The Chinese tech giant Xiaomi released its first flagship smartphone to the rest of the world, joining the competition with Apple and Samsung in the high-end segment.
After debuting in China in December 2022, the Xiaomi 13 and 13 Pro are now making their way to markets outside China!
The manufacturer is placing much faith in the device's one-inch primary sensor, Leica optics, and 120W rapid charging. This is meant to compete with Samsung's Galaxy S line of smartphones.
Camera Quality
When it comes to taking pictures, TechCrunch said Xiaomi relies on a huge one-inch Sony IMX989 50-megapixel camera with f/1.9 aperture for the best and brightest results. The camera can capture video at 8K resolution or 4K resolution at 60 fps in Dolby Vision.
A 50-megapixel "floating lens" telephoto camera is available, providing 3.2x optical zoom. The gadget features an additional ultrawide sensor that is 50 megapixels in size. The 13 Pro's front camera is 32 megapixels and has both a night mode and dual-framing (0.8x and 1x) capabilities.
A large square enclosure on the rear holds all those cameras and Leica lenses. While square camera bumps are not uncommon, this one stands out due to its massive size.
Other Features
Except for the camera, the Xiaomi 13 Pro's specs are typical for a 2023 Android flagship.
It has a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 CPU, 6.73-inch WQHD+ AMOLED display, 120Hz refresh rate, 1,900 nits peak brightness, Dolby Vision, HDR10+, and HLG HDR compatibility, 12GB LPDDR5X Memory, and USF 4.0 storage.
A unique 120W charger charges Xiaomi's current flagship's 4,820 mAh battery in minutes. These charging bricks are massive. The gadget offers 50W wireless charging with compatible pucks and 10W reverse charging for rapid earbud recharge.
The 13 Pro comes in ceramic white and black with 256GB and 512GB storage. It starts at €1,200 ($1,373) in Europe on Mar. 8. Together with the new flagship, Xiaomi released the €999 ($1,056) Xiaomi 13 and €499 ($527) Xiaomi 13 Lite.
High-End Smartphone Market
Xiaomi has encountered several challenges, including a weakening Chinese economy.
IDC reported 1.21 billion smartphone shipments in 2022, the lowest since 2013. Its smartphone sales fell 26% in the same year, as well.
According to Canalys, high-end smartphones costing over $800 made up 18% of the handset market in 2022, up from 11% in 2020. Xiaomi's entry into the premium market will place it against Apple and Samsung, a challenge for the Chinese challenger. Canalys projected 92% of the high-end market in 2022 was Samsung and Apple.
"Competing with Apple and Samsung is incredibly difficult. Not just matching [market-leading] products, but particularly going up against enormous companies with exceptional brand awareness, high-end perceptions, [experience-focused] solutions and product ecosystems with high user-stickiness," Canalys research analyst Runar Bjørhovde told CNBC.
