Xiaomi 13 series: Everything you need to know

Xiaomi has launched its 13 series smartphones in China, and that means that global versions are on the way for those of us in the rest of the world.

There's plenty to be excited about with this release, too, it features a new design, Qualcomm's flagship Snapdragon chipset and numerous improvements to the camera system.

There are rumours about a third device, too, the Xiaomi 13 Ultra - and we'll get into that later in this article.

Here's everything you need to know about the Xiaomi 13 series, including specs, pricing and when you can expect to get your hands on one.

Xiaomi 13 release date and price

Launched in China on December 11 2022
Global release expected in Q1 2023 - possibly at MWC

Xiaomi held a Chinese launch event for the Xiaomi 13 and 13 Pro, as well as its MIUI 14 platform, on December 11 2022. The phones have been available for purchase in China since December 14 2022.

There has been no official announcement about international availability, but in previous years, we've seen the global variant launching in March. So we might expect the same in 2023.

Xiaomi has confirmed its attendance of MWC 2023, which runs from February 27 to March 2, so we might expect an announcement, if not a launch, at the event.

While international pricing is yet to be determined, we do know what the phones cost in China, which may help us gauge this year's pricing.

Xiaomi 13: Starts at ¥3,999 (about $575 / £465 / €540)
Xiaomi 13 Pro: Starts at ¥4,999 (about $715 / £585 / €680)

However, the international pricing was quite different in 2022, so we may expect these devices to fall closely in line with the 12 series international pricing instead.

In Europe, the Xiaomi 12 carried an €899 MSRP, while the Xiaomi 12 Pro went for €1099.

Design

Xiaomi 13

Flat display and rear panel
IP68 rated
Colours: White, Black, Grey, Light Green and Light Blue (plus limited edition variants)

The standard Xiaomi 13 features an iPhone-inspired design with a flat display and rear panel, encircled by flat metal edges.

It's available in five colours, as standard, White, Black, Grey, Light Green and Light Blue. However, there are also limited edition variants available in bright Green, Red, Yellow and Blue.

All the models have glass back panels, excluding the light blue version, which has a vegan leather finish instead. The phone carries an IP68 rating for water and dust resistance.

The rear cameras are arranged into a square black glass panel with rounded edges, in the standard upper-left location. The array features prominent Leica branding, hinting that we can expect some serious photographic chops from this device.

Xiaomi 13 Pro

Curved display and rear panel
IP68 rated
Colours: White, Black, Light Green and Light Blue

The Xiaomi 13 Pro has quite a different look to its cheaper sibling, it does away with the flat panels in favour of a curved display and chassis. It looks much more in line with Xiaomi's previous flagship handsets.

The Pro version is available in White, Black, Light Green and Light Blue, with the Light Blue model again featuring a vegan leather finish. On this model, though, all the others feature ceramic backs, rather than glass. There are no limited edition bright colours either.

The camera array is similar aesthetically but physically larger and with a much more pronounced bump. The 13 Pro is also IP68 rated.

Display

Xiaomi 13

6.36in 120Hz OLED
Resolution: 1080×2400
Peak brightness: 1900 nits

One of the outstanding features of the Xiaomi 13's display is its astonishing brightness output of up to 1900 nits. This means that it'll have no problem competing with bright sunny days, and you'll be able to see all the details in the most challenging of conditions.

Otherwise, it has an ample FHD+ resolution and a zippy 120Hz refresh rate. We also know that MIUI allows for a lot of customisation with colour rendering, so it'll be easy to tweak things to your liking.

Xiaomi 13 Pro

6.73in 120Hz LTPO OLED
Resolution: 1440×3200
Peak brightness: 1900 nits

The Xiaomi 13 Pro increases the resolution to WQHD+ as well as utilising an LTPO panel. If you're not familiar, LTPO tech essentially allows for dynamically variable refresh rates without the need for an extra controller, so it'll be more efficient with its battery usage, despite the higher resolution.

The display is also a bit larger on the Pro model, but still offers the same brightness output, which we believe to be the brightest on the market - at the time of writing.

Hardware and specs

Xiaomi 13

Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2
8/12GB RAM + 128/256/512GB storage
4500mAh battery + 67W wired charging
50W wireless charging

The Xiaomi 13 is powered by Qualcomm's latest and greatest mobile chipset, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2. It can be paired with up to 12GB of LPDDR5 memory and 512GB of UFS 4.0 storage.

We know from testing phones like the iQOO 11 and RedMagic 8 Pro that this is one seriously capable processor, so the Xiaomi 13 should be a bit of a powerhouse for gaming, as well as feeling super-responsive during day-to-day tasks.

We're happy to see 50W wireless charging included on this model, too. Not only is wireless charging still something of a rarity in 2023, but 50W speeds are even less common.

Xiaomi 13 Pro

Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2
8/12GB RAM + 128/256/512GB storage
4820mAh battery + 120W charging
50W wireless charging

On the Xiaomi 13 Pro, the base specifications remain unchanged. However, we get a larger battery pack, as well as significantly faster 120W wired charging.

This means that when you run down the sizable battery, you'll be back up and running in no time at all.

Cameras

Xiaomi 13

Main: 50MP, f/1.8 with OIS
Telephoto: 10MP, f/2.0, 3x with OIS
Wide-angle: 12MP, f/2.2
Selfie: 32MP, f/2.0

The camera array on the Xiaomi 13 seems to be mostly inherited from the Xiaomi 12. The exception is the telephoto camera, which replaces the weak 5MP macro snapper on the 12.

Still, the 50MP main camera is the star of the show, with a wide f/1.9 aperture, optical image stabilisation and phase-detect autofocus. The selfie camera is also looking to impress, with an ample 32MP resolution.

Xiaomi 13 Pro

Main: 50MP, f/1.9 with OIS (Sony IMX989 - 1 inch sensor)
Telephoto: 50MP, f/2.0, 3x with OIS
Wide-angle: 50MP, f/2.2
Selfie: 32MP, f/2.0

On first impressions, it may not seem that the main camera has been changed much on the Xiaomi 13 Pro, but the reality is that it's a different beast entirely. While it has the same 50MP resolution, it boasts a much larger sensor - one of the very few 1-inch sensors to make its way into a smartphone.

This is the same sensor that we saw on Xiaomi 12S Ultra in 2022, and it's also featured on the upcoming Vivo X90 Pro+. So we know it's capable of some incredible results, and Xiaomi's partnership with Leica should only strengthen that performance.

The auxiliary cameras also get a resolution boost on this model, so the entire trio can shoot 50MP images. The selfie camera remains is the same 32MP unit as the standard Xiaomi 13.

What do we know about the Xiaomi 13 Ultra?

There are plenty of rumours in circulation surrounding the potential Xiaomi 13 Ultra, however, solid information is pretty sparse at this stage.

Typically, the Ultra variant launches some time after the main handsets, so we may have a while to wait. There's also the possibility that Xiaomi could skip the 13 Ultra and jump straight to the Xiaomi 13S Ultra.

This would match what the company did in 2022, foregoing the 12 Ultra at the start of the year, and instead launching the 12S Ultra in the summer.

Whatever the case may be, little is known about the hardware, the 12S Ultra's key feature was the 1-inch sensor, but now that's made its way down to the 13 Pro, the handset will have to find a new way to differentiate itself.

A leak from Digital Chat Station suggests that it'll have a quad rear camera setup and add gimbal stabilisation to the 1-inch Sony IMX989. Whether this proves correct, remains to be seen.

Xiaomi 13 rumours: What's happened so far?

Here is everything we have heard so far about the Xiaomi 13 series. We will drop any new stories in here as they appear.

January 9 2023: Xiaomi 13S Ultra tipped for European release at MWC 2023

Having already announced the Xiaomi 13 in China, the company is now said to have an upgraded model ready to go for the European market.

December 12 2022: The Xiaomi 13 and 13 Pro are official, here's everything you need to know

Xiaomi has officially unveiled the Xiaomi 13 and 13 Pro, new phones that offer plenty of high-end features including a new Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chip.

November 29 2022: Xiaomi 13-series hands-on confirms huge camera bumps and more

Xiaomi is getting ready to announce two new phones and we've been treated to our first hands-on ahead of their 1 December launch.

November 21 2022: Xiaomi 13 specs leaked online with Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 and more

According to leaks, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 will indeed power the Xiaomi 13, but that isn't all we can look forward to.

November 8 2022: Xiaomi 13 and 13 Pro renders show a huge camera bump and more

New images shared by leaker Steve ‘OnLeaks‘ Hemmerstoffer show both the standard Xiaomi 13 and high-end Xiaomi 13 Pro, with the latter sporting a sizeable camera bump.