Xiaomi 13 and 13 Pro announced with SD 8 Gen 2, new Leica cameras

Xiaomi just announced its latest flagship series - the Xiaomi 13 and 13 Pro. Both handsets run on Qualcomm's latest and greatest Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset based on TSMC's 4nm manufacturing process. Perhaps more importantly, the two devices offer a substantial upgrade in the camera department and flaunt a new design. They are only launching in China, but we expect them to be released globally soon enough.

Xiaomi 13 Pro

For all intents and purposes, the Xiaomi 13 Pro's display remains unchanged. The Xiaomi 12 Pro had a 6.73-inch display, and we have the same one with almost identical specs. Those include a 120Hz variable refresh rate since it's an LTPO panel, 1440 x 3200px resolution, HDR10+, Dolby Vision, HLG and 1920Hz DC dimming against aggressive PWM. The display also has an ambient color temperature sensor that allows it to adjust the color temperature on the fly.

The only upgrade here is the advertised maximum and peak brightness. The new 13 Pro's display can illuminate the whole surface area at 1,200 nits, while the peak brightness boost during HDR video playback, for example, can reach 1,900 nits.

The aforementioned Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 is paired with LPDDR5X memory and next-generation UFS 4.0 storage.

As far as cameras go, the Xiaomi 13 Pro once again features a triple 50MP setup on the back, but with notable upgrades. The famous 1-inch Sony IMX989, 1.6µm sensor from the Xiaomi 12S Ultra is now paired with a Leica-branded lens with an f/1.9 aperture and Hyper OIS.

The telephoto camera also gets a solid upgrade. It's again 50MP but with a further 3x zoom reach and Leica Floating Lens element, but with a slightly smaller f/2.0 opening. The interesting bit is that it has a close focusing distance of just 10 cm.

The ultrawide doesn't get any new fancy tech - it's the good old 50MP, f/2.2, 14mm unit with macro support, which means AF is on the menu, too.

Battery gets a slight bump to 4,820 mAh and is paired with Xiaomi's Surge G1 chip allowing safe 120W wired charging and 50W wireless charging. There's also the usual 10W reverse wireless charging. Nothing new here.

Other features include Dolby Atmos-tuned stereo speakers with Dolby's new head tracking feature, IR blaster and, of course, IP68 dust and water protection, which is a new addition to Xiaomi's mainstream flagship series.

Xiaomi 13 Pro in all colors

The device comes in four paint jobs over the ceramic back - White, Black, Green and some sort of Light Blue, which is a leather iteration and not ceramic. The camera island is now square-ish with oval corners.

Xiaomi 13

The Xiaomi 13's display is now slightly bigger, measuring 6.36" in diagonal and has essentially the same specs as before - 1080 x 2400px resolution, 120Hz refresh rate (no granular control available as it's not LTPO), Dolby Vision, HDR10+ and HLG support and is aided by an ambient color temperature sensor. However, the OLED panel matches the 13 Pro's maximum and peak brightness - 1,200 and 1,900 nits, respectively.

The camera setup on the back also gets the Leica treatment on all of its cameras. The main unit is 50 MP, f/1.8, 23mm, 1/1.56", 1.0µm and Hyper OIS. More importantly, we now have a proper telephoto on board, which was the Xiaomi 12's main drawback. There's a 10MP OIS-aided camera with a Leica lens, f/2.0 aperture and native 3x zoom. The ultrawide is now 12MP with an f/2.2 aperture, likely without autofocus support.

The battery setup is the same, too - a 4,500 mAh cell capable of 67W fast wired charging, 50W wireless charging and 10W reverse wireless charging.

The Xiaomi 13's bonus features also include Dolby Atmos stereo speakers with Dolby Head Tracking, an IR blaster and IP68 certification against water and dust.

Xiaomi 13 main colors

Unlike the Pro, the vanilla version settles for standard glass on its back and comes in Black, Light Green, Light Blue, Gray and White. Additional flashy colors are also available - Red, Yellow, Green and Blue but only the Light Blue option is made of leather, just like the Pro. And even though the back design of the camera island is identical to the 13 Pro, the vanilla 13 stands out with a glossy, flat side frame with iPhone-esque vibes.

Xiaomi 13

Pricing and availability

The two phones are up for pre-order in China with shipments starting December 14. The Xiaomi 13 in its base 8/128GB trim is CNY3,999 ($575), while the top 12/512GB edition is 4,999 ($720). The middle 8/256GB and 12/256GB units are CNY4,299 and CNY4,599, respectively.

The Xiaomi 13 Pro's most affordable 8/128GB version is 4,999 ($720) with the roomiest 12/512GB costs CNY6,299 ($900). International availability and pricing will be announced later on.