The launch of Xiaomi’s flagship 13 series is official – with two models to choose from. Obviously. It’s a crime to release one device and God forbid one of those models isn’t a ‘Pro’. Xiaomi isn’t trying to make like an FTX CEO. As ever, China already has its hands on both devices, but the rest of the world will have to wait ‘til 2023 for a chance to play with these.
We’re still awaiting Xiaomi’s official release dates for the global version. We’re also waiting for local pricing, but going off China’s 5,000- and 4,000-yuan prices for the Pro and standard models, we’ll be looking at ballpark prices of around R13,000 and R11,000 once they eventually release here.
Unlucky for some
Xiaomi has followed in Vivo’s footsteps, becoming the second developer to make use of Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 2. There’s better charging, higher-quality images and an Apple-centric design.
The Pro is working with a 6.73in body, covered by a 2K+ AMOLED screen (3,200 x 1,400) and either a faux leather or ceramic back. The standard 13 model is smaller with a 6.36in body and a 2,400 x 1,080 AMOLED display. You have the choice of the same vegan leather for the backing or glass. The Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 is more of a gaming-focused product, offering accelerated raytracing. Both models support a 120Hz refresh rate to keep up.
Oh, and both models are 5G-optimized. You’d think that would be the norm in 2022. You’d be wrong.
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Inside there’s a choice of either 8 or 12GB of RAM for both phones, and the option of 128, 256 or 512GB of storage to mess around with. The battery is improved on the Pro, featuring a 4,820mAh with 120W wired charging. The standard 13 has the same as its predecessor – a 4,500mAh battery and 67W charging. Wireless charging is still stuck at 50W, unfortunately.
The cameras have seen quite a large upgrade from the 12 series. Both are working with triple-lens arrays, but with different components shoved in. Pro models have a 50MP 1in Sony IMX989 as the lead sensor. It’s joined by a 50MP wide-angle and a 50MP telephoto setup. Non-Pros are stuck with a far smaller 1.49in main sensor and a 12MP ultrawide and 10MP telephoto.
These will hit South African shelves… eventually. We just can’t be sure of when exactly. But never fear. We’ll keep you in the loop.
Source: Techradar