Apart from the Xiaomi 13 Pro and Xiaomi 13 flagship smartphones, Xiaomi also unveiled the Xiaomi 13 Lite on Sunday, just ahead of MWC 2023. These devices have been launched globally, but only the Leica-powered Xiaomi 13 Pro will make its way out. To India The company hasn’t announced anything about the India availability of the Xiaomi 13 or the Xiaomi 13 Lite. I had the opportunity to buy the Xiaomi 13 Lite during the event, and I believe it is a phone that can meet the needs of the general public.
While the Xiaomi 13 and 13 Pro are high-end premium devices, priced above EUR 999 (roughly Rs. 87,500), the Xiaomi 13 Lite comes with a more affordable price tag of EUR 499 (roughly Rs. 43,700). While it doesn’t offer the kind of raw power that the Xiaomi 13 and 13 Pro do, the Xiaomi 13 Lite will wow you with its design, display, and cameras.
True to its ‘lite’ nature, the Xiaomi 13 Lite is a thin and light phone, weighing only 171 grams and measuring 7.23mm thick. The curved front and back of the phone also contribute to its ergonomic design. The device comes in Pink, Light Blue, and Black color options. The matte finish on the rear panel feels smooth to the touch and doesn’t register a lot of smudges.
The 6.55-inch FHD+ AMOLED display is vibrant and should deliver decent brightness levels in direct sunlight with a peak brightness of 1000nits. The 120Hz refresh rate made animations smooth and lag-free during my brief time with the device. It features a pill-shaped punch-hole that houses two camera sensors: a 32MP ultra-wide angle lens and an 8MP depth sensor. Xiaomi has placed two LED lights on either side of the top bezel for low-light photos.
The rear camera system includes a 50MP wide-angle Sony IMX766 sensor, an 8MP ultra-wide lens, and a 2MP macro camera. Xiaomi says that the flagship main camera will deliver sharp and bright photos.
Powering the Xiaomi 13 Lite is the Snapdragon 7 Gen 1 5G chipset which is based on 4nm process and comes with a peak clock speed of 2.4GHz. In the short time I spent with the device, the phone didn’t feel sluggish while opening and switching apps. However, it will be interesting to see how well the chipset holds up under heavy usage and gaming. Globally the phone has been launched with 8GB of RAM and up to 256GB of internal storage.
Lastly, the phone packs a 4,500mAh battery with 67W fast charging support. Xiaomi is also providing a 67W charger in the box. This is a marked improvement over the Mi 11 Lite which supports 33W charging.
Xiaomi launched the Mi 11 Lite and Xiaomi 11 Lite NE in India, so it is expected that the Xiaomi 13 Lite may also make its way to the country. However, for the time being, the company is solely focusing on launching the Xiaomi 13 Pro in India. The phone has been developed in association with Leica, and Xiaomi is proud of this partnership and hopes Indian consumers will appreciate the device.
