Why did I buy the Xiaomi 13?

The Xiaomi 13 attracted me for several reasons:

• It looks great
• The screen size is just right for me (I don't like huge phones)
• It has a flat display
• It feels good in the hand
• It has enough power
• The price was right

Unboxing the Xiaomi 13

Where to Buy

• Xiaomi's official store on JD.com: https://u.jd.com/U8Dorej (only the 12GB + 256GB version is available here)
• Xiaomi's official store on TMall: https://m.tb.cn/h.gXDEHA5

I went with the 12GB + 256GB white version. Since the JD.com store didn't have the 512GB option, I bought from TMall. The phone cost me CN¥3,086.40 and was shipped via SF Express from a local warehouse.

Note: The back cover material differs depending on the color. Some have glass, others have tech nano leather. If you're unsure, consult customer service first!

Unboxing

The outer box:

The inner box is sealed with plastic wrap and includes a mostly useless traffic card.

The side of the inner box shows the model and IMEI info.

Inside the box.

The accessories include the phone, a 67W charger, a SIM card needle, and a user manual. (No Type-C earphone adapter was included.)

The white version has a glass back, which feels great.

The phone has a silver aluminum alloy frame. It looks a bit like an iPhone. The metal frame is actually plastic-y in appearance; a champagne gold color would've been nicer.

6.36 inches is a great size for one-handed use.

It runs HyperOS 1.0.6 out of the box, which I would've preferred to MIUI 14.

Using the Xiaomi 13

• System: HyperOS has lots of ads like MIUI, which need to be manually closed. There are also a lot of pre-installed third-party apps, which you'll have to uninstall yourself.
• Smoothness: The Xiaomi 13's maximum refresh rate is 120Hz and it feels very smooth in everyday use.
• Battery life: The battery is so-so, you might need to charge it once or twice a day. The 67W charger can fully charge the phone in a little over an hour.
• Screen: The flat screen has good colors, and finally no green edges like the Xiaomi 10s!
• Audio: It's just okay, nothing special.

Xiaomi 13 vs. My Old Xiaomi 10s

These are my personal impressions comparing the Xiaomi 13 to my previous Xiaomi 10s.

The Xiaomi 10s had better audio, but the Xiaomi 13 is better in terms of smoothness, screen, charging speed, and hand feel.

Conclusion

This review covers the Xiaomi 13's unboxing and my initial experiences with the phone, as well as a comparison with my old Xiaomi 10s. The Xiaomi 13 performs very well in many areas, especially screen refresh rate, charging speed, and hand feel, which significantly improve the user experience. While the Xiaomi 10s had better audio, the Xiaomi 13 is a great overall upgrade. With its powerful Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chip, it should keep up with technology for the next few years. If you're looking for a high-performance, affordable phone, the Xiaomi 13 is a solid choice.

Where to Buy

• Xiaomi's official store on JD.com: https://u.jd.com/U8Dorej
• Xiaomi's official store on TMall: https://m.tb.cn/h.gXDEHA5