Xiaomi 13 Ultra vs Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra: There are a few Android phones with the name ULTRA attached to them. This is why the Xiaomi 13 Ultra and Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra are the best of the best Android phones. So, if you’re looking to buy the best Android smartphones, you must consider these two phones.
But, between the Xiaomi 13 Ultra and Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra, which is the better ULTRA smartphone? I mean, you’ll be spending more than a thousand dollars to buy either phone so you might as well just buy the best one. In this Xiaomi 13 Ultra vs Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra article, I’ll show you the specs comparison of both phones and in the verdict section tell you based on my user opinion which is the better ULTRA phone.
See Also: Xiaomi 13 Ultra vs Xiaomi 12S Ultra: Which’s Better?
Xiaomi 13 Ultra vs Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra
| Specs | Xiaomi 13 Ultra | Galaxy S23 Ultra |
| Display | 6.73-inches, 120Hz | 6.80-inches, 120Hz |
| Display Panel | AMOLED, LTPO3 | AMOLED, LTPO3 |
| RAM | up to 16GB | up to 12GB |
| Storage | up to 1TB | up to 1TB |
| MicroSD Card | NO | NO |
| 3.5mm Port | NO | NO |
| Back Camera | 50.3MP + 50MP + 50MP + 50MP | 200MP + 10MP + 10MP + 12MP |
| Front Camera | 32MP | 12MP |
| Chipset | Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 | Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 |
| Software | Android 13 | Android 13 |
| Battery | 5,000mAh (90W) | 5,000mAh (45W) |
| Wireless Charging | YES (50W) | YES (15W) |
| Water & DustProof | YES(IP68) | YES (IP68) |
| Stylus Support | NO | YES (SPEN) |
Chipset and Performance
The Galaxy S23 Ultra has the same chipset as the Xiaomi 13 Ultra. Both smartphones feature the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset which has an Octa-core processor and supports 5G network connectivity. However, the performance of both smartphones when playing games is not the same.
The prime core processor of the Galaxy S23 Ultra is overclocked and is thus faster than that of the Xiaomi 13 Ultra. While the Xiaomi 13 Ultra has a 3.2GHz prime core, the Galaxy S23 Ultra has a 3.36GHz prime core. Although the efficiency cores of both phones are the same, the S23 Ultra has a faster prime core which gives it an advantage over the Xiaomi 13 Ultra.
When it comes to performance, the Galaxy S23 Ultra is slightly better than the Xiaomi 13 Ultra. To be honest, an average everyday user won’t notice the difference but heavy users who play graphics-intensive games and render high graphics will.
See Also: Xiaomi 13 Ultra vs Xiaomi 13 Pro: Should You Upgrade?
Design, Display, and Durability
The design of both smartphones looks really good and choosing between them is subject to user preference. Some people might prefer the circular module of the Xiaomi 13 Ultra over the rear design of the Galaxy S23 Ultra and vice versa. However, the display and durability features are where we get to see the real difference between these phones.
The display of both smartphones has the same punch-hole design, the same LTPO 3 AMOLED panel, and even the same curved screen. But, the 6.8-inch display of the Galaxy S23 Ultra is slightly bigger than the 6.73-inch display of the Xiaomi 13 Ultra. And although the display of both phones supports 120Hz refresh rate and HDR10+, the display of the Xiaomi 13 Ultra is brighter. The Xiaomi 13 Ultra has a peak brightness of 2,600 nits which is brighter than the 1,750 nits peak brightness of the Galaxy S23 Ultra.
For the durability test, both smartphones survived our bend and water test. Both smartphones are made of Glass front (Gorilla Glass Victus), eco-leather back/glass back, and aluminum frame. Both phones are also certified to be IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 1.5m for 30 min). The display of both phones is also protected by Gorilla Glass Victus and a fall from a jean pocket on a flat surface won’t cause serious damage to the display of either phone.
See Also: Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra vs Xiaomi 13 Pro: Which is the Best Flagship Android?
Photography and Videography
An Ultra phone won’t be Ultra if it can not take great photos and shoot quality videos. The camera systems on the Xiaomi 13 Ultra and Galaxy S23 Ultra are great but which of these phones takes better photos and records better videos?
The Xiaomi 13 Ultra is better than the Galaxy S23 Ultra when taking still photos while the Galaxy S23 Ultra is better than the Xiaomi 13 Ultra when recording videos. The 1-inch 50.3M Sony IMX989 sensor of the Xiaomi 13 Ultra is really good but the 200MP main camera of the Galaxy S23 Ultra is not very far behind.
See Also: OPPO Find X6 Pro vs Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra: Which is better
What makes the Xiaomi 13 Ultra a better photography phone is the presence of a TOF 3D depth sensor. This extra sensor focuses on the subject of a photo and can separate it from the background clearly. However, when it comes to recording videos, the Galaxy S23 Ultra is better.
The Galaxy S23 Ultra is better at videography because it supports video recording in more frame rates and has a better stability. While the Xiaomi 13 Ultra can only record 8K@24fps, the Galaxy S23 Ultra can record 8K@24/30fps. While the 32MP front camera of the Xiaomi 13 Ultra can only record 1080p@30fps, the 12MP front camera of the Galaxy S23 Ultra can record 4K@30/60fps.
It is important to note that both phones have two telephoto cameras that can do up to 100X digital zoom. Both phones have similar camera features like multi-directional PDAF, Laser AF, OIS, Dual-Pixel PDAF, 3.2x optical zoom, etc.
See Also: Honor Magic 5 Pro vs Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra: Which is better
Xiaomi 13 Ultra vs Galaxy S23 Ultra: Battery & Charging
Both smartphones have a 5,000mAh battery cell inside. The Xiaomi 13 Ultra supports 90W wired and 50W wireless fast charging while the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra supports 45W wired and 15W wireless fast charging. The Xiaomi 13 Ultra has a faster wired and wireless charging system.
Xiaomi 13 Ultra vs Galaxy S23 Ultra: Network & Other Features
Both smartphones support 2G, 3G, 4G, and 5G network connectivity (both phones have the same 5G MODEM inside). Both phones also support NFC, have USB Type-C 3.2, Bluetooth 5.3, Fingerprint (under-display), etc. But the Galaxy S23 Ultra supports Stylus (SPEN) and Ultra Wideband (UWB) while the Xiaomi 13 Ultra does not. The Xiaomi 13 Ultra supports Infrared and DisplayPort while the Galaxy S23 Ultra does not.
See Also: Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra vs Google Pixel 7 Pro: Which is better?
Xiaomi 13 Ultra vs Galaxy S23 Ultra: Software
The Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra boots One UI 5.1 based on Android 13 out of the box while the Xiaomi 13 Ultra boots MIUI 14 based on Android 13 out of the box. Samsung has promised four years of software updates for the Galaxy S23 Ultra while Xiaomi has promised three years of software updates for the Xiaomi 13 Ultra.
Xiaomi 13 Ultra vs Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra: Price
The price of the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra in the US starts at $1,199.00 for the base models with 8GB RAM and 256GB storage while the price of the Xiaomi 13 Ultra in the US starts at $1,199.00 for the model with 12GB RAM and 256GB storage. But which should you buy between these phones? Check out the Xiaomi 13 Ultra vs Galaxy S22 Ultra verdict below.
Buy Xiaomi 13 Ultra and Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra
| Xiaomi 13 Ultra | Price |
| Buy on Giztop | $1,199.00 |
| Galaxy S23 Ultra | Price |
| Buy on Amazon | $1,199.99 |
| Buy on Amazon(EUR) | €1,399.00 |
| Buy on Amazon(UK) | £1,249.99 |
Verdict: Xiaomi 13 Ultra vs Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra
The extra RAM, faster charging, and better display are the reasons why you might want to buy the Xiaomi 13 Ultra instead of the Galaxy S23 Ultra. While the Stylus support, software updates, and UWB features are the reasons why you might want to buy the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra instead of the Xiaomi 13 Ultra.
The Xiaomi 13 Ultra and Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra are no doubt two great Android phones of 2023. And you won’t be wrong if you buy either of these phones as both phones will give you good value for the money. The Xiaomi 13 Ultra is a great smartphone but to me, the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra is still a better ULTRA phone than the Xiaomi 13 Ultra.
