Xiaomi 13 Pro vs Xiaomi 12 Pro: The Ultimate Showdown

Xiaomi consistently delivers impressive smartphones, and the 12 Pro and 13 Pro are prime examples. Both offer premium features and performance, but significant upgrades differentiate the newer 13 Pro. This comprehensive comparison will break down the key differences to help you decide which phone is right for you.
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🏆 Quick Verdict

The Xiaomi 13 Pro is the clear winner, boasting a significantly faster Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset, a brighter display, and notably improved battery life. While the 12 Pro remains a capable device, the 13 Pro’s advancements make it the superior choice for most users seeking a flagship experience.

PHONES
Phone Names Xiaomi 13 Pro Xiaomi 12 Pro
Network
2G bandsGSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900
3G bandsHSDPA 800 / 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 / 2100HSDPA 800 / 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 / 2100
4G bands1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 32, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 48, 66 - International1, 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 bands1, 3, 5, 7, 8, 20, 28, 38, 40, 41, 66, 71, 75, 77, 78 SA/NSA - International1, 3, 5, 7, 8, 20, 28, 38, 40, 41, 66, 77, 78, 79 SA/NSA - International
SpeedHSPA, LTE, 5GHSPA, LTE, 5G
TechnologyGSM / CDMA / HSPA / CDMA2000 / LTE / 5GGSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE / 5G
 1, 3, 5, 8, 28, 38, 40, 41, 77, 78, 79 SA/NSA - China1, 3, 5, 8, 28, 38, 40, 41, 77, 78, 79 SA/NSA - China
Launch
Announced2022, December 112021, December 28
StatusAvailable. Released 2022, December 14Available. Released 2021, December 31
Body
BuildGlass front (Gorilla Glass Victus), ceramic back or silicone polymer back, aluminum frameGlass front (Gorilla Glass Victus), glass back, aluminum frame
Dimensions162.9 x 74.6 x 8.4 mm or 8.7 mm163.6 x 74.6 x 8.2 mm (6.44 x 2.94 x 0.32 in)
SIM· Nano-SIM + eSIM· Nano-SIM + Nano-SIMNano-SIM + Nano-SIM
Weight210 g or 229 g (7.41 oz)204 g or 205 g (7.20 oz)
 IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 1.5m for 30 min)-
Display
ProtectionCorning Gorilla Glass VictusCorning Gorilla Glass Victus
Resolution1440 x 3200 pixels, 20:9 ratio (~522 ppi density)1440 x 3200 pixels, 20:9 ratio (~521 ppi density)
Size6.73 inches, 108.9 cm2 (~89.6% screen-to-body ratio)6.73 inches, 109.4 cm2 (~89.6% screen-to-body ratio)
TypeLTPO AMOLED, 1B colors, 120Hz, Dolby Vision, HDR10+, 1200 nits (HBM), 1900 nits (peak)LTPO AMOLED, 1B colors, 120Hz, Dolby Vision, HDR10+, 1000 nits (HBM), 1500 nits (peak)
Platform
CPUOcta-core (1x3.2 GHz Cortex-X3 & 2x2.8 GHz Cortex-A715 & 2x2.8 GHz Cortex-A710 & 3x2.0 GHz Cortex-A510)Octa-core (1x3.00 GHz Cortex-X2 & 3x2.50 GHz Cortex-A710 & 4x1.80 GHz Cortex-A510)
ChipsetQualcomm SM8550-AB Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 (4 nm)Qualcomm SM8450 Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 (4 nm)
GPUAdreno 740Adreno 730
OSAndroid 13, upgradable to Android 14, HyperOSAndroid 12, MIUI 13
Memory
Card slotNoNo
Internal128GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 12GB RAM, 512GB 12GB RAM128GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 12GB RAM
 UFS 3.1 - 128GB UFS 4.0 - 256/512GBUFS 3.1
Main Camera
FeaturesLaser AF, color spectrum sensor, Leica lens, Dual-LED dual-tone flash, HDR, panoramaColor spectrum sensor, Dual-LED dual-tone flash, HDR, panorama
Single-32 MP, f/2.5, 26mm (wide), 0.7µm
Triple50.3 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), AF50 MP, f/1.9, 24mm (wide), 1/1.28", 1.22µm, dual pixel PDAF, OIS 50 MP, f/1.9, 48mm (telephoto), PDAF, 2x optical zoom 50 MP, f/2.2, 115˚ (ultrawide)
Video8K@24fps (HDR), 4K@24/30/60fps (HDR10+, 10-bit Dolby Vision HDR, 10-bit LOG), 1080p@30/120/240/960fps, 1080p@1920fps, gyro-EIS8K@24fps (HDR), 4K@30/60fps (HDR10+), 1080p@30/120/240/960fps, 720p@1920fps, gyro-EIS
Selfie camera
FeaturesHDR, panoramaHDR, panorama
Single32 MP, f/2.0, 22mm (wide), 1/3.14", 0.7µm32 MP, f/2.5, 26mm (wide), 0.7µm
Video1080p@30fps1080p@30/60fps, 720p@120fps, HDR10+
Sound
3.5mm jack NoNo
35mm jackNoNo
Loudspeaker Yes, with stereo speakersYes, with stereo speakers (4 speakers)
 24-bit/192kHz audio24-bit/192kHz audio Tuned by Harman Kardon
Comms
Bluetooth5.3, A2DP, aptX HD, aptX Adaptive5.2, A2DP, LE, aptX HD, aptX Adaptive
Infrared portYesYes
NFCYesYes (market/region dependent)
PositioningGPS (L1+L5), GLONASS (G1), BDS (B1I+B1c+B2a), GALILEO (E1+E5a), QZSS (L1+L5), NavIC (L5)GPS (L1+L5), GLONASS (L1), BDS (B1I+B1c+B2a), GALILEO (E1+E5a), QZSS (L1+L5), NavIC (L5)
RadioNoNo
USBUSB Type-C 2.0, OTGUSB Type-C 2.0, OTG
WLANWi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6e, dual-band, Wi-Fi DirectWi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6 or 6e (market dependent), dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct
Features
SensorsFingerprint (under display, optical), accelerometer, proximity, gyro, compass, barometerFingerprint (under display, optical), accelerometer, gyro, compass, barometer
 -Virtual Proximity Sensing
Battery
Charging120W wired, PD3.0, QC4, 100% in 19 min 50W wireless, 100% in 36 min 10W reverse wireless120W wired, PD3.0, QC4, 100% in 18 min 50W wireless, 100% in 42 min 10W reverse wireless
TypeLi-Po 4820 mAhLi-Po 4600 mAh
Misc
ColorsCeramic White, Ceramic Black, Ceramic Flora Green, Mountain BlueGray, Blue, Purple, Green
Models2210132G, 2210132C2201122C, 2201122G
PriceAbout 750 EUR€ 317.40 / $ 349.99 / £ 364.66 / ₹ 41,999
SAR-1.09 W/kg (head)     1.05 W/kg (body)
SAR EU-0.60 W/kg (head)     1.00 W/kg (body)
Tests
Battery life Endurance rating 115h Endurance rating 74h
Camera Photo / Video Photo / Video
Display Contrast ratio: Infinite (nominal) Contrast ratio: Infinite (nominal)
Loudspeaker -25.6 LUFS (Very good) -29.5 LUFS (Average)
Performance AnTuTu: 1281666 (v9) GeekBench: 5087 (v5.1), 5323 (v6) GFXBench: 64fps (ES 3.1 onscreen) AnTuTu: 985226 (v9) GeekBench: 3682 (v5.1) GFXBench: 46fps (ES 3.1 onscreen)

Xiaomi 13 Pro

  • Significantly faster Snapdragon 8 Gen 2
  • Brighter display (1253 nits)
  • Superior battery life (115h endurance)
  • Faster wireless charging (50W)
  • Improved thermal management

  • Potentially higher price

Xiaomi 12 Pro

  • Still a capable flagship
  • Fast 120W wired charging
  • Potentially more affordable now

  • Slower Snapdragon 8 Gen 1
  • Less bright display (1050 nits)
  • Shorter battery life (74h endurance)
  • Prone to thermal throttling

Display Comparison

The Xiaomi 13 Pro takes a clear lead in the display department. Its 1253 nits peak brightness surpasses the 12 Pro's 1050 nits, offering better visibility in direct sunlight. Both phones feature excellent contrast ratios (Infinite, nominally), and vibrant color reproduction, but the 13 Pro's added brightness provides a noticeable advantage.

Camera Comparison

While both phones offer capable camera systems, the 13 Pro is expected to have improvements in image processing and low-light performance due to the newer chipset and potentially updated sensors (specific sensor details are not provided in the data). Both offer Photo/Video capabilities, but the 13 Pro likely provides a more refined and advanced photographic experience.

Performance

The Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 in the 13 Pro is a substantial upgrade over the 8 Gen 1 in the 12 Pro. The 13 Pro delivers significantly faster processing speeds, smoother multitasking, and improved gaming performance. The 8 Gen 1 was known to have thermal throttling issues, which the 8 Gen 2 largely addresses, making the 13 Pro a more consistent performer under load.

Battery Life

Battery life is a major differentiator. The 13 Pro's endurance rating of 115h is significantly higher than the 12 Pro's 74h. Active use also shows a longer runtime on the 13 Pro (10:55h vs. implied shorter time on the 12 Pro). The 120W wired charging is similar on both, but the 13 Pro's 50W wireless charging is slightly faster.

Buying Guide

The Xiaomi 13 Pro is ideal for power users, photography enthusiasts, and those prioritizing long battery life and the latest technology. The Xiaomi 12 Pro is a good option for budget-conscious buyers who still want a premium experience and don't need the absolute latest features, especially if found at a discounted price.

Frequently Asked Questions

❓ Is the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 a big upgrade over the 8 Gen 1?
Yes, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 offers significantly improved performance, efficiency, and thermal management compared to the 8 Gen 1.
❓ Which phone is better for mobile gaming?
The Xiaomi 13 Pro is the better choice for mobile gaming due to its more powerful chipset and improved thermal performance.