MWC 2023 – Xiaomi 13 and 13 Lite: more affordable models to accompany the 13 Pro

One or two phones are not enough to form a range, Xiaomi’s 13 series is adorned with three models. The first is the 13 Pro, the test of which we have published and which comes to hunt in the land of very high-end smartphones with its price of 1299 €. But it does not arrive on the market alone, since Xiaomi accompanies it with two models, the 13 and 13 Lite, which were unveiled during the manufacturer’s conference at MWC 2023.

Leica expertise at a lower cost

The announcement of a “non-Pro” version of the Xiaomi 13 is not really a surprise, since the smartphone had already been presented in China at the end of 2022. It is therefore not surprising to see it to appear internationally, with a technical sheet that does not move one iota. As a reminder, we are dealing with a model with a 6.3-inch Oled screen, with a refresh rate of 120 Hz, but not adaptive from 1 to 120 Hz like the 13 Pro. It also features a 50-megapixel main module (Sony IMX888) which is not of the 1″ type. The telephoto lens has the same magnification as the Pro version, with a x3.2 zoom. The definition, on the other hand, increases to 10 Same fate for the ultra wide-angle which increases to 12 megapixels. A slightly less sophisticated photo component therefore, but which still benefits from a software part worked with Leica, as is the case with the 13 Pro The photographic rendering should be largely up to par on this model as well.

The Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 will take care of giving maximum power to the smartphone, and if it performs as well as the Xiaomi 13 Pro, we can expect one of the most powerful models in the segment. The SoC is coupled with 8 GB of RAM and 256 GB of storage. A 4500 mAh battery is present and can recharge at 67 W (compared to 120 W on the 13 Pro). Note that, as on the very high-end model, this Xiaomi 13 benefits from the IP68 standard attesting to its waterproofness. On the design side, the smartphone moves away from the Pro model and sports very frank and flat edges, like the latest iPhones. Moreover, if we except the punch on its front face, it is quite difficult to differentiate this Xiaomi 13 from an Apple smartphone.

On the price side, it takes €999 for this Xiaomi 13 in the 8 / 256 GB version. A high-end price that places it directly in front of the Google Pixel 7 Pro, whose reputation is second to none.

A Lite model in ambush

Even if we could expect it because of the many recent leaks, this model is a surprise, since it had not been presented in China during the manufacturer’s conference organized in December. The Xiaomi 13 Lite is a totally different proposal from the 13 and 13 Pro, both in its design and in the rest of its technical data sheet.

Indeed, at first glance, the Xiaomi 13 Lite is more reminiscent of a model from the 12 series than from the 13 series. With its curved lines and above all a rectangular photo module, it borrows the codes of the Xiaomi 12 and 12T. It still offers a 6.55-inch OLED panel with a refresh rate of 120 Hz. In terms of photography, it benefits from a 50-megapixel main module (Sony IMX766) coupled with an ultra wide-angle of 8 megapixels as well as a 2 megapixel macro module. The expertise of the German company Leica has no place here and it will therefore be necessary to be content with in-house software processing. Small compensation, this Xiaomi 13 Lite is equipped with two photo sensors on the front, one of 32 megapixels and the other of 8 megapixels, the latter to be used mainly for measuring the depth of field.

To animate the smartphone, it will be necessary to rely on a Snapdragon 7 Gen 1, an international first. For the moment, only the Oppo Reno 8&nbspPro in Chinese version and the Xiaomi Civi 2 have been able to benefit from the Qualcomm chip, which was announced in May 2022. Like the Xiaomi&nbsp13, its battery has a capacity of 4500 mAh and benefits from charging at 67 W. On the other hand, it does not benefit from wireless charging at 50 W or reverse charging at 10 W.

Despite this slightly revised technical sheet, the Xiaomi 13 Lite can be a good purchase option, especially since the Chinese company is not counting on an introductory price that is too high for what would seem to be a mid-range product: count thus 499 €.