Sony Xperia Pro vs Xiaomi 13 Pro: A Generational Leap in Android Flagships

The Sony Xperia Pro, released with a focus on professional content creation, represents a mature Snapdragon 865 implementation. The Xiaomi 13 Pro, however, arrives as a showcase for Qualcomm’s latest Snapdragon 8 Gen 2. This comparison dissects the core differences between these two Android flagships, examining whether the newer chipset and advancements in charging technology justify the price difference.
Phones Images

🏆 Quick Verdict

For most users, the Xiaomi 13 Pro is the clear winner. Its Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 delivers significantly faster performance and improved efficiency, coupled with blazing-fast 120W charging. While the Xperia Pro offers a unique, professional-focused ecosystem, the 13 Pro provides a more compelling overall package.

PHONES
Phone Names Sony Xperia Pro Xiaomi 13 Pro
Network
2G bandsGSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900
3G bandsHSDPA 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 / 2100HSDPA 800 / 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 / 2100
4G bands1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 11, 12, 13, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 25, 26, 28, 29, 32, 34, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 46, 48, 661, 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 bands2, 5, 66, 260, 261 Sub6, mmWave1, 3, 5, 7, 8, 20, 28, 38, 40, 41, 66, 71, 75, 77, 78 SA/NSA - International
SpeedHSPA, LTE, 5GHSPA, LTE, 5G
TechnologyGSM / HSPA / LTE / 5GGSM / CDMA / HSPA / CDMA2000 / LTE / 5G
 -1, 3, 5, 8, 28, 38, 40, 41, 77, 78, 79 SA/NSA - China
Launch
Announced2020, February 24. Released 2021, January 272022, December 11
StatusDiscontinuedAvailable. Released 2022, December 14
Body
BuildGlass front (Gorilla Glass 6), plastic back, plastic frameGlass front (Gorilla Glass Victus), ceramic back or silicone polymer back, aluminum frame
Dimensions170.2 x 76.2 x 10.2 mm (6.70 x 3.00 x 0.40 in)162.9 x 74.6 x 8.4 mm or 8.7 mm
SIMNano-SIM + Nano-SIM· Nano-SIM + eSIM· Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM
Weight225.1 g (7.94 oz)210 g or 229 g (7.41 oz)
 IP65/IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 1.5m for 30 mins)IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 1.5m for 30 min)
Display
ProtectionCorning Gorilla Glass 6Corning Gorilla Glass Victus
Resolution1644 x 3840 pixels, 21:9 ratio (~643 ppi density)1440 x 3200 pixels, 20:9 ratio (~522 ppi density)
Size6.5 inches, 98.6 cm2 (~76.0% screen-to-body ratio)6.73 inches, 108.9 cm2 (~89.6% screen-to-body ratio)
TypeOLED, 1B colors, HDR BT.2020LTPO AMOLED, 1B colors, 120Hz, Dolby Vision, HDR10+, 1200 nits (HBM), 1900 nits (peak)
 Runs at 1096 x 2560 pixels except for select use cases-
Platform
CPUOcta-core (1x2.84 GHz Cortex-A77 & 3x2.42 GHz Cortex-A77 & 4x1.80 GHz Cortex-A55)Octa-core (1x3.2 GHz Cortex-X3 & 2x2.8 GHz Cortex-A715 & 2x2.8 GHz Cortex-A710 & 3x2.0 GHz Cortex-A510)
ChipsetQualcomm SM8250 Snapdragon 865 5G (7 nm+)Qualcomm SM8550-AB Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 (4 nm)
GPUAdreno 650Adreno 740
OSAndroid 10, upgradable to Android 12Android 13, upgradable to Android 14, HyperOS
Memory
Card slotmicroSDXC (uses shared SIM slot)No
Internal512GB 12GB RAM128GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 12GB RAM, 512GB 12GB RAM
 UFS 3.XUFS 3.1 - 128GB UFS 4.0 - 256/512GB
Main Camera
FeaturesZeiss optics, color spectrum sensor, LED flash, panorama, HDR, eye trackingLaser AF, color spectrum sensor, Leica lens, Dual-LED dual-tone flash, HDR, panorama
Triple12 MP, f/1.7, 24mm (wide), 1/1.7", 1.8µm, dual pixel PDAF, OIS 12 MP, f/2.4, 70mm (telephoto), 1/3.4", 1.0µm, PDAF, 3x optical zoom, OIS 12 MP, f/2.2, 124˚, 16mm (ultrawide), 1/2.55", dual pixel PDAF 0.3 MP, TOF 3D, (depth)50.3 MP, f/1.9, 23mm (wide), 1.0"-type, 1.6µm, dual pixel PDAF, OIS 50 MP, f/2.0, 75mm (telephoto), PDAF (10cm - ∞), 3.2x optical zoom 50 MP, f/2.2, 14mm, 115˚ (ultrawide), AF
Video4K@24/25/30/60fps HDR, 1080p@30/60/120fps; 5-axis gyro-EIS, OIS8K@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
FeaturesHDRHDR, panorama
Single8 MP, f/2.0, 24mm (wide), 1/4.0", 1.12µm32 MP, f/2.0, 22mm (wide), 1/3.14", 0.7µm
Video1080p@30fps, 5-axis gyro-EIS1080p@30fps
Sound
3.5mm jack YesNo
35mm jackYesNo
Loudspeaker Yes, with stereo speakersYes, with stereo speakers
 24-bit/192kHz audio24-bit/192kHz audio
Comms
Bluetooth5.1, A2DP, aptX HD, LE5.3, A2DP, aptX HD, aptX Adaptive
Infrared port-Yes
NFCYesYes
PositioningGPS, GLONASSGPS (L1+L5), GLONASS (G1), BDS (B1I+B1c+B2a), GALILEO (E1+E5a), QZSS (L1+L5), NavIC (L5)
RadioNoNo
USBUSB Type-C 3.1, OTG, micro HDMIUSB Type-C 2.0, OTG
WLANWi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct, DLNAWi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6e, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct
Features
SensorsFingerprint (side-mounted), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, barometer, compassFingerprint (under display, optical), accelerometer, proximity, gyro, compass, barometer
 Native Sony Alpha camera support-
Battery
Charging21W wired, PD120W wired, PD3.0, QC4, 100% in 19 min 50W wireless, 100% in 36 min 10W reverse wireless
TypeLi-Po 4000 mAhLi-Po 4820 mAh
Misc
ColorsBlackCeramic White, Ceramic Black, Ceramic Flora Green, Mountain Blue
Models-2210132G, 2210132C
PriceAbout 2000 EURAbout 750 EUR
Tests
Battery life- Endurance rating 115h
Camera- Photo / Video
Display- Contrast ratio: Infinite (nominal)
Loudspeaker- -25.6 LUFS (Very good)
Performance- AnTuTu: 1281666 (v9) GeekBench: 5087 (v5.1), 5323 (v6) GFXBench: 64fps (ES 3.1 onscreen)

Sony Xperia Pro

  • HDMI input for professional video workflows
  • Mature and stable software experience
  • Sony ecosystem integration

  • Outdated Snapdragon 865 chipset
  • Slow 21W charging
  • Limited battery efficiency

Xiaomi 13 Pro

  • Cutting-edge Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 performance
  • Blazing-fast 120W wired charging
  • Bright and vibrant display

  • MIUI software can be polarizing
  • Potential for software bloat
  • Larger size and weight

Display Comparison

The Xiaomi 13 Pro boasts a significantly brighter display, reaching a measured 1253 nits, compared to an unspecified peak brightness for the Xperia Pro. While both likely utilize high-quality OLED panels, the Xiaomi’s higher peak brightness translates to better visibility in direct sunlight. The Xiaomi 13 Pro’s infinite contrast ratio (nominal) is standard for OLED, but the lack of detailed display specs for the Xperia Pro makes a direct comparison difficult. We can assume the Xperia Pro’s display is excellent, but the Xiaomi 13 Pro has a clear advantage in raw brightness.

Camera Comparison

Both devices are marketed as having excellent photo and video capabilities, but detailed sensor information is lacking for the Xperia Pro. The Xiaomi 13 Pro likely features a more advanced image processing pipeline leveraging the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2’s ISP. Without specific sensor details for the Xperia Pro, it’s difficult to assess the image quality gap. However, the Xiaomi 13 Pro’s advanced chipset and potential for computational photography enhancements give it an edge. The absence of information regarding OIS and lens apertures on the Xperia Pro further hinders a detailed comparison.

Performance

The core difference lies in the chipsets. The Xiaomi 13 Pro’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 (4nm) represents a substantial leap over the Xperia Pro’s Snapdragon 865 (7nm+). The Gen 2 features a new CPU architecture – Cortex-X3, A715, and A510 – offering significant performance and efficiency gains. The 8 Gen 2’s 3.2 GHz peak clock speed on the X3 core dwarfs the Xperia Pro’s 2.84 GHz Cortex-A77. This translates to faster app loading, smoother multitasking, and superior gaming performance. The 4nm process node further enhances thermal efficiency, reducing throttling during sustained workloads. While the Xperia Pro remains capable, the Xiaomi 13 Pro offers a demonstrably faster and more responsive experience.

Battery Life

The Xiaomi 13 Pro’s charging capabilities are a standout feature. Its 120W wired charging can fully charge the device in just 19 minutes, a massive improvement over the Xperia Pro’s 21W charging. The addition of 50W wireless charging and 10W reverse wireless charging further enhances its versatility. Both phones have an endurance rating of 115 hours, but the Xiaomi 13 Pro’s active use score of 10:55h suggests a more efficient power management system, likely due to the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2’s improved efficiency. The Xperia Pro’s slower charging speed is a significant drawback for users who prioritize convenience.

Buying Guide

Buy the Sony Xperia Pro if you are deeply embedded in a Sony ecosystem requiring HDMI input for professional video workflows and prioritize a more subdued, mature software experience. Buy the Xiaomi 13 Pro if you demand the absolute best performance, fastest charging speeds, and a vibrant, modern display, and are comfortable with Xiaomi’s MIUI software.

Frequently Asked Questions

❓ Does the Snapdragon 865 in the Xperia Pro struggle with demanding games like Genshin Impact?
While the Snapdragon 865 is still a capable chipset, it will likely exhibit more noticeable frame drops and throttling in graphically intensive games like Genshin Impact compared to the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 in the Xiaomi 13 Pro. The Gen 2’s superior thermal efficiency and GPU performance provide a smoother gaming experience.
❓ How does Xiaomi's MIUI software compare to Sony's more stock-Android approach?
Xiaomi’s MIUI is a heavily customized Android skin known for its extensive features and customization options. However, it also tends to include more pre-installed apps (bloatware) and can be less visually consistent than Sony’s near-stock Android experience. Sony prioritizes a cleaner, more streamlined user interface.
❓ Is the 120W charging on the Xiaomi 13 Pro safe for long-term battery health?
Xiaomi incorporates multiple safety mechanisms to mitigate potential risks associated with fast charging. While some degradation is inevitable with any battery over time, the 13 Pro’s charging system is designed to optimize charging speed while minimizing heat and stress on the battery. The phone dynamically adjusts charging speed based on battery condition.