Xiaomi has been known for its extravagant "Ultra" versions of flagship phones in recent years. Holding this legacy 13 Ultra is set to have an international release on June 7, expanding its availability beyond China. Let's take a look at the details of Xiaomi's latest flagship smartphone, Xiaomi 13 Ultra.
Key Features of Xiaomi 13 Ultra
Build and Design
The first notable aspect of the phone is its size, particularly the camera module, which is remarkably large and attracts attention when in use. The phone's weight has been alleviated to some extent. Don't worry, its 227g weight is well-balanced. Comparatively, it is slightly lighter than both the S23 Ultra and iPhone 14 Pro Max while being similar in overall size with a 163.2x74.6x9.1mm dimension.
One distinguishing feature of the Xiaomi 13 Ultra is the vegan leather finish available in three colors: white, black, and olive green. This design choice aims to emulate the aesthetics of traditional SLR cameras. The leather-like texture enhances grip, which is particularly important given the phone's large size.
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The phone's frame is constructed from aluminum, combining flat sides with rounded corners to ensure a comfortable grip. Furthermore, the device boasts a tough build, with Gorilla Glass Victus protecting the display and an IP68 rating for water and dust resistance.
In terms of biometrics, the phone incorporates a fingerprint sensor within the display, as well as a face unlock option facilitated by the punch-hole selfie camera. Both methods of authentication perform well and offer convenient security options.
Display
The phone has a large display of 6.73 inches that makes it well-suited for various tasks, including productivity, gaming, and streaming movies.
Impressively, the display quality is noteworthy as well. Xiaomi utilizes LTPO OLED display technology, enabling the screen to dynamically adjust its refresh rate. It can reach a maximum of 120Hz for smooth scrolling and animations when necessary. It can also conserve battery life by slowing down the screen refresh rate when possible.
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Paired with a sharp 1440p x 3200p resolution, the phone's top-tier display offers exceptional visual quality. Almost everything appears pleasing on this panel, and in case it doesn't meet your preferences, Xiaomi has included numerous color profiles and settings to allow for fine-tuning of the content.
Performance and Software
The Xiaomi 13 Ultra is equipped with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, the latest and most advanced 4 nm chip available for Android phones at the time of writing. Only Samsung's Galaxy S23 line, with its slightly overclocked custom version of the same chip, surpasses Xiaomi in terms of performance. Furthermore, in 13 Ultra, you get adreno 740 GPU.
The phone boasts impressive specifications with up to 1TB of storage and 16GB of RAM. This configuration results in a true powerhouse that can effortlessly handle the latest Android games and seamless multitasking.
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Benchmark tests further confirm its capabilities. The Xiaomi 13 Ultra ranks among the most powerful Android phones in CPU-focused Geekbench tests. It also keeps pace with its competitors in graphics-intensive GFXBench scores, despite having a high-resolution display that typically affects frame rates.
Connectivity features present no surprises. The phone comes with standard 5G support, supplemented by Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.3, and NFC, ensuring compatibility with the latest standards.
The Xiaomi 13 Ultra comes pre-installed with Android 13, featuring Xiaomi's MIUI 14 on top. However, the Chinese version of the phone does not include the Google Play Store, which can make app installation a frustrating experience. To address this, users need to sideload Google services onto the device. However, the international version of MIUI includes full Google support, ensuring a seamless experience with Google services.
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Rear Cameras
The main camera employs the same 50MP, 1-inch Sony IMX989 sensor found in the 13 Pro, as well as other phones like the Vivo X90 Pro and Oppo Find X6 Pro. However, the Ultra enhances the camera by adding a variable aperture.
The phone truly excels in low-light conditions, capturing some of the best concert photos ever taken on a phone. In good lighting, the main camera performs exceptionally well, with the only drawback being Xiaomi's tendency for slightly vivid and saturated photos, even when using the more subdued 'Leica Authentic' photo style instead of the default 'Leica Vibrant' (Xiaomi has partnered with Leica for the phone's optics).
The supporting rear cameras also contribute to the overall camera prowess of the 13 Ultra. All three of the other rear cameras utilize 50MP sensors, specifically the Sony IMX858 sensor.
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The ultrawide camera, although competent, is the least remarkable of the three. It closely aligns with the main camera most of the time but struggles in challenging lighting conditions due to the absence of optical image stabilization, resulting in overexposure in certain situations.
