Xiaomi 13 Ultra review 2024: is a strong performer

In the past few years, Xiaomi has made overkill Ultra versions of its top phones. However, the 13 Ultra is a big change for the company in two ways. First of all, this is the only Ultra so far that has been promised a launch outside of China. We don’t know exactly when or where (and it almost probably won’t be in the US), but it will happen.

Second, we think this is the first Ultra that people should really think about buying. Not just because it can be used anywhere in the world, but also because for once it has a well-rounded (if over the top) set of features. This is an intriguing uber-flagship that can compete with Samsung’s Galaxy S23 Ultra. It’s not just a gimmicky phone that Xiaomi made to show off its skills.

Xiaomi 13 Ultra Specifications

Design and Display

The 13 Ultra looks like a high-end gadget, which is what it is. It features a unique style. It has a large 6.73-inch screen made of scratch-resistant Gorilla Glass Victus. The edges of the screen, which are shaped like waterfalls, flow into the flat metal sides. The back is edged with anti-bacterial nanotech plastic that looks like leather and feels like leather. The camera array is big and round, and it has a shiny edge that shines.

The frame of the phone is made of aluminum. It has flat sides and rounded ends to make it easy to hold. The display is made of Gorilla Glass Victus, and the phone has an IP68 grade. This makes it one of the toughest flagships on the market. Lastly, the biometrics are taken care of by a fingerprint sensor built into the screen and the ability to open the phone by looking at it. Both are good. You can buy this phone from its official website

Xiaomi 13 Ultra: Cameras

The other three 50-megapixel cameras all have a Sony IMX858 sensor with a lens length between 12 and 120 mm and use the same 4-to-1 pixel binning process. When it comes to color reproduction, the 1/2.51-inch sensors are well matched to the IMX989. This means that they make a pretty uniform color image.

Even though the ultra-wide angle lens isn’t quite as good as the IMX989, the shots taken with a 122-degree viewing angle are still nice. When it comes to picture sharpness and detail, the Xiaomi flagship is at the top of its class. The lens is interesting because it can also be used for macro photos, and unlike the 13 Pro, it doesn’t use Xiaomi’s own Liquid Lens design for the telephoto lens.

Xiaomi 13 Ultra: Performance

The main 1-inch camera has a real shutter that can be opened and closed by tapping a button on the screen. This lets the camera switch between f/1.9 and f/4.0 aperture. The difference in aperture changes where the photo is in focus and how much “bokeh” there is. Samsung and Huawei have had variable apertures in the past, but they were on picture sensors that were much smaller, so they didn’t make much of a difference.

With a 1-inch sensor, which is the same size as the sensor in some point-and-shoot cameras, the size of the angle matters. When you take a picture at f/1.9, the blur and loss of focus are more obvious. This makes portraits and close-up shots more dramatic. While f/4.0 widens the area in focus, making it great for landscapes or groups.

Battery and Charging

Xiaomi gave the 13 Ultra a 5,000 mAh battery, which is normal for a phone that size. We haven’t finished trying how long that battery will last, but Xiaomi says that when the battery indicator is at 1%, the phone will go into a special “Hibernation mode” that will give you an extra hour of standby time.

The Xiaomi 13 Ultra has a 90W USB charging option for when you need to charge the phone again. In our tests, the phone went from empty to 48% full in 15 minutes, 84% full in 30 minutes, and 100% full in 42 minutes.

Pricing and availability

For now, you can only get the Xiaomi 13 Ultra in China. It starts at 5,999, which is about $870, £690, or €790. If you don’t want to wait for a foreign version, you can buy it from Giztop for $1,099 and have it shipped to you.

Xiaomi has said that the phone will be available outside of China in the “next few months” after it came out in March. This is likely to mean Asia and Europe, but not North America.

Final Words

The Xiaomi 13 Ultra is expensive, but it works well and has the best camera setup of any smartphone on the market right now. At first, I was worried that Xiaomi wouldn’t be able to make it stand out from the 13 Pro, which also had a 1-inch camera. Yet it has, with slightly better picture quality and (possibly because of) better features to help you get that perfect shot or video clip. This is a camera phone that, in some situations, could replace a compact camera and save time when editing.

Xiaomi 13 Ultra review: The good and The bad

FAQS