Xiaomi 13 Ultra review

GSMArena Team, 28 April 2023.

MIUI 14 on Android 13

The Xiaomi 13 Ultra runs MIUI 14 based on an Android 13 core. That's the latest you can get on a Xiaomi phone, so the Ultra is receiving the flagship treatment as expected. It's a software package we already experienced on the 13 Pro, so there are not a whole lot of surprises either.

Xiaomi 13 Ultra review

Our review unit is the Chinese version, so it's running the software that's specific to that locale, and that means some features differ from what the global branch is getting. Normally, if it's a China-only release, we'd go over the phone's software as is - that's what we did on the 12S Ultra last year.

In this particular case, however, we're in somewhat of a predicament since we know the 13 Ultra will be getting a global release with global software - eventually. So instead of going over the user interface of our review unit, we'd direct your attention to the 13 Pro's review to get a better taste of what to expect.

Xiaomi 13 Ultra review

On top of that, there's also a dedicated detailed MIUI 14 on Android 13 walkthrough we just put together. In addition to showcasing Xiaomi's latest software, it outlines some of the differences between the Chinese and global versions, so it's going to be more informative than looking at our 13 Ultra in isolation.

Performance and benchmarks

Surprising no one, the Xiaomi 13 Ultra is powered by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 - Qualcomm's high-end chipset for 2023. It's the SoC we saw in the 13 Pro, as well as the Galaxy S23 Ultra, Find X6 Pro, OnePlus 11, and many others.

Xiaomi 13 Ultra review

You've probably already read this before - in the above reviews, no less, but the SD 8 Gen 2 has an octa-core processor with one prime core, four performance ones (further subdivided into 2+2), and three cores for less demanding applications, so it's a 1+2+2+3 setup. Or for completeness' sake - 1x3.2GHz Cortex-X3 + 2x2.8 GHz Cortex-A715 & 2x2.8GHz Cortex-A710 & 3x2.0GHz Cortex-A510 CPU cores.

The Gen 2 chipset offers 35% higher performance and 40% improved efficiency in the CPU department over the previous Gen and 25% and 45% performance and efficiency bumps on the GPU side of things (which goes by Adreno 740). It also has support for new, faster memory technologies (LPDDR5X and UFS 4.0). That's nice and all, but since you're likely comparing the latest phones to their equally latest rivals, those differences aren't all that important since most current top-tier devices have the same chip inside.

The Xiaomi 13 Ultra exists in three memory configurations - 12GB/256GB, 16GB/512GB (our review unit), and 16GB/1TB.

Xiaomi 13 Ultra review

Starting our usual benchmarking routine with GeekBench, we're seeing that the 13 Ultra is a top performer under both single-core and multi-core loads. The differences aren't huge, but it's nice to see your phone towards the top of the charts.

GeekBench 6 (single-core)

Higher is better

  • Xiaomi 13 Ultra
    2000
  • Motorola Edge 40 Pro
    1996
  • Xiaomi 13 Pro
    1987
  • Honor Magic5 Pro
    1943
  • Galaxy S23 Ultra
    1913
  • ROG Phone 7
    1857
  • ROG Phone 7 Ultimate
    1756
  • Oppo Find X6 Pro
    1532
  • OnePlus 11
    1527

GeekBench 6 (multi-core)

Higher is better

  • Xiaomi 13 Ultra
    5556
  • Motorola Edge 40 Pro
    5352
  • Xiaomi 13 Pro
    5323
  • ROG Phone 7
    5254
  • Honor Magic5 Pro
    5096
  • ROG Phone 7 Ultimate
    5085
  • Oppo Find X6 Pro
    5082
  • Galaxy S23 Ultra
    5077
  • OnePlus 11
    5043

GeekBench 5 (single-core)

Higher is better

  • Galaxy S23 Ultra
    1537
  • Xiaomi 13 Pro
    1490
  • Motorola Edge 40 Pro
    1482
  • iQOO 11
    1479
  • Xiaomi 13 Ultra
    1477
  • ROG Phone 7
    1397
  • vivo X90 Pro
    1387
  • ROG Phone 7 Ultimate
    1359
  • Xiaomi 12S Ultra
    1324
  • Oppo Find X6 Pro
    1166
  • OnePlus 11
    1150
  • Honor Magic5 Pro
    1130

GeekBench 5 (multi-core)

Higher is better

  • Xiaomi 13 Pro
    5087
  • Xiaomi 13 Ultra
    5049
  • ROG Phone 7
    4935
  • Galaxy S23 Ultra
    4927
  • OnePlus 11
    4899
  • Motorola Edge 40 Pro
    4896
  • ROG Phone 7 Ultimate
    4832
  • iQOO 11
    4803
  • Oppo Find X6 Pro
    4759
  • Honor Magic5 Pro
    4378
  • Xiaomi 12S Ultra
    4300
  • vivo X90 Pro
    4273

In an even more tightly spaced Antutu chart, the Xiaomi 13 Ultra does yield to the Find, but still manages to stay ahead of the Galaxy and the vivo.

AnTuTu 9

Higher is better

  • Oppo Find X6 Pro
    1294797
  • Xiaomi 13 Pro
    1281666
  • iQOO 11
    1281665
  • ROG Phone 7
    1279196
  • Motorola Edge 40 Pro
    1273764
  • iQOO 11 (1080p)
    1272973
  • Xiaomi 13 Ultra
    1268538
  • Galaxy S23 Ultra
    1241531
  • vivo X90 Pro
    1228735
  • ROG Phone 7 Ultimate
    1218533
  • OnePlus 11
    1140661
  • Xiaomi 12S Ultra
    1039412

Going into the graphics benchmarks, nothing really changes - even in such a tough crowd, the Xiaomi 13 Ultra manages to either be on top, or right up there with the best.

GFX Aztek ES 3.1 High (offscreen 1440p)

Higher is better

  • Xiaomi 13 Ultra
    62
  • iQOO 11
    62
  • Xiaomi 13 Pro
    61
  • Oppo Find X6 Pro
    61
  • OnePlus 11
    61
  • Motorola Edge 40 Pro
    60
  • Galaxy S23 Ultra
    59
  • ROG Phone 7 Ultimate
    56
  • vivo X90 Pro
    55
  • ROG Phone 7
    52
  • Xiaomi 12S Ultra
    46

GFX Aztek Vulkan High (offscreen 1440p)

Higher is better

  • Xiaomi 13 Ultra
    69
  • Galaxy S23 Ultra
    69
  • iQOO 11
    69
  • Oppo Find X6 Pro
    68
  • OnePlus 11
    68
  • Motorola Edge 40 Pro
    68
  • Xiaomi 13 Pro
    67
  • ROG Phone 7 Ultimate
    58
  • ROG Phone 7
    55
  • vivo X90 Pro
    54
  • Xiaomi 12S Ultra
    51

GFX Car Chase ES 3.1 (offscreen 1080p)

Higher is better

  • Xiaomi 13 Ultra
    129
  • iQOO 11
    128
  • Xiaomi 13 Pro
    127
  • Motorola Edge 40 Pro
    127
  • ROG Phone 7 Ultimate
    127
  • Galaxy S23 Ultra
    126
  • Oppo Find X6 Pro
    126
  • OnePlus 11
    126
  • ROG Phone 7
    125
  • vivo X90 Pro
    105
  • Xiaomi 12S Ultra
    104

GFX Manhattan ES 3.1 (offscreen 1080p)

Higher is better

  • Xiaomi 13 Ultra
    224
  • Xiaomi 13 Pro
    222
  • iQOO 11
    222
  • Oppo Find X6 Pro
    220
  • OnePlus 11
    220
  • Motorola Edge 40 Pro
    220
  • ROG Phone 7 Ultimate
    214
  • Galaxy S23 Ultra
    212
  • vivo X90 Pro
    200
  • ROG Phone 7
    194
  • Xiaomi 12S Ultra
    182

GFX Aztek ES 3.1 High (onscreen)

Higher is better

  • Galaxy S23 Ultra (1080p)
    89
  • iQOO 11 (1080p)
    89
  • Motorola Edge 40 Pro
    86
  • Xiaomi 13 Ultra (1080p)
    85
  • vivo X90 Pro (1080p)
    83
  • ROG Phone 7 Ultimate
    83
  • ROG Phone 7
    81
  • vivo X90 Pro
    65
  • Galaxy S23 Ultra
    54
  • iQOO 11
    54
  • Xiaomi 13 Ultra
    51
  • Oppo Find X6 Pro
    51
  • Xiaomi 13 Pro
    49
  • OnePlus 11
    49
  • Xiaomi 12S Ultra
    38

GFX Aztek Vulkan High (onscreen)

Higher is better

  • Motorola Edge 40 Pro
    98
  • Galaxy S23 Ultra (1080p)
    97
  • Xiaomi 13 Ultra (1080p)
    95
  • iQOO 11 (1080p)
    91
  • vivo X90 Pro (1080p)
    82
  • ROG Phone 7 Ultimate
    78
  • ROG Phone 7
    74
  • vivo X90 Pro
    68
  • Galaxy S23 Ultra
    60
  • Oppo Find X6 Pro
    56
  • Xiaomi 13 Ultra
    55
  • iQOO 11
    55
  • OnePlus 11
    53
  • Xiaomi 13 Pro
    52
  • Xiaomi 12S Ultra
    39

GFX Car Chase ES 3.1 (onscreen)

Higher is better

  • Motorola Edge 40 Pro
    112
  • Xiaomi 13 Ultra (1080p)
    110
  • Galaxy S23 Ultra (1080p)
    110
  • iQOO 11 (1080p)
    110
  • ROG Phone 7
    107
  • ROG Phone 7 Ultimate
    107
  • vivo X90 Pro (1080p)
    93
  • vivo X90 Pro
    74
  • Galaxy S23 Ultra
    67
  • iQOO 11
    67
  • Xiaomi 13 Pro
    64
  • Xiaomi 13 Ultra
    63
  • Oppo Find X6 Pro
    60
  • OnePlus 11
    57
  • Xiaomi 12S Ultra
    51

GFX Manhattan ES 3.1 (onscreen)

Higher is better

  • Motorola Edge 40 Pro
    164
  • ROG Phone 7 Ultimate
    162
  • ROG Phone 7
    157
  • Xiaomi 13 Ultra (1080p)
    120
  • Galaxy S23 Ultra (1080p)
    120
  • iQOO 11 (1080p)
    120
  • vivo X90 Pro (1080p)
    120
  • vivo X90 Pro
    118
  • Galaxy S23 Ultra
    112
  • iQOO 11
    112
  • Xiaomi 13 Ultra
    108
  • Xiaomi 13 Pro
    103
  • Xiaomi 12S Ultra
    91
  • Oppo Find X6 Pro
    60
  • OnePlus 11
    60

3DMark Wild Life Vulkan 1.1 (offscreen 1440p)

Higher is better

  • Oppo Find X6 Pro
    13360
  • vivo X90 Pro
    13265
  • Xiaomi 13 Ultra
    13106
  • iQOO 11
    12738
  • Galaxy S23 Ultra
    12241
  • Motorola Edge 40 Pro
    12230
  • Xiaomi 12S Ultra
    10533
  • Xiaomi 13 Pro
    10289

3DMark Wild Life Extreme (offscreen 1440p)

Higher is better

  • Galaxy S23 Ultra
    3790
  • Xiaomi 13 Ultra
    3750
  • ROG Phone 7
    3745
  • vivo X90 Pro
    3698
  • Oppo Find X6 Pro
    3696
  • Honor Magic5 Pro
    3684
  • Motorola Edge 40 Pro
    3660
  • ROG Phone 7 Ultimate
    3656
  • OnePlus 11
    3594
  • iQOO 11
    3514
  • Xiaomi 13 Pro
    2939

With those high marks in all the benchmarks, you'd think that the 13 Ultra is good for a fast run or two, but it wouldn't be too fond of prolonged loads. In fact, it exhibited impressive stability in both the one-hour CPU throttling test and the 20-minute Wild Life stress tests in 3D Mark.

CPU throttling test - Xiaomi 13 Ultra review 3DMark Wild life stress test - Xiaomi 13 Ultra review 3DMark Wild life stress test - Xiaomi 13 Ultra review
CPU throttling test • 3DMark Wild life stress test

Xiaomi has employed what they call a Loop LiquidCool technology (also dubbed Mi IceLoop) - the 'first landing of an aerospace-grade large toroidal cooling system on a smartphone'. It has a slit in the middle, which separates the channel with the hot vapor escaping from the SoC from the return channel with the condensed liquid going back, thus optimizing heat evacuation. Their data shows it to be 3x more effective than traditional vapor chambers.

What we'll say is that the phone does tend to heat up significantly on the outside when doing these torture tests. Realistically, that means that heat is being moved away from the components generating it - ultimately that's the point. It doesn't become hot enough that you can't hold it, so there's that.

Xiaomi 13 Ultra review

Reader comments

  • Aku
  • 15 May 2024
  • tZ0

Go custom dude.. So. Easy

The 50Mp option for the still pictures is, as seen here, very good. I am hoping you post corrected samples from the RAW file options, and information about the Raw files qualities themselves as there are phones that in software edits appear devoid of...

  • ILFforever
  • 26 Dec 2023
  • YQu

I believe there's a setting for it in camera>Audio settings>Smart noise reduction.