- Xiaomi launched the Xiaomi 13 and Xiaomi 13 Pro in international markets at Mobile World Congress.
- The Xiaomi 13 starts at 999 euros ($1,053) while the 13 Pro starts at 1,299 euros.
- Xiaomi is looking to push into the higher end of the market, where margins are higher and the market is still growing, which will pit the Chinese electronics maker against Apple and Samsung.
The Chinese tech giant Xiaomi released its first flagship smartphone to the rest of the world, joining the competition with Apple and Samsung in the high-end segment.
After debuting in China in December 2022, the Xiaomi 13 and 13 Pro are now making their way to markets outside China!
The Xiaomi 13 Pro device sports a 6.73-inch display and the
latest Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset from U.S. firm Qualcomm.
It has a triple-lens camera and other premium features like ultra-fast charging. The company talked up the capabilities of its camera that it “co-engineered” with German firm Leica.
Xiaomi relies on a huge one-inch Sony IMX989 50-megapixel
camera with f/1.9 aperture for the best and brightest results. The camera can
capture video at 8K resolution or 4K resolution at 60 fps in Dolby Vision.
A 50-megapixel "floating lens" telephoto camera is
available, providing 3.2x optical zoom. The gadget features an additional ultrawide
sensor that is 50 megapixels in size. The 13 Pro's front camera is 32
megapixels and has both a night mode and dual-framing (0.8x and 1x)
capabilities.
A large square enclosure on the rear holds all those cameras
and Leica lenses. While square camera bumps are not uncommon, this one stands
out due to its massive size.
Xiaomi had a rough year in 2022 with its smartphone
shipments declining 26% year-on-year, according to research firm IDC, the
biggest fall among the top five biggest handset vendors. The company swung to a
loss in the September quarter, the latest financial results available.
Xiaomi has faced a number of headwinds, in particular a more
difficult macroeconomic environment with a slowing economy in China. A total of
1.21 billion smartphones were shipped in 2022, which represents the lowest
annual shipment total since 2013, according to IDC.
“Xiaomi is facing multiple headwinds inside China from an
ever-popular Apple iPhone, a surprisingly strong Honor, and fickle Chinese
consumers who often switch between Android hardware brands in a flash,” Neil
Mawston, an analyst at TechInsights, told CNBC via email.
Honor is the Chinese smartphone brand that was spun off from
Huawei.
Xiaomi has turned into one of the biggest smartphone makers
over the years via a strategy of bringing out high-spec devices at very
competitive price points. It began pushing into overseas markets around seven
years ago, pursuing a similar strategy. But it is now looking to push into the
higher end of the market, where margins are higher and the market is still
growing.
High-end smartphones, those that cost over $800, accounted
for 18% of the total handset market in 2022, up from 11% in 2020, Canalys data
shows. Xiaomi’s push into the premium tier will pit it against Apple and
Samsung, which will be a challenge for the Chinese rival. Samsung and Apple
devices accounted for 92% of the high-end market in 2022, according to Canalys.
“Competing with Apple and Samsung is incredibly difficult.
Not just matching market leading products, but particularly going up against
enormous companies with exceptional brand awareness, high-end perceptions,
experience focused solutions and product ecosystems with high user-stickiness,”
Runar Bjørhovde, research analyst at Canalys, told CNBC via email.
Xiaomi is the latest Chinese smartphone player that is trying to crack the high-end of the market. Oppo launched its first foldable phone for the overseas market this month that costs more than $1,000.
Other Features
Except for the camera, the Xiaomi 13 Pro's specs are typical
for a 2023 Android flagship.
It has a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 CPU, 6.73-inch WQHD+
AMOLED display, 120Hz refresh rate, 1,900 nits peak brightness, Dolby Vision,
HDR10+, and HLG HDR compatibility, 12GB LPDDR5X Memory, and USF 4.0 storage.
A unique 120W charger charges Xiaomi's current flagship's
4,820 mAh battery in minutes. These charging bricks are massive. The gadget
offers 50W wireless charging with compatible pucks and 10W reverse charging for
rapid earbud recharge.
The 13 Pro comes in ceramic white and black with 256GB and 512GB
storage. It starts at €1,200 ($1,373) in Europe on Mar. 8. Together with the
new flagship, Xiaomi released the €999 ($1,056) Xiaomi 13 and €499 ($527)
Xiaomi 13 Lite.