Xiaomi 13T: Features and specifications
Xiaomi 13T: Features and specifications. Xiaomi continues to impress with its 13th generation of smartphones, integrating professional-grade cameras into its flagship models. The Xiaomi 13T, in particular, embraces Leica technology, recognized as one of the best in the current market, while offering an attractive price for a high-end device.
This review delves into the Xiaomi 13T's professional photography capabilities combined with its excellent design, hardware featuring new MediaTek SoCs, and a 6.67” AMOLED display with a 144Hz refresh rate. These elements together make the Xiaomi 13T one of the best value-for-money smartphones available today.
Xiaomi 13T: A Comprehensive Review
Unboxing the Xiaomi 13T
The Xiaomi 13T arrives in a typical sturdy cardboard box. Sliding off the lid, you'll first see the smartphone, with accessories neatly tucked below. The box contains:
- Xiaomi 13T
- 67W Charger
- USB-C to USB-A charging and data cable
- SIM tray ejector tool
- Silicone case
- Documentation
The inclusion of a charger is noteworthy, especially for a high-end device, given the recent trend of excluding chargers from smartphone packages.
The Xiaomi T series is renowned for offering high-quality features at a more accessible price point, closely mirroring flagship models with some minor adjustments to keep costs down. The Xiaomi 13T is no exception, catering to demanding users and potentially outperforming smartphones priced between $800 and $1,000.
The design of the Xiaomi 13T is quite similar to the Xiaomi 13 and 13 Pro, particularly in its camera panel and finish. Despite its large 6.67” screen, it maintains a manageable weight under 200g. A new feature in this generation is its full water resistance with an IP68 certification.
The front features well-utilized screen borders, achieving an approximate 87% screen-to-body ratio. The glass panel has flat edges for a comfortable grip, protected by Gorilla Glass 5, with a centrally placed punch-hole camera.
The rear of the phone presents some interesting innovations inherited from the 13 and 13 Pro series, particularly the Blue Alpine synthetic leather finish. This vegan leather, made from textured polyurethane, offers a soft, premium feel, though it's more susceptible to wear and tear, so using a case is advisable.
The camera module is square with beveled edges, housing three cameras, an LED flash, and the prominent Leica branding. The Xiaomi 13T's frame design is more aesthetically pleasing than the curved screen of the 13 Ultra, featuring seamless unibody metallic frames.
Display and Multimedia
The Xiaomi 13T boasts a 6.67-inch AMOLED display with a 20:9 aspect ratio and QHD resolution of 2710 x 1220 pixels, resulting in a pixel density of around 446 ppi. This panel is exceptional in color reproduction and performance for gaming, featuring a 144Hz refresh rate with AdaptiveSync and a 480Hz touch sampling rate. However, it is not an LTPO display. The screen's brightness peaks at 1200 nits, with maximum bursts reaching 2600 nits.
Color quality and calibration are outstanding, with perfect 178-degree viewing angles and no greenish OLED reflections. The display supports Dolby Vision, HDR10+, and covers the entire DCI-P3 color gamut with Delta E<1 calibration, making it a top-tier panel.
Accompanying the display is a stereo sound setup with dual speakers, compatible with Dolby Atmos. Xiaomi devices are known for their powerful sound output, and the 13T is no exception, offering clear and nuanced audio, although the bass could be slightly more pronounced.
Performance and Connectivity
Gone are the days of questioning MediaTek processors' performance. The Xiaomi 13T is equipped with the new MediaTek Dimensity 8200 Ultra, while the Pro version uses the 9200+. This 4nm ARM architecture SoC from TSMC, clocked up to 3.1 GHz, along with the Mali-G610 MC6 GPU, delivers performance close to the Snapdragon 8 Gen1, making it a capable gaming device.
Although it may not be as efficient as its direct competitor, it excels in temperature management thanks to a well-designed passive cooling system with a 5000 mm² vapor chamber and graphene sheets.
The Xiaomi 13T comes with 8GB or 12GB of LPDDR5X RAM and 256GB of UFS 3.1 storage, though it lacks expandable storage options.
In terms of connectivity, the Xiaomi 13T is fully equipped with the latest and even some older technologies, such as an infrared sensor. It supports Wi-Fi 7 be, Bluetooth 5.4 LE, 5G, NFC, and comprehensive GPS support including A-GPS, GLONASS, Beidou, QZSS, Galileo, and NavIC systems.
Software, Biometrics, and Battery Life
While we await Xiaomi's new HyperOS, the Xiaomi 13T ships with Android 13 and MIUI 14. Xiaomi promises up to four years of updates for this device.
MIUI 14, though familiar and generally performing well, has been criticized for its design choices and pre-installed bloatware. Despite this, the interface remains customizable with themes, wallpapers, and extensive personalization options for display and sound settings.
The Xiaomi 13T features top-notch biometric systems, including an in-display fingerprint sensor and facial recognition, both of which perform excellently even in low-light conditions.
The device houses a 5000 mAh battery, which is quite standard across various price ranges. Unlike the POCO F5 Pro, it does not support wireless charging but retains 67W fast wired charging. The included charger can fully charge the phone in about 40 minutes. Battery life is impressive, with the device easily lasting a day or more under normal use, though heavy gaming or camera usage might reduce this slightly.
Leica Cameras for Enthusiasts
One of the standout features of the Xiaomi 13T is its camera system, enhanced by Leica's expertise. Both the 13T and 13T Pro share the same sensor configuration, though the 13T's video recording capabilities are limited by its CPU.
Rear Cameras
The rear camera setup, powered by Leica VARIO-SUMMICRON 1:1.9-2.2/15-50 mm ASPH lenses, includes:
- Main Sensor: 50 MP Sony IMX707 with f/1.9 aperture, 1.22 µm pixel size, and 1/1.28” sensor size. It features both digital and optical image stabilization (OIS).
- Ultra-Wide Sensor: 13 MP Omnivision OV13B10 with f/2.2 aperture and 119-degree field of view.
- Telephoto Sensor: 50 MP Omnivision OV50D with f/1.9 aperture and 2x optical zoom, capable of 20x digital zoom, with digital stabilization.
Leica's influence is evident in the color interpretation, ensuring consistent and realistic images across all three sensors. The 50 MP main sensor excels in all lighting conditions, though Xiaomi's HDR still lags slightly behind competitors, sometimes overexposing in bright conditions.
Leica provides additional features like Authentic Look and Vibrant Look, along with a personalized mode, various filters, and improved AI mode. The telephoto lens delivers excellent performance with consistent color interpretation up to 10x digital zoom, while the ultra-wide sensor performs well but struggles slightly in low light.
Night Mode and Video Recording
Night mode performance is impressive, maintaining natural image quality without excessive exposure, especially with the main and telephoto sensors. The ultra-wide sensor, however, sometimes creates halos around light sources at night.
Video recording quality is good but limited to 4K at 30fps due to the CPU. For higher quality, such as 8K or 4K at 60fps, the 13T Pro is necessary.
Front Camera
The front camera is a 20 MP Sony IMX596 with an f/2.2 aperture and a 1/2" sensor size, offering good selfie performance with detailed textures and accurate skin tones. However, it struggles more in low light and is limited to 1080p at 30fps for video.
Final Thoughts and Conclusion
The Xiaomi 13T delivers exceptional value for money with its premium design, top-tier display, and powerful performance. MediaTek's new CPU stands out, offering high-end performance and good thermal management. The camera system, enhanced by Leica, is among the best in its price range, though improvements in HDR and video recording capabilities are desired.
The MIUI 14 software, while functional and customizable, comes with unnecessary bloatware, which may be a drawback for some users. The lack of wireless charging is another minor downside.
Overall, the Xiaomi 13T is a top recommendation for its price, excelling in design, display, performance, and camera quality.
Pros:
- Leica Professional Cameras
- Premium Design with PU Version
- High-Quality Build
- 144Hz AMOLED Display with Stereo Sound
- Powerful MediaTek CPU
- Comprehensive Connectivity (Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.4, 5G)
- Good Battery Life and Fast Charging
Cons:
- HDR Could Be Improved
- Video Recording Limited to 4K30 and Front Camera to 1080p30
- Visible CE Mark on PU Version
- MIUI 14 Contains Bloatware
- No Wireless Charging
Price and Availability:
The Xiaomi 13T is available at an official price of approximately $550, with discounts bringing it down to around $400 during sales events.
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