Xiaomi 13 vs Xiaomi 12: How much of a leap is the 2023 model?

The brand new Xiaomi 13, unveiled for a global release ahead of the Mobile World Congress 2023 in Barcelona, is the latest offering from the Chinese manufacturer and boasts numerous advancements.

It is the successor to the Xiaomi 12, which arrived about a year ago. The flagship device is just a small notch below its big brother Xiaomi 13 Pro, in terms of features and functionality.

Those seeking the bigger Pro model should definitely go for it. However, the Xiaomi 13's biggest challenge comes from its predecessor, which will be a lot cheaper now following the former's release.

This article will delve into both devices to dispel any doubts.

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The brand new Xiaomi 13 is a slight upgrade on its predecessor Xiaomi 12

Specifications

	Xiaomi 12	Xiaomi 13
SoC	Qualcomm SM8450 Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 (4 nm), Octa-core (1x3.00 GHz Cortex-X2 & 3x2.50 GHz Cortex-A710 & 4x1.80 GHz Cortex-A510	Qualcomm SM8550-AB Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 (4 nm), Octa-core (1x3.2 GHz Cortex-X3 & 2x2.8 GHz Cortex-A715 & 2x2.8 GHz Cortex-A710 & 3x2.0 GHz Cortex-A510), Adreno 740
Display	6.28 inches AMOLED, 68B colors, 120Hz, Dolby Vision, HDR10+, 1080 x 2400 pixels, 20:9 ratio, (~419 ppi density)	6.36 inches, AMOLED, 120Hz, Dolby Vision, HDR10+, 1080 x 2400 pixels, 20:9 ratio (~414 ppi density)
Rear cameras	50 MP + 5 MP + 13 MP	50 MP + 10 MP + 12 MP
Front camera	32 MP	32 MP
Video recording support	Rear cameras: 8K@24fps (HDR), 4K@30/60fps (HDR10+), 1080p@30/120/240/960fps, 720p@1920fps, gyro-EIS	Rear Camera: 8K@24fps (HDR), 4K@24/30/60fps (HDR10+, 10-bit Dolby Vision HDR, 10-bit LOG), 1080p@30/120/240/960fps, 1080p@1920fps, gyro-EIS
Battery capacity	4500 mAh	4500 mAh
Storage	up to 256 GB UFS 3.1	128 GB UFS 3.1, 256/512 GB UFS 4.0
System memory	up to 12 GB LPDDR5	up to 12 GB LPDDR5X
Screen protection	Corning Gorilla Glass Victus	Corning Gorilla Glass 5
Peak brightness	1100 nits	1200 nits (HBM), 1900 nits (peak),
Dimensions and weight	152.7 x 69.9 x 8.2 mm, 179g	152.8 x 71.5 x 8.0 mm or 8.1 mm
Charging	67W wired charging (0-100% in 39 minutes), 50W wireless charging, 10W reverse wireless charging	67W wired charging (0-100% in 38 minutes), 50W wireless charging, 10W reverse wireless charging
Price	€510 (8GB+128GB)	€999 (8GB+128GB)

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Design

The new smartphone from Xiaomi looks slightly sharper than its predecessor, which has curved rear edges. It has more noticeable bezels but nothing that would spoil your viewing experience. The rear camera also features a brand-new aesthetic.

It is now much bigger, and the cameras are incorporated into a rounded square, compared to the Xiaomi 12's elongated rectangle camera. The latest phone is 8.1mm thick, which is 0.1mm slimmer than the earlier version, and weighs about 189g, which is 9g more.

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Display

The Xiaomi 13 has a larger display but contains the same number of pixels. It is also much brighter than its predecessor and has a Dolby Vision certification. Overall, the viewing experience should be better on the new smartphone, especially in broad daylight.

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Performance

The Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 flagship processor, the latest of its kind, will power the Xiaomi 13. The company claims that the chip's new TSMC 4nm Cortex-X3 core architecture by ARM makes the CPU performance 35% quicker and the Adreno 740 GPU 25% faster than previous versions.

This is paired with four different memory and storage configurations, ranging from 8GB RAM and 128GB storage to 12GB RAM and 512GB storage. Apart from the single 128GB model, all variations employ the UFS 4.0 storage standard.

In contrast, the Xiaomi 12 features the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 Processor and Adreno 730 GPU. Unlike the latest model, it lacks the 12GB RAM and 256GB storage option. Furthermore, all versions of the Xiaomi 12 utilize UFS 3.1 storage.

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Camera

Both flagship smartphones feature a 50MP primary camera. The new model also gets a Leica-certification for its lenses. It also has a larger Sony image sensor capable of phase detection autofocus and optical image stabilization. The real difference between the two devices comes in the zoom and wide-angle lenses.

The latest model features a 3.2x optical zoom and has PDAF and OIS compared to the earlier model's 2x optical zoom. The Ultrawide lens on the Xiaomi 13 is 12MP compared to its predecessor's 13MP.

Both phones feature 32MP front cameras, but the new model has a much wider field of vision.

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Battery

Both phones have nearly identical batteries, coming in at 4500mAh. They feature 67W wired fast charging, 50W wireless charging, and 10W reverse charging support.

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Conclusion

Both phones are good, but given the technological advancements over the years, the Xiaomi 13 will definitely offer you an edge. If you are looking to get the best that the smartphone industry has to offer, then the latest model is for you.

However, if you want to save a couple of hundred bucks and settle for a slightly outmatched device, go for the Xiaomi 12.