The rumors were therefore true: the Xiaomi 13 Lite will be sold internationally as a barely modified Xiaomi Civi 2. This smartphone, the third model in the Chinese brand’s new 13 range, will be marketed in France on March 8.
Rumors had said almost everything even before its official announcement. As we envisaged at the start of the week, the Xiaomi 13 Lite from the new range of the Chinese manufacturer will be released in France on March 8. An output which should follow its presentation alongside the 13 and 13 Pro at Mobile World Congress 2023 which will begin on February 27.
Launched in China in December 2022, the Xiaomi 13 series is divided into three models, as in previous years: a basic model, a Pro model (high end) and a Lite model (cheaper, but less technologically advanced).
The emphasis on bright photos
Successor to the 12 Lite, released last July, this Xiaomi 13 Lite offers similar features to the previous model: same screen size (6.55 inches), same refresh rate (120 Hz) and same combination of photo modules. In its communication, Xiaomi also recalls the thinness (7 mm) and the lightness of its smartphone (171 grams).
But above all, the Chinese manufacturer puts forward an improved main photo module, announcing ” 123% “more brightness than the 12 Lite, as well as well-lit shots in ” all scenarios “. Similarly, Xiaomi highlights a front camera for selfies “ crystal clear “. A lot of light, it will be understood, but also a lot of marketing terms.
Xiaomi also claims a 30% improvement in performance related to artificial intelligence calculations and a 30% improvement in graphics performance compared to the Snapdragon 778G of the 12 Lite. Finally, the Chinese manufacturer also emphasizes better heat dissipation technology, and claims that its 4500 mAh battery will last until the end of the day, even when charged.
A carbon copy of the Xiaomi Civi 2
This Xiaomi 13 Lite, however, is not that new. As revealed by leakers Sudhanshu Ambhore And Billbil Kun at the beginning of February, this model is a renamed version of the Xiaomi Civi 2, another brand smartphone released only in China in September 2022. An almost identical copy, if not a dead end on the 12 GB RAM variant of this model, an ultra wide-angle which goes from 20 to 8 megapixels and a wide-angle selfie camera with a depth of field sensor.
Based on the reviews of the Civi 2, we can therefore already get an idea of the quality of this smartphone. In his test, GizmoChina welcomes excellent photos of the main module in broad daylight but easily blurred at night, mixed performance on mobile games and an average battery despite the efficiency of wired charging at 67 W. However, we will have to wait for a real handling of the 13 Lite to confirm this analysis.
Less good but cheaper than its brothers
Finally, note that this Xiaomi 13 Lite will be marketed at the same time as the two other models of the new range of the Chinese brand, on March 8: the Xiaomi 13 and 13 Pro, two completely new models and up to date with the latest technologies from the manufacturer.
The Lite model makes concessions in comparison to its big brothers: although it is thehe lightest of the three and a little larger than the base model (6.55 inches compared to 6.36 for the Xiaomi 13) its puce Snapdragon 7 Gen 1 is less powerful than the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2. It is also the only one of the three models to ship under MIUI 13 based on Android 12 and therefore one generation behind. Bad news: the smartphone should only benefit from two years of major updates, which will be too few if this is the case.
It will also be sold cheaper than these two other friends: count 499 euros for its version with 8 GB of RAM and 128 GB of storage.
All the features of the Xiaomi 13 Lite:
- Dimensions of 159.2mm x 72.7mm x 7.23mm
- Weight of 171 grams
- 6.55-inch Full HD+ Amoled screen;
- 120Hz refresh rate;
- MIUI 13 (Android 12) interface, with two years of major updates.
- Snapdragon 7 Gen 1 chip, 5G compatible;
- 8 GB of RAM;
- 128 or 256 GB of storage;
- Three cameras on the back:
- A main module of 50 megapixels;
- An 8-megapixel ultra-wide-angle module;
- A 2-megapixel macro module;
- A camera on the front:
- A 32-megapixel ultra-wide-angle module, coupled with a depth of field sensor;
- 4500mAh battery;
- Charges up to 67W;
- NFC, Bluetooth 5.2 and WiFi 6;
- No 3.5mm jack;
- Fingerprint sensor under the screen;
- Available in light blue, light pink and black.
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