Xiaomi has unveiled its highly anticipated phone, the Xiaomi 13 Ultra, which complements the Xiaomi 13 series, consisting of the Xiaomi 13 and Xiaomi 13 Pro. Despite the different names and belonging to the same family, the Xiaomi 13 Ultra is fundamentally different from its siblings. The phone comes with a completely different design, featuring a massive camera lens with a unique quad-camera system.
It's worth noting that this is not the first time we've seen an Ultra version from Xiaomi. Last year, the company unveiled the Xiaomi 12S Ultra, which caused a stir thanks to its use of a 1-inch sensor. Xiaomi has maintained this feature in this year's release, with some slight improvements.
Here's a quick overview of the key features of the Xiaomi 13 Ultra phone and the differences between it and last year's model.
A unique quad-camera system:
- The main (wide) camera has a resolution of 50.3 MP and a 1-inch sensor with a variable lens aperture ranging from f/1.9 to f/4.0, with support for technologies such as multi-directional PDAF, OIS, and Laser AF.
- The second (periscope) camera has a resolution of 50 MP and a lens aperture of f/3.0, with up to 5x optical zoom and support for dual-pixel PDAF and OIS.
- The third (telephoto) camera has a resolution of 50 MP and a lens aperture of f/1.8, with up to 3.2x optical zoom and support for dual-pixel PDAF and OIS.
- The fourth (ultra-wide) camera has a resolution of 50 MP and a lens aperture of f/1.8, with a 122˚ field of view and support for dual-pixel PDAF.
- There is also a TOF 3D depth sensor.
There is no doubt about the strength of the cameras in the Xiaomi 13 Ultra phone, which features a main sensor with a size of 1 inch, making it one of the ten phones in the world to have a sensor of that size, just like last year's model. To increase the differences between the two versions, Xiaomi added a new telephoto camera that supports up to 3.2x optical zoom, making it the only phone with two cameras specialized in optical zoom.
Xiaomi's partnership with Leica for lenses continues, as the powerful Xiaomi flagship features a huge lens that houses these four cameras, which the company has given a long name that we don't think you will be able to read in full: "Leica Vario-Summicron 1:1.8-3.0/12-120 ASPH lens."
Xiaomi also added a new UltraRAW mode, which allows for capturing 14-bit DNG files from the main camera, and Adobe will provide a custom camera profile for Lightroom application.
Xiaomi also introduced a new technology called "Fast Shot", which allows for capturing photos in less than 0.8 seconds by pre-focusing on the subject before the actual photo is taken.
The screen of the Xiaomi 13 Ultra phone is the brightest ever:
- Size of 6.73 inches, LTPO3 AMOLED type with a refresh rate of 120 Hz and brightness of up to 2600 nits.
- Resolution of 1440x3200 and pixel density estimated at 522 pixels per inch.
- Protected by Gorilla Glass Victus.
Xiaomi is focusing on increasing the brightness of its phone screens, as we have seen in the past with the Xiaomi 13 Pro's screen brightness reaching 2000 nits. Xiaomi has increased this number in the Xiaomi 13 Ultra, and was able to reach 2600 nits, making it officially the brightest phone ever. This means that the new Xiaomi phone will be the best for use in high lighting conditions, such as looking at it directly under the sun.
For comparison, the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra comes with a screen brightness of 1750 nits, while the iPhone 14 Pro Max comes with a brightness of 2000 nits.
In addition, the Xiaomi 13 Ultra comes with a WQHD+ resolution screen with an adaptive refresh rate that can fluctuate between 1 to 120Hz. The phone also supports Dolby Vision and HDR10+ technologies, as well as HLG technology.
Xiaomi used curved edges for the screen, in addition to supporting 12-bit color depth. The company adopts the new CIE 2015 color standard for color calibration, and has also introduced a PWM dimming technology with a frequency of 1920Hz, making it the second phone to support this technology - with a lower frequency - after the Honor Magic 5 Pro phone.
Xiaomi 13 Ultra phone specifications:
The recipe is not complete without some incredible hardware:
- Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chip with a 4-nanometer architecture.
- Adreno 740 graphics processor.
- Storage capacity of 256/512 gigabytes and up to 1 terabyte (UFS 4.0).
- Available random access memory (RAM) options of 12/16 gigabytes.
- Resistant to both water and dust, boasting an IP68 rating.
Naturally, Xiaomi has introduced the most powerful hardware possible for the Xiaomi 13 Ultra smartphone, featuring the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chip that delivers 40% higher energy efficiency while maintaining improved performance for the processor cores, as well as increasing both of them by 35% for the graphics processor. These numbers come in comparison to last year's chip, the ( Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 ).
The new chip is paired with 12 or 16 GB of LPDDR5X RAM, and storage options ranging from 256 GB to 1 TB of UFS 4.0 type, ensuring maximum speeds and excellent data transfer rates on the new Xiaomi phone.
The phone also comes with LiquidCool technology, which according to Xiaomi, will help maintain consistent performance and allow for recording 4K videos at 60 frames per second without any frame drops, as well as playing games for long periods of time at the highest settings.
Xiaomi 13 Ultra phone battery:
- 5000 mAh capacity with support for 90W fast charging.
- Supports 50W wireless charging.
- Supports PD3.0 and QC4 technologies.
The Xiaomi phone comes with a massive 5000 mAh battery, with support for 90-watt fast charging (which is a strange number). According to the company's tests, the phone can be fully charged in 35 minutes, which is more than acceptable, especially if you are someone who follows the intermittent charging school. What is also noteworthy is the phone's support for 50-watt wireless charging, which is not the highest in this category, but it remains impressive.
The Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset is known for its efficient power consumption, so we have high expectations for the battery life of the new Xiaomi phone that features this chipset.
Specifications of Xiaomi 13 Ultra in detail:
Screen: The phone has a 6.73-inch LTPO3 AMOLED display with a resolution of 3200×1440 pixels and a density of 522 pixels per inch. It has an adaptive refresh rate of 120Hz and a brightness of up to 2600 nits.
Materials: The phone has a glass front (Gorilla Glass Victus), an eco-friendly leather back, and an aluminum frame.
Hardware: The phone is powered by a Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset manufactured on a 4nm process, with an Adreno 740 GPU.
Storage: The phone is available in 256GB or 512GB storage options and can be upgraded to up to 1TB (using UFS 4.0 storage technology).
RAM: The phone is available in 12GB or 16GB RAM options (using LPDDR5X technology).
Camera System:
A quad-camera system in collaboration with Leica lenses:
- Main camera (Wide) with 50.3 MP resolution and 1-inch sensor size, and lens aperture that varies between f/1.9 to f/4.0, with support for multi-directional PDAF, OIS, and Laser AF technologies.
- Second camera (Periscope) with 50 MP resolution and f/3.0 lens aperture, with optical zoom up to 5x and support for dual-pixel PDAF and OIS technologies.
- Third camera (Telephoto) with 50 MP resolution and f/1.8 lens aperture, with optical zoom up to 3.2x and support for dual-pixel PDAF and OIS technologies.
- Fourth camera (Ultra-wide) with 50 MP resolution and f/1.8 lens aperture, with a 122˚ field of view and support for dual-pixel PDAF technology.
- TOF 3D depth sensor.
Front Camera: A 32MP wide camera with an f/2.0 aperture.
Battery: 5000mAh battery that supports 90W wired fast charging and 50W wireless fast charging.
Operating System: Android 13 with MIUI 14 interface.
Price of Xiaomi 13 Ultra:
Like last year's phone in the Ultra family, Xiaomi has unveiled the Xiaomi 13 Ultra in the Chinese market only, and has not announced a date for the global launch or whether it plans to release it in other markets. However, in general, the new Xiaomi phone is available in three colors: white, black, and green, and is available at the following prices:
- 256/12GB version: CNY 5,999 (about $870 USD).
- 512/16GB version: CNY 6,499 (about $945 USD).
- 1TB/16GB version: CNY 7,299 (about $1,060 USD).
Features of Xiaomi 13 Ultra:
- Luxurious leather design with a unique camera design.
- Professional camera system in collaboration with Leica lenses.
- Reasonable pricing compared to the offered specifications.
Cons of Xiaomi 13 Ultra:
- Available only in China.
- Some may not like the exaggerated camera protrusion.
- MIUI interface is not the best.
In the end, we cannot deny that we are impressed with what Xiaomi has offered in their new phone. We believe the company has managed to maintain a reasonable price range without sacrificing hardware. There is nothing wrong with the Xiaomi 13 Ultra. The company has not skimped on any of its details, with its luxurious design and a well-crafted camera system in collaboration with Leica lenses. In addition to its very affordable price range for its capabilities. Unfortunately, it is currently only accessible in China. The protrusion of the lenses may also make it inconvenient for some. Finally, we hope to see Xiaomi's phone invade global markets and that we can see it in reality.
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Smartphone