Xiaomi 13 Pro review

Android 13 with MIUI 14

The Xiaomi 13 Pro is running the company's latest MIUI 14 on top of Android 13. This new OS combo promises, among other things, major performance improvements and optimizations. This is all wrapped up in what Xiaomi calls "Project Razor". The team behind MIUI 14 updated the system architecture on the Android Kernel level with CPU, GPU and memory resource scheduling, lighter system firmware size and decreased memory usage. Apparently, the result is a 60% smoother operation of MIUI 14 on the Xiaomi 12S Ultra compared to MIUI 13.

Let's quickly go over the new things we found in MIUI 14 running on our Xiaomi 13 Pro unit. Only eight system apps cannot be uninstalled, which is a major leap from past MIUI releases. Other neat optimizations include automatic compression for apps that are not actively used and a toggle to turn off permanent notifications. These ones seem to stem from the Android 13 core rather than the MIUI shell. Privacy is also overhauled with end-to-end encryption and local on-device processing of user data.

Going over the list of expected new additions to MIUI 14 from its official release, we oddly found a lot is not yet present on our Xiaomi 13 Pro unit. Perhaps some of the new features will be delivered later with updates. Our unit lacks the new animated character widgets, for one, but it does have the new style of enlarged folders.

Enlarged folders

We also didn't find the duplicate file merger, Xiaomi wireless accessory cross-device switching controls, nor the new family account features. The improved text recognition and extraction from images in the gallery are present, however.

Text recognition from gallery

Other than these few changes, MIUI hasn't morphed in any major way, and users will feel right at home.

The split between a notification shade and Control Center is enabled by default this time, and that's probably a good thing. We found it to be quite convenient, and it's a way to educate users about MIUI's unique approach to the UI. And in case you are not a fan, you can always revert back to the standard notification shade with quick toggles in one place.

Lockscreen • Home screen • notification shade • Control center

The home screen, recent apps and the general settings menu are business as usual. The app drawer is also enabled by default, and we like that Xiaomi has placed the search bar at the bottom of the screen for easier reach. There are custom and preset app categories for faster navigation.

Unlike the standard recent apps menu, the MIUI task switcher lists the apps vertically and provides several useful shortcuts. That's where you can open up apps in floating windows. However, you can have only one floating app open at a time. In case you want a faster shortcut to apps that support free-form windows, just enable the Sidebar.

Recent apps • Options • Floating window • Split screen • app drawer

Notably, the Sidebar is different depending on the scenario. In games, the Sidebar provides a couple of gaming-related features, while in video apps, the Sidebar becomes a Video toolbox. It lets you launch video apps in pop-up windows, Screenshot, Record screen, Cast, and Play Video with the screen off, including on YouTube without a Premium subscription. The only caveat is that the apps where you want the feature enabled need to be whitelisted in advance.

Sidebar and Video toolbox

Customization is, as always, a big part of MIUI. The system lets you choose the style of the Always-on display or the theme of the UI. Aside from the ones pre-installed on the device, there's a Themes store that gives you a wide selection. The themes themselves change not only the general appearance but also the ringtones and system icons.

Themes and Always-on display

Moving on to privacy and security, MIUI comes with a pre-installed system Security app. Aside from the additional malware protection layer it provides, the app holds many of the app settings and privacy features in one place. It can manage your blacklist, manage or restrict your data usage, configure battery behavior, and free up some RAM. It can also manage the permissions of your installed apps, define the battery behavior of selected apps, and apply restrictions only to certain apps.

MIUI 14 offers Memory Extension option that's active by default (you can disable it if you like). On our review unit, we could choose between 3GB, 5GB and 7GB of internal storage reserved to serve as RAM extension. Less important memory blocks should come here.

Security app • Security app • Memory extension

Speaking of security, the fingerprint reader is fast and reliable. We had no issues even when outside on a bright sunny day. There's extended functionality for the fingerprint reader, allowing you to open up an app or initiate action as soon as you unlock the device - just keep your finger on the scanner when it unlocks. It's a lot like OnePlus' OxygenOS/Oppo's ColorOS/Realme's Realme UI feature, but this one doesn't allow customization. We didn't find a way to add shortcut apps, so you are stuck with the Search and QR Code scanner.

Fingerprint reader and shortcuts

There is also an experimental feature that lets you use the fingerprint reader to measure heart rate. It is a bit wonky, but still an interesting little addition.

Heart rate monitoring with the fingerprint reader

MIUI comes with its proprietary multimedia apps - there's Gallery, and Music and Mi Video (both with local and streaming options). A MIUI File manager is also on board. And, of course, there is a Mi Remote app that uses the integrated IR blaster.

Gallery • Music • Video • File manager • Mi Remote

All in all, MIUI 14 changed a little over the 13th iteration. At least on our Xiaomi 13 Pro unit, that is. It's just as snappy and customizable as ever. Xiaomi has paid special attention to the haptics on this unit, and we found the motor to be crisp, strong and accurate. There's even haptic feedback intensity adjustment if you find it obtrusive or not strong enough.

Performance and benchmarks

The Xiaomi 13 Pro is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset, the same as on the Xiaomi 13, and an upgrade over the regular and plus versions of the SD 8 Gen 1 inside the Xiaomi 12 generation.

The new chipset has an octa-core processor with one prime core, four performance ones (2+2), and three efficient cores a.k.a. 1+2+2+3 configuration. This means the CPU contains 1x3.2GHz Cortex-X3 + 2x2.8 GHz Cortex-A715 & 2x2.8GHz Cortex-A710 & 3x2.0GHz Cortex-A510 CPU cores.

The Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset comes with Adreno 740 GPU capable of Ray Tracing. Whether and how that gets used in actual mobile games remains to be seen in the future.

The new Gen 2 chipset offers 35% higher performance and 40% improved efficiency in the CPU department over its Gen 1 counterpart and 25% and 45% performance and efficiency bumps on the GPU side of things. It also has support for new, faster memory technologies (LPDDR5X and UFS 4.0).

The Xiaomi 13 Pro comes with 12GB of LPDDR5X RAM in both its storage variants, 256GB and 512GB. Both of those use UFS 4.0 chips.

The Xiaomi 13 Pro supports Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.3, NFC, and dual-SIM 5G.

And now, let's run some benchmarks.

The Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset currently uses the most powerful mobile processor for Android, and it's inside the Xiaomi 13 Pro, too. It has five high-performance cores instead of four, which gives it an edge over the MediaTek's Dimensity 9200 inside the vivo X90 Pro.

GeekBench 5 (multi-core)

Higher is better

• Xiaomi 13
  5129
• Xiaomi 13 Pro
  5087
• Galaxy S23+
  5073
• Galaxy S23 Ultra
  4927
• OnePlus 11
  4899
• Xiaomi 12S Ultra
  4300
• vivo X90 Pro
  4273
• Huawei Mate 50 Pro
  3839
• Xiaomi 12 Pro
  3682
• Sony Xperia 1 IV
  3403

GeekBench 6 (multi-core)

Higher is better

• Xiaomi 13
  5480
• Xiaomi 13 Pro
  5323
• OnePlus 11
  5021
• Huawei Mate 50 Pro
  4378

The new Galaxy S23 phones have an overclocked prime Cortex-X3 core, and thus they score a bit more than the Xiaomi 13 Pro.

GeekBench 5 (single-core)

Higher is better

• Galaxy S23+
  1551
• Galaxy S23 Ultra
  1537
• Xiaomi 13
  1492
• Xiaomi 13 Pro
  1490
• vivo X90 Pro
  1387
• Xiaomi 12S Ultra
  1324
• Huawei Mate 50 Pro
  1277
• Xiaomi 12 Pro
  1169
• Sony Xperia 1 IV
  1160
• OnePlus 11
  1150

GeekBench 6 (single-core)

Higher is better

• Xiaomi 13
  2004
• Xiaomi 13 Pro
  1987
• OnePlus 11
  1509
• Huawei Mate 50 Pro
  1396

The Adreno 740 GPU is currently the most powerful mobile GPU, too. It aces the onscreen tests and is outperformed only by the same GPU inside the new Galaxy S23 phones, which has slightly higher clock.

GFX Aztek Vulkan High (offscreen 1440p)

Higher is better

• Galaxy S23 Ultra
  69
• Galaxy S23+
  69
• Xiaomi 13
  69
• OnePlus 11
  68
• Xiaomi 13 Pro
  67
• vivo X90 Pro
  54
• Xiaomi 12S Ultra
  51
• Huawei Mate 50 Pro
  51
• Xiaomi 12 Pro
  45
• Sony Xperia 1 IV
  26

GFX Car Chase ES 3.1 (offscreen 1080p)

Higher is better

• Galaxy S23+
  130
• Xiaomi 13
  127
• Xiaomi 13 Pro
  127
• Galaxy S23 Ultra
  126
• OnePlus 11
  126
• vivo X90 Pro
  105
• Xiaomi 12S Ultra
  104
• Huawei Mate 50 Pro
  101
• Xiaomi 12 Pro
  96
• Sony Xperia 1 IV
  79

GFX Manhattan ES 3.1 (offscreen 1080p)

Higher is better

• Galaxy S23+
  224
• Xiaomi 13
  222
• Xiaomi 13 Pro
  222
• OnePlus 11
  220
• Galaxy S23 Ultra
  212
• vivo X90 Pro
  200
• Xiaomi 12S Ultra
  182
• Huawei Mate 50 Pro
  178
• Xiaomi 12 Pro
  168
• Sony Xperia 1 IV
  126

The Xiaomi 13 Pro has a 1440p display, which means it scores less than the 1260p (vivo X90 Pro), and 1080p devices (Galaxy S23+, Xiaomi 13).

GFX Aztek Vulkan High (onscreen)

Higher is better

• Galaxy S23+
  93
• Xiaomi 13
  91
• vivo X90 Pro
  68
• Galaxy S23 Ultra
  60
• Huawei Mate 50 Pro
  55
• OnePlus 11
  53
• Xiaomi 13 Pro
  52
• Xiaomi 12S Ultra
  39
• Xiaomi 12 Pro
  37
• Sony Xperia 1 IV
  31

GFX Car Chase ES 3.1 (onscreen)

Higher is better

• Galaxy S23+
  110
• Xiaomi 13
  109
• vivo X90 Pro
  74
• Sony Xperia 1 IV
  74
• Huawei Mate 50 Pro
  68
• Galaxy S23 Ultra
  67
• Xiaomi 13 Pro
  64
• OnePlus 11
  57
• Xiaomi 12S Ultra
  51
• Xiaomi 12 Pro
  46

GFX Manhattan ES 3.1 (onscreen)

Higher is better

• Xiaomi 13
  121
• Galaxy S23+
  120
• vivo X90 Pro
  118
• Huawei Mate 50 Pro
  113
• Galaxy S23 Ultra
  112
• Xiaomi 13 Pro
  103
• Xiaomi 12S Ultra
  91
• Xiaomi 12 Pro
  86
• Sony Xperia 1 IV
  72
• OnePlus 11
  60

And finally, the AnTuTu 9 compound test puts the Xiaomi 13 Pro on top of every other smartphone we've tested to this day.

AnTuTu 9

Higher is better

• Xiaomi 13 Pro
  1281666
• Xiaomi 13
  1248260
• Galaxy S23 Ultra
  1241531
• Galaxy S23+
  1234077
• vivo X90 Pro
  1228735
• OnePlus 11
  1140661
• Xiaomi 12S Ultra
  1039412
• Xiaomi 12 Pro
  985226
• Huawei Mate 50 Pro
  979921
• Sony Xperia 1 IV
  838832

The Xiaomi 13 Pro has the best Android chipset in mass production, and that's all we can ask from it as far as performance is concerned. It also packs one of the best smartphone displays, giving even more points to Xiaomi.

Last, but not least in importance, let's explore sustained performance and thermal handling.

We ran the CPU Throttle test for an hour, and the Xiaomi 13 Pro scored 74% stability, which is an excellent one for a smartphone without an active cooling system. The phone actually kept more than 80% of its performance though there are a few noticeable hiccups lasting about 5 seconds each - these are overheating prevention.

Then we ran the 3D Mark stress test, and the Xiaomi 13 Pro easily aces this one with 97% stability. That's an impressive result for a dual-glass smartphone with passive cooling and a top-of-the-line chipset.

CPU test • GPU test

The phone became quite warm during the CPU stress test, mostly across the frame, but it wasn't burning hot, and it was still possible to hold it comfortably. During the GPU stress test, the Xiaomi 13 Pro was barely warm, which is quite an achievement.

Overall, we'd rate the Xiaomi 13 Pro performance, sustained performance and thermal handling as A- with the minus being for the few CPU hiccups. Still, the Xiaomi 13 Pro is probably the best-performing Android phone on the market right now as far as all three subjects are concerned.