See the first images from the 1-inch camera phone threat that promises to destroy the iPhone and Galaxy S23 Ultra

If there’s one phone that has the advanced camera tech, hardware chops and marketing clout to actually beat the Galaxy S23 Ultra, iPhone 14 Pro Max, and Google Pixel 7 Pro, this has to be it.

Last but not least, you also have an ultra-wide lens, and all of these cameras are covered with the Vario-Summicron branding by Leica, where the Vario part denotes a zoom lens and the Summicron part denotes that this is the best quality lens possible.

Xiaomi 13 Pro main camera samples

These official samples taken on the Xiaomi 13 Pro indicate that this camera surpasses current flagships such as the iPhone 14 Pro Max, Galaxy S22 Ultra, and Pixel 7 Pro.

This powerful 1-inch sensor is impressive in a variety of conditions, but photos stand out in low light. The 23mm f/1.9 lens has a fast enough aperture and wide profile that makes it versatile.

The first photo depicts a bartender making a fireworks cocktail. This effect is achieved by sprinkling cinnamon powder and is beautifully captured by the Xiaomi 13 Pro

Xiaomi Mi 13 Pro 75mm Telephoto Shots

Interestingly, the Xiaomi 13 Pro goes with a 75mm focus distance for the telephoto camera, which is about 3.3 times longer than the main shooter.

And it’s not the only one: the majority of phone makers in China are changing their flagship phones to telephoto lenses with 2X to 3.5X zoom, which seems to be the sweet spot and trend for 2023.

For Xiaomi, this is a change from the 12S Ultra which was equipped with a 5X zoom camera. We imagine this new zoom range to be more versatile as people often use zoom levels in this range, plus we imagine it can also be used for portrait mode shots, unlike a 5X or 10x long range camera.

It’s no coincidence that we begin the above gallery with this nocturnal shot at the barbershop. One of the advantages of this zoom lens is that it can be used in low light conditions. Some zoom cameras, like the 10x Zoom shooter on the Galaxy S22 Ultra, cannot be used in low light conditions, as they require more light.

Xiaomi 13 Pro: close-ups with a new Telephoto lens

Here’s a demo of the impressive 4-inch zoom capability of this new telephoto lens.

You can really get some pictures that few people would expect coming from a smartphone.

You have an excellent amount of detail and with this zoom lens you will inevitably get some separation with a creamy blurred background which adds to the artistic value of the images.

Xiaomi 13 Pro: Design and Specifications

Well, we talked about the cameras, but what is the Xiaomi 13 Pro all about?

It is a flagship phone, of course, and here is a quick summary of the specifications:

The Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 is the first Qualcomm chip to support LPDDR5X RAM and UFS 4.0 storage, and the storage alone will significantly improve speed. UFS 4.0 is cited for a huge jump in read/write speeds, plus it allows the actual chips in use to be smaller. Expect twice the speeds compared to UFS 3.1, with UFS 4.0 hitting 4200MB/s read and 2800MB/s write. This kind of flash memory is said to be the biggest upgrade in the field in the past three years.

In addition, the Xiaomi CEO confirms that there will be a ceramic model, pictured above. It is a beautiful “field green” color and ceramic is more scratch resistant than regular glass. It’s rare to see anything different than glass in a mainstream flagship, so this is an added bonus that shows the level of care that went into making this product.

Finally, this white model is expected to feature toughened glass, if you prefer to opt for the more classic design. We love the clean white finish, which gives the phone a very pleasing aesthetic.

Xiaomi doesn’t sell its phones in the US, and we doubt that will change anytime soon, but of course it would be possible to import the phone for those extra curious.