The Xiaomi 14 Ultra is one of the best camera smartphones in the market at the moment. Xiaomi did a fantastic job with this phone. If you’re wondering how it compares to its predecessor, well, that’s exactly what we’re here to talk about. In this article, we’ll compare the Xiaomi 14 Ultra vs Xiaomi 13 Ultra. The Xiaomi 13 Ultra is still a very compelling phone, so let’s see what’s what.
These two phones do look somewhat similar, but they have a very different in-hand feel. Xiaomi did change up the design a bit, though if you’ve used the Xiaomi 13 Ultra, you’ll be right at home with the new model. We’ll first list their specifications, and will then move to compare their designs, displays, performance, battery life, cameras, and audio performance. Before we start, do note that the Xiaomi 13 Ultra is limited to the Chinese market, the Xiaomi 14 Ultra is not. Having said that, let’s get into it.
Specs
Xiaomi 14 Ultra vs Xiaomi 13 Ultra, respectively
– Screen size:
6.73-inch LTPO AMOLED display (curved, adaptive 120Hz, 3,000 nits max brightness)
6.73-inch LTPO AMOLED display (curved, adaptive 120Hz, 2,600 nits max brightness)
– Display resolution:
3200 x 1440
3200 x 1440
– SoC:
Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3
Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2
– RAM:
16GB (LPDDR5X)
12GB/16GB (LPDDR5X)
– Storage:
1TB (UFS 4.0)
256GB/512GB/1TB (UFS 4.0)
– Rear cameras:
50MP (wide, f/1.6-f/4.0 variable aperture, OIS, multi-directional PDAF, 1.6um pixel size), 50MP (ultrawide, f/1.8 aperture, 122-degree FoV, 0.7um pixel size, dual pixel PDAF), 50MP (telephoto, f/1.8 aperture, 0.7um pixel size, dual pixel PDAF, OIS, 3.2x optical zoom), 50MP (periscope telephoto, f/2.5 aperture, 0.7um pixel size, dual pixel PDAF, OIS, 5x optical zoom)
50MP (wide, f/1.9 or f/4.0 variable aperture, 1.6um pixel size, multi-directional PDAF, OIS), 50MP (ultrawide, f/1.8 aperture, 122-degree FoV, 0.7um pixel size, dual pixel PDAF ), 50MP (telephoto, f/1.8 aperture, OIS, 3.2x optical zoom, OIS, dual pixel PDAF), 50MP (periscope telephoto, 0.7um pixel size, dual pixel PDAF, OIS, 5x optical zoom)
– Front cameras:
32MP (wide, f/2.0 aperture, 0.7um pixel size)
32MP (wide, f/2.0 aperture, 0.7um pixel size)
– Battery:
5,000mAh
5,000mAh
– Charging:
90W wired, 80W wireless,, 10W reverse wireless (charger included)
90W wired, 50W wireless, 10 reverse wireless (charger included)
– Dimensions:
161.4 x 75.3 x 9.2mm
163.2 x 74.6 x 9.1mm
– Weight:
219.8 grams
227 grams
– Connectivity:
5G, LTE, NFC, Wi-Fi, USB Type-C, Bluetooth 5.4/5.3
– Security:
In-display fingerprint scanner & facial scanning
In-display fingerprint scanner & facial scanning
– OS:
Android 14 with HyperOS
Android 13 with MIUI (upgradable)
– Price:
€1,499
China only
– Buy:
Xiaomi 14 Ultra (Amazon)
Xiaomi 13 Ultra (China only)
Xiaomi 14 Ultra vs Xiaomi 13 Ultra: Design
Design-wise, they do look very similar, but they feel different in the hand. Both phones have curved displays with a centered display camera hole. They both also offer thin bezels, and their buttons are pretty much in the same spot. You’ll find them on the right-hand side. Both phones are made out of metal (aluminum) and vegan leather, though there is also a Xiaomi 14 Ultra titanium model in China, and a glass back variant too. Globally you’ll find only the metal + vegan leather variant of the phone.
Looking at the back sides of these two phones, they do look almost identical at first. There is one glaring difference, though. The Xiaomi 14 Ultra’s backplate is flat, and it curves a bit towards the sides. The one on the Xiaomi 13 Ultra raises in thickness gradually towards the camera island. The weight distribution is different, and so is the in-hand feel. We definitely prefer the feel of the Xiaomi 14 Ultra.
Xiaomi’s new flagship is slightly shorter, slightly wider, and they’re about the same thickness. Comparing the Xiaomi 14 Ultra’s vegan leather model, the only one available globally, that phone is a bit lighter than the Xiaomi 13 Ultra. Both smartphones do come with an IP68 certification for water and dust resistance. They’re both quite robust and feel like premium devices.
Xiaomi 14 Ultra vs Xiaomi 13 Ultra: Display
The Xiaomi 14 Ultra features a 6.73-inch QHD+ (3200 x 1440) LTPO AMOLED display. That panel is slightly curved, and it has an adaptive refresh rate of up to 120Hz. This panel also supports Dolby Vision, and HDR10+ content too. Its brightness goes up to 3,000 nits at its peak. The display aspect ratio is 20:9, and the display is protected by the Xiaomi Shield Glass. THe screen-to-body ratio is around 89%.
The Xiaomi 13 Ultra, on the flip side, has a 6.73-inch display too. It’s actually very similar to the one on the Xiaomi 14 Ultra spec-wise, but it offers higher brightness. It is a QHD+ (3200 x 1440) display, and it’s curved. It supports HDR10+ content and has Dolby Vision support. The display brightness goes up to 2,600 nits. The screen-to-body ratio is around 89%, while the display aspect ratio is 20:9. The Gorilla Glass Victus protects this panel.
Both of these displays are outstanding. They’re not only very vivid and bright, but they have great viewing angles. The touch response is also spot on, and they both offer good protection. The Xiaomi 14 Ultra’s panel does technically get brighter, but that’s not something you’ll notice. Both get immensely bright and will get bright enough in pretty much any situation you find yourself in.
Xiaomi 14 Ultra vs Xiaomi 13 Ultra: Performance
The Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 fuels the Xiaomi 14 Ultra. That is Qualcomm’s most powerful chip at the moment. You’re also getting 16GB of LPDDR5X RAM here, in the global model, and the same goes for UFS 4.0 flash storage. The Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 fuels the Xiaomi 13 Ultra. That is still an immensely powerful processor. That phone also comes with LPDDR5X RAM, up to 16GB of it, and UFS 4.0 flash storage.
In all honesty, we did not notice much difference in the general performance between the two phones. They’re about as equally fast in day-to-day usage. They both do a great job of launching apps, multitasking, consuming multimedia, browsing, and anything else you can think of. The same is true for gaming if we’re being honest. They both handled games with ease, even the most demanding ones.
Genshin Impact was not a problem for either device. Both of them ran it perfectly fine, and after about an hour of gameplay, neither phone experienced slowdowns or anything like that. They did get really warm, but that is to be expected when it comes to such a demanding game. Either way, both phones passed the performance test with flying colors. The Xiaomi 13 Ultra does a fantastic job keeping up.
Xiaomi 14 Ultra vs Xiaomi 13 Ultra: Battery
The Xiaomi 14 Ultra has a 5,000mAh battery, in a global variant. The Chinese model comes with a 5,300mAh battery pack. The Xiaomi 13 Ultra, on the other hand, includes a 5,000mAh battery on the inside. So, the two phones have the same battery capacity, is the battery life comparable? Well, yes, actually. Both smartphones do offer great battery life, in case you were wondering.
Getting over 7 hours of screen-on-time was doable on both smartphones and if we were at all careful, we were even able to reach the 8-hour screen-on-time mark. Do note that we did have a great signal and were connected to WiFi on such days, plus games were not included in the equation. The point is, they do offer great battery life, even though your mileage may vary. That’s always the case when battery life is concerned, however.
When it comes to charging, both of them support 90W wired charging. You can get them fully charged in a little bit over half an hour, presuming you’re using the included charger. 80W wireless charging is supported on the Xiaomi 14 Ultra, while the Xiaomi 13 Ultra supports 50W wireless charging. Both smartphones also offer support for 10W reverse wireless charging. They also both ship with 90W charging bricks.
Xiaomi 14 Ultra vs Xiaomi 13 Ultra: Cameras
The Xiaomi 14 Ultra has a 50-megapixel main camera with variable aperture, a 50-megapixel ultrawide unit (122-degree FoV), a 50-megapixel telephoto camera (3.2x optical zoom), and a 50-megapixel periscope telephoto camera (5x optical zoom). The Xiaomi 13 Ultra includes a 50-megapixel main camera with variable aperture, a 50-megapixel ultrawide camera (122-degree FoV), a 50-megapixel telephoto camera (3.2x optical zoom), and a 50-megapixel periscope telephoto unit (5x optical zoom).
Now, these camera setups may look very similar, but the Xiaomi 14 Ultra has a better main camera, and the same goes for the periscope telephoto unit. The main camera on the phone supports a multi-stop variable aperture, while the Xiaomi 13 Ultra has a two-stop variable aperture. The one on the Xiaomi 14 Ultra also has a wider reach. That does make a difference when it comes to photography, as does the new Sony LYT-900 camera sensor that Xiaomi used here.
The Xiaomi 13 Ultra did a great job from the photography standpoint, it really did, but it cannot measure up to its younger brother. The Xiaomi 14 Ultra is easily one of the best camera smartphones out there, if not the best. It does a better job of balancing images in general, and it’s more reliable. It also shoots better photos in low light, especially when there are plenty of light sources included. HDR performance is outstanding, and the amount of detail it can portray is also on an extremely high level. Its secondary cameras do a great job of keeping the color science of the main shooter, the same goes for the Xiaomi 13 Ultra shooters, actually. Both are very good, but the Xiaomi 14 Ultra is in a league of its own.
Audio
You will find a set of stereo speakers on both smartphones. The output you’ll get is very similar, even though the Xiaomi 14 Ultra’s output is a bit louder. That’s not something many of you will notice, however. The speakers are good, the output is well-balanced, and you will even notice some bass here.
Neither phone has an audio jack, but you can utilize their Type-C ports to connect your headphones via a wire. If not, Bluetooth 5.4 is available on the Xiaomi 14 Ultra, while Bluetooth 5.3 is included on the Xiaomi 13 Ultra.
