Xiaomi 13 Pro vs Xiaomi 12 Pro: Is it worth the upgrade?

Last update: April 16th 2024
Xiaomi 13 Pro vs Xiaomi 12 Pro

It's official: Xiaomi has just unveiled its thirteenth series of high-end smartphones. In this article, we're going to focus on its latest offering. flagship, the Xiaomi 13 Pro, pitting it against its predecessor, the 12 Pro. Without further ado, let's see what improvements this new device brings us.

Xiaomi 13 vs Xiaomi 12

Xiaomi 13 Lite vs Xiaomi 12 Lite

Xiaomi 13 Pro vs Xiaomi 12 Pro: Specifications

XIAOMI 13 Pro 5G - 12+256GB Smartphone, 6.73” WQHD+ AMOLED 120Hz Display, Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, 50MP Leica Camera, Smart Hypercharge 120W, 4820mAh, Ceramic Black (ES Version + 3 Years Warranty)
XIAOMI 2201122G 12 Pro Smartphone, 6.73” 120Hz AMOLED Display, Snapdragon 8 Gen 1, 50MP Triple Camera, 4600mAh, 120W HyperCharge, Purple Color, 8GB + 256GB
Name
Xiaomi 13 Pro
Xiaomi 12 Pro
Dimensions and weight
162,8 x 74,6 x 8,38 mm / 229 grams
163,6 x 74,6 x 8,16 mm and 204 grams
Construction
Bioceramics
Glass and aluminum
Screen
OLED LTPO capacitive touchscreen, 1B colors 6.72 inches, 20:9 1440 x 3200 pixels 522 ppi Gorilla Glass Victus HDR10+ 120 Hz refresh rate Dolby Vision
6,73-inch 2K LTPO AMOLED at 3.300 x 1.440 pixels 1 to 120Hz refresh rate Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 521 ppi
Sound
Double speaker
Double speaker
Camera
Rear: 50 MP (f/1.8, PDAF dual pixel and laser, OIS, wide) + 50 MP (f/2.2, ultrawide) + 50 MP (f/2.0, PDAF, OIS, telephoto) - Front: 32 MP, f/2.0, wide, 1080p@30/60fps, HDR
Rear: Main: 50 megapixels Sony IMX707 Wide: 50 megapixels with f/1,9 Telephoto: 50 megapixels - Front 32 megapixels
Processor
Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen2
Snapdragon 8 Gen1
GPU
Adreno 740
Adreno 730
RAM
8 / 12 GB
8 / 12 GB
Storage
128 / 256 / 512 GB
128 / 256 GB
Battery
4820 mAh 120W fast charging, 50W wireless charging, and 10W reverse charging
4.600 mAh, 120W Fast Charging, 50W Wireless Charging, 10W Reverse Charging
Others
5G WiFi 6 Bluetooth 5.3 GPS NFC Infrared USB Type-C Harman Kardon stereo speakers IP68 certification Collaboration with Leica for its cameras Anti-dirt rear coating Dolby Atmos certification On-screen fingerprint reader
WiFi 6 Bluetooth 5.2 GPS NFC USB Type-C Fingerprint reader under the screen Harman Kardon stereo speakers
Operating System
MIUI 14 based on Android 13
MIUI 13 based on Android 12
Price
1299 EUR
From 999.9 €
XIAOMI 13 Pro 5G - 12+256GB Smartphone, 6.73” WQHD+ AMOLED 120Hz Display, Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, 50MP Leica Camera, Smart Hypercharge 120W, 4820mAh, Ceramic Black (ES Version + 3 Years Warranty)
Name
Xiaomi 13 Pro
Dimensions and weight
162,8 x 74,6 x 8,38 mm / 229 grams
Construction
Bioceramics
Screen
OLED LTPO capacitive touchscreen, 1B colors 6.72 inches, 20:9 1440 x 3200 pixels 522 ppi Gorilla Glass Victus HDR10+ 120 Hz refresh rate Dolby Vision
Sound
Double speaker
Camera
Rear: 50 MP (f/1.8, PDAF dual pixel and laser, OIS, wide) + 50 MP (f/2.2, ultrawide) + 50 MP (f/2.0, PDAF, OIS, telephoto) - Front: 32 MP, f/2.0, wide, 1080p@30/60fps, HDR
Processor
Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen2
GPU
Adreno 740
RAM
8 / 12 GB
Storage
128 / 256 / 512 GB
Battery
4820 mAh 120W fast charging, 50W wireless charging, and 10W reverse charging
Others
5G WiFi 6 Bluetooth 5.3 GPS NFC Infrared USB Type-C Harman Kardon stereo speakers IP68 certification Collaboration with Leica for its cameras Anti-dirt rear coating Dolby Atmos certification On-screen fingerprint reader
Operating System
MIUI 14 based on Android 13
Price
1299 EUR
-
XIAOMI 2201122G 12 Pro Smartphone, 6.73” 120Hz AMOLED Display, Snapdragon 8 Gen 1, 50MP Triple Camera, 4600mAh, 120W HyperCharge, Purple Color, 8GB + 256GB
Name
Xiaomi 12 Pro
Dimensions and weight
163,6 x 74,6 x 8,16 mm and 204 grams
Construction
Glass and aluminum
Screen
6,73-inch 2K LTPO AMOLED at 3.300 x 1.440 pixels 1 to 120Hz refresh rate Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 521 ppi
Sound
Double speaker
Camera
Rear: Main: 50 megapixels Sony IMX707 Wide: 50 megapixels with f/1,9 Telephoto: 50 megapixels - Front 32 megapixels
Processor
Snapdragon 8 Gen1
GPU
Adreno 730
RAM
8 / 12 GB
Storage
128 / 256 GB
Battery
4.600 mAh, 120W Fast Charging, 50W Wireless Charging, 10W Reverse Charging
Others
WiFi 6 Bluetooth 5.2 GPS NFC USB Type-C Fingerprint reader under the screen Harman Kardon stereo speakers
Operating System
MIUI 13 based on Android 12
Price
From 999.9 €

How much does the Xiaomi 13 Pro cost?

Main differences between the Xiaomi 13 Pro and the Xiaomi 12 Pro

  • Greater thickness and weight for the Xiaomi 13 Pro
  • Processor renewal in its commitment to Qualcomm
  • Larger battery capacity
  • New collaboration with Leica
  • WiFi 7 with up to 5.8 Gbps and 30% less power consumption

Processor: Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 vs Snapdragon 8 Gen 1

In the performance section, for this Xiaomi 13 Pro we have received the natural evolution of the Qualcomm processor. We go from the Snapdragon 8 Gen1 that the Xiaomi 12 Pro mounted 8 January 2 This new Xiaomi 13 Pro includes. And the change is justified by a notable improvement in raw power, as we will see below:

CPU Test (1 core) Source: CPU-Monkey
CPU Test (All Cores) Source: CPU-Monkey

As for the GPU, it's worth noting that the 8 Gen 2 is paired with the Adreno 740, while the 8 Gen 1 works with the Adreno 730, and these are the results:

GPU Test Source: CPU-Monkey

Leica makes the difference

Going into the photographic section, this new Xiaomi 13 Pro presents a remarkable and notorious collaboration with the firm LEICA, which delivers exceptional image processing results, to the detriment of the 12 Pro, which didn't have that signature. Plus, it boasts 72% more light input compared to the previous generation. Of course, including 10-bit RAW, which you can edit in Photoshop and Lightroom.

For its part, the Xiaomi 13 Pro, from our point of view, gains in beauty with the new distribution of its sensors, but if we look at the data, it is practically the same. 1-inch 50-megapixel f/1.8 main sensor, ultra-wide angle, also 50 f/2.2 and 50 telephoto. The same goes for the frontal camera, both have a sensor of 32 megapixels.

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According to Xiaomi, the lens moves and allows you to focus up to ten centimeters and take portraits at 50 centimeters.

As we have mentioned, the main difference lies in the processing, in this collaboration with LEICA, as it offers better photographs in general, but especially highlighting the night section, where this Xiaomi 13 Pro is notably superior.

In the aesthetic section, the photographic sensors take center stage

Yes, We think the Xiaomi 13 Pro is a much more beautiful, elegant and attractive phone. than its predecessor. It is presented with a excellent construction Made of bio-ceramic, curved screen and a outstanding hand feel. but let's not forget the most distinctive change: its camera module. We've gone from a somewhat anarchic module to one that's extremely distinctive and better integrated.

Otherwise, the new Xiaomi 13 Pro is available in black, white, blue and green, with measurements of 162.9 x 74.6 x 8.4mm/8.7mm and 210g/229gAs we can see in the comparison table, it increases in thickness and weight, with a practically imperceptible difference.

Excellent screen, but continuous

We're looking at the same screen with some minor differences, which we'll see below. This Xiaomi 13 Pro has a slightly smaller panel. 6.72 inch LTPO OLED 522 ppi, resolution WQHD + 3200 x 1440 pixels, 1 to 120 Hz dynamic refresh rate, allowing you to choose which applications you want to use it with. It adds notable technologies such as Dolby Vision y Pro HDR.

As we can see, it decreases minimally in size, but maintains the same protection. Gorilla Glass Foods and the same technologies that keep the Pro version as one of the phones with the best screen on the market.

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Small improvement in autonomy

Xiaomi could have given up the battle against battery bloat, as other brands have done, but that's not the case. Here we have a 220 mAh increase, we went from 4.600 to 4.820, something we should be grateful for, as it gives a little more duration to the day.

Otherwise, we are still, as with the 12 Pro, facing a monstrous battery in terms of duration and charging technologies. It has 120W fast charging, 50W wireless charging, and 10W reverse charging.

But be careful, normal charging is not done at 120 W, for this we must activate a specific option in the quick settings bar and if we do so, we will have the 100% in just 19 minutes.

Conclusions: Xiaomi 13 Pro or Xiaomi 12 Pro

Is this Xiaomi 13 Pro worth buying? Yes, it is. In our view, if you want the best phone from the Chinese firm to date, this is it. We've never seen a Xiaomi so polished. We loved its design, its display, its audio technology in collaboration with Harman & Kardon, and, above all, its photography.

The collaboration with LEICA has been a great success, with improved processing in all situations and a very noticeable improvement in the night vision range. However, if you don't want a phone that's as big or as expensive, the Xiaomi 13, in its standard version, is an excellent option and is also more manageable.