The Xiaomi 13 Pro is one of the latest camera-centric phones for 2023. In addition to being equipped with a Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset, what sets it apart from other Android phones is the much larger 1-inch camera sensor. It should take much prettier image quality, but is that the case?
In theory, this makes the Xiaomi 13 Pro similar to the quality of digital cameras such as the Sony RX100 or Canon G7X, which also use 1-inch sensors. So is it capable of making the Xiaomi 13 Pro the best camera phone of the year? Let's read this review to find out.
Design - Smooth and shiny
Compared to other phones, the Xiaomi 13 Pro looks very standard and doesn't stand out. It doesn't have any eye-catching patterns, nor does it have any fancy colour-changing features when this phone is tilted. You could even argue that the design is plain.
Nice glossy look, but that's all
However, it doesn't mean Xiaomi 13 Pro isn't a premium device. The model received is in Ceramic Black, and while it doesn't look like much, it's protected with a Corning Gorilla Glass Victus, which is nice. That said, it's quite prone to fingerprint smudges, so best to have a protective casing as soon as you get this phone.
While the back cover is smooth and shiny, the transparent case in the box isn't much help for the camera bump. It's much thicker than last year's model, even with the case on the phone. You'll notice the phone wobbling when it's flat on a table, so it might be best to get a different casing elsewhere.
The camera bump is too big
Tech specs and features - A complete package
Here are the specifications of the Xiaomi 13 Pro:
- Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset
- 12GB of LPDDR5X RAM
- 256GB or 512GB of UFS 4.0 storage
- Measures 162.9 x 74.6 x 8.38mm, weighs 229g
- 6.73-inch 120Hz AMOLED Display in WQHD+ resolution (supports Gorilla Glass Victus glass, Dolby Vision, HDR10+, 19000 nits peak brightness, 240Hz touch sampling rate and over 1 billion colours)
- Triple rear camera - 50MP (main) + 50MP (telephoto) + 50MP (ultrawide)
- 32MP front camera
- Features Leica Pro Optical Lens, Smart 120W HyperCharge, 50W wireless charging, 10W reverse wireless charging face and fingerprint biometric security, LiquidCool Technology, Dolby Atmos speakers, IP68 water and dust resistance rating
- Supports NFC, dual SIM (nano SIM + nano SIM or nano SIM + eSIM), 5G, WiFi 6E, Bluetooth 5.3
- MIUI 14 based on Android 13
- 4820mAh battery
The specs of the phone
Screen settings for refresh rate, resolution and colour scheme
Since it's a flagship, the Xiaomi 13 Pro offers advanced components. Its screen produces beautiful colours for videos and games thanks to the WQHD+ (3200×1440) resolution. But its default setting is FHD+, so you need to set the resolution manually in the settings. However, do note that the WQHD+ resolution consumes more battery. That said, the difference in overall quality between the two is insignificant.
The display is also set to 60Hz refresh rate by default. But you change that to 120Hz or let the LTPO panel adjust it automatically, depending on what you're doing. To keep your battery consumption low, you can leave it at 60Hz. If you have been using Android phones for a long time, you'll find MIUI 14 OS easy to navigate like its predecessor. And thankfully, there isn't a lot of bloatware this time.
The Xiaomi 13 Pro only has 12GB of RAM, but the system allows additional virtual RAM with Memory Extension. You can extend the RAM by 3GB, 5GB or 7GB with this feature. Another thing we recommend doing is enabling the Boost Charging Speed setting to get the 120W fast charging rate. Note that the phone will turn off its screen at that charging mode to control the phone's temperature.
Charging speed and memory extension setting
Camera setting
Performance - Fast camera, beautiful photos
The 3DMark scores for the Xiaomi 13 Pro
Geekbench
All maxed out on Genshin Impact
There's GameTurbo on the Xiaomi 13 Pro
The Screen on Time was nearly 11 hours
As expected, we can play mobile games on high video settings on the Xiaomi 13 Pro. We tested Genshin Impact on the highest graphics at 30FPS, and the phone didn't overheat even after hours of playing. That immediately makes it better than last year's Snapdragon 8 Gen 1. Moreover, battery life was excellent too. Although it can't be compared to gaming phones, the Xiaomi 13 Pro can easily last more than a day on normal usage.
Earlier, we mentioned that the Xiaomi 13 Pro can charge up to 120W. This makes it possible to fully charge the phone in less than 20 minutes, which is amazing. Of course, the phone can get quite hot at that charging speed, so you might not want to use it unless you're in a hurry. Also, Xiaomi packed the 120W charging brick inside the box, so that's a big thumb's up from us.
The Xiaomi 13 Pro promised beautiful images with its 1-inch camera sensor and Leica software technology, so we were quite excited. Overall, we were impressed with the photos taken on this phone, as they look clear and natural. Unlike some phones, the software had no problems separating subjects from backgrounds in portrait modes, keeping the lines on the subject smooth. Check out some samples we took below!
Portrait mode
50MP main camera
Not complete without a food picture!
Night Mode photos
Night + Portrait mode
Video recording sample
In addition, we were also satisfied with the photos taken at night. In Night Mode, the noise wasn't too noticeable, and photos generally looked better at 10x zoom instead of 70x. As for video recording, the phone could capture videos of up to 8K @ 24FPS and still look beautiful. However, taking selfie videos is only allowed at 1080p, so vloggers and influencers might find it disappointing.
Conclusion - Arguably the best Android camera phone by far
With the photos taken above, we think the Xiaomi 13 Pro is currently one of the best Android camera phones for the Malaysian market. Other flagships may have better designs or performance, but the Xiaomi 13 Pro's photography aspect gives it a major win. If you prioritise photo quality, this is the phone for you.
The Xiaomi 13 Pro comes at a starting price of RM4599, which is very expensive. But it's worth it if you want a top-tier camera phone. For alternatives, there's also the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra (RM5699). It's a pricier flagship, but lets you write notes with the S Pen. You can also consider the more affordable OnePlus 11 5G (RM3299) that has similar specs using Hasselblad technology. The choice is yours.
So what do you think of the Xiaomi 13 Pro? Let us know in the comments below, and do stay tuned for more tech gadget reviews at TechNave.com.
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