Xiaomi 13 Pro Long-Term Review: Pro Grade Flagship Experience

The Xiaomi 13 Pro retails in India for a price of Rs.74,999 for the single variant with 12GB RAM and 256GB storage. It can be purchased in Ceramic Black and Ceramic White colours.

It is available for purchase on the Xiaomi India website, Reliance Digital, Amazon, and leading offline retail stores.

The Xiaomi 13 Pro packs the following items inside the box:

• Phone
• Type-C cable
• 120W fast charger
• SIM ejector tool
• Protective case
• Documentation

Before we talk in detail about the device, let’s see what the on-paper specs look like:

• Display: 6.73 inches OLED with 120Hz
• Chipset: Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2
• RAM & ROM: 12GB 256GB
• Software: Android 14 with HyperOS
• Rear camera: 50MP + 50MP + 50MP
• Selfie camera: 32 MP
• Battery: 4820 mAh
• Weight: 229 grams
• Dimensions: 162.9 x 74.6 x 8.3 mm

The Xiaomi 13 Pro has a premium ceramic build on the back that feels premium to hold in hand. I have the Ceramic Black variant, which has a minimalistic look.

A large square camera island on the back with the Leica branding houses the 50-megapixel triple camera setup. The rest of the phone remains clean except for the Xiaomi branding in the top left corner.

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Furthermore, the back seamlessly blends into the aluminium frame, and the Ceramic Glass finish means the phone is unlikely to break easily. Due to the large camera bump, the phone wobbles on a surface, so I recommend using a case to prevent scratches.

While the ceramic glass build does not attract fingerprints or smudges, it is slippery to hold in the hand, reinforcing the need to use a case. Moreover, the phone feels heavy and bulky to hold in the hand, weighing around 229 grams and 8.7mm thick.

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Moving to ports and placements, the Xiaomi 13 Pro has the volume rocker and power buttons on the right. Similarly, the phone’s left remains clean, while the top houses dual microphones, IR Blaster and a speaker outlet.

At the bottom, you will be greeted by the dual SIM slot, primary microphone, USB-C port and the primary speaker. The phone has an IP68 rating for water and dust resistance, which is excellent.

The Xiaomi 13 Pro boasts a Leica-branded triple camera setup with a 50-megapixel 1-inch primary sensor, a 50-megapixel telephoto lens and a 50-megapixel ultrawide lens. On the front, there is a 32-megapixel selfie shooter.

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During the day, the shots taken with the 50-megapixel Sony IMX 989 1-inch sensor are impressive, with plenty of details and vibrant colours. You can switch between Leica Vibrant and Leica Authentic colour modes based on your preferences, and I actually like the Vibrant option due to its saturated colours.

Even the shots taken with the 50-megapixel ultrawide lens have plenty of detail, contrast, and excellent dynamic range. It is one of the best ultra-wide angle sensors I have seen on smartphones.

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Similarly, the 50-megapixel telephoto sensor offers 3.2x optical zoom with accurate colours and fantastic details. I also took some photos in challenging low-light scenarios with the lens, and the output was simply outstanding.

Speaking of lowlight photography, the Xiaomi 13 Pro is undoubtedly one of the best camera phones out there, rivalling flagships from last year, like the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra and the Vivo X90 Pro.

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The photos taken from the phone are some of the best you can get, with great dynamic range and well-balanced exposure. The Night Mode further improves the output with better contrast and dynamic range.

Moreover, the telephoto and ultrawide lenses also provide consistent lowlight performance with excellent details and dynamic range. The 32-megapixel selfie shooter also takes good images with accurate skin tones and details.

The phone also supports 8K recording at 24FPS or 4K at 60FPS from the primary sensor with OIS for stabilisation, and the output is simply excellent. Overall, the Xiaomi 13 Pro is one of the best camera phones you can buy right now that can easily rival any flagship out there.

The Xiaomi 13 Pro packs a 4,820mAh battery with support for 120W wired and 50W wireless charging. During normal usage, such as scrolling through social media, taking photos and playing casual games, the phone lasts 6 to 7 hours with a resolution set to WQHD+ and a refresh rate of 120Hz.

Thanks to the 120W fast charging, the device can fully charge itself in just 25 minutes. However, you will need to enable the Boost Charge mode, which enables the fastest charging possible with the screen turned off to prevent overheating.

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I also tried using a 15W Samsung Wireless charger, which worked fine with the device. You also get 10W reverse wireless charging, which is excellent for recharging earbuds or smartwatches.

The 4nm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 ensures the phone can last an entire day, and the Xiaomi Surge charging chipset can ensure constant 120W charging speeds while ensuring the phone remains cool. Overall, the Xiaomi 13 Pro offers great battery life with superfast charging speeds.

The Xiaomi 13 Pro sports a gorgeous 6.73-inch 2K curved AMOLED screen with a 120Hz refresh rate. Furthermore, the phone has a peak brightness of 1900 nits and Corning Gorilla Glass Victus for protection.

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Given the top-of-the-line specifications, it is no surprise that the Xiaomi 13 Pro has a beautiful and crisp display. You get very slim bezels surrounding the screen and a punch-hole cutout in the centre.

Thanks to the 2K resolution and the saturated colours on offer, watching content on the device is a pure treat. I enjoyed watching Season 2 of Tokyo Vice on it as it comes with 10-bit, HDR10+ and Dolby Vision support.

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Furthermore, the screen is bright enough for outdoor usage, and I did not face any legibility issues, even under bright sunlight. Navigating through the interface remains smooth, thanks to the 120Hz refresh rate.

You also get LTPO, which can dynamically adjust the refresh rate from 1Hz to 120Hz, depending on the content. In addition, you can also enable 120Hz in unsupported apps in the display settings, which is excellent.

The phone also allows you to switch between WQHD+ and FHD+, depending on whether you prefer a sharper or a lower resolution to preserve the battery. Moreover, there is an option to save battery with WQHD+, which automatically switches between both resolutions.

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Moreover, there are also display features such as Super Resolution, AI Image Enhancement, AI HDR Enhancement and MEMC. Super Resolution can upscale local videos, while AI Image Enhancement can enhance photos in your gallery.

AI HDR Enhancement can process SDR content with better contrast for more details in lighter and darker areas, while MEMC can add additional frames in videos to make them appear smoother.

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The in-display fingerprint sensor is fast and accurate despite being an optical sensor instead of an ultrasonic one found on higher-end devices. Hopefully, Xiaomi will switch to an ultrasonic sensor with its future flagships.

You get a stereo speaker setup with Dolby Atmos for audio, which is crisp and loud enough to fill an entire room. You also get an NFC and IR Blaster apart from an X-axis linear motor, which offers excellent haptics with tactile feedback.

The Xiaomi 13 Pro is powered by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor paired with 12GB of LPDDR5X RAM and 256GB of UFS 4.0 storage. This 4nm chipset debuted last year and is now succeeded by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3.

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Despite that, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 is still more than capable enough of handling day-to-day tasks such as scrolling through Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, etc. Thanks to the blazing fast UFS 4.0 storage, opening and closing apps is instantaneous, and it feels like they always remain in memory.

The 12GB of RAM is enough to fulfil your needs and keep apps open in the background. Moreover, you also get support for 8GB of virtual memory on the phone.

When it comes to intensive tasks like gaming, you can play multiplayer titles like BGMI and CODM at 90 FPS and 120FPS, respectively, resulting in a smooth gameplay experience. I also tried some demanding games like Genshin Impact, GTA SA Definitive Edition, Hitman Blood Money Reprisal, Wreckfest and Diablo Immortal.

Despite my prolonged gaming sessions, the phone got slightly warm, reaching up to 39 degrees Celsius during my usage. Regarding the benchmarks, the Xiaomi 13 Pro has a Geekbench score of 2009 in single-core and 5400 in multi-core.

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Furthermore, the phone throttles to 86 per cent in the 15-minute CPU throttling test and has an AnTuTu V10 score of 1544529. It has a stability score of 78.1 per cent in the 3D Mark Wildlife Extreme Stress Test and a 123776 score in the storage test. Overall, the Xiaomi 13 Pro is a solid performer that can handle most gaming needs.

The Xiaomi 13 Pro arrived with Android 13 with MIUI and has now received the Android 14 update based on HyperOS.The company promises three years of OS updates and five years of security patches for the phone.

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The new HyperOS update brings many changes, including lock screen customisation and faster app opening/loading times. You also get a redesigned control centre that resembles the control centre in iOS.

Furthermore, HyperOS has several customisation options like MIUI, such as themes, Always On Display, Live Wallpapers, and more. Unfortunately, despite being a flagship device, there are some bloatware apps like Facebook, Prime Video, LinkedIn and Spotify preinstalled.

While the number of bloatware apps is less than budget phones, it is disappointing to see them on a device at this price. Thankfully, you can uninstall these bloatware apps from Settings.

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Like MIUI, you get features like Quick Ball, Gesture Shortcuts, One-Handed Mode, Screen Recorder, Floating Window, Second Space and Heart Rate measurement. You can also enable memory extension to add up to 8GB of virtual memory.

With three years of OS updates and five years of security patches, the Xiaomi 13 Pro will receive Android updates until Android 16, which is less considering the phone’s price. The company should have offered at least four years of OS updates similar to other flagships.