Xiaomi 13 Pro vs Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra: The Flagship Face-Off
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🏆 Quick Verdict
The Galaxy S23 Ultra edges out the Xiaomi 13 Pro thanks to its longer battery life, more versatile camera system, and refined software experience. However, the Xiaomi 13 Pro offers blazing-fast charging and a competitive price, making it a strong contender for value-conscious buyers.
| PHONES | ||
|---|---|---|
| Phone Names | Xiaomi 13 Pro | Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra |
| Network | ||
|---|---|---|
| 2G bands | GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 | GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 |
| 3G bands | HSDPA 800 / 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 / 2100 | HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 / 2100 |
| 4G bands | 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 | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 32, 38, 39, 40, 41, 66 - International |
| 5G bands | 1, 3, 5, 7, 8, 20, 28, 38, 40, 41, 66, 71, 75, 77, 78 SA/NSA - International | 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 12, 20, 25, 28, 38, 40, 41, 66, 75, 77, 78 SA/NSA/Sub6 - International |
| Speed | HSPA, LTE, 5G | HSPA, LTE (up to 7CA), 5G |
| Technology | GSM / CDMA / HSPA / CDMA2000 / LTE / 5G | GSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE / 5G |
| 1, 3, 5, 8, 28, 38, 40, 41, 77, 78, 79 SA/NSA - China | 1, 7, 28, 41, 66, 71, 78, 258, 260, 261 SA/NSA/Sub6/mmWave - USA | |
| Launch | ||
|---|---|---|
| Announced | 2022, December 11 | 2023, February 01 |
| Status | Available. Released 2022, December 14 | Available. Released 2023, February 17 |
| Body | ||
|---|---|---|
| Build | Glass front (Gorilla Glass Victus), ceramic back or silicone polymer back, aluminum frame | Glass front (Gorilla Glass Victus 2), glass back (Gorilla Glass Victus 2), aluminum frame |
| Dimensions | 162.9 x 74.6 x 8.4 mm or 8.7 mm | 163.4 x 78.1 x 8.9 mm (6.43 x 3.07 x 0.35 in) |
| SIM | · Nano-SIM + eSIM· Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM | · Nano-SIM + eSIM· Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM + eSIM (max 2 at a time) |
| Weight | 210 g or 229 g (7.41 oz) | 234 g (8.25 oz) |
| IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 1.5m for 30 min) | IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 1.5m for 30 min) Armor aluminum frame with tougher drop and scratch resistance (advertised) Stylus (Bluetooth integration, accelerometer, gyro) | |
| Display | ||
|---|---|---|
| Protection | Corning Gorilla Glass Victus | Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2 |
| Resolution | 1440 x 3200 pixels, 20:9 ratio (~522 ppi density) | 1440 x 3088 pixels, 19.3:9 ratio (~500 ppi density) |
| Size | 6.73 inches, 108.9 cm2 (~89.6% screen-to-body ratio) | 6.8 inches, 114.7 cm2 (~89.9% screen-to-body ratio) |
| Type | LTPO AMOLED, 1B colors, 120Hz, Dolby Vision, HDR10+, 1200 nits (HBM), 1900 nits (peak) | Dynamic AMOLED 2X, 120Hz, HDR10+, 1200 nits (HBM), 1750 nits (peak) |
| - | Always-on display | |
| Platform | ||
|---|---|---|
| CPU | Octa-core (1x3.2 GHz Cortex-X3 & 2x2.8 GHz Cortex-A715 & 2x2.8 GHz Cortex-A710 & 3x2.0 GHz Cortex-A510) | Octa-core (1x3.36 GHz Cortex-X3 & 2x2.8 GHz Cortex-A715 & 2x2.8 GHz Cortex-A710 & 3x2.0 GHz Cortex-A510) |
| Chipset | Qualcomm SM8550-AB Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 (4 nm) | Qualcomm SM8550-AC Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 (4 nm) |
| GPU | Adreno 740 | Adreno 740 |
| OS | Android 13, upgradable to Android 14, HyperOS | Android 13, up to 4 major Android upgrades, One UI 8 |
| Memory | ||
|---|---|---|
| Card slot | No | No |
| Internal | 128GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 12GB RAM, 512GB 12GB RAM | 256GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 12GB RAM, 512GB 12GB RAM, 1TB 12GB RAM |
| UFS 3.1 - 128GB UFS 4.0 - 256/512GB | UFS 4.0 | |
| Main Camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Features | Laser AF, color spectrum sensor, Leica lens, Dual-LED dual-tone flash, HDR, panorama | Laser AF, LED flash, auto-HDR, panorama |
| Quad | - | 200 MP, f/1.7, 24mm (wide), 1/1.3", 0.6µm, multi-directional PDAF, OIS 10 MP, f/2.4, 70mm (telephoto), 1/3.52", 1.12µm, PDAF, OIS, 3x optical zoom 10 MP, f/4.9, 230mm (periscope telephoto), 1/3.52", 1.12µm, PDAF, OIS, 10x optical zoom 12 MP, f/2.2, 13mm, 120˚ (ultrawide), 1/2.55", 1.4µm, dual pixel PDAF, Super Steady video |
| Single | - | 12 MP, f/2.2, 26mm (wide), Dual Pixel PDAF |
| Triple | 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 | - |
| Video | 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 | 8K@24/30fps, 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/120/240fps, HDR10+, stereo sound rec., gyro-EIS |
| Selfie camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Features | HDR, panorama | HDR, HDR10+ |
| Single | 32 MP, f/2.0, 22mm (wide), 1/3.14", 0.7µm | 12 MP, f/2.2, 26mm (wide), 1/3.2", 1.12µm, dual pixel PDAF |
| Video | 1080p@30fps | 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30fps |
| Sound | ||
|---|---|---|
| 3.5mm jack | No | No |
| 35mm jack | No | No |
| Loudspeaker | Yes, with stereo speakers | Yes, with stereo speakers |
| 24-bit/192kHz audio | 32-bit/384kHz audio Tuned by AKG | |
| Comms | ||
|---|---|---|
| Bluetooth | 5.3, A2DP, aptX HD, aptX Adaptive | 5.3, A2DP, LE |
| Infrared port | Yes | - |
| NFC | Yes | Yes |
| Positioning | GPS (L1+L5), GLONASS (G1), BDS (B1I+B1c+B2a), GALILEO (E1+E5a), QZSS (L1+L5), NavIC (L5) | GPS, GALILEO, GLONASS, BDS, QZSS |
| Radio | No | No |
| USB | USB Type-C 2.0, OTG | USB Type-C 3.2, OTG |
| WLAN | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6e, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6e, tri-band, Wi-Fi Direct |
| Features | ||
|---|---|---|
| Sensors | Fingerprint (under display, optical), accelerometer, proximity, gyro, compass, barometer | Fingerprint (under display, ultrasonic), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, barometer |
| - | Samsung DeX, Samsung Wireless DeX (desktop experience support) Bixby natural language commands and dictation Samsung Pay (Visa, MasterCard certified) Ultra Wideband (UWB) support | |
| Battery | ||
|---|---|---|
| Charging | 120W wired, PD3.0, QC4, 100% in 19 min 50W wireless, 100% in 36 min 10W reverse wireless | 45W wired, PD3.0, 65% in 30 min 15W wireless (Qi) 4.5W reverse wireless |
| Type | Li-Po 4820 mAh | Li-Ion 5000 mAh |
| Misc | ||
|---|---|---|
| Colors | Ceramic White, Ceramic Black, Ceramic Flora Green, Mountain Blue | Phantom Black, Green, Cream, Lavender, Graphite, Sky Blue, Lime, Red, BMW M Edition |
| Models | 2210132G, 2210132C | SM-S918B, SM-S918B/DS, SM-S918U, SM-S918U1, SM-S918W, SM-S918N, SM-S9180, SM-S918E, SM-S918E/DS |
| Price | About 750 EUR | € 549.90 / $ 454.99 / £ 433.00 |
| SAR | - | 1.12 W/kg (head) 0.92 W/kg (body) |
| SAR EU | - | 0.96 W/kg (head) 1.40 W/kg (body) |
| Tests | ||
|---|---|---|
| Battery life | Endurance rating 115h | Endurance rating 126h |
| Camera | Photo / Video | Photo / Video |
| Display | Contrast ratio: Infinite (nominal) | Contrast ratio: Infinite (nominal) |
| Loudspeaker | -25.6 LUFS (Very good) | -25.6 LUFS (Very good) |
| Performance | AnTuTu: 1281666 (v9) GeekBench: 5087 (v5.1), 5323 (v6) GFXBench: 64fps (ES 3.1 onscreen) | AnTuTu: 1241531 (v9) GeekBench: 4927 (v5.1) GFXBench: 67fps (ES 3.1 onscreen) |
Xiaomi 13 Pro
- Blazing-fast 120W wired charging
- Excellent display quality
- Competitive price
- High-quality camera system
- Shorter battery life
- Less versatile camera system compared to S23 Ultra
- Software experience may not be as polished as Samsung's
Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra
- Exceptional battery life
- Versatile and powerful camera system with incredible zoom
- Refined software experience
- Premium build quality
- Higher price
- Slower charging speeds compared to Xiaomi 13 Pro
- Large and bulky design
Display Comparison
Both phones feature exceptional displays with peak brightness reaching 1253-1274 nits. While the difference is minimal, the S23 Ultra's display might offer slightly better color accuracy and calibration. Both have excellent contrast ratios (Infinite nominal). The S23 Ultra's display is slightly larger at 6.8 inches vs the 13 Pro's 6.73 inch display.
Camera Comparison
The S23 Ultra's camera system is more versatile, featuring a 200MP main sensor, a 10MP telephoto with 3x optical zoom, and a 10MP telephoto with 10x optical zoom. The Xiaomi 13 Pro has a 50MP main sensor, a 50MP ultrawide, and a 50MP telephoto. While the 13 Pro delivers excellent image quality, the S23 Ultra's zoom capabilities and overall flexibility are unmatched.
Performance
Both devices are powered by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, but the S23 Ultra has a slightly higher clocked prime core (3.36 GHz vs 3.2 GHz). In real-world usage, performance is virtually identical – expect incredibly smooth multitasking, demanding gaming, and effortless app handling. The S23 Ultra's software optimization might provide a marginal edge in sustained performance.
Battery Life
The Galaxy S23 Ultra significantly outperforms the Xiaomi 13 Pro in battery life. The S23 Ultra consistently delivers 13:24 hours of active use, while the 13 Pro manages 10:55 hours. The S23 Ultra also boasts faster wireless charging (15W vs 50W) but the 13 Pro's wired charging is significantly faster (120W vs 45W).
Buying Guide
The Xiaomi 13 Pro is ideal for users prioritizing fast charging, a vibrant display, and a more affordable flagship experience. The Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra is perfect for those seeking the best possible camera versatility, long battery life, and a feature-rich, polished software ecosystem.