Xiaomi 12 VS Xiaomi 13

In December 2022, Xiaomi introduced the Xiaomi 13, which will be one of the main flagships in the market next year. The model replaced the Xiaomi 12 released a year ago, which even now, after a while, should not be discounted.

How much has Xiaomi 13 changed compared to its predecessor and are all these updates worth the money they ask for a new flagship, or is it better to opt for last year's Xiaomi 12? To answer this question, we decided to compare both Xiaomi smartphones with each other.

Design and display

In terms of design, the new Xiaomi 13 is noticeably different from its predecessor. This year, Xiaomi decided to rely on a flat display with ultra-thin bezels around the edges and a unique design of the back cover with a leather texture.

The physical dimensions of the new flagship have not changed much, except that it has noticeably added in width. But the screen size has grown from 6.28 to 6.36 inches diagonally. 

As for the displays, in both cases this is a top AMOLED panel with a dynamic refresh rate of up to 120 Hz, support for HDR10 + and Dolby Vision, as well as a built-in optical fingerprint scanner. The maximum screen brightness of Xiaomi 12 is 1100 nits, while for Xiaomi 13 this figure reaches 1200 nits (up to 1900 nits in the case of HDR content).

Chipset and performance

 Specs:

• Snapdragon 8 Gen 1. Last year's Xiaomi flagship is based on the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 chipset, the power of which is enough for the eyes of most users today. The only drawback of Xiaomi 12 — shortened software support period compared to Xiaomi 13.
• Snapdragon 8 Gen 2. As for Xiaomi 13, it is built on the latest Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, Qualcomm's most powerful processor to date. It is also equipped with a fast built-in UFS 4.0 type storage and runs the latest Android 13 operating system, on top of which the proprietary MIUI 14 firmware is installed. 

Cameras

 Compare:

• Sony IMX800. One of the most notable updates of Xiaomi 13, along with the new processor, is even cooler cameras, created together with the famous manufacturer of photographic equipment and optics Leica. On the back of the new flagship is a prominently protruding square-shaped module with rounded corners, inside which hides a 50-megapixel main camera with phase detection autofocus and optical image stabilization, combined with a 12-megapixel ultra-wide-angle module and a 10-megapixel telephoto camera.
• Sony IMX766. However, last year's Xiaomi 12 should not be shy about its cameras. It is equipped with a triple main camera with a 50-megapixel main sensor, a 13-megapixel ultra-wide-angle module and a 5-megapixel camera with a telemacro lens. Like the new model, the previous flagship supports 8K HDR video shooting at 24fps, and has a 32MP selfie camera on the front.

Battery and charging speed

Ask Price

The main advantage of Xiaomi 12 today — this is its price because it managed to drop in retail price to about 500 euros, which makes it an excellent choice in terms of value for money. In addition, it is available in almost all markets where the Chinese brand is represented. As for Xiaomi 13, so far, it is officially sold only in China, and it should appear on the world market in early 2023. Prices for the global market have not yet been announced, but we expect them to start at 800 euros.

Final verdict