Xiaomi 13T Review: Mirror Finish

Xiaomi has always released a number of different smartphone models throughout the year, and the naming system can be a bit confusing. While this practice has thankfully cooled down somewhat, there are still some who may wonder what makes the Xiaomi 13T different from the Xiaomi 13 or even the Xiaomi 12T.

The primary appeal of Xiaomi 13T series is being an affordable alternative to the standard Xiaomi 13 and 13 Pro. It offers almost high-end specs yet at a lower price. Sounds unbelievable doesn’t it?

In the real-world, it’s not perfect, although there are also very positive surprises. This is how the Xiaomi 13T performs in everyday use.

Design & Build

The Xiaomi 13T is available in Alpine Blue, Meadow Green and Black colours and at first glance, it looks very similar to the Xiaomi 13.

This is both a good and bad thing, but surely the biggest downside is the glass back of the phone, at least in Black colour version. I don’t mean the material itself, but how reflective it is and the way it easily collects fingerprints.

Unfortunately, after a few seconds in the hand, the Xiaomi 13T went from a beautiful swan to an ugly duckling. As soon as I took the Xiaomi 13T out of the box, I put the included silicon case on it, but being honest it didn’t change anything. Apart from that, this case looks pretty tacky on its own, and once you put it on the phone, all the design charm disappears even more.

Aesthetics aside, it is quite robust. The aforementioned glass back has coped with a few accidental bumps against the edge of a desk, the aluminium bezels do their job and the Gorilla Glass 5 on the screen is still in great condition after a week spent with this phone.

Another advantage is its IP68 rating, signifying complete protection from dust and the ability to withstand submersion in water up to a depth of 1.5m for a maximum of 30 minutes.

The power and volume buttons are placed quite naturally, on the right side, so I had no problem reaching them. The bottom bezel, on the other hand, houses the USB-C port, the SIM card tray (for two SIM cards only, no microSD), and the speaker holes.

After a few seconds in the hand, the Xiaomi 13T went from a beautiful swan to an ugly duckling

Screen & speakers

In terms of the display, it’s a simply superb 6.67in AMOLED panel with a resolution of 2712 × 1220 pixels. Personally, I’m not a fan of larger smartphones and I have to warn you that using the Xiaomi 13T with one hand is not the easiest of tasks. Nevertheless, this display provides a great experience when watching videos, offering really good colours reproduction and deep blacks.

Another advantage is its 144Hz refresh rate, which helps a lot when browsing social media, news and gaming. On the plus side, you can manually set the refresh rate – by default it changes dynamically from 60- to 144HZ, but you can also set it to fixed values. The maximum option certainly gives a better feel, but unfortunately also increases power consumption.

Tucked away in the screen is the optical fingerprint sensor, which, while it works well, is quite small (or at least the area of it displayed on the screen). I sometimes found it difficult to accurately place my finger on it to be able to unlock the phone. Then, however, face unlock, used by the punch-hole selfie camera, often came to help me. Ultimately, both methods of unlocking and verification work well and quickly, as did their setup process.

The aforementioned speaker on the bottom bezel works in tandem with the second one on top, which together gives a dual stereo setup. They do not produce an outstanding sound, with additional distortion at maximum volume, while they are as good as possible for conversations.

Another advantage is its 144Hz refresh rate

Specs & Performance

Most might say that a flagship phone deserves a flagship chip, so the presence of the Dimensity 8200-Ultra in the Xiaomi 13T might be a little surprising. While the Xiaomi 13 got the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, the Xiaomi 13T has been given the equivalent of the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 in the Dimensity 9000

To be honest, I don’t think it’s a problem. The MediaTek processor has been paired with 8- or 12GB RAM, and the whole thing offers great everyday performance.

That’s right, every day, because I’ve been using the Xiaomi 13T for the past week and it has accompanied me as my main phone. Starting with casual calls and messaging, moving through social media browsing and even playing League of Legends: Wild Rift – the Xiaomi 13T has not shown any lag or slowdown in performance.

Gaming admittedly isn’t its main purpose, as is the case with the best gaming smartphones, but it handles it well.

In the Geekbench 6 test, the Xiaomi 13T scored 3794 multi-core points and 1119 single-core points. Unsurprisingly, this is significantly lower than the Xiaomi 13, let alone the Xiaomi 13 Pro, but it is surprising how close the score is to the Xiaomi 12T, which scored 3740. As you can see, the successor to the Dimensity 8100-Ultra has only marginally improved this score, albeit still a step up.

In terms of internal storage, the Xiaomi 13T offers only 256GB and without the ability to expand it via microSD card. For most people, however, this is unlikely to be a problem, especially in the era of cloud storage. When it comes to connectivity, in addition to the anticipated 5G and NFC support, it offers the most current Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 5.4 standards.

The whole thing just feels like it offers great everyday performance

Cameras & Video

The camera setup on the Xiaomi 13T is quite impressive, offering a versatile range of options for capturing high-quality photos and videos.

The 50Mp main camera allows to capture a significant amount of light. This results in sharp and detailed images even in low-light conditions, overall making it ideal for capturing intricate details.

The telephoto camera, also with a 50Mp sensor, does a quite good job at zooming in on distant subjects. It enables you to get closer to your subjects without compromising image quality, as well as helps maintain clarity and sharpness.

The 12Mp ultrawide camera provides a wider field of view, allowing you to capture expansive landscapes, group photos, or creative wide-angle shots. While it of course sound great on paper, in reality there’s still a substantial decrease in quality when transitioning to the ultrawide camera from the main one. The photos exhibit a discernible reduction in sharpness and detail.

The 20Mp front-facing camera is perfect for capturing selfies and video calls. It gives you a lot of details and the portrait mode provides a satisfactory level of background blur.

Regarding video capabilities, you have the option to record in resolutions as high as 4K at 30fps. Although the default choice of 1080p at 30fps should suffice for the majority of users.

The 50Mp main camera allows to capture a significant amount of light … overall making it ideal for capturing intricate details

Software & Features

In terms of software, I won’t surprise anyone by saying that the Xiaomi 13T runs on Anroid 13 along with the MIUI 14 overlay from Xiaomi.

What may surprise you, however, is the way it works. iPhone users may feel right at home here, as the quick settings menu and the notification panel have been separated, and are accessed by swiping down the right side of the screen or the left side of the screen respectively. However, if you have used an Android phone before, you may experience a bit of a shock.

Unfortunately, this is probably the only thing I reasonably liked, and even then only because I use an iPhone on a daily basis. The further into it you get, unfortunately, there are more pre-installed social media or VOD apps, but luckily you can uninstall them. The problem arose, however, when I wanted to get rid of apps from Xiaomi that I didn’t need, such as Themes, and had to come to terms with them being stuck on the phone.

What is worth praising, however, is that the Xiaomi 13T will receive four years of Android updates and five years of security updates.

Battery Life & Charging

The Xiaomi 13T comes with a large 5000mAh battery, which is identical to what you’ll find in the Xiaomi 13T Pro.

While the battery has remained the same as in the Xiaomi 12T and 12T Pro, unfortunately the time it takes for the battery to drain completely has worsened. With the brightness set to a fairly standard 200 nits, Xiaomi 13T achived a result of eight hours and seven minutes on PCMark’s battery test.

Ultimately, the Xiaomi 13T provides a full day of mixed usage, but I always had to remember to charge it in the evening for the next day. With the included 67W charger (the 13T Pro has 120W), you can expect a full charge in less than half an hour. If you just need a quick charge, I found that it reached 60% from zero in just 15 minutes. Unfortunately, I miss the wireless charging option.

Ultimately, the Xiaomi 13T provides a full day of mixed usage

Price & Availability

The Xiaomi 13T starts at £549 for 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage. You can get it on Xiaomi UK website that will feature an early bird promotion, offering buyers a £50 discount voucher. Additionally, Currys will sweeten the deal by providing buyers with a complimentary Redmi Pad as a free gift.

Considering the price point, the Samsung Galaxy A54 and Google Pixel 7a emerge as the closest competitors to the Xiaomi 13T, and they are worth contemplating. However, it’s challenging to suggest the Xiaomi 13T over the Google Pixel 7, which offers strong competition. Meanwhile, the OnePlus 11 is also a noteworthy option.l

Be sure to discover out chart of the best mid-range phones as you might just find a more affordable that provides all the features you desire.

Should you buy the Xiaomi 13T?

The Xiaomi 13T, while similar to the Xiaomi 12T and Xiaomi 13, still excels in a number of ways for which this phone is worth considering.

The Dimensity 8200-Ultra offers excellent performance and the 6.67in OLED display is a visual treat, especially when combined with the 144Hz refresh rate. The impressive 50Mp main camera, as well as the other three lenses on the 13T, are up to the task.

Although it collects plenty of fingerprints, its sleek design, coupled with 67W fast charging, also adds to its appeal. Keep in mind, however, that these charging speeds come at the expense of battery life and even an incomplete day of use. The MIUI 14 overlay on top of Android 13 leaves a lot to be desired, although there will certainly be those who will like it.

Considering the price, I am able to forgive the Xiaomi 13T a few minor inconveniences and it’s a solid option if it ticks your boxes.

Specs

• Android 13 w/ MIUI 14
• 6.67in, 1220×2712 OLED display, Gorilla Glass 5
• Adaptive 144Hz refresh rate, 480Hz touch sampling
• In-display fingerprint sensor
• MediaTek Dimensity 8200-Ultra chipset
• 8/12GB RAM
• 256GB non-expandable UFS 3.1 storage
• 5000mAh battery
• 67W wired charging
• 50Mp f/1.9 main camera
• 50Mp f/1.9 telephoto camera
• 12Mp f/2.2 ultrawide
• 20Mp f/2.2 front camera
• 5G
• Wi-Fi 7
• Bluetooth 5.4
• Dual speakers
• From 162.2mm x 75.7mm x 8.49mm
• From 193g
• Colours: Alpine Blue, Meadow Green and Black