introduction
For a while there, we weren’t ready to get our hopes up that there would be a global Xiaomi Ultra again – the 2021 model could very well have remained a unique one to remember fondly. Then at some point, we’re led to believe that not only will there be a global world, but there won’t be Absolutely. Well, in the end it all worked out well, and now we have Xiaomi 13 Ultra – one for China and one for the world.
With that said, we still have to point out that Xiaomi has sent us a version of the phone with software for China. So while in theory a global variant should be available at one point or another, we haven’t touched or seen it yet. For the purposes of this review, this is highly irrational.
That’s in part because the most important thing about the 13 Ultra goes beyond the specifics of regional software. We are talking about the unique quad camera setup on the back of the phone. And you know it’s something special when the 50MP 1-inch main unit – undisputed the headliner of the group – is paired with a pair of telephoto lenses and an ultrawide viewfinder, each with its own 50MP sensor. We look forward to kicking off this camera section with both excitement and trepidation. But all in due time.
There’s a smartphone associated with the marvel of the Leica-designed camera system, and it’s a convenient, cutting-edge system as well. The latest Snapdragon, a high-resolution OLED screen with a high refresh rate, dust and water resistance, fast charging – it will be difficult to find something to complain about in the following pages. At first, looking at the pictures, we thought the design would be just that, but after trying the phone in person, the look of it grew on us too.
Here’s a quick summary of the most important specs before we get started.
A glimpse of the Xiaomi 13 Ultra specifications:
- body: 163.2 x 74.6 x 9.1mm, 227g; Glass front (Victus Gorilla Glass), eco-leather back, aluminum frame; IP68 dust/water resistance (up to 1.5 meters for 30 minutes).
- an offer: 6.73 “LTPO AMOLED, 1B color, 120 Hz, Dolby Vision, HDR10 +, 1300 nits (HBM), 2600 nits (peak), resolution 1440 x 3200 pixels, aspect ratio 20: 9, 522 ppi.
- Slices: Qualcomm SM8550-AB Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 (4 nm): Octa-core (1 x 3.2 GHz Cortex-X3 & 2 x 2.8 GHz Cortex-A715 & 2 x 2.8 GHz Cortex-A710 & 3 x 2.0 GHz Cortex-A510); Adreno 740.
- memory: 256 GB 12 GB RAM, 512 GB 16 GB RAM, 1 TB 16 GB RAM; UFS 4.0.
- Operating System / Software: Android 13, MIUI 14.
- back camera: wide (main): 50 MP, f/1.9 or f/4.0, 23mm, 1.0″ type, 1.6µm, omnidirectional PDAF, Laser AF, OIS; Ultra wide angle: 50 MP, f/1.8, 12mm, 122°, 1/2.51″, Dual Pixel PDAF; telephoto: 50 MP, f/1.8, 75mm, 1/2.51″, Dual-Pixel PDAF, OIS, 3.2x optical zoom; telephoto: 50 MP, f/3.0, 120mm, 1/2.51″, Dual Pixel PDAF, OIS, 5x optical zoom; wide (main): 50 MP, f/1.9 or f/4.0, 23mm, 1.0″ type, 1.6µm, omnidirectional PDAF, Laser AF, OIS.
- front camera: 32 MP, f/2.0, 22mm (wide), 0.7µm.
- Video capture: back camera: 8K @ 24fps, 4K @ 24/30/60fps, 1080p @ 30/60/120/240/480/960/1920fps, gyro-EIS, Dolby Vision HDR 10-bit rec. (4K @ 60fps, 1080p); front camera: 1080p@30/60fps.
- battery: 5000 mAh; 90 watts wired, PD3.0, QC4, 100% in 35 minutes (declared), 50 watts wireless, 100% in 49 minutes (declared), 10 watts wireless reverse.
- Delivery: 5G; With two slices; Wi-Fi 6e; BT 5.3, aptX HD, aptX Adaptive; NFC; infrared port.
- Miscellaneous: fingerprint reader (under display, optical); Stereo speakers.
Xiaomi 13 Ultra unboxing
The display of the 13 Ultra is no different from that of any recent Xiaomi Pro or Ultra. Black is all that sets it apart from the lesser models in the lineup, and Leica’s red dot is a lone spot of color on the cardboard.
Inside, you’ll find the phone, a 90W power adapter, and a USB-A-to-C cable to go along with it. Also included is a bonus black case that doesn’t quite measure up to the Ultra itself, though its usefulness shouldn’t be affected by its less than premium looks.
What you won’t find inside the regular retail package is the Xiaomi 13 Ultra Professional camera bundle, which can be purchased separately in China for CNY1,000 (€130). The kit includes a prettier phone case, a separate right hand grip, a filter adapter ring that allows you to install standard 67mm lens filters, and a lens hood (or rather, a complete kit) camera system cover in this case), and a rope.
The whole thing makes the Ultra feel less like a phone and more like a compact camera, and the handgrip makes it act like one too, thanks to a two-stage shutter-release button and zoom zoom. Unfortunately, we didn’t get a chance to play around with this set of accessories.
