we expected start of MWC 2023 how fun this week will have us and the Xiaomi 13 series is in charge of breaking the ice. So you’re probably wondering if this generational change deserves such a significance. The answer to this question is really subjective, as it depends on the personal taste and preferences of each one, but after the first inspection of its specifications and images, and if this is a preview of what awaits us this week, I must say that the Barcelona fair aims to shine by its own light.

Two of the family members have actually known them since mid-December, which was the moment the brand chose to introduce the Xiaomi 13 and Xiaomi 13 Pro, even though they debuted exclusively in the Chinese market at the time, so we were still waiting for its worldwide release (or at least get to our country). The only model for which we still do not know its specifications is the Xiaomi 13 Lite, although in fact it should speak in the past tense, since Xiaomi has finally published them. So let’s start by looking at the specs of the two top of the range and look at the “small” ones in the family.

Xiaomi 13 series: technical specifications

As you can clearly see at first glance, we have the 13 Lite on the one hand and the 13 and 13 Pro on the other, which share an important part of their specifications. So we’ll review them this way, the most basic model first, and then the other two together.

xiaomi 13lite

Finally The rumor we repeated a few weeks ago has been confirmed and which pointed out that this 13 Lite will be the first Android smartphone to feature an iPhone 14 Pro-style Dynamic Island. And it is in this location that we find one of the most striking novelties of this model, but we will get to that by reviewing its photography section, which is one of its strengths.

The first thing we see on this Xiaomi 13 Lite is its generous screen, built on a panel 6.55-inch AMOLED with FullHD+ resolution, more specifically 2400 x 1080 pixels in a 20:9 aspect ratio. Its refresh rate can scale up to 120 Hz, its peak brightness is 1,000 nits with a standard value of 500 nits, and it is compatible with Dolby Vision and HDR10+ to guarantee picture quality. And when it falls to the ground, you can rest easy because its display is protected by Gorilla Glass 5. Its image quality is complemented by sound quality, as it is compatible with Dolby Atmos.

Once inside we find a Snapdragon 7 Gen 1, an SoC introduced in May of last year aimed at the intersection of mid-range and high-end and which integrates a CPU consisting of four Kryo cores with a frequency of 2.4 GHz. It is accompanied byeight gigabytes of LPDDR4x RAM and 128 or 256 gigabytes of UFS 2.2 storage. As you can see, we don’t find the most modern elements here, but they are able to offer very good performance at a relatively low price.

We could say the same about its connectivity, with the exception of the cellular section where we find 5G, WiFi 6 and Bluetooth 5.2 along with NFC and compatibility with the main satellite positioning networks. Of course, there is a USB-C port for data, audio and cable charging of the battery, which has a capacity of 4,500 milliamps and allows fast charging of up to 67 watts.

As already indicated, when talking about this Xiaomi 13 Lite, the brand focuses on its photography section, saying that it is a device aimed mainly at a younger audience, for whom photography and video functions are a key feature of smartphones. So we’ll find out main chamber composed of three elements: wide angle (86^either) SonyIMX766 50 megapixels with f/1.8, ultra wide-angle (119^either) SonyIMX355 8-megapixel f/2.2 camera and macro lens (82^either) 2 megapixels with f / 2.4.

For the front camera, the Xiaomi 13 Lite integrates two elements that explain the adoption of the dynamic island and which, according to the company, significantly improve the quality of images obtained with it. In the dynamic island of this Xiaomi, we find an ultra-wide-angle main sensor (100^either) 32 megapixels with an f/2.4 number complemented by an 8-megapixel depth sensor, which is sure to be particularly effective when taking close-up shots with out-of-focus backgrounds.

Xiaomi 13 Lite will go on sale in Spain during next march and its price will start from 499 euros.

Xiaomi 13 and Xiaomi 13 Pro

Now we go with the two tops of the line of this new generation, two smartphones that share some of their specifications but are sufficiently different from each other, and even more so from the 13 Lite. Let’s take a look at what they offer and focus on the differences between them.

The first can be found with the naked eye, that is, by looking at their screens. 13 is a 6.36-inch AMOLED with FullHD + resolution (2400 x 1080 pixels with a 20:9 aspect ratio), while 13 Pro uses the same AMOLED technology, but measures up to 6.73 inches, its resolution is WQHD + (3,200 x 1,440 pixels and the same 20:9 aspect ratio as its series peers). Both models share their adaptive frequency up to 120 hertzits compatibility with Pro HDR Display, Dolby Vision, HDR10+ and HLG and protection with Corning Gorilla Glass 5. To complete the audiovisual experience, they integrate two stereo speakers and are compatible with Dolby Atmos.

If the 13 Lite opted for a mid-range SoC, the Xiaomi 13 and 13 Pro go much further in this regard, as they are built on Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipsets, the current top of the range from Qualcomm. We also see differences with the Lite model in relation to RAM generations and storage technologies, as they are committed to LPDDR5x (8 or 12 gigabytes on 13 and 12 on 13 Pro) for RAM and UFS 4 (256 gigabytes on the 13 and 256 or 512 on the 13 Pro). These are the available configurations and their prices in Spain:

• Xiaomi 13 8/256GB: €999.99.
• Xiaomi 13 12/256 GB: €1,099.99.
• Xiaomi 13 Pro 12/256 GB: €1,399.
• Xiaomi 13 Pro 12/512GB (this model will not arrive, at least in principle, in Spain).

There is no difference between the two models in the connectivity section, where again we see new generation technologies, even those that are yet to come on a practical level. Of course, they have a 5G mobile connection, which is accompanied in the wireless part WiFi 7Bluetooth 5.3, NFC and satellite positioning along with a more than standard USB-C port for data, audio and charging.

Yes, we found another difference between the two models when analyzing their batteries. The Xiaomi 13 has 4,500 milliamps with fast charging of 67 watts, so similar to the 13 Lite, while The 13 Pro uses 4,820 milliamps with 120-watt fast chargingi.e. with a slightly larger capacity, but above all much faster.

Full stop on revising its photography sections, as at this point Xiaomi relied on Leica to deliver a top-notch photography (and of course video) experience:

Xiaomi 13

• 23mm equivalent Leica wide-angle lens with 54 megapixel resolution and f/1.8.
• 75mm equivalent Leica telephoto lens with 10 megapixel resolution and f/2.0 number.
• A 15mm-equivalent Leica ultra-wide-angle lens with a resolution of 12 megapixels and an f/2.2 number.

xiaomi 13 Pro

• 23mm equivalent Leica wide-angle lens with 50 megapixel resolution and f/1.9.
• 75mm equivalent Leica telephoto lens with 50 megapixel resolution and f/2.0 number.
• 14mm-equivalent Leica ultra-wide-angle lens with 50 megapixel resolution and f/2.2.

As you can see, the 13 Pro is a beast in this regard, as each of its three sensors has a resolution of 50 megapixels. As for the front camera, the wide-angle shot (FOV: 89.6^either) 32 megapixels with f / 2.0.

Xiaomi 13 and 13 Pro will arrive in Spain next March 8but it is already possible to pre-purchase them on the Xiaomi website.