The Xiaomi 13 and 13 Pro made their debut in China in mid-December, arriving with the latest Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset, brand new designs, and some serious camera improvements. Here’s all we know so far about the new devices from the Chinese giant, including when they might launch worldwide.
When will the Xiaomi 13 be released globally?
Xiaomi unveiled the first two phones in the Xiaomi 13 series – alongside its updated MIUI 14 software – in China on 11 December, after an initial 1 December launch was postponed. The company tends to release its main range of phones in December in China, with a month or two wait before they make their way to the rest of the world – so you should probably look for a global and European launch around February, perhaps at the Mobile World Congress trade show in Barcelona. As ever, that international launch is unlikely to include North America.
How much does the Xiaomi 13 cost?
For the moment we only have Chinese pricing for the 13 and 13 Pro, which we can convert to get rough estimates for international prices:
Xiaomi 13: from ¥3,999 (around $575/£465/€540)Xiaomi 13 Pro: from ¥4,999 (around $715/£585/€680)
That gives us a rough idea of what to expect, though it’s arguably more useful to look at how the company priced the phones last year:
Xiaomi 12X – €799 Xiaomi 12 – £749/€899 Xiaomi 12 Pro – £999/€1099
We think it’s very likely that the 13-series will stick closely to these prices, with a possible minor increase thanks to ongoing global inflation.
What are the Xiaomi 13 specs and features?
So what should you expect from the Xiaomi 13 and 13 Pro? We’ll break it down by model:
Xiaomi 13
The Xiaomi 13 features an updated design, with a flat display and glossy, straight-edged body that’s immediately reminiscent of the recent iPhones. It also boasts an IP68 rating for dust and water protection. It’s available in a few colours as standard in China: Black, Light Green, Light Blue, Grey and White, though there are also limited edition versions in bright Red, Green, Yellow, and Blue finishes. They all come with a glass back except for the Light Blue model, which uses a vegan leather. The Xiaomi 13 is a little bigger than last year’s 12, with a 6.36in OLED display. This is otherwise similar to the previous phone though, with a 1080 x 2400 resolution, 120Hz refresh rate, and support for a range of HDR standards. Unsurprisingly, the phone is powered by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chip, which is combined with 8/12GB of RAM, and 128/256/512GB of storage. The 128GB models use the slightly older UFS 3.1 storage standard, but the higher capacity versions jump to faster UFS 4.0. Power comes from a 4500mAh battery that supports 67W wired charging, 50W wireless charging, and 10W reverse wireless charging. As for the cameras, you can see that the phone has a Leica-branded triple camera on the rear. The main shooter is a 50Mp, f/1.8 camera with OIS, and it’s joined by a 10Mp, 3x telephoto camera and a 12Mp ultrawide. The inclusion of the telephoto is the biggest jump from the previous model. Finally, there’s a 32Mp selfie camera. Here are the full specs:
6.36in 120Hz OLED display (1080×2400)Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 28/12GB RAM128/256/512GB storage4500mAh battery67W wired charging50W wireless chargingCamera:50Mp, f/1.8 main camera with OIS10Mp, f/2.0, 3x telephoto camera with OIS12Mp, f/2.2 ultrawide camera32Mp, f/2.0 selfia cameraIP68152.8 x 71.5 x 8.0/8.1mm185/189gAndroid 13 with MIUI 14
Xiaomi 13 Pro
Then there’s the Pro, which looks a little different. For one, it boasts a curved display and body, closer in style to previous Xiaomi flagships. It’s also only launching in a more muted colour range of White, Black, Green and Light Blue. As with the regular model, this latter finish is in vegan leather, though the other models are made from ceramic, rather than glass. Like the 13, it has an IP68 rating. The Pro is also significantly larger than the 13, with a 6.73in display that uses LTPO tech for a dynamic variable refresh rate (though still up to 120Hz) and has a higher 1440 x 3200 resolution. The chipset is once again the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, and it launches with the same set of RAM and storage options as the standard phone. The battery is a little bigger at 4820mAh, and uses Xiaomi’s Surge G1 chip to deliver 120W wired charging, 50W wireless charging, and 10W reverse wireless charging. Other than the display, the camera is inevitably where the biggest upgrades from the 13 are to be found, although at a glance things seem similar. The main lens is still 50Mp, but uses the much larger 1in Sony IMX989 sensor – the same one used to great effect in the Xiaomi 12S Ultra. Here’s it’s at an f/1.9 aperture, and of course features OIS. The telephoto lens is also a 50Mp sensor, with a 3x zoom level and aperture of f/2.0. Thanks to a new ‘floating’ lens structure, it’s also capable of focusing on objects just 10cm away, in theory making it more versatile than most telephotos out there. Then there’s the ultrawide, which is the same as last year’s. It’s also a 50Mp shooter, with an f/2.2 aperture and autofocus. Finally, the 32Mp selfie camera is the same as on the 13. Here are the full specs:
6.73in 120Hz LTPO OLED display (1440×3200)Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 28/12GB RAM128/256/512GB storage4820mAh battery120W wired charging50W wireless chargingCamera:50Mp, f/1.9 main camera with OIS50Mp, f/2.0, 3x telephoto camera with OIS50Mp, f/2.2 ultrawide camera32Mp, f/2.0 selfia cameraIP68162.9 x 74.6 x 8.4/8.7mm210/229gAndroid 13 with MIUI 14
What about the Xiaomi 13 Ultra?
Xiaomi usually launches its Ultra models a little while after the main line, so we’re not expecting to see it arrive any time soon. Still, we do already have a first leak about its specs. Digital Chat Station is the source, and this first leak focusses on the phone’s camera. We can reportedly expect a quad camera setup, with the return of the 1in IMX989 sensor for the main camera. The big upgrade this time should be the inclusion of gimbal stabilisation. Other than these tidbits, there’s been nothing else leaked about the upcoming Ultra, so we’ll keep digging and updating this article as more information becomes available. In the meantime, check our roundup of the best Xiaomi deals to see if you can bag a bargain on one of the current models. Tech Advisor’s Deputy Editor, Dom covers everything that runs on electricity, from phones and laptops to wearables, audio, gaming, smart home, and streaming - plus he’s a regular fixture on the Tech Advisor YouTube channel.
