Today, we’re going to review the Xiaomi 13 Lite, a mid-range smartphone that offers some impressive features and performance for its price. Let’s dive in!
Unboxing Experience
To recall, the Xiaomi 13 Lite is a redesigned Xiaomi Civi 2, but it only comes with a large simple box that has a simpler imprinted model name at the front. This box includes the unit itself, warranty card, user manual, clear case, USB-A to USB-C cable, and 67W adapter.
Display
Xiaomi 13 Lite has a curved 6.55-inch FHD+ AMOLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate, DCI-P3 color gamut, Dolby Vision Atmos, TrueColor technology, 1920Hz PWM dimming, up to 1,000nits max brightness, and HDR10+ support. It also has an under-display optical fingerprint scanner that works well.
This high-quality display lets me enjoy watching Netflix movies because it provides a punchier and more accurate color. Its 120Hz refresh is also stable, while its 240Hz touch sampling rate gives me a very responsive response especially when playing games.
It also has a dual punch-hole cutout that encases two selfie cameras. However, it would have been better if it also had a dynamic island like iPhone 14 Pro and realme C55.
Design
Xiaomi 13 Lite is a sleek and stylish phone that feels premium in the hand. It has the same design as Xiaomi Civi 2 which has an ultra-slim curved design. The back of the device is glass, so you should put a clear case on it just for protection.
Like the Civi 2, this phone has a rectangular camera island that elevates the beauty of the phone. You can also choose between Lite Pink, Lite Blue, and Lite Black colorways.
At the right part of the phone, we will see its volume rockers as well as the power button. While at the bottom, there is the SIM tray, microphone, USB-C port, and stereo speaker. The left side is empty, but at the top, there is the IR blaster and another microphone.
Camera
Its rectangular camera island contains a 50MP main camera, an 8MP ultrawide camera, and a 2MP macro camera. The main camera is a Sony IMX766 sensor, which is also found in some flagship phones like the Xiaomi 12.
The camera performance is excellent in daylight, with sharp details, accurate colors, and good dynamic range. Its ultrawide camera is decent, but not very wide at 119 degrees. The macro camera is rather useless, as it has low resolution and poor focus. One of its good camera features is when two or more people are in your frame, it automatically switches to wide mode.
Taking videos is also great in this phone as it gives amazing quality video. It can shoot up to 4K@30fps and 1080p@60fps and also supports image stabilization. However, its front camera can only shoot 1080p resolution.
Sample photos
Sample Video
Performance
The 4nm Snapdragon 7 Gen 1 chipset powers the phone, which is a new mid-range CPU from Qualcomm that offers higher efficiency and performance than the preceding Snapdragon 700 series. It also comes with 8GB of RAM and 128GB or 256GB of UFS 2.2 storage.
The phone’s performance is fast and snappy, and I didn’t notice any lag or stuttering when using it. Most games run smoothly on the phone, even the Genshin Impact at max settings.
The software on the Xiaomi 13 Lite is MIUI 14, which is based on Android 12. Xiaomi’s newest user interface, MIUI 14, introduces new features and upgrades such as better privacy options, updated widgets, new animations, and more. However, MIUI 14 includes some bloatware and ads that might be unpleasant. Some of them can be disabled or uninstalled, but not all.
Battery
Another advantage of the Xiaomi 13 Lite is its long battery life. It contains a 4,500mAh battery that supports 67W turbo charging and is compatible with Power Delivery 3.0. The phone can charge from 0 to 100% in 40 minutes, which is incredible. Because of the efficient processor and display, the battery can also last a whole day of moderate to heavy use.
Xiaomi 13 Lite Specifications
- Display: 6.55-inch FHD+ AMOLED, 120Hz refresh rate, 240Hz touch sampling rate
- CPU: 2.4GHz 4nm Qualcomm Snapdragon 7 Gen 1 octa-core
- GPU: Adreno 644
- RAM: 8GB
- ROM: Up to 256GB
- Back Camera: 50MP f/1.8 main + 8MP f/2.2 ultrawide + 2MP F/2.4 macro + LED flash
- Front Camera: 32MP f/2.4 ultrawide + 8MP f/2.3 depth + dual LED flash
- Battery: 4,500mAh w/ 67W fast wired charging
- OS: Android 12 w/ MIUI 14
- Connectivity: WiFi 802.11a/b/g/n/ac/6 (5GHz/2.4GHz), 5G, 4G LTE, Bluetooth, FM Radio, NFC, GPS, dual SIM
- Sensors: Accelerometer, light, orientation, proximity, gyroscope, sound, magnetic
- Dimensions: 159.2 x 72.7 x 7.2 mm
- Weight: 171g
- Others: Under display fingerprint sensor, face unlock, Dolby Atmos, USB-C
- Colors: Lite Pink, Lite Blue, Lite Black
Conclusion
In summary, I believe the Xiaomi 13 Lite is an excellent mid-range phone that provides excellent value for money. It boasts a gorgeous display, a powerful camera system, a fast and efficient chipset, a long-lasting battery with fast charging, and a sleek design. It also has several limitations, such as no IP certification or wireless charging, and a terrible macro camera. However, if you can live with those trades, you will be very happy with this phone.
Price and availability
This Xiaomi 13 Lite is not yet released in the Philippines but there are sellers in Facebook Marketplace that sell it for only PHP 23,990. However, it seems that its price when released in the Philippines will be around PHP 27,000 – 29,000. As of writing, there’s no information yet about its official local launch, so stay tuned!
