Xiaomi 13T (Hardware)
Official GBAtemp Review
Product Information:
- Official Store: https://www.mi.com/global/product/xiaomi-13t-leica/
Starting out with the packed in goodies, Xiaomi already has Samsung beat by including not only a pre-installed screen protector, slim gel phone case and robust charge cable (A to C), but a whopping 67 Watt fast charger for quick top-ups and super short downtime cycles as well. The company claims that, in ideal conditions, you can get a full 100% charge in just under 45 minutes and the 5,000mAh battery is enough to last all day with average use and some light gaming thrown in.
Running the Xiaomi custom ROM known as MIUI 14 (based on Android 13) and a Dimensity 8200-Ultra (Octacore w/ 3.1GHz Max), the 13T pushes into the high performance range with a mid-range price point. Complimenting the CPU are 8GB of RAM (with an extra 4GB of cached/swap memory), 256GB of storage, and a super clean 2712x1220 @ 446ppi AMOLED 6.67" 144Hz Display w/ Dolby Vision and HDR10+.
MIUI still has a long way to go before it catches up to Samsung's One UI in terms of intuitiveness and control (notifications MUST be swiped to the right, otherwise it will open the control center). However, it feels like their direction is more towards an Apple/Android hybrid, as the UI features a pull-down control center from the right side of the screen, and notification box from the left side of the screen. Apple converts will likely find MIUI much more enjoyable, but as a long time Android user, it mostly just confuses and frustrates me.
Xiaomi's ecosystem consists of surprisingly light integration with their Mi ID platform and Xiaomi Community application. While there is a spot to log into this account in the Android settings, I haven't found a good reason to sign up for their platform as of yet. The Community app is cute but is mostly filled with spam from people trying to rack up account points... that also don't seem to do anything, as far as I'm aware. Most of the normal system applications you may be used to are instead replaced with the Google suite and their corresponding functions. While this may seem like a refreshing accommodation after the bloatware that usually comes loaded on a branded device, they have chosen to install all of the apps as system services. This means that you cannot disable or uninstall the apps you do not want on your phone, despite them being no different from the normal Google apps you snag from the Play Store.
The 13T partners with Leica to bring triple back lenses to the party:
- 50 MP, f/1.8, 23mm (wide), 1/1.49", 1.0µm, PDAF, OIS
- 10 MP, f/2.0, 75mm (telephoto), 1/3.75", 1.0µm, PDAF, OIS, 3.2x optical zoom
- 12 MP, f/2.2, 15mm, 120˚ (ultrawide), 1/3.06", 1.12µm
- 5MP Front-Facing Camera
Video can be shot at 8K@24 FPS or 4K@60/30/24 FPS. When comparing to my current daily driver, the Note 22 Ultra, outside shots appeared less blown out and vibrant, while inside shots looked a little too realistic. I'm no photo expert, so to keep things fair, I left both phones on their basic settings and didn't tune anything or use any third party camera apps to tweak colors/contrast.
Both phones have great cameras, but I think Samsung is more geared towards making beautiful food photos and Instagram worthy shots, while the Xiaomi/Leica collab is aimed more towards a realistic capture of the environment. It's hard to put my finger on which of these two I like more, as I'm a stickler for accuracy, but I also enjoy visually appealing media. I think it's best left to he adage "The best camera is the one that's with you".
Xiaomi has never restricted the unlocking of the bootloader, but it does require a PC and agreeing to their warning that it will make the device less secure. A custom ROM is just what the doctor ordered for this device, as the packed in software is very wary and overly cautious of side-loaded applications and has many extra hoops to jump through to get anything installed, patched, or modded.
The benchmark results are nothing to scoff at, but there is a long standing controversy that Xiaomi (and some other manufacturers) actively block or manipulate benchmark application results. I ended up falling into the rabbit hole of conspiracy theories when I couldn't get the 3dMark tests to install and discovered the ROM was actually blocking the connection. While Xiaomi denies all these allegations, modders have proven that by disguising the application name, other benchmark apps perform WORSE because the ROM is looking for and prioritizing system resources to make the numbers appear higher. Just for clarity, 3dMark downloaded just fine on my Note that was on the same WiFi connection.
Flashing a custom ROM and gaining root access without the need for complicated hacks or jailbreaks is a welcome treat, especially on a device with an IR blaster. I dearly missed all the shenanigans I could get up to with my Note 4, since they removed IR Blasters from the line after that generation. Root access on a device with generous specs not only lets someone perform "auditing" without the need to carry around a laptop, but also allows more aggressive "game assistance". This is especially the case with games that include online services, and being able to change the station on a cable box or lower the volume on a waiting room lobby TV can sometimes be a godsend.
Game performance is admirable, and the ROM includes a GameTurbo application that you can pull out from the corner of the screen to enable a Performance Boost, if you aren't worried about phone temperatures. It's a neat little gimmick to help keep your device cool, but again, the FPS counter cannot be trusted. In Genshin Impact, on Max graphics, it would hiccup as you ran forward and the next zone chunk loaded, which did not appear at all on the FPS counter as a drop, so I mostly ignored the performance tracking on it.
As an emulation device, the Xiaomi 13T ran at full speed (60FPS) on Dreamcast with Soul Calibur and Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver with zero audio popping or hiccups. I was surprised to find that PS2 also ran at 30/60FPS even with 3x upscaling with only some minor dips of 3-4FPS during gameplay when I booted up Forgotten Realms: Demon Stone.
As far as audio and speaker performance, it seems like cell phones have hit a plateau in the past few years. Unless you're really scraping the bottom of the barrel, you'll get adequate speaker performance on just about any model you buy, and this is no different. I couldn't tell any noticeable difference between my Samsung and this phone when playing back music and watching spoken YouTube videos, both had clear speech and adequately loud volume with very little distortion at maximum setting when playing back music.
For U.S. folks, the Xiaomi 13T will be a tough sell, considering the modem doesn't support the full gamut of bands like the Global variants of their phones do, meaning you likely won't be able to get a data connection, and only a voice connection with certain carriers. Outside of BurgerLand, the Xiaomi 13T is a great option for those that love custom ROMs and all the associated aspects they entail while saving half the cost (up to a third) on a flagship Samsung device (and 100% less of the hassle trying to root) with plenty of power for gaming and heavy multi-tasking.
Verdict
- Crisp 144Hz AMOLED Display
- IR Blaster
- Unlocked* Bootloader
- No Global Band Support
- Unnecessary System Apps
- Corporate Espionage(?)
