Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra vs Xiaomi 13 Ultra

The Xiaomi 13 Ultra launched quite recently, and we’ve already compared it to its ‘Pro’ sibling. Well, it’s time for another comparison, but this time around with another ‘Ultra’ phone. We’ll compare the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra vs Xiaomi 13 Ultra. These two phones are not that similar, actually. They do share some specs, but for the most part, they’re quite different. Even the in-hand feel is considerably different.

We’ll first list their specifications, and following that, we’ll compare their designs, displays, performance, battery life, cameras, and audio performance. Both of these phones have a lot to offer, but they do it in different ways, basically. Before we begin, do note that only the Chinese Xiaomi 13 Ultra variant launched thus far, so that’s the model that we’ve been able to check out. That being said, let’s get started.

Specs

Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra vs Xiaomi 13 Ultra: Design

The Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra and Xiaomi 13 Ultra do look quite different. The Galaxy S23 Ultra is flat at the top and bottom, but its left and right sides are heavily curved. The Xiaomi 13 Ultra frame is flattish all around, but its corners are rounded, unlike the ones on the Galaxy S23 Ultra. The Xiaomi 13 Ultra’s front and back sides do curve into the frame. It has vegan leather on the back, which does not curve to the sides, actually. It’s positioned higher in the upper portion of the phone’s back due to the camera bump, and it does not go all the way to the sides. It’s actually a different approach than any other we’ve seen thus far.

The Galaxy S23 Ultra, on the other hand, has glass on the back, which goes all the way to the frame on the sides. It’s a seamless transition. The Galaxy S23 Ultra is much more slippery than the Xiaomi 13 Ultra, due to the way it’s built, and due to the materials used. Both phones have curved displays, and a centered display camera hole. The bezels are quite thin on both, while the physical buttons are located on the right-hand side.

The differences are easily noticeable when you flip them over too. The Galaxy S23 Ultra does not have a camera island, unlike the Xiaomi 13 Ultra. Every single camera protrudes directly from the backplate on the Galaxy S23 Ultra. These are two completely different approaches to design.

They are quite similar when it comes to height, but the Galaxy S23 Ultra is quite a bit wider. They’re very similar in the thickness department too, but Samsung’s flagship is a bit thinner, and also slightly heavier. They both do feel hefty in the hand, but also premium at the same time. They’re both also IP68 certified for water and dust resistance.

Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra vs Xiaomi 13 Ultra: Display

The Galaxy S23 Ultra features a 6.8-inch QHD+ (3088 x 1080) Dynamic AMOLED 2X display. This panel is curved, and it supports an adaptive refresh rate (1-120Hz). HDR10+ is supported, while the display can get up to 1,750 nits of peak brightness. The Gorilla Glass Victus 2 protects this display, in case you were wondering.

The Xiaomi 13 Ultra, on the other hand, also has a curved display. Its panel measures 6.73 inches, and it’s a QHD+ (3200 x 1440) panel as well. It has a different 20:9 aspect ratio, and it’s also an LTPO panel (1-120Hz). This display supports HDR10+ and Dolby Vision, and it gets up to 2,600 nits of brightness at its peak. It’s protected by the Gorilla Glass Victus.

Both of these displays are outstanding, and some of the best in the business. They’re not both made by Samsung, though. The one in the Xiaomi 13 Ultra comes from a collab between China Star and Xiaomi. They both show vivid colors, offer great viewing angles, and touch response also feels really good when you use them. They’re both more than sharp enough, and get immensely bright. You can use either one in direct sunlight with no issues. Chances are you’ll be happy with either one of these displays.

Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra vs Xiaomi 13 Ultra: Performance

The Galaxy S23 Ultra is fueled by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy SoC. The Xiaomi 13 Ultra utilizes the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor. The difference in the two is simply in the clock speed, the ‘for Galaxy’ variant is clocked a bit higher. Both phones offer LPDDR5X RAM, though the Xiaomi 13 Ultra goes up to 16GB, while the Galaxy S23 Ultra is set at 12GB. UFS 4.0 flash storage is utilized by both phones, in every model, actually.

So, they both feature top-of-the-line specs. Do they both offer great performance too? Well, yes, they’re both extremely smooth. That goes for both simple tasks, and more demanding ones. Yes, it goes for gaming too, as both phones can handle the most demanding titles, and not get too warm while doing it. We did not notice any drop off in performance or anything of the sort.

Once again, do note that we’ve been using the Chinese model of the Xiaomi 13 Ultra, as the global one is not yet available. The software is a different story because of it, but we won’t get into that. You’d be better off waiting for the global model, that’s for sure. As far as sheer smoothness in performance is concerned, both of them are outstanding.

Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra vs Xiaomi 13 Ultra: Battery

Both of these phones include a 5,000mAh battery on the inside. The Galaxy S23 Ultra is one of the best smartphones for battery life we’ve seen, at least as far as high-end smartphones are concerned. We’ve been able to comfortably go over the 10-hour screen-on-time on this phone, and then some. I’m still in my early usage days of the Xiaomi 13 Ultra, but the phone seems to have a really good battery life too. Not to the level of the Galaxy S23 Ultra, though. Also, do note that I had to sideload Google services on the phone, as this is a model made for China.

Having said that, stating specific battery stats is never a good idea. Your mileage will vary either way. Each of us use our phones in different ways, with different apps, and have different signal strengths. I don’t believe that you’ll be disappointed with the battery life on either one of these two phones, though, that’s for sure. Waiting for the Xiaomi 13 Ultra with global software may be a good call, though.

In terms of charging, well, the Xiaomi 13 Ultra definitely outshines the Galaxy S23 Ultra. Xiaomi’s flagship offers 90W wired, 50W wireless, and 10W reverse wireless charging. On top of that, it comes with a 90W charger in the box. The Galaxy S23 Ultra supports 45W wired, 15W wireless, and 4.5W reverse wireless charger. It does not include a charger in the box, though.

Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra vs Xiaomi 13 Ultra: Cameras

The two devices have an entirely different approaches to photography. The Galaxy S23 Ultra includes a 200-megapixel main camera, a 12-megapixel ultrawide unit (120-degree FoV), a 10-megapixel telephoto camera (3x optical zoom), and a 10-megapixel periscope telephoto camera (f/4.9 aperture, 10x optical zoom). The Xiaomi 13 Ultra features a 50.3-megapixel main camera (1-inch sensor, f/1.9-f/4.0 variable aperture). In addition to that, it includes a 50-megapixel ultrawide camera (122-degree FoV), a 50-megapixel telephoto unit (3.2x optical zoom), and a 50-megapixel periscope telephoto camera (5x optical, 100x digital zoom).

We’re still in the middle of testing the Xiaomi 13 Ultra’s camera capabilities, but already have a great idea as to what you’ll get. The approaches to photography are entirely different. The Galaxy S23 Ultra has a lot more aggressive image processing thrown into the mix, which can result in some oversharpening, especially if we’re pixel-peeping. That’s great in some situations. On the flip side, the Xiaomi 13 Ultra will provide you with images that use less sharpening (mainly due to that huge 1-inch camera), and Leica-style photos with pronounced colors.

The Xiaomi 13 Ultra is not afraid to keep images closer to real life, which especially goes for shadows and whatnot. It’s also something you’ll notice in low light. The images look outstanding, but a bit darker than what most of you are used to. The Galaxy S23 Ultra goes the opposite route, it loves to brighten up the shadows. Both do a great job in HDR situations, but once again, different. The natural bokeh from that 1-inch camera sensor will be present, and the phone won’t do much processing in the highlights that are blurred up. The Galaxy S23 Ultra will, like most other phones.

We could talk about the cameras for a long time, but this should give you a good idea. Ultrawide and telephoto cameras are great on both phones, and do a great job of following the main camera when it comes to style and colors. The Xiaomi 13 Ultra does include much larger sensors, and we did slightly prefer the results from both ultrawide and telephoto cameras on the device. They do offer entirely different results, so, it’s a matter of preference. We still need to further test the periscope camera on the Xiaomi 13 Ultra, but it’ll be able to keep up with what the Galaxy S23 Ultra offers. The video recording does seem to be more reliable on the Galaxy S23 Ultra, at least at first glance, though the Xiaomi 13 Ultra is excellent in that aspect too.

Audio

Both devices do feature stereo speakers, and those speakers are actually great on both phones. The Galaxy S23 Ultra’s does get slightly louder, but the difference is not that big. Both sets of speakers are detailed, well-tuned, and even provide some bass.

An audio jack is not included on either phone. You’ll have to use their Type-C ports for wired audio connections. If you prefer a wireless connection, you’ll be glad to know that both phones support Bluetooth 5.3.