Xiaomi 13T Pro review

Xiaomi is one of the most popular smartphone makers on the planet, but do you really need one of its flagship phones? 

As impressive as the Xiaomi 13 and 13 Pro are, they’re also very expensive. You might not even need all their premium features, so it’s worth considering some of the Chinese company’s cheaper phones. 

And while the Xiaomi 13T Pro is significantly more affordable, you wouldn’t know it from most of the specs. The MediaTak Dimensity 9200+ chipset used here is powerful enough to rival the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, and there are no real weaknesses from a hardware perspective. 

But after using the Xiaomi 13T Pro as my main phone for a week, a few familiar shortcomings came to the fore. Here’s my full review. 

Design & Build 

• Premium but polarising design
• Durable yet lightweight
• IP68 rating 

The Xiaomi 13T Pro looks a lot like the more expensive 13 Pro that came before it. While that’d normally be a good thing, I still can’t get on board with the way it looks. 

To be clear, this is only a comment on the Black version I tested – it’s not likely to be as bad on Meadow Green or Alpine Blue models.  

But the ceramic back here is incredibly reflective, to the extent that it could easily be used as a mirror. I don’t know about you, but I’d prefer not to be staring at myself every time I look at the back of my phone. 

It’s also very prone to picking up fingerprint smudges and other dirt, both of which are much more noticeable than on a non-reflective back. Some of it even gets into the grooves of the rear camera module, which aren’t quite as large as the Xiaomi 13 Pro but still quite ugly, regardless of the model you choose. 

This is less of an issue if you apply the silicone case in the box, but it makes the phone look cheap and has no effect on the mirror problem. Instead, I’d recommend getting a case which is totally opaque, though that rather defeats the point of a ceramic design. 

It’s a real shame, as ceramic is a great choice for the back of a phone in many other ways. It looks and feels very premium, yet is both less fragile and lighter than glass.  

I was very impressed with how durable the 13T Pro felt, and it survived totally unscathed from a couple of drops on a table. The screen is equipped with tough Gorilla Glass 5, which has been tested to survive a fall of up to 1.2m onto a hard, rough surface. 

You also get an IP68 rating, meaning it’s fully protected against dust and can survive in up to 1.5m of fresh water for up to 30 minutes. I’d be confident in it looking much the same for many years. 

All models weigh 206g, except Alpine Blue, which is even lighter at 200g. That’s very respectable for a phone with a large 6.67in display. I just wish Xiaomi had tried something different aesthetically. 

Swapping the 12T Pro’s plastic frame for aluminium is a nice touch, though. The power and volume buttons you find there are in a natural position on the side of the phone and are satisfyingly clicky. 

The tray on the bottom of the device supports up to two SIM cards, but not microSD to expand the on-device storage. It’s joined by the usual USB-C port, though it’s no surprise to see the missing 3.5mm audio jack on a 2023 phone. 

Anyron Copeman / Foundry

Screen & Speakers 

• Excellent 6.67in Full HD+ AMOLED screen
• Dynamic 144Hz refresh rate
• Impressive dual speakers 

There are no compromises whatsoever when it comes to the 13T Pro’s screen. It’s still a 6.67in AMOLED panel, and remains one of the best displays on any smartphone. 

Like many OLEDs, you can expect rich, vibrant colours and deep blacks. A resolution of 2712×1220 isn’t the highest, but still ensures an excellent level of clarity and detail. But while the 20:9 aspect ratio is fairly typical for modern handsets, complete one-handed usage is pretty much out of the question. 

Anyron Copeman / Foundry

But there is one notable upgrade compared to the 12T Pro here: a 144Hz refresh rate. That’s higher than even the top-end Xiaomi 13 Ultra, and beaten only by dedicated gaming phones. 

Will you notice a difference compared to 120Hz? Almost certainly not. But that’s partly due to the dynamic refresh rate option that’s applied by default.  

LTPO tech means the screen can automatically move between 30-, 60-, 90-, 120- and 144Hz depending on what you’re doing, helping to save battery life. The option for a fixed 60- or 144Hz is there, but the dynamic version means you get the best of both worlds. 

I also recorded an impressive maximum brightness of 500 nits. It means using the phone outdoors isn’t an issue, even on bright sunny days. 

Within the display, you’ll find an optical fingerprint sensor. While simple to set up, I found it to be quite temperamental, with such a small target area making it hard to get the right angle at times. 

Anyron Copeman / Foundry

Using the punch-hole selfie camera for face unlock is much easier, and it unlocks the phone rapidly. However, it’s worth emphasising that this isn’t nearly as secure as something like Apple’s Face ID. 

The 13T boasts speakers at the top and bottom for a dual stereo setup. It’s nice to see the usually tinny earpiece isn’t relied on for audio – you get impressively punchy music and clear vocals instead. 

Most details are retained at higher volumes, though bass is the obvious weakness compared to the best sounding phones out there. These are usually dedicated gaming handsets, though. 

Specs & Performance 

• MediaTek Dimensity 9200+ chipset
• Excellent all-round performance
• Internal storage from 256GB to 1TB

Most Android smartphones use Qualcomm chipsets, with the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 on the majority of flagships. It might sound like a downgrade to see Xiaomi opt for MediaTek on the 13T Pro instead, but that’s certainly not the case. 

The Dimensity 9200+ is MediaTek’s most powerful chip to date, and is considered on a par with the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2. Alongside 12GB of RAM on the model I tested (16GB is also available), performance is truly excellent.  

I used the 13T Pro as my main phone for a week, during which time I frequently browsed the web, composed messages and emails and scrolled social media. There was no hesitation or slowdown whatsoever (even when quickly switching between them), indicating it was capable of much more. 

Anyron Copeman / Foundry

And so it proved. While certainly not built for gaming, the 13T Pro can comfortably handle some of the most demanding games on the Google Play Store with ease. I thoroughly enjoyed playing Asphalt 9: Legends and Call of Duty: Mobile, both of which were smooth and lag-free. That high refresh rate display certainly makes a difference, even if neither can go up to 144Hz. 

While the phone gets slightly warm to the touch while gaming, that only becomes an issue if you plan to play for at least an hour, in which case a dedicated gaming phone is a better choice. But even for the likes of photo/video editing or split-screen multitasking, the 13T Pro is plenty capable enough. 

However, the Geekbench 6 score below certainly doesn’t reflect that, while our usual GFXBench tests wouldn’t run on the phone. 

Xiaomi 13T Pro benchmarks

Compared to the 12T Pro, Xiaomi is more generous when it comes to internal storage. The base model is now 256GB, while there’s also a new 1TB version. But I believe the 512GB model I tested will be plenty for most people, even without the option for microSD expansion. 

The 13T Pro is also impressively future-proofed in terms of connectivity. Alongside the expected 5G and NFC support, you get the very latest Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 5.4 standards. You almost certainly won’t notice a difference, but it’s nice to have. 

Cameras & Video

• Impressive 50Mp main and 20Mp selfie cameras
• Decent 50Mp telephoto
• Not the best 12Mp ultrawide

Like its predecessor, the Xiaomi 13T Pro has three rear cameras. But there are a lot of changes compared to last year. 

Firstly, the headline-making 200Mp main sensor has been replaced with a much more ordinary-sounding 50Mp one. But most 12T Pro owners weren’t taking 200Mp shots, which take up a lot of storage space (50-70MB) and several seconds to take. 

Anyron Copeman / Foundry

The default mode used a process called pixel binning to combine four pixels into one and produce a 12.5Mp image, which remains the case on the 13T Pro. And all those extra megapixels didn’t deliver any noticeable improvements to the quality of photos, unless you want to zoom in a lot. 

For most people, this new camera system is more versatile. The main sensor is still capable of some great shots in good lighting, offering impressive dynamic range and handling exposure well. It’s particularly adept at landscape photos and I particularly love the way the main lens captured some dramatic skies in my test shots. 

Of course, you may be tempted to use the ultrawide lens for these. It’s now 12Mp, though there’s still a big drop-off in quality when switching to it. Compared to the main sensor, images are noticeably softer and lacking in detail.

While still very usable, I’d be reluctant to use the ultrawide lens if you’re serious about getting a great photo. But for personal use or posting on social media, it’s fine. 

However, the biggest step forward is the 50Mp telephoto lens. It’s a new addition on the 13T Pro, and means zoom shots are dramatically improved. Optical zoom only goes to 2x, but the quality remains very decent until you get to 5x. I wouldn’t recommend anything near the maximum 20x, though text from a distance may still be readable. 

When using all three lenses, you can choose between ‘Leica Vibrant’ and ‘Leica Authentic’. I used the latter during most of my camera testing, which offers shots that are true to life and generally realistic colours. But the vibrant mode does a good job of making images look saturated and contrasty, often avoiding the need for any editing if you like that look. 

There’s no choice with the 20Mp selfie camera, but it’s very impressive. You can expect detailed, well-exposed selfies, with a portrait mode offering decent background blur. The latter is also available on the main rear lens, though it struggles with edge detection at times. 

The night mode relies on software too, but it does a good job of brightening low-light images without sacrificing detail. 

On the video side, you can shoot in up to 8K at 24fps, but the default 1080p at 30fps is fine for most people. It’s still plenty detailed enough for casual usage, while OIS (optical image stabilisation) on the main lens means footage stays relatively steady while on the move. 

Software & Apps

• MIUI 14 over Android 13
• Still frustrating to use
• Five years of security updates

The 13T Pro runs Android 13, but with Xiaomi’s MIUI 14 skin over the top. 

And if you haven’t used a Xiaomi phone before, it’ll come as quite a shock. Despite retaining all Google apps and core features such as the Discover feed, MIUI has a very different look and feel to Pixel or even Samsung phones. 

In fact, it has more in common with Apple’s iOS. Just like on the iPhone, a swipe down anywhere on the right of the screen gives you quick access to a range of common settings. From the left side, you’ll get your notifications.  

Anyron Copeman / Foundry

See also  Motorola Moto G23 review

Splitting the two makes everything feel less cluttered. I wish I could say the same for the rest of MIUI.

Unfortunately, Xiaomi has decided to pre-install dozens of apps you might not want, such as Amazon, Facebook, Spotify, LinkedIn, Netflix and Booking.com. While frustrating, you can at least uninstall them easily.  

But the same can’t be said for many of Xiaomi’s own apps, such as Cleaner, Themes and Security. The best you can do is hide them and try to forget they’re there. 

Alongside a garish colour scheme and confusing Settings menu, the extra apps is MIUI’s biggest frustration. But the software isn’t necessarily the dealbreaker than it once was. 

A big part of that is Xiaomi’s improved commitment to updates: the 13T Pro will get four years of Android version updates and five years of security updates. 

It means you’ll be able to safely continue using the phone until 2028, which is very impressive. 

Battery Life & Charging

• 5000mAh battery
• Mediocre battery life
• Super-fast 120W charging

Xiaomi has equipped the 13T Pro with a 5000mAh battery. That’s a decent if unremarkable capacity these days, and the same can be said for battery life. 

To be clear, most people can expect at least a day’s usage on a full charge. But if my experience is anything to go by, you’ll be getting the low battery warnings towards the end of a more demanding day. 

Anyron Copeman / Foundry

It’s easy to blame the 144Hz refresh rate or Dimensity 9200+ chip, but battery life wasn’t particularly impressive on the 120Hz, Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1-powered Xiaomi 12T Pro, either. Maybe the cell just needs to be bigger on such a large, powerful phone but that would increase the weight. 

A time of eight hours and 15 minutes in the PCMark battery test (which simulates real-world usage at 200 nits of brightness) shouldn’t be cause for concern, but there are plenty of phones with better battery life. 

However, few mid-range phones can match the 13T Pro on charging speeds. It supports 120W wired, and the necessary charger is included in the box (which isn’t a given these days). From off, I recorded 59% in 15 minutes and a full charge by the half-hour mark. 

That’s extremely impressive, though it’s worth noting that there’s no wireless charging. I didn’t miss it, but some people might. 

Price & Availability 

The Xiaomi 13T Pro starts at £649/€649 for 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage. Stepping up to the 12/512GB model I tested costs £699/€699, while the 16GB/1TB version will set you back £799/€799.

You can buy all three from the Xiaomi UK website, where an early bird offer will include a free Xiaomi Pad 6 with all purchases of the 12/512GB model. 

That’s a very fair price, and you’re not paying much of a premium compared to the £549 regular Xiaomi 13T. But it’s hard to recommend over the Google Pixel 7, while the OnePlus 11 is worth considering.

Also, you may find that a cheaper mid-range phone offers everything you’re looking for. 

Should you buy the Xiaomi 13T Pro? 

Unlike many phones, the Xiaomi 13T Pro is a significant upgrade on its predecessor. 

The new flagship MediaTek chipset delivers top-tier performance, especially alongside a super-smooth 144Hz OLED display. 

Swapping macro for telephoto makes the cameras much more versatile and well-rounded, and you now get an IP68 rating for water and dust resistance. 

But despite the superb 120W fast charging, battery life is slightly underwhelming. You’ll also have to put up with the quirks of MIUI, even if Xiaomi’s commitment to updates is now very impressive. 

The Xiaomi 13T Pro has arguably the best hardware of any phone at this price, but that doesn’t mean it’s the right device for you. 

Specs 

• Android 13 w/ MIUI 14 
• 6.67in, 1220×2712 OLED display, Gorilla Glass 5 
• Adaptive 144Hz refresh rate, 480Hz touch sampling 
• In-display fingerprint sensor 
• MediaTek Dimensity 9200+ chipset 
• 12/16GB RAM 
• 256GB/512GB/1TB non-expandable UFS 4.0 storage 
• 5000mAh battery 
• 120W wired charging 
• 50Mp f/1.9 main camera 
• 50Mp f/2.9 telephoto camera 
• 12Mp f/2.4 ultrawide 
• 20Mp f/2.2 front camera 
• 5G 
• Wi-Fi 7 
• Bluetooth 5.4 
• Dual speakers 
• From 162.2mm x 75.7mm x 8.49mm 
• From 200g