Xiaomi has been making waves in the smartphone industry for a while now, and the Xiaomi 13 Pro is no exception. In this review, we’ll take a closer look at this weighty slab that’s going straight for the Galaxy S23 Ultra’s jugular.
Design and Build
One of the first things you’ll notice about the Xiaomi 13 Pro is that it’s a big, heavy phone. Weighing in at 229 grams, this 6.73-inch smartphone is not for the faint of heart.
On top of that, all of the glossy surfaces are incredibly slippery, with a bugger-all grip to be had here. Although the camera bump sticks quite a way out of that R sense, you can’t just kind of Lodge your finger there and use it as a kind of ledge.
The Xiaomi’s mirrored back doesn’t smudge up as much as you might fear. It just needs the occasional bit of spit and polish, although it does attract dust like Thought Park attracts obnoxiously loud horny teenagers.
The design of this phone is your typical smart and elegant flagship affair, with no bright colors or flair to catch the eye. It also comes in a decidedly sensible choice of black or white.
I would have preferred a slightly slimmer camera bump and a bit of grip, but besides that, it’s hard to be cross or disappointed with the look and feel of the Xiaomi 13 Pro.
This handset is suitably rugged as well, with an aluminum frame, a ceramic rear, and a good bit of Gorilla Glass Victus up front.
While that might be shatter-resistant, it’s not particularly scratch-resistant. So, I’m really glad that Xiaomi has slapped a pre-installed screen protector on this thing. It’s also IP68 water and dust resistant, so you don’t have to worry about accidental spills.
Software
As expected, the Xiaomi 13 Pro runs Android 13 with Xiaomi’s MIUI 14 launcher on top. The overall style and presentation have changed up a bit, but I haven’t seen any of the new widgets or other bits that were promised with MIUI 14 here on the 13 Pro.
The rest of the features are goldies, such as the video toolbox with its video filters and recording tools or the gaming world, which is absolutely gushing with useful stuff.
MIUI is still quite a dense launcher, but it has improved significantly over the past few years and is a lot more user-friendly these days.
Performance
The Xiaomi 13 Pro is powered by a Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 processor, which is a beast when it comes to performance. This processor is paired with up to 12GB of RAM, making it one of the most powerful smartphones on the market.
The battery life is also impressive, with fast charging that will have your phone charged up in no time.
Camera
The camera is one of the most impressive features of the Xiaomi 13 Pro. It has a triple-lens setup with a 50MP primary camera, a 20MP ultra-wide-angle camera, and a 12MP telephoto camera.
The results are stunning, with crisp, clear, and detailed images that will blow you away. The video recording is also top-notch, with the ability to shoot 8K video at 30fps.
Conclusion
Overall, the Xiaomi 13 Pro is an impressive smartphone that can compete with the best of them. It has a stunning camera, impressive performance, and a rugged build that can withstand some serious abuse.
While it’s not the cheapest phone on the market, it’s definitely worth the investment if you’re looking