Xiaomi, the prominent Asian tech company, has announced its latest high-end smartphone, designed to compete directly with one of the market leaders, Samsung. With the launch of the Xiaomi 13 Ultra, Xiaomi is taking a major step forward in its premium smartphone line-up, where Samsung has so far largely dominated. In fact, this model represents clear competition for the Samsung S23 Ultra, introduced earlier this year by Samsung.
Both devices are priced almost identically, indicating that they are quite similar in terms of features. However, what are the technical differences we should consider when choosing between the Xiaomi 13 Ultra and the Samsung S23 Ultra? In this article, we’ll provide you with all the details you need to make an informed decision – you can’t miss it!
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Xiaomi 13 Ultra vs Samsung S23 Ultra: Elements they share
First of all, we tell you what are the similarities that you can’t miss, reasons that lead us to say that they are two smartphones of clear competition:
Internal memory and storage
One of the similarities that the two smartphones share is that they have the same internal memory capacity, 12 GB. Also, in both cases you can get up to 512 GB of storage, so there is not much difference when it comes to the amount and type of documents you can store.
Battery life
Many users have doubts about how long the battery will last in a new smartphone, considering that we use it every few minutes, whether for personal or home use. However, in this case, there is not much difference, because both smartphones have a battery capacity of 5000 mAh.
The usage time will depend on how long you use the smartphone every day, as well as which applications you keep open on a regular basis.
Built-in processor
Another very important feature, which in this case is one of the similarities between the two models, is the processor they are equipped with. In both cases it is the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, with eight cores, which offers a performance that few others can match at the moment.
Tolerance to external agents
If you’re used to taking your smartphone out and about, including to the beach or the pool, you’ll be interested to know that both the Xiaomi 13 Ultra and the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra have the same resistance rating: IP68. And, in case you didn’t know, it’s the highest they can be, since in both cases they achieve the maximum level of resistance to both water and dust.
Connectivity and compatibility
They also have great similarities in this aspect of technological connectivity, as both the Xiaomi 13 Ultra and the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra are compatible with Bluetooth version 5.3, in addition to the usual WiFi networks. And, being Android, both have the Android 13-based operating system.
Xiaomi 13 Ultra vs Samsung S23 Ultra: Most notable differences
Next, we continue to analyse the most important differences, which are the ones that will help us the most in making a decision:
Design and aesthetics
As always, we look at the design, and it’s clear that it’s one of the most striking differences between the two smartphones. Before we get into the details, you should know that the Xiaomi 13 Ultra is available in black and olive green, while the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra comes in a choice of seven colours, all of which are more pastel in tone than the Xiaomi.
Apart from colour, the next big aesthetic difference is the camera arrangement. Xiaomi wanted to make it clear that the camera is the element in which it has made the biggest leap in quality with the 13 Ultra, and so it frames them in a three-dimensional central circle that makes them stand out the most.
The Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra, on the other hand, has the cameras in a linear and vertical format on the back, so they are much more discreet than those of the Xiaomi.
Screen type
Continuing with the aesthetic aspects, let’s make a specific mention of the screen. The Xiaomi 13 Ultra’s screen is curved, 6.73 inches, with AMOLED WQHD+ technology and a brightness rate that reaches 2600 nits at its maximum peak. The Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra, meanwhile, has a 6.8-inch screen, with Dynamic AMOLED 2X technology and Quad HD+ resolution.
What do the cameras look like?
Let’s take a look at the camera set-up of each smartphone. The camera is one of the elements that has the most weight in the purchase decision, because nowadays, almost all of us use audiovisual resources practically every day. It is also one of the aspects where Xiaomi has improved the most compared to previous models.
It is worth noting that both smartphones have 4 cameras, but they have different resolutions. Thus, the Xiaomi 13 Ultra has a 50 MP main camera, a 50 MP ultra wide-angle camera, a 50 MP telephoto camera and a 50 MP super telephoto camera. All of them are Leica, which is a big step forward for Xiaomi in terms of image quality.
In the case of the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra, we find the following rear cameras: a 200 MP main camera, a 12 MP ultra wide-angle camera, and two telephoto zoom cameras of 10 MP each.
As for the front camera, it is 32 MP on the Xiaomi 13 Ultra, and 12 MP on the Samsung.
S-Pen accessory
We end the section on differences by mentioning one that, despite not being a question of functional basis, may help you decide between the two models. Only the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra is equipped with its own pen, the S-Pen, an accessory that makes it much easier to select options and navigate the smartphone without touching the screen.
Xiaomi 13 Ultra vs Samsung S23 Ultra: What’s the bottom line?
As we have already mentioned, both smartphones have practically the same price, which makes this aspect, which is normally important in the decision, less so here. Consequently, we should look at the features of both smartphones, rather than the price.
And, that said, there are some important features they have in common, such as the type of processor, the operating system or the battery capacity. However, there are others in which they differ, and these are the ones that will make us choose between the two. But, for this, it is essential to be clear about your search priorities and preferences.
One of the most important differences is the type of cameras they have. Although Xiaomi has made a significant leap in quality in this respect with respect to the previous range, it is very difficult to achieve what Samsung has achieved in the Galaxy S23 Ultra, the 200 MP main camera. It is true that the remaining three rear cameras have less resolution than the Xiaomi 13 Ultra, but the 200 MP main camera totally eclipses the rest.
On the other hand, the screen is slightly larger, although we have to admit that the difference in this respect is much smaller. It is also equipped with the S-Pen accessory, a handy pen for which there is no price increase. All these reasons lead us to favour the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra. However, we have to be fair and say that Xiaomi has managed to stand up to its rival with the 13 Ultra, a high-end smartphone that you won’t regret if you decide to choose it. It’s all up to you!