hopefully for a UK asking price that’s less than Samsung’s gargantuan blow, because, it wasn’t cheap. Now, I’ve been using the Xiaomi 13 Pro, my full-time smartphone, for over a week ahead of the official launch, hence I’m not sure of the price just yet. But enough banging on. Here’s my full in-depth review of Xiaomi 13 Pro.

Design

Now, one of my first complaints of the Xiaomi 13 Pro, I also directed at Samsung’s S 23 Ultra, and that’s the fact it’s a big, heavy, sod this 6.73-inch smartphone weighs a slightly mental 229 grams. Honestly, I feel like I’m getting a workout every time I pull this thing out of my pants. In addition, all these surfaces have a highly polished finish that can be quite slippery. There’s bugger all grip to be had here, although, thankfully, that camera bump sticks quite a way out of that arsen. So you can just kind of lodge your finger there, use it as a kind of ledge.

Due to the fragility of the device, I was often overly cautious in using it and exercised an appropriate level of care. And if you happen to put this thing down on a sofa while you wander off for a beer refill or whatever else, you can 100% this thing to expertly glide towards the nearest crack and completely disappear down it by the time you return.

The mirrored back of the Xiaomi 13 Pro phone is thankfully easy to maintain, requiring only occasional cleaning. Additionally, it does not smudge up easily – a win for anyone who prefers clean devices. It does attract dust, however, something to bear in mind before making a purchase. Design-wise, this phone follows the typical pattern of smart and elegant flagship looks.

There are no bright colors here, nor flare or anything to really catch the eye. And it also comes in a decidedly sensible choice of either black or white. I would have preferred a slightly slimmer camera bump and definitely a bit of grip as well. The Xiaomi 13 Pro is not only aesthetically pleasing but also has a sturdy construction. So you can feel secure knowing that your handset will last no matter the situation.

Not only do you have an aluminum frame, but you’ve got a ceramic rear and a good bit of grilled glass victus up front as well. The design of the Xiaomi 13 Pro is a delight to behold, and it’s built with durability in mind. You can count on this phone to take whatever life throws at it. So I’m really glad that Xiaomi has slapped a preinstalled screen protector on this thing. Oh. Unlike pretty much every other flagship out there, it’s also IP 68 water and dust resistant.

MIUI 14 And Features

Now, no real surprises with the software. It’s Android 13 with Xiaomi’s MIUI 14 launcher drizzled on top, which is kind of like pouring chili sauce on a prime bit of beef. Vanilla Android 13 provides an enjoyable user experience, but MIUI 14 takes it to the next level. I’ve used MIUI 13 prior to trying out MIUI 14, and I have to say that there are differences between the two versions; however, they may not be obvious at first glance.

Overall, from what I’ve experienced so far with MIUI 14, I think it is a worthwhile upgrade. You can once again get a familiar Android-style setup, except with that separate iOS control center for all of your Toggly bits, which I still quite like.

The look and feel of MIUI 14 have been updated, but not all accompanying features have been released. At this time, the new widgets and other components promised with MIUI 14 are still unavailable on the Xiaomi 13 Pro. Maybe that’s because I’m reviewing it pre-release and those are going to be added in an update before it actually goes on sale. It’s hard to say, the rest of the features are goldies, but all these like the video toolbox with its video filters and recording tools, or the gaming world, which is absolutely gushing with useful stuff.

Also Read:

iPhone 15 – MASSIVE New Leaks Reveal Design & More!

Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra Tips | First 20 Things You Should Do With Your New Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra

iPhone 14 Pro Max Vs Samsung s22 Ultra Vs Pixel 7 Pro In-Depth Review | Best Smartphone 2022?

6 Reasons The Google Pixel 7 Pro Is the Best Smartphone On The Market Today

Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max Review | Two Months Later

And yeah, MIUI is still undeniably quite a dense launcher, but it has improved significantly over the past few years and it’s a lot more user-friendly these days. I found absolutely no bugs whatsoever this past week, no issues with notifications trickling through or anything like that.

So very few complaints indeed, although I’m not aware of exactly how many years of security and OS updates it’s going to get either. Further details will be revealed at the official launch. The good news is that Xiaomi seems to be turning a corner on that one, so I’m expecting at least three years of OS and security updates, especially as it’s a mega Billy Big bollocks flagship.

However, one minor moan is that this phone is once again overflown with crapware. While there have been improvements from previous models, we have not achieved the desired outcomes.

So you will want to delete some of these bollocks to tidy up the Xiaomi 13 Pro before you get stuck in. As is common with many high-end smartphones, the immensely popular iPhone and many new Android devices boast similarly impressive features, all comprising a significant financial investment. There’s no Micro SD memory card support here either, although thankfully my review model packs in a rather hearty 512 gigs of storage, so no real complaints there.

And that in-display optical fingerprint sensor works beautifully, even though the screen protector and even when your pinkies are a wee bit damp. And I did find the fierce unlock was reliable if less secure backup option as well. There are no fancy 3D shenanigans or anything here.

Display And Audio

Now, as far as smartphone screens go, the Xiaomi 13 Pros 6.73-inch OLED panel is right up there with the very best. It’s a Core HD Plus display, so you can expect Pinshop visuals when you’re checking out your photos or streaming high-res content. And while many flagships out there still only offer HDR ten plus support, the Xiaomi 13 Pro can also staff proper Dolby vision content right at your face. The main difference between this screen and the regular Xiaomi 13 is the LDP or Tech, so the refresh rate can veer from as little as 1 Hz depending on what you’re up to.

At 120 Hz, every action is creamy smooth, while at the lower refresh rates, well, that helps to preserve the battery life, and more on that in a bit. It seems that the auto brightness capabilities are somewhat inconsistent. On average, it has functioned properly; however, I have noticed some discrepancies in the morning and evening hours.

Oftentimes, when I wake up it is too bright for comfort and when the night falls it appears to be slightly dimmer than optimal. To remedy this issue, manual adjustments seem necessary. And when you max out that brightness, you will comfortably be able to use the Xiaomi 13 Pro, even when the sun is in full-on mega-basted mode.

Now, the Xiaomi 13 Pro’s display does curve ever so subtly at the edges a bit more than the likes of the S23 Ultra. So that has led to a couple of responsiveness issues over the past week, especially as I’ve been clutching this phone so ruddy tight. Occasionally haven’t been able to press on an icon or accidentally tap the link. It appeared unintentional, however, the results have been quite satisfactory. We’re talking literally on a couple of occasions in all weeks of use, so it is still quite rare.

Stereo speakers offer incredible volume without sacrificing quality. The sound remains strong and clear even when the volume is increased. And if you’ve got a supported pair of headphones or a supported speaker, you can enjoy full, proper 24-bit audio via Bluetooth 5.3, which is great news if you’re streaming a bit of high-fidelity action on the likes of Diesel or Tidal.

Performance And Gaming

Now, pretty much all of the big blowers of 2023 are powered by the same snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset, including this here Xiaomi 13 Pro. And once again, that means impeccable performance. The phone does occasionally get a bit warm when using it nonstop, especially when you’re busting out that camera for lots of 8K video action, but certainly doesn’t ever reach Nut roasting levels.

Also Watch:

And if you want to run Genshin Impact or other memory-guzzling games with the graphics settings boosted all the way up to max, Even when it has been running for hours, the device is still running smoothly. The visual display’s responsiveness is impressive and its gaming mode remains user-friendly. All in all, this device offers excellent performance.

That performance booster can help when the Xiaomi 13 Pros are under duress to maintain a sky-high frame rate. And you got loads of other useful bits here, including a screen recorder and a had timer so you don’t spend too long smashing gridlines right in their mush.

Battery Life

As for the battery life, well, you’ve got a sizable 4820 milliamp hour capacity battery crammed inside of this very slippery, shiny chassis, and lots of great energy efficiency features as well to really help out from that snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset to the Lgpo display and various power saving features built into Android and MIUI, you could expect the Xiaomi 13 Pro to last as long as a super size gobstopper. I never saw less than 6 or 7 hours of full-on screen time.

And that’s with a hefty bit of camera usage and the occasional bit of gaming, lots of video streaming, and some audio streaming when the screen is hibernating too. The Xiaomi 13 Pro offers quick and convenient charging, with 120-watt wide charging support and 50-watt wireless charging support. In addition, you can quickly top it up in just a few minutes if needed. This is great news for ensuring your device stays powered up at all times.

Cameras

And so let’s wrap up this Xiaomi 13 Pro review with a proper squint at the camera setup, headlined here by Sony’s, whopping grit one-inch IMAX 989 sensor with ultra-wide and telephoto shooters in the backup. The enormous size of that camera sensor allows it to absorb large amounts of light, even in low-light conditions. And also on top of that, you don’t just have any bog standard optical image stabilization here. Oh no, you get full-on hyper Ois hazar.

The end result is incredibly bright and detailed photos. The Xiaomi 13 Pro camera has exceptional performance in low-light conditions. Images that may appear dark or blurry to the human eye are transformed into colorful, high-definition snapshots with accurate tonal detail when using this device. It’s right up there with the pixel Seven and the Galaxy S 23 Ultra coming somewhere just in between. When it comes to color accuracy, proper lighting conditions must be met. Otherwise, the image may appear blurry or out of focus.

It is important to ascertain whether your subject is in dim conditions prior to capture for the best results. When you venture out into the daylight, you’ll get beautifully sharp, 12-megapixel snaps. If the lighting is too bright, you’ll be left with low-quality, blurry results. When shooting in daylight, as usual, you can rely on clear and impressive photos. Leica Vibrant is the recommended camera mode, which, like Samsung smartphones, boosts those colors to make your photos look a little bit more lively. Otherwise, you can go with a lighter authentic if you want a more natural pick.

It’s entirely down to personal taste as to which you’ll prefer, but I do like those poppy blue skies with the vibrant mode on. And this time, your subject doesn’t need to worry about posing. The Xiaomi 13 Pro is renowned for its fast shutter speed and quick processing time, which gives it instant responsiveness.

The vast dynamic range of the camera allows you to shoot directly into the sun without any quality loss. If you need to get closer to your subject but still keep a distance, this camera includes a 50-megapixel telephoto lens with 3.2 times optical zoom and keeps things steady with optical image stabilization (OIS).

It’s not quite the S 23 Ultra, but it’s certainly useful, especially as tricky conditions like strong contrast rarely muff things Zooming up to 100x magnification can be quite useful, but the image may become a bit too abstract for some applications. Accordingly, the telephoto lens is highly recommended for portrait shots; with an appropriate level of zoom (generally no more than 30x), you can capture stunning photos within seconds. And once again, the Xiaomi 13 Pro excels here, even when your subject is bouncing around like a coked-up bunny.

My test shots almost always came out clean with a lovely bockey effect in the background. And last up, there’s a 50-megabyte ultra wide-angle shooter, serving up a 115-degree field of view. And it’s pretty bloody good as far as ultra-wide score, as long as you don’t rely on it in dodgy lighting.

And as always, you’ve got a healthy selection of bonus camera modes slapped here on the Xiaomi 13 Pro, including a Pro Mode, how very apt, which can capture 10-bit raw images. Swap to video and this handset can film some supremely sharp 8K footage, or you can always activate Dolby Vision Mode at 4K 60FPS.

Although even without HDR switched on, the Xiaomi 13 Pro coped well with harsh lighting, and my test clips boasted natural-looking colors. The Hyper IS technology is a standout feature here; it provides excellent stabilization at 8K resolution, and zooming in and out results in smooth transitions with no jarring effects. Additionally, voices are clearly recorded from all directions with minimal wind distortion. Truly an impressive performance. So overall, properly lush.

And last up, that 32-megapixel selfie shooter can’t quite see in the dark like the rear camera, but you do have a slightly startling screen flash mode to help out. In quieter settings, the Xiaomi 13 Pro still has ample volume and clarity. There’s no unwanted background noise to distract from your experience. Brighter backgrounds will be completely blown out, but your mug stays perfectly in focus, and I found that my skin tone, or lack thereof was quite accurately captured.

And hey, if you want to shoot a bit of a blog action using the Xiaomi 13 Pro, well, you can do that at full HD resolution. Sadly, no 4K action for that front face-up.

But again, I found this phone was absolutely perfect for Skyping, Zooming, WhatsApp ping, and whatever else.

Conclusion

And that right there, my lovely, this is my full frank final Xiaomi 13 Pro review. And yes, it is big and it is heavy. But if you can put up with that, well, you’ll be rewarded with a feature-packed super-powered blower that boasts some incredibly versatile camera tech. It’s certainly one of my favorite handsets right now. It’s a strong rival to the likes of Samsung’s Galaxy S 23 Ultra, so I’m really excited to see how much it will cost here in the UK because if it’s a few £100 cheaper, then frankly, it’s a no-brainer.

Unless you’re particularly swayed by the S Pen stylus, that is. But anyway, that’s my thoughts on the Xiaomi 13 Pro. Be grateful to hear your own thoughts in the comments below. Are you tempted? Are you swayed, or do you reckon Samsung has the better deal overall? Cheers, everyone. Love you.