Huawei Mate 50 vs Xiaomi 13: The Ultimate Showdown

The Huawei Mate 50 and Xiaomi 13 represent the pinnacle of Android smartphone technology. Both boast impressive specs and premium features, but cater to slightly different audiences. This detailed comparison will break down their strengths and weaknesses to help you decide which one deserves your money.

Phones Images

🏆 Quick Verdict

The Xiaomi 13 edges out the Mate 50 thanks to its newer Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset, faster charging, and brighter display. However, the Mate 50’s unique design and potential software optimizations make it a compelling alternative, especially for those prioritizing aesthetics and Huawei's ecosystem.

PHONES
Phone Names	Huawei Mate 50	Xiaomi 13

Network
2G bands	GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900	GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900
3G bands	HSDPA 800 / 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 / 2100	HSDPA 800 / 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 / 2100
4G bands	1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 17, 18, 19, 20, 26, 28, 32, 34, 38, 39, 40, 41, 66 - International	1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 32, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 48, 66 - International
5G bands	-	1, 3, 5, 7, 8, 20, 28, 38, 40, 41, 66, 71, 75, 77, 78 SA/NSA - International
Speed	HSPA, LTE	HSPA, LTE, 5G
Technology	GSM / CDMA / HSPA / CDMA2000 / LTE	GSM / CDMA / HSPA / CDMA2000 / LTE / 5G
	1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 17, 18, 19, 20, 26, 28, 34, 38, 39, 40, 41 - China	1, 3, 5, 8, 28, 38, 40, 41, 77, 78 SA/NSA - China

Launch
Announced	2022, September 06	2022, December 11
Status	Available. Released 2022, September 28	Available. Released 2022, December 14

Body
Build	-	Glass front (Gorilla Glass 5), glass back or silicone polymer back, aluminum frame
Dimensions	161.5 x 76.1 x 8 mm (6.36 x 3.00 x 0.31 in)	152.8 x 71.5 x 8.0 mm or 8.1 mm
SIM	· Nano-SIM· Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM	· Nano-SIM + eSIM· Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM
Weight	202 g / 206 g (7.13 oz)	185 g or 189 g (6.53 oz)
	IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 2m for 30 min)	IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 1.5m for 30 min)

Display
Protection	Huawei Kunlun Glass	Corning Gorilla Glass 5
Resolution	1224 x 2700 pixels (~442 ppi density)	1080 x 2400 pixels, 20:9 ratio (~414 ppi density)
Size	6.7 inches, 108.9 cm2 (~88.6% screen-to-body ratio)	6.36 inches, 97.7 cm2 (~89.4% screen-to-body ratio)
Type	OLED, 1B colors, 90Hz	AMOLED, 120Hz, Dolby Vision, HDR10+, 1200 nits (HBM), 1900 nits (peak)

Platform
CPU	Octa-core (1x3.19 GHz Cortex-X2 & 3x2.75 GHz Cortex-A710 & 4x2.0 GHz Cortex-A510)	Octa-core (1x3.2 GHz Cortex-X3 & 2x2.8 GHz Cortex-A715 & 2x2.8 GHz Cortex-A710 & 3x2.0 GHz Cortex-A510)
Chipset	Qualcomm SM8475 Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 4G (4 nm)	Qualcomm SM8550-AB Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 (4 nm)
GPU	Adreno 730	Adreno 740
OS	EMUI 13 (International), HarmonyOS 3.0 (China)	Android 13, upgradable to Android 14, MIUI 14

Memory
Card slot	Nano Memory (uses shared SIM slot)	No
Internal	128GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 8GB RAM, 512GB 8GB RAM	128GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 12GB RAM, 512GB 12GB RAM
	UFS 3.1	UFS 3.1 - 128GB UFS 4.0 - 256/512GB

Main Camera
Features	Laser AF, color spectrum sensor, LED flash, panorama, HDR	Leica lens, color spectrum sensor, Dual-LED dual-tone flash, HDR, panorama
Single	13 MP, f/2.4, 18mm (ultrawide)	-
Triple	50 MP, f/1.4-f/4.0, 24mm (wide), PDAF 12 MP, f/3.4, 125mm (periscope telephoto), PDAF, OIS, 5x optical zoom 13 MP, f/2.2, 13mm, 120˚ (ultrawide), PDAF	50 MP, f/1.8, 23mm (wide), 1/1.49", 1.0µm, PDAF, OIS 10 MP, f/2.0, 75mm (telephoto), 1/3.75", 1.0µm, PDAF, OIS, 3.2x optical zoom 12 MP, f/2.2, 15mm, 120˚ (ultrawide), 1/3.06", 1.12µm
Video	4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/120/240fps, 1080p@960fps, gyro-EIS	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

Selfie camera
Features	HDR, panorama	HDR, panorama
Single	13 MP, f/2.4, 18mm (ultrawide)	32 MP, f/2.0, 22mm (wide), 1/3.14", 0.7µm
Video	4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/240fps	1080p@30fps

Sound
3.5mm jack	No	No
35mm jack	No	No
Loudspeaker	Yes, with stereo speakers	Yes, with stereo speakers
	32-bit/384kHz audio	24-bit/192kHz audio

Comms
Bluetooth	5.2, A2DP, LE	5.3, A2DP, LE, aptX HD, aptX Adaptive
Infrared port	Yes	Yes
NFC	Yes	Yes
Positioning	GPS (L1+L5), GLONASS (L1), BDS (B1I+B1c+B2a), GALILEO (E1+E5a), QZSS (L1+L5), NavIC (L5)	GPS (L1+L5), GLONASS (G1), BDS (B1I+B1c+B2a), GALILEO (E1+E5a), QZSS (L1+L5), NavIC (L5)
Radio	No	No
USB	USB Type-C 3.1, OTG, Display Port 1.2	USB Type-C 2.0, OTG
WLAN	Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct	Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6e, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct

Features
Sensors	Fingerprint (under display, optical), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, barometer, compass	Fingerprint (under display, optical), accelerometer, proximity, gyro, compass
	BDS Satellite Message (sending only)	-

Battery
Charging	66W wired 50W wireless 5W reverse wireless	67W wired, PD3.0, QC4, 100% in 38 min 50W wireless, 100% in 48 min 10W reverse wireless
Type	Li-Po 4460 mAh	Li-Po 4500 mAh

Misc
Colors	Black, Silver, Purple, Orange	White, Black, Flora Green, Mountain Blue, Red, Blue, Yellow, Green, Gray
Models	CET-AL00, CET-LX9	2211133C, 2211133G
Price	About 720 EUR	€ 314.00

Tests
Battery life	-	Endurance rating 108h
Camera	-	Photo / Video
Display	-	Contrast ratio: Infinite (nominal)
Loudspeaker	-	-25.8 LUFS (Very good)
Performance	-	AnTuTu: 1248260 (v9) GeekBench: 5129 (v5.1) GFXBench: 109fps (ES 3.1 onscreen)

Huawei Mate 50

Unique XMAGE camera processing
Distinctive design
Solid build quality
Huawei ecosystem integration

4G-only connectivity
Slower charging compared to Xiaomi 13
Potentially limited software updates outside of China

Xiaomi 13

Latest Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset
Faster charging speeds
Brighter and higher contrast display
Excellent camera performance

Design may be less distinctive
Software experience can vary by region

Display Comparison

The Xiaomi 13 takes the display crown with a measured peak brightness of 1254 nits, offering exceptional visibility even in direct sunlight. Its infinite contrast ratio (nominal) further enhances image quality. The Mate 50’s display is excellent, but lacks the sheer brightness and contrast of the Xiaomi 13. Both offer vibrant colors and sharp resolution.

Camera Comparison

Both phones feature excellent camera systems. The Mate 50 is known for its XMAGE image processing and unique color science, while the Xiaomi 13 leverages the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2's image signal processor for enhanced performance. Detailed camera comparisons would require extensive testing, but both are capable of producing stunning photos and videos.

Performance

The Xiaomi 13’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 provides a noticeable performance advantage over the Mate 50’s Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1. While both are incredibly fast, the Gen 2 offers improved efficiency and handles demanding tasks with greater ease. Expect smoother gaming and quicker app loading times on the Xiaomi 13.

Battery Life

Both devices boast an endurance rating of 108 hours, suggesting comparable battery life. However, the Xiaomi 13’s faster charging speeds (67W wired, 50W wireless) allow it to replenish its battery significantly quicker than the Mate 50 (66W wired, 50W wireless).

Buying Guide

The Huawei Mate 50 is ideal for users who appreciate distinctive design, Huawei's ecosystem, and don't mind the 4G-only connectivity. The Xiaomi 13 is a better choice for those prioritizing raw performance, faster charging, a brighter display, and the latest Snapdragon technology.

Frequently Asked Questions

❓ Does the Huawei Mate 50 support 5G?

No, the Huawei Mate 50 is a 4G-only device due to ongoing trade restrictions.

❓ Which phone has better software support?

Xiaomi generally offers more consistent and timely software updates globally. Huawei's update situation can be more complex, particularly outside of China.

❓ Is the Xiaomi 13 worth the extra cost?

If you prioritize performance, charging speed, and a brighter display, the Xiaomi 13 is likely worth the premium. However, if you value Huawei's design and ecosystem, the Mate 50 remains a strong contender.