Phone with most advanced cameras declares war on Galaxy S23 and iPhone 14 Pro 'digital look' photos: Xiaomi 13 Ultra first samples
The next big camera phone is coming.
The images you see above are our first look at the actual capabilities of the Xiaomi 13 Ultra, a phone that many would consider the one with the most advanced camera hardware on the planet.
But what is different in these images is not just about the hardware, but also the soft, natural look of photos that is the closest we have seen to a traditional camera. In a series of official images captured by the Xiaomi team, we see a stark difference to the excessive oversharpening on competitor phones.
Xiaomi is also collaborating with iconic camera maker Leica to fine tune the colors as well, and we have some very genuine, even film-inspired colors, again vastly different from the overly saturated typical look you'd get on say the Galaxy S23 Ultra or iPhone 14 Pro.
Xiaomi 13 Ultra against competition
In the first set of images with the tree, you can clearly notice the first picture has a very natural look, and yes that means that it is also far less striking than the artificial photo on the second shot where you can see some wild colors and crazy over-sharpening.
As you scroll further you can also see the level of detail does not actually improve with that artificial sharpening and the image out of the Xiaomi phone has cleaner and more plentiful detail.
But also notice how the much larger, 1-inch type sensor on the Xiaomi coupled with its fast f/1.9 aperture allows for a good amount of background blur, which is again something we see typically on dedicated cameras but not smartphones.
The Xiaomi 13 Ultra is rumored to support variable aperture, so you should be able to switch to a slower aperture if you prefer to have more of the background in focus.
Lastly, just look at the gorgeous colors of the blooming tree on the first picture out of the Xiaomi 13 Ultra. It has a ton of detail, realistic, beautiful colors, and in our opinion this is a far superior picture than the overprocessed shot from the competitors.
Xiaomi 13 Ultra sample photos
The Xiaomi team has also shared a few other photos to illustrate the capabilities of this camera system.
Xiaomi clearly went for something completely different from the current smartphone processing that we are so used to seeing.
Colors look realistic, with an almost cinematic, film-like quality to them that is very genuine. The team also shows a few pictures captured with the zoom cameras and having fast aperture on both the 3.2X and 5X zoom cameras allows these cameras to be quite useful in even slightly darker conditions, where typically smartphone telephoto cameras fail us.
Xiaomi 13 Ultra: What makes this camera special
It's clearly the processing that Xiaomi has bravely decided to adopt here that makes this camera specail. We say "bravely" because in a world dominated by Samsung and Apple's iPhones where both phones have dictated this 'digital look' to photos, it really takes some guts to stand out and bet on something different that might not look as eye turning at first sight, but possess more technical and artistic quality.
Of course, we are yet to see that the Xiaomi 13 Ultra will live up to those promises in real life. The phone will be officially unveiled next Tuesday, April 18th, and that's when we will know all about it.
But we already know the specs of the cameras, so take a look.
Xiaomi 13 Ultra Camera Specs:
- 50MP Wide — Sony IMX 989, 1-inch, 23mm with variable aperture (from f/1.9)
- 50MP Ultra-wide
- 50MP 3.2X Zoom, 75mm with f/1.8 aperture
- 50MP 5X Zoom (Periscope), 120mm with f/3.0 aperture
- 32MP Front cam
Having the popular Sony IMX 989 1-inch type sensor here is great and Xiaomi has already had more than a year to optimize it as this is the same sensor it has already used in the Xiaomi 12S Ultra and Xiaomi 13 Pro flagships.
Having two telephoto cameras is also a huge advantage, as the only other mainstream phone with such a feature is the Galaxy S23 Ultra.
Don't forget that just a couple of days ago, leaked renders revealed the final look of the Xiaomi 13 Ultra and this design looks really interesting and different. The signature white color with a leather like finish is something we don't think we have seen on a phone before..
One missing feature
But those who follow camera news closely, might now that Xiaomi had one incredible new feature in the form of close-up zoom with the telephoto camera which allowed for the best macro shots in the industry.
It seems that the new Xiaomi 13 Ultra might use the same 3.2X zoom magnification and possibly the same sensor, but that particular feature might not make it in the Xiaomi 13 Ultra. That would be one disappointment, but we imagine the company wants to keep some appeal for the Xiaomi 13 Pro that it will be selling throughout the year.
Learn more: Xiaomi 13 Pro Review
The biggest challenger to Samsung, Apple and Google?
All in all, however, this new "Ultra" phone is the biggest challenge that has come to Apple, Samsung and Google in the past few years. Xiaomi has launched other phones with powerful cameras, but for the first time, this Ultra edition will be available globally.
Will you be able to purchase the Xiaomi 13 Ultra in the United States? Well, the answer to that is a 'no', as the company is on the US Government's blacklist, but chances are the phone will come to the UK and Europe, as well as other big markets like India.
Stay tuned for the full scoop on the Xiaomi 13 Ultra next Tuesday when the phone makes its official debut.
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