Xiaomi 13 Professional evaluate: Leica it, however don’t find it irresistible

After a reputation change and the reintroduction of a Professional mannequin final 12 months, it’s extra of the identical for Xiaomi at the beginning of 2023. 

At MWC in late February, the corporate launched two new flagships globally: the 13 and 13 Professional. An much more succesful Extremely mannequin is predicted sooner or later, however Xiaomi has confirmed that there’ll be no half-step ‘S’ replace later within the 12 months. 

From testing the 13 Professional, it’s onerous to think about a non-gaming cellphone which could possibly be extra succesful than this – maybe solely the Galaxy S23 Extremely. With Qualcomm’s newest silicon, a principal digicam geared up with an enormous 1in sensor, and among the quickest charging round, the machine is sort of unmatched in the case of {hardware}. 

However acquainted frustrations stay on the software program aspect, and so they’re the primary purpose this isn’t an on the spot advice.  

Design & construct

• Enormous, ugly rear digicam module
• New ceramic again
• Return of the IP68 ranking

Xiaomi has revamped the design of the 13 Professional – simply not in a great way. A lot of the cellphone retains its regular smooth look, however the gigantic digicam module stands out like a sore thumb. 

It displays Xiaomi’s new partnership with digicam firm Leica, together with some large upgrades to the rear sensors. However there’s no denying it seems to be ugly, and protrudes considerably from the again of the cellphone.

The impact may be lowered by making use of the silicone case within the field, though even then there’s a major wobble when used face up on a desk. The large emphasis on cellphone cameras means a flush digicam module isn’t real looking, however certainly Xiaomi might’ve finished higher than this. 

Whereas the common Xiaomi 13 additionally has an enormous module, it doesn’t stick out practically as a lot. You may’t complain that it seems to be like all different telephones, a minimum of. 

One other key change sees the glass again of the 12 Professional swapped for a ceramic one. It definitely feels very premium, however provides to the overall weight considerably. At 229g, it’s a lot heavier than final 12 months’s 12 Professional (205g), and one of many heaviest telephones full cease.  

That rear design can be extremely reflective, which means it shortly accumulates noticeable fingerprint smudges. This may be mitigated by popping on a case, which additionally provides much-needed grip to an in any other case slippery machine.  

The 13 Professional is well-built and feels impressively sturdy, however a ceramic rear means will it at all times be susceptible to shattering than plastic. Whereas the entrance is supplied with robust Gorilla Glass Victus, there aren’t any such ensures for the again.

Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry

One large enchancment is that there’s now an IP68 ranking – beforehand seen on the Mi 11, however dropped for final 12 months’s telephones. It means the cellphone is totally protected towards mud and submersion in as much as 1.5m of water for as much as half-hour. 

Color choices are restricted, with simply black and white fashions to select from. However should you’re going to use a case anyway, it doesn’t actually matter. 

It’s additionally value mentioning the vibration motor, which offers refined haptic suggestions as you navigate the cellphone. It does a very good job of simulating actual button presses, and feels very prime quality. 

Xiaomi retains issues easy on the aluminium sides of the cellphone, with simply the facility button and quantity controls on the correct, then a SIM tray (helps twin SIM), single downward-firing speaker and USB-C port on the underside. It means there’s no 3.5mm audio jack, however that’s under no circumstances shocking. 

Display screen & audio system

• Excellent 6.73in OLED show
• Dynamic 120Hz refresh price
• Underwhelming twin audio system

The Xiaomi 13 Professional’s show has solely been barely tweaked in comparison with final 12 months, and it’s functionally equivalent for most individuals. 

Because it was already top-of-the-line shows on any cellphone, that’s hardly shocking. You continue to get a big 6.73in, 1440×3200 OLED panel, giving it an more and more widespread 20:9 side ratio. The display screen is a pleasure to behold, with excellent element and dynamic colors that actually pop.

Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry

It combines with an adaptive refresh price, which means the show may be set to mechanically transfer between 1 and 120Hz relying on what you’re doing. This can be a nice solution to steadiness efficiency and battery life, solely providing you with these slick larger refresh charges if you’ll really profit from them. 

You may manually set it to 60Hz or 120Hz should you’d want, however the dynamic refresh price is a good characteristic that you just gained’t discover on many telephones. After experiencing the slick, fluid transitions on the 13 Professional, you’ll by no means wish to return to a 60Hz show once more. 

Xiaomi says the display screen can hit an unbelievable 1900 nits of peak brightness. That’s far larger than most telephones, and also you’ll haven’t any drawback utilizing the 13 Professional on vivid sunny days. Sure, there have been a few these within the UK winter! 

Throughout the show you’ll discover an optical fingerprint sensor which is straightforward to arrange and works properly more often than not. Nonetheless, there may be fairly a small goal space to purpose for, and any moisture will cease it from unlocking. 

Surprisingly, Xiaomi has determined to ditch the 12 Professional’s quad speaker system, though they weren’t notably spectacular.  

Combining a single downward-firing grille with the earpiece means you continue to get a stereo setup, however the audio hasn’t improved a lot. It’s typically clear and may attain an honest quantity with out a lot distortion, however there’s little or no bass or depth to the sound.

Specs & efficiency

• Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 and 12GB of RAM
• Excellent efficiency throughout the board
• 256/512GB of non-expandable storage

Xiaomi’s flagship telephones are often geared up with Qualcomm’s newest and best chips, and the 13 Professional isn’t any completely different. 

The cellphone is powered by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, which offers each efficiency and energy effectivity advantages in comparison with the 8 Gen 1 discovered within the Xiaomi 12 Professional. Whether or not you may inform them aside is one other matter, however there’s no doubting the wonderful efficiency right here.

Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry

Alongside 12GB of RAM on both configuration, the 13 Professional breezes via nearly each job you may consider with ease. That features internet looking, texting, watching movies, looking social media and taking images, plus shortly switching between apps and utilizing them side-by-side. 

There’s wasn’t even a touch of stuttering or hesitation all through my testing time, one thing which may’t be mentioned for many telephones. It even extends to cellular gaming, with Name of Obligation: Cell, PUBG Cell, and Asphalt 9 all remaining clean and responsive. 

Even in these demanding eventualities, the 13 Professional solely will get barely heat to the contact. Overheating is one thing earlier Snapdragon-powered telephones have struggled with, nevertheless it’s not a difficulty right here. That may change if you wish to play video games for a number of hours, however there are devoted telephones for that. 

The 13 Professional retains up with this 12 months’s different flagships in testing, solely lagging behind these with decrease decision shows, which have a better time within the graphics-heavy GFXBench. 

By way of storage, there are two decisions: 256GB or 512GB. There’s no help for expandable storage. 

Being powered by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 means the 13 Professional has 5G help, alongside the most recent Bluetooth 5.3 and Wi-Fi 6E requirements. Xiaomi additionally says it’ll be appropriate with the upcoming Wi-Fi 7 through a software program replace. 

Digital camera & video

• Triple Leica 50Mp rear cameras
• Wonderful pictures from all three
• Spectacular 30Mp selfie digicam

Xiaomi has teamed up with digicam firm Leica for the 13 collection, with each common and Professional fashions that includes some important adjustments. 

That may not be instantly obvious from the specs, with the hefty rear module nonetheless containing three 50Mp lenses. Nonetheless, that principal sensor is now the a lot bigger 1in Sony IMX989 – the identical as in present digicam champ Vivo X90 Professional and final 12 months’s Xiaomi 12S Extremely – so it’s no shock that the pictures it produces are spectacular.

The cellphone is especially properly suited to panorama pictures, however structure and avenue images additionally look nice. Nonetheless, and not using a devoted depth sensor, the software-based portrait mode is hit or miss. A beautiful background blur (which may be adjusted after the picture is taken) is feasible, nevertheless it typically struggles with edge detection. 

If most of my pictures above look a bit washed out, that’s as a result of they had been taken on a winter day within the UK: that was how the scenes really regarded. However throughout all scenes, you get clear, well-exposed pictures with loads of element and nice dynamic vary. Key components of the shot are nonetheless clearly seen when cropping in, so that you don’t lose something necessary within the background.

The 50Mp telephoto lens can be now bigger, which means it presents 3.2x optical zoom fairly than the Xiaomi 12 Professional’s 2x. It means you may get some detailed pictures from fairly a protracted distance away, though counting on digital zoom after that (all the way in which to 70x) results in a speedy decline in high quality. 

Then there’s the 50Mp ultrawide, which presents the identical 115˚ discipline of view as its predecessor. Protecting the megapixel rely so excessive means there’s solely a slight drop intimately in comparison with the primary sensor, and its versatility is nice in quite a lot of eventualities. 

As you may count on, there are a great deal of completely different modes to select from within the digicam app. Amongst these, you may select between ‘Leica Vibrant’ and ‘Leica Genuine’ modes. I caught with the latter for probably the most half, which lacks the standard saturation of many smartphone cameras however stays impressively true to life.

If you happen to’d fairly go for the colourful mode, look out for vivid, eye-catching colors that actually stand out. In lots of conditions, you gained’t must do any enhancing earlier than sharing, particularly for a private social media account.

Whereas the primary lens handles low-light environments comparatively properly, there’s additionally a devoted night time mode. This provides a natural-looking brightening impact with out shedding key particulars or introducing an excessive amount of noise. Just about each cellphone digicam has an evening mode nowadays, however this is among the most spectacular.

The selfie digicam stays at 32Mp, nevertheless it’s nonetheless one of many easiest. Publicity, particulars and colors are all on level, and it does an honest job of portrait mode. Make no mistake: this is among the greatest cellphone digicam programs round.

Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry

The Xiaomi 13 Professional can file video as much as 8K at 24fps, however the default 1080p at 30fps is a greater possibility for most individuals. Footage gained’t rival an iPhone, however OIS on the primary lens means it stays clear and regular – even with a lot of motion. 

Battery & charging

• 4800mAh battery
• Stable all-day battery life
• 120W wired charging, 50W wi-fi

Battery life was a key weak spot of the Xiaomi 12 Professional, however that’s not the case with its successor. The mix of a bigger 4800mAh cell and improved Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 energy effectivity means it could possibly now comfortably final a full day – even with some intensive duties reminiscent of gaming or utilizing GPS. 

That’s mirrored within the PCMark battery check, which simulates real-world world utilization at a reasonably typical 200 nits of brightness. A time of 11 hours 56 minutes is properly over 4 hours higher than its predecessor, and above common among the many high-end telephones we’ve not too long ago examined. 

With the development right here, the 13 Professional is among the few telephones that delivers nice battery life and charging speeds.  

Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry

The 120W adapter within the field will get you a full cost in lower than half an hour, whereas it additionally helps 50W wi-fi charging and 10W reverse wi-fi charging. The latter is nice for shortly charging equipment reminiscent of a watch or cellphone, nevertheless it helps all units with the Qi normal. 

Software program & updates

• MIUI 14 over Android 13
• Irritating, unintuitive software program expertise
• Three years of Android model updates

The 13 and 13 Professional are the primary Xiaomi telephones to run Android 13 out of the field. Nonetheless, each have Xiaomi’s MIUI 14 pores and skin excessive, which stays the only largest purpose to not purchase the 13 Professional. 

Primarily, MIUI 14 dilutes what makes Android so nice, then provides a garish color scheme and annoying apps you may’t uninstall. It’s completely usable, however a major downgrade in comparison with the software program expertise on many different telephones. 

Key variations in comparison with ‘inventory’ Android embrace a break up notification shade and management centre, vibrant icons, and a redesigned Settings menu. All of those take the polish off the consumer expertise, fairly than including to it.

Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry

Then there are all of the pre-installed apps, and there are some unusual decisions right here. Xiaomi appears to assume everybody desires to make use of the likes of TikTok, LinkedIn, and Solitaire, although a minimum of these may be uninstalled.  

The corporate has its personal apps for messaging, safety, file administration, internet looking and lots of extra, none of which you’ll take away. Your greatest different is to cover these within the app drawer and by no means use it, however they shouldn’t be there within the first place. 

I’ve used just a few Xiaomi telephones now, so know what to anticipate. However there’s a major studying curve should you haven’t tried one earlier than. 

By way of software program help, Xiaomi commits to a few years of safety updates and 4 of safety patches. Meaning you may count on Android 14, 15, and 16, plus patches till 2027. 

That is roughly consistent with different Android producers, albeit behind each Samsung and Apple. 

Value & availability

As anticipated, the Xiaomi 13 Professional doesn’t come low cost.  

It’ll set you again £1,099/€1,299 for the 12+256GB mannequin – the one one accessible within the UK.

Pre-orders are stay now through the Xiaomi web site, forward of the cellphone’s launch on 14 March. At that time, you’ll additionally be capable of purchase one from Currys and Argos.

As regular, the machine gained’t be bought within the US. 

The apparent different is Samsung’s Galaxy S23 Plus, which begins at $999/£1,049/€1,219. However there are many nice options in our greatest smartphone chart. 

Verdict

The Xiaomi 13 Professional takes what made the 12 Professional so nice and makes it even higher. However that doesn’t imply you should purchase one.  

Efficiency from the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 is completely incredible, with its improved energy effectivity and a bigger battery delivering important battery life enhancements. New Leica cameras are near the most effective you’ll discover on any cellphone, with nice outcomes throughout all 4 lenses. 

However an enormous new digicam bump interrupts an in any other case smooth design, whereas the software program expertise stays a serious supply of frustration. 

At this flagship value level, these shortcomings are onerous to disregard. The Xiaomi 13 Professional is a good cellphone, nevertheless it’s not best-in-class. 

Specs

• Android 13 w/ MIUI 14 
• 6.73in LTPO WQHD+ OLED 120Hz curved show, 20:9, 240Hz contact sampling, HDR10+, Dolby Imaginative and prescient 
• In-display fingerprint sensor 
• Gorilla Glass Victus 
• Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 
• 12GB RAM LPDDR5 
• 256GB/512GB UFS 3.1 non-expandable storage
• Cameras: 
  • 50Mp, f/1.9 principal digicam with OIS 
  • 50Mp, f/2.2 ultrawide digicam 
  • 50Mp, f/2.0 3.2x zoom telephoto digicam 
  • 32Mp, f/2.0 front-facing digicam 
• Twin audio system with Dolby Atmos 
• Twin-SIM 
• 5G 
• WiFi 6E 
• Bluetooth 5.3 
• IP68 
• USB-C 
• 4820mAh battery 
• 120W wired charging 
• 50W wi-fi charging 
• 10W reverse wi-fi charging 
• 162.9 x 74.6 x 8.4 mm 
• 229g 
• Launch colors: Black, White