One of the most hyped products launched this year is Xiaomi 13 Ultra. The ultra notion in this phone is taken to a higher level than any other company can replicate. Remember, the Xiaomi 11 Ultra had an odd rear screen and a group of quality 50MP modules. Xiaomi 13 Ultra brings it one step further by becoming the best camera ever integrated into a phone.
The new version has four 50 M.P. main cameras with many photogenic utilities. This is not all, for the phone has a big, catchy screen, high-capacity battery, advanced processor, and fast charging capability. Nevertheless, integrating all those characteristics made it big, perhaps even too expensive of a design. In addition, Xiaomi’s spokesmen report that the 13 Ultra will not be sold in the U.K. In contrast, it is virtually certain that this smartphone will never reach the U.S. market due to Xiaomi’s cautiousness in distribution.
Even though the Xiaomi 13 Ultra is packed with amazing qualities, this phone may not be affordable for most individuals who could benefit from owning such a device based on their specific needs in a smartphone. Despite this, the Xiaomi 13 Ultra redefines mobile phone photography, becoming the benchmark for upcoming models.
Cameras
In the smartphone world, the Xiaomi 13 Ultra is one of a kind as it features four back 50MP cameras that have exceeded most current camera technologies in various phones today. For example, the Galaxy S23 Ultra has a quad-camera setup that trumps the latter even though it boasts a 200MP main camera.
The Xiaomi 13 Ultra camera is one notable aspect. Its one-inch lens is brightened for better imaging, while its variable aperture makes it unique among digital cameras. Xiaomi’s shots in the standard mode look brighter than those taken with an iPhone 14 Pro Max when comparing the shots of the same subject – for example, a flower.
The iPhone’s pictures are somewhat clearer but may appear grainy after zooming in. Similarly, Xiaomi adopted a less processed picture and relied more on the hardware quality for better photos.
Another impressive technical component of the Xiaomi 13 Ultra is the switchable aperture option, which can be set at f/1.9 or f/4.0 based on the scene. Sadly, this is not the default setting; users must pick one from a menu. However, the Ultra is unique because this is the default mode on the Huawei P60 Pro.
Lower lighting photographs in the Xiaomi 13 Ultra are exemplary, with amazing exposure and color rendering. However, Ultra, unlike most of the opponents, usually does not over-sharpen textures and details and represents them very naturally. At the same time, it has some tonal compression in high-contrast scenes that leads toward slightly faded pictures with an artificial appearance typical of other Mi devices.
The 13 ultra’s video recording demonstrates a remarkable upgrade, particularly concerning autofocus, compared to the Xiaomi 13 pro. The problems consisted of flashes, some transitions in color, exposure through scenes, and artifacts on moving objects. The 13 Ultra offers comparable image quality with better zoom ability, improved video color output, and better autofocus compared to the Xiaomi 12S Ultra. Nevertheless, exposure instabilities have again come up with Xiaomi devices. It is not without regressions, for example, elevated video artifacts like ghosting. In addition, video noise is slightly more visible under bright light conditions than other models on offer, while the stabilization is sometimes inconsistent.
The Xiaomi 13 Ultra is the best smartphone for low light. It also has good detail retention, little motion blur, and wide dynamic range, eliminating highlight clipping. Though the results are marginally lower for noise reduction, where it’s still darker, they are generally satisfactory. This smartphone’s effective autofocus, clear image sharpening, and bold colors make it a good choice for pictures of people. Its ability to freeze motion and minimize blur makes it perfect for scenes with moving subjects.
Wide dynamic range (WDR) assures well-exposed images with details in shadows and highlights, even for the backlit portraits. Nevertheless, as far as skin tones and a narrow depth of focus are concerned, it is quite lacking, as in cases where there is a group shot, the background tends to be too out of focus.
The phone offers two color modes: Authentic and Vibrant. Likewise, we opted for the Vibrant Mode for this test like we do with other Xiaomi phone models. Comparing these two modes, vibrant brings out higher intensity colors, while authentic has deeper exposures and richer contrasts. Nevertheless, the Authentic mode also has remarkable vignetting that distorts its ranking because of its high brightness.
A new benchmark for camera performance is provided with Xianomi 13. The test focuses on the ability of the camera to capture small details that are less than ten centimeters or at a highly magnified distance. Surprisingly, the test results showed that the 13 Ultra’s minimum focus distances were longer than the 13 Pro and incomparably larger than the Huawei p60 Pro. As a consequence, magnification is reduced, and close-ups are less detailed. However, this process seems sharp when we zoom in.
Dynamic but almost not as good as the Huawei P60 Pro, the Xiaomi 13 Ultra is one of the best. Face exposure usually provides correct information, even regarding difficult, backlit conditions.
However, significant stability variation was observed in bright outdoor light, especially in high-contrast portraits. The inconsistency was also visible in how the Xiaomi camera handled sunny skies. Some shots demonstrated highlight clipping without others.
Targets became too exposed because of backlit portraits, leading to excessive target exposure and low contrast, resulting in an unnatural halo effect, giving everything else a strange look.
The Xiaomi 13 Ultra tends to produce bright and accurate colors, but some of these scenes are over-saturated and appear unnaturally. Similarly, greens may seem more like yellow in sunny conditions. The deviation of the green patches from normal color rendering ranges toward yellow.
Display and Build
When making the Xiaomi 13 Ultra, Xiaomi used a few hints from the design features of Xiaomi 13 and Xiaomi 13Pro. While this gives the Ultra its looks, why is this phone so different and remains one of the best Xiaomi devices?
A curved 6.7-inch OLED screen is fitted at the front of the device. It has a QHD resolution of 1440×2560 pixels, a 120Hz dynamic refresh rate, and a 1300-nit brightness. Unlike other curved phones, the curve on the screen is not so prominent because of the Ultra’s substantial thickness measurement of 0.36 inches. All the internal components fit in the flat side rails, thus necessitating the use of this design. This handset’s barely perceptible low point is an unusually thick lower bezel, but is common amongst premium phones.
The huge, spherical Xiaomi camera at the back setup is incorporated within an outlet rim. A camera block, whose significant peak, when placed horizontally on a table, makes it look like the phone is a shallow glass ski jump. One of the largest phones in this category almost equals some foldable models in thickness.
Battery and Performance
Xiaomi packed the 13 Ultra with the same Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor on the Xiaomi 13 Pro and other flagship Android devices. The phone has a standard configuration comprising 12GB RAM and 256GB of space. Upgrading to 16GB RAM and 1 T.B. storage makes it at or above other smartphones in the Android market.
A typical 5,000 mAH powers the phone, which can be said of smartphones in its class. As a new technology, there is still a need for a complete battery life test, but Xiaomi has developed an exceptional “Hibernation mode.” The hour power mode allows the phone to stay on standby for an extra hour when the battery level is at 1% only.
The Xiaomi 13 Ultra charges fairly fast due to a 90W wired charging feature. The phone charged from zero to 48 percent in 15 minutes, 84 percent in 30 minutes, and fully charged in 42 minutes during our tests. It’s slower than the 120W charging but still remarkably fast. It is important to note that the phone comes with 50W wireless charging capability to allow someone to charge their phone using nothing other than wirelessly.
It runs Xiaomi’s MIUI 14, a skin of Android 13 called Xiaomi 13 Ultra. The custom skin on the basic operating system is highly effective in improving its outlooks but may also have negative implications. Customization capabilities are retained but make Xiaomi smartphones uniquely different from other Android-based devices concerning user experience. It allows the users to enable a certain app drawer or switch the notifications apart from quick access. The Mi Health app on the Xiaomi 13 Ultra will be able to read your fingerprint and provide you with your heart rate.
Bottom Line
The Xiaomi 13 Ultra should be considered one of the most potent competitors, specifically for those who love using cameras. Surely, the Xiaomi 13 ultra price flagship is worth noting – the updated camera system comprising four 50MP back cameras is arguably better than that of the Galaxy S23 Ultra. Its photographic abilities are augmented through Ultra’s low-light performance and distinctive dual aperture system. With such a fantastic smartphone camera, this Xiaomi phone sets very high standards in the mobile photographic field and defines the path other new devices should follow.
