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The Xiaomi 13 Pro and Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra are the latest flagship devices from two of the leading smartphone manufacturers in the world. Both devices are decked out with the latest in mobile computing and are powerhouses that can easily handle all day-to-day workloads and gaming.
Although both devices have their lists of pros and cons, the Galaxy S23 Ultra shines in certain aspects that make the latest launch from the Chinese tech giant look like a bad deal.
It is worth noting that both the Xiaomi 13 Pro and S23 Ultra are impeccable devices. There are minor differences that might matter to some users; however, both smartphones can deliver solid day-to-day performance.
The Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra is a more enthusiast-grade device
1) 4K recording on the selfie camera
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4K video recording has become the norm in flagship smartphones for several years. Most high-end devices now support up to 60 FPS recordings via the front and rear cameras. The S23 Ultra is no exception as it supports high-res recording via both front and rear cameras.
Despite packing a 32 MP front sensor, which is a major step up from the 12 MP selfie camera found on the Samsung device, the Xiaomi 13 Pro only supports up to 1080p 60 FPS recording.
The last-gen Xiaomi 12 Pro also has the same problem. With this year's iteration, the 4K recording feature via selfie camera wasn't added either.
2) Pro-grade Samsung Dex and integration with PCs
Flagship phones like the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra and the Xiaomi 13 Pro bring something extra to users. The list generally includes features that can replace one key expensive and inconvenient device from a professional's life.
The Galaxy S23 Ultra packs multiple such features. First and foremost, it is a computational powerhouse. It packs more power than most low-end office-use PCs. Thus, Samsung integrated a special DeX mode that allows users to use the device like a desktop.
Xiaomi has made almost no strides in this direction. Thus, at this point, it completely goes to Samsung.
3) Out-of-the-box stylus
A stylus increases the usability of any touchscreen device. It is especially useful for creating 3D art and heavy word processing workloads.
While most smartphones support some form of a stylus, the Galaxy S23 comes with an in-built high-quality S Pen that can be stored in a dedicated compartment inside the device.
This makes it more convenient to carry the stylus around and reduces the risk of losing it. Combined with the capabilities of the bundled Adreno 740 GPU of the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 SoC, the device can be an apt portable graphics design machine.
4) Battery life
One of the alarming issues of the Xiaomi 12 Pro was its below-par battery life. The device packs s measly 4600 mAh cell. Fast forward to the 13 Pro, the capacity has been increased to 4820 mAh; however, the battery life did not take a massive leap since the new device comes with a much higher power draw thanks to an improved chip, faster memory, storage, and a brighter display.
In comparison, the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra packs one of the best battery life performances in its class, although it loses to the iPhone 14 Pro Max by a significant margin.
5) Versatile rear camera setup
The Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra and the Xiaomi 13 Pro pack high-end cameras that can produce impeccable images and videos; however, the Galaxy S23 Ultra gets some points for the versatile setup it ships with.
While the Xiaomi device packs three high-resolution 50 MP sensors, the Samsung phone packs a quad-camera with a 200MP wide, 12 MP ultra-wide, 10 MP portrait lens, and another 10 MP lens dedicated to periscope zoom features. The Galaxy S23 Ultra also has features like cinematic video and Nightography modes that the Xiaomi devices lack.
It is worth noting that both of these devices pack superb cameras. But for some reason, the Galaxy S23 Ultra allows more freedom and choices for the shooter.
The S23 Ultra is an all-out device from the Korean smartphone maker. It can be considered a step above the Xiaomi 13 Pro in many ways. Like previous generations, the company might introduce a Xiaomi 13 Ultra variant. If past trends are anything to go by, the 13 Ultra might bring the S23 Ultra down to its knees.
