Google Pixel 7 vs Xiaomi 13

If you want to get a new, higher-end smartphone, but don’t really like huge phones… well, we may be able to help. In this article, we’ll compare the Google Pixel 7 vs Xiaomi 13. These two devices are not exactly small, but they’re smaller than their ‘Pro’ siblings, that’s for sure. They are both high-end devices, but also quite different at the same time. That should make this comparison rather interesting.

The two devices not only look considerably different, but come with different specs. We’ll start things off by listing the specs of both phones, and will go from there. We’ll compare their designs, displays, performance, battery life, cameras, and audio performance. There’s a lot to talk about here, so, let’s get started, shall we?

Specs

Google Pixel 7 vs Xiaomi 13: Design

Both devices include a flat display on the front, with thin bezels. The bezels on the Xiaomi 13 are uniform, unlike the ones on the Pixel 7, however. The bottom bezel on the Pixel 7 is noticeably thicker than the rest. The Pixel 7 has sharper corners than the Xiaomi 13. When we flip the two phones around, you’ll notice major differences. The Pixel 7 includes a camera visor on the back, which goes from the left side of the frame, to the right. The Xiaomi 13 has a regular camera island in the top-left corner.

The camera visor on the back of the Pixel 7 is actually covered by aluminum, while the camera island on the Xiaomi 13 has glass on top. The Pixel 7 is a bit taller and wider than the Xiaomi 13, despite the fact it has a smaller display and the same display aspect ratio. That only goes to show how thin the bezels are on the Xiaomi 13 in comparison. The Xiaomi 13 is also thinner in comparison, not to mention lighter. It weighs 185 or 189 grams, depending on the model (glass or silicon polymer back), while the Pixel 7 weighs 197 grams.

Both devices come with IP68 certification for water and dust resistance. Both of them are quite slippery in the hand, though the silicon polymer Xiaomi 13 model does add a bit of grip to the equation. They’re easier to use with one hand than their siblings, but it’s still not ideal, as these are not small phones per se. The Xiaomi 13 does stand out a bit in that regard, as it’s easier to use with one hand. A case is recommended for both phones, mainly due to their slippery nature.

Google Pixel 7 vs Xiaomi 13: Display

The Google Pixel 7 features a 6.3-inch fullHD+ (2400 x 1080) AMOLED display. That panel is flat, and it has a 90Hz refresh rate. HDR10+ content is supported here, while the display can get up to 1,400 nits of peak brightness. That can be achieved while it’s on automatic brightness only, though. The display has a 20:9 aspect ratio, while it’s protected by the Gorilla Glass Victus.

On the other hand, the Xiaomi 13 features a 6.36-inch fullHD+ (2400 x 1080) AMOLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate. This panel is also flat, and it supports Dolby Vision, as well as HDR10+ content. The Xiaomi 13’s display goes up to 1,900 nits of peak brightness, which is achievable via the automatic brightness setting. This display has a 20:9 aspect ratio as well, and it’s protected by the Gorilla Glass 5.

Now, both of these displays are really good. They’re more than sharp enough, vibrant, and the blacks are quite deep, as they should be. The viewing angles are great too. The Xiaomi 13 does have that one obvious advantage, its brightness. The Pixel 7 is not exactly dim outdoors, but the Xiaomi 13 is brighter. That is the difference you’ll notice most when there’s sun outside, but the Pixel 7 is perfectly usable in such conditions too.

Google Pixel 7 vs Xiaomi 13: Performance

The Google Pixel 7 comes with the Google Tensor G2 SoC. Google also included 8GB of LPDDR5 RAM here, along with UFS 3.1 flash storage. The Xiaomi 13, on the flip side, is fueled by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 SoC. It also comes with LPDDR5X RAM and UFS 4.0 flash storage. Well, the base 128GB model does include UFS 3.1 flash storage, so keep that in mind.

Both phones are quite powerful spec-wise, but the Xiaomi 13 does stand out. It has a more powerful processor, not to mention newer and faster RAM and storage modules. Does that reflect on performance, however? Well, if you’re using them side by side, you’ll see the benefit of the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2. If not, it won’t really matter to you, as the Pixel 7 is plenty fast with the Tensor G2.

Both phones do offer lag-free performance, as you’d expect out of higher-end phones. When it comes to gaming, however, the difference is noticeable. Most games will play great on both phones, but when you get to more graphically-demanding titles, that’s where the Xiaomi 13 stands out. The Tensor G2 is not exactly made for gaming in mind, so that’s not surprising. Still, it handles the vast majority of games without any problems.

Google Pixel 7 vs Xiaomi 13: Battery

The Pixel 7 includes a 4,355mAh battery, while the Xiaomi 13 packs in a 4,500mAh unit. Despite the fact it has a smaller battery, and technically some inferior components, the Pixel 7 offers better battery life. In our experience, you can reach around 7.5-8 hours of screen-on-time with the Pixel 7. The Xiaomi 13 cannot reach such heights, though its battery life is not exactly bad. You should be able to get over 6-6.5 hours of screen-on-time with it.

Do note that your battery life will depend on your usage, and other factors, such as signal strength. So, we cannot really guarantee any of this, your mileage may vary. Neither of these two phones has outstanding battery life, but they’re not bad in that regard, not at all. They will hold a charge for the entire day, well, at least for the vast majority of you. If you’re a true power user, you may have issues in that regard.

In terms of charging, well, it’s not even a competition. The Xiaomi 13 takes the cake. It not only supports 67W wired and 50W wireless charging, but also 10W reverse wireless charging. This handset also comes with a charger in the box, which is something we cannot say for the Pixel 7. The Pixel 7 supports 20W wired and 20W wireless charging, on top of supporting 5W reverse wireless charging.

Google Pixel 7 vs Xiaomi 13: Cameras

The Google Pixel 7 has two cameras on the back, while the Xiaomi 13 has three. There is a 50-megapixel main camera on the back of Google’s handset, along with a 12-megapixel ultrawide camera (114-degree FoV). The Xiaomi 13 includes a 50-megapixel main camera, a 12-megapixel ultrawide camera (120-degree FoV), and a 10-megapixel telephoto unit (3.2x optical zoom). Both phones are excellent when it comes to photography, but different.

Xiaomi drastically improved the handling of white balance with the Xiaomi 13, compared to its predecessor. The same goes for HDR handling. The Pixel 7 is still the king of HDR images, though. It also provides more contrasty images in comparison. They’re both great in good lighting, though, as they provide very detailed and well-balanced images. The Pixel 7’s images do look a bit processed, but in a good way. The Xiaomi 13 leans more towards the realistic side of things.

Their ultrawide cameras are both great, though the one the Xiaomi 13 includes, offers a wider field-of-view. They both do a good job of keeping in line with the main camera’s color science. The Xiaomi 13 takes the telephoto side of things, as the Pixel 7 doesn’t even have a telephoto camera. Still, Google’s camera processing does a good job with lower-level zoom shots. In low light, the images both phones provide look really nice. We still think that the Pixel 7 does a better job of balancing such shots, but the Xiaomi 13 is not far behind.

Audio

There is a set of stereo speakers inside both of these phones. Truth be said, the speakers are good in both cases, but we prefer the Xiaomi 13’s offering a bit more. It just seems like it has a wider soundstage, so the output is a bit richer.

You will not find an audio jack on either one of these two phones. For wired audio connections, you’ll need to utilize the Type-C port at the bottom. The Pixel 7 comes equipped with Bluetooth 5.2, while the Xiaomi 13 supports Bluetooth 5.3.