Xiaomi 13 Pro vs Galaxy S23 Plus: which is the best cost-effective top phone? | Comparative

The Xiaomi 13 Pro and the Galaxy S23 Plus may not be the most advanced models in the flagship series of their respective brands, but they try to draw attention to their cost-effectiveness in the segment.

In this fight between top smartphones, is Xiaomi or Samsung delivering the best experience? This Comparison shows you the details here, at TechSmart.

• design
• Multimedia and resources
• Performance
• Battery
• Camera
• Price
• Conclusion

Xiaomi 13 Pro

We started by design with two premium build options. Both are made of metal in the structure and are IP68 certified, to guarantee resistance against dust and liquids. But they follow different paths in the rear. While the 13 Pro opts for a ceramic treatment, the S23 Plus uses glass, covered with Gorilla Glass Victus 2, to protect against scratches and impacts.

The Chinese still placed a square camera block, which highlights the lenses. The Korean company preferred to distribute the sensors in an original way on the lid. Apart from the fact that it has the most compact and light body of the duo.

Samsung Galaxy S23 Plus

At the front, nothing changes in terms of security, as both contain a fingerprint reader integrated into the display. In addition, the manufacturers’ option was for the notch in the form of a hole in the screen.

Both also do not have a microSD card slot, that is, no storage expansion here. In connectivity, there’s sixth-generation Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 5.3, and NFC, whatever you choose.

With the most modern, compact and lightweight design, the Galaxy opens the scoring.

Screen

The Xiaomi comes equipped with a 6.73-inch OLED panel, slightly larger than the 6.6-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X display on the Galaxy. Chinese brings a higher resolution and reproduces more colors, but Korean responds with a higher brightness level.

The dual delivers HDR10+, to improve streaming, but only the 13 Pro comes with Dolby Vision technology support. On the other hand, the S23 Plus has Gorilla Glass Victus 2, which is more resistant to impacts and scratches than the first generation of Victus in the competitor.

At least, the 120 Hz refresh rate is guaranteed in both options. Thus, fluidity will not be a problem for animations and compatible games.

Larger size and better colors on one side; superior brightness and resistance of the other. We have one point for each.

Sound

Sound is not an issue for these devices, as both provide a stereo system to enhance user immersion, in addition to support for Dolby Atmos technology. The difference is in the three speakers present in the 13 Pro, to give a superior experience to the two in the S23 Plus.

As a consequence, we have a greater sound power in the Xiaomi model than in the Samsung one. The balance between bass, mids and highs in the Chinese audio is also more pleasing than the one offered by the Korean, although this one does not disappoint either.

None of them come with a physical headphone jack, nor are there any compatible accessories in the package.

So the point goes to the Xiaomi 13 Pro.

System

These handsets come out of the box with Android 13 as the native operating system. Xiaomi promises three software updates to its cell phone, but it is still below the four versions of the “little robot” provided by Samsung.

At least mobile network won’t be a problem between them. That’s because both support 5G technology, for fast internet for a long time. The fluidity also responds well, mainly due to the rate of 120 Hz in both.

Talking about the features, the 13 Pro stands out for the familiar functions of MIUI, such as the Control Center and the floating menu to access apps faster. The S23 Plus highlights the Good Lock customizations, the Edge Screen shortcuts and the possibility of turning the smartphone into a portable PC with DeX.

Greater longevity and more advanced tools. It’s a point for the Galaxy.

Both devices come powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 mobile platform. Do we have the same performance? Our speed tests indicated yes. Both the 13 Pro and the Galaxy finished both rounds in the 46 second total range.

Even in the benchmarks, the scenario is practically the same. The duo recorded very similar scores on AnTuTu and Geekbench indicators. In games, it couldn’t be different. You’ll be able to run smoothly even the most demanding titles at maximum quality, with extras enabled.

Without differences in this regard, we give a tie.

Xiaomi is powered by a 4,820 mAh battery, slightly higher than the 4,700 mAh capacity in the Galaxy. But this does not seem to have practical effects. Our standardized tests showed an advantage for the Korean here, which registered almost 29 hours of autonomy, against just over 26 hours for the Chinese.

The scenario is only reversed during loading. The 120 W adapter sent by Xiaomi makes the difference and allows a full charge in less than half an hour. Quite different from Samsung’s 25 W accessory, which takes 1 hour and 11 minutes to complete the process.

The S23 Plus scores for the longer duration; and the 13 Pro scores for the fastest recharge.

Both have a triple set of rear cameras, led by a 50 MP main sensor. Despite the same resolution, we see different performances. The Chinese model overdoes the post-processing and weighs in on the contrast, which generates darker images. The Korean hits the HDR and takes cleaner pictures in low light places.

Their telephoto lens reaches three times optical zoom, for long shots with little loss. The problem is that the 13 Pro exaggerates the exposure, something that blows the brightness of the captures. The ultrawide has good quality in general, but the night mode of the S23 Plus does a better job.

Overall, Galaxy has superior results. So it’s one more point for him.

Photos taken with the Xiaomi 13 Pro

Their camcorder supports 8K recordings, but only the Galaxy reaches 30 fps at that resolution. At least, all of their rear cameras support 4K video at 60 fps. Still, the quality of the S23 Plus is slightly above the 13 Pro, especially at night. Both provide optical stabilization, snappy focus and good sound capture.

Samsung notes another point.

Photos taken with the Samsung Galaxy S23 Plus

Although Xiaomi’s front camera has much more resolution than the Korean one, the process of compressing four pixels into one and then upscaling ends up leaving his selfies inferior to those of the Galaxy. Not to mention that the S23 Plus still delivers improved HDR and better records at night than the rival. To top it off, it’s the only one to have 4K head-on footage.

One more point for Samsung.

Of the duo, only the Galaxy S23 Plus was officially launched in Europe. It arrived in the country for a suggested price of BRL 7,000, the same amount charged by importers for the Xiaomi 13 Pro, but it can already be found close to BRL 5,000 in national retail.

As any economy is important for the consumer’s pocket, the Korean closes the Comparison with the last point.

Despite having lost in the final score, the Xiaomi 13 Pro proved to have important qualities for the user. It offers the best multimedia experience, whether it’s the bigger screen with more colors and Dolby Vision, or the more powerful and higher quality sound. The Chinese also does not owe anything in performance to the rival, in addition to delivering a much faster recharge, even if autonomy is behind.

But it’s the Galaxy S23 Plus that provides the best value for money. The Korean offers the most modern, compact and lightweight design, the brightest display, the system with the best features and longevity, in addition to superior cameras in rear photos, videos and selfies. To complete, this can also be purchased cheaper and officially in the Europeian market.

RESULT

Xiaomi 13 Pro: 4 POINTS

• Bigger screen with better colors
• More powerful and higher quality sound
• Fast multitasking and gaming performance
• Battery with less recharge time

Samsung Galaxy S23 Plus: 9 POINTS

• More modern, compact and lightweight design
• brighter screen
• System with greater longevity and better features
• Fast multitasking and gaming performance
• Battery with greater autonomy
• Rear cameras with better pictures in all conditions
• Videos with superior quality and 8K at 30 fps
• Front camera with sharper selfies and 4K footage
• Lowest price in the current Europeian market

Do you believe that the distance from one to the other is that great? Between the 13 Pro and the S23 Plus, which would be your purchase option? You can tell us everything in the space below.

• The Samsung Galaxy S23 Plus is available from Girafa for BRL 5,398 and at Extra by BRL 5,669.
• The Xiaomi 13 Pro is available on Amazon for BRL 6,999.