Xiaomi is a brand that has long ceased to exist associated with solid and cheap smartphones. Don’t get me wrong, the Chinese manufacturer’s devices are still solid, but by no means cheap. Suffice it to say that for its new flagship, Xiaomi 13 Pro the company wants almost PLN 6,000. The latest… iPhone 15 Pro costs exactly the same.
Fortunately, the Chinese have not forgotten about users who do not want to spend the national average (but only half of it) on the purchase of a new smartphone. And this is where Xiaomi 13T enters the scene, a model priced at less than PLN 3,000, which in many respects is not inferior to the brand’s flagships.
Over the last two weeks, I had the opportunity to test this equipment and learn about its strengths and weaknesses. Here’s everything you need to know about Xiaomi 13T.
A PLUS: Consistent and aesthetic design
Xiaomi has developed a consistent design for most of its devices in recent years. The 13T model also fits into this visual identification. Here we find an almost frameless display, rounded edges and a characteristic camera island, which, although quite massive, is, in my opinion, one of the most aesthetic solutions of this type.
MINUS: Slippery and finger-sticking back of the smartphone
Unfortunately, this is an excellent first Two elements spoil the impression. The first is the frame connecting the front and back of the device, which is made of plastic, not aluminum. However, I am ready to forgive the manufacturer (after all, it is not a flagship).
A much bigger “sin” is covering the back of the device with shiny i slippery glass. Firstly, it collects fingerprints just by looking at it, and secondly, it makes it very easy for the smartphone to be stolen (slip in your hand. After the first day with Xiaomi 13T, I understood why the manufacturer added a “free” transparent case to the phone box.
However, I am glad that Xiaomi 13T received IP68 certification, which means that it is resistant to dust and temporary immersion in water (up to a depth of 5 meters).
A PLUS: AMOLED screen with 144 Hz refreshment…
Xiaomi 13T is equipped with 6.67-inch AMOLED screen about resolution 1220×2712. This display offers brightness levels 1200 nits (High Brightness Mode)and at its peak it reaches as much as 2600 nits, which is a very good result. What’s more, 13T offers too full coverage of the DCI-P3 color palette and support for the HDR10+ and Dolby Vision standards. The smartphone’s screen was, of course, covered with Corning Grilla Glass version 5.
While Apple has the nerve to offer the iPhone 15 with a 60 Hz refresh rate in 2023, Xiaomi says: “hold my beer” and throws it into the 13T model screen with 144 Hz refresh rate, thanks to which navigating Android 13 is an extremely smooth and pleasant experience.
ON MINUS: …but without LTPO
Xiaomi 13T screen works at fixed refresh rates – 30, 60, 90, 120 and 144 Hz. Unfortunately, the manufacturer did not use the same technology known from more expensive models LTPO technology, which would allow for a smooth frequency change in the range from 144 Hz to just 1 Hz.
This is not a huge problem, but it is worth noting that it may have a negative impact on… device battery life in mode .
PROS: Solid (but not crazy) performance
One of the main differences between the 13T model and its more powerful brother (13T Pro) is the use of less efficient Mediatek Dimensity 8200 Ultra system (4nm). Although this processor does not achieve any stunning results in benchmarks (below the results from Geekbench 5), during everyday use I did not have the impression that I was dealing with a more “budget” system.
Xiaomi 13T – Benchmark photo: DM
Apps launch quickly and a switching between them is very smooth. Equipped with the Mali-G610 graphics chip, the smartphone performs perfectly even with… more demanding mobile games – such as “Call of Duty Mobile”.
When it comes to working memory, we have 8 GB RAM at our disposal (in the 13 T Pro model – 12 GB). This also happens 256 GB internal memory. It is worth noting here that it works in the older and slower UFS 3.1 standard. (13T Pro – UFS 4.0).
MINUS: Average speakers
However, the built-in stereo speakers are a minor disappointment. Xiaomi boasts here Dolby Atmos technology, but what’s the point when the sound coming from the smartphone is as flat as the Akerman steppes? Perhaps my expectations were too high, or maybe I had been spending too much time recently with smartphones that had a surprisingly good audio system. Either way, there’s nothing crazy about it.
A PLUS: An excellent camera with Leica lenses
The camera, however, is a completely different story. In this aspect The Xiaomi 13T model definitely has something to be proud of. Let’s start with the fact that – for the first time in the history of the T series – lenses have been added to this year’s models signed with the Leica brandwhich until now was reserved only for flagships.
Xiaomi 13T has a set of three eyes:
- main lens – 50 MP, f/1.9, 24 mm, 1/2.88″, 0.61µm, PDAF, OIS
- telephoto lens – 50 MP, f/1.9, 50 mm, 1/2.88″, 0.61µm, PDAF, 2x
- ultra lens – 12 MP, f/2.2, 1/3.06″, 1.12µm
The main 50 MP camera does a great job photos taken during the day – the frames are sharp, rich in details, and the colors are natural (we can enhance them in the Vibrantalthough I’m not a big fan of such enhancers and I took photos in standard mode myself).
Night photos they also perform decently. Of course, it is not at the level of Samsung flagships or the latest iPhone 15 Pro, but at this price level the Xiaomi 13T is definitely nothing to be ashamed of.
50 MP telephoto lens 50 mm focal length offers 2x optical zoom and twenty times digital magnification – and it performs both tasks correctly, although it is difficult for me to imagine situations in which anyone would need to use the 20x zoom.
Completing this versatile lens kit there is an ultra-wide-angle eyelet. There is nothing to complain about here either, although we must take into account that the photos from this camera will be slightly less detailed, and there will be artifacts and slight noise here and there (this applies almost exclusively to night shots).
Completing this versatile camera set there is a 20 MP front lens with f/2.2 aperture. This is a big plus for selfie portraits, which are characterized by a very natural reproduction of the effect . I’ve seen more expensive smartphones that completely destroy portraits.
The tested smartphone also offers extensive video functions. We can record companies in 4K/30 FPS quality in HDR mode. There is also digital video stabilization, but unfortunately it is only available when recording in 1080p and 30 frames per second.
MINUS: No inductive charging
Xiaomi 13T has a really large battery with a capacity of up to 5000 mAh. When using the smartphone very intensively, it allows the device to work for a full day, and with moderate load, this time is extended up to two days.
The smartphone offers 67 Hz fast charging, which will allow us to charge the battery from 0 to 100 percent in about 47 minutes. It’s a pity that the 13T doesn’t offer inductive charging. Seriously, I don’t understand, why manufacturers still limit the availability of this function only to the most expensive models.
SUMMARY
Average or almost flagship? After two weeks spent with Xiaomi 13T, I am leaning towards the latter option. We are dealing here with an efficient device with an excellent 144 Hz AMOLED screen, a strong battery and an almost flagship camera. There are definitely fewer compromises that drag this model down – these include: no induction, mediocre audio and slower memory.
Xiaomi priced this model at PLN 2,999. Is this a fair price? It depends. Until recently, I would have considered this amount to be highly overstated. Unfortunately, the prices of smartphones have gone up so much in recent years that today almost no one is surprised when the prices of mid-range models reach up to PLN 3,000, and for flagships we have to pay twice as much.
Source: Gazeta
Mabel is a talented author and journalist with a passion for all things technology. As an experienced writer for the 247 News Agency, she has established a reputation for her in-depth reporting and expert analysis on the latest developments in the tech industry.
