The Galaxy S23 Extremely continues to be the very best general cellphone if you would like a tool with essentially the most variety of options. The cellphone has a elegant 120Hz AMOLED display that’s among the many finest on Android, the {hardware} is healthier than simply about every other cellphone I’ve used this 12 months, and I just like the minimalist design. Positive, it would not look too completely different to the S22 Extremely, however the small tweaks that Samsung made to the design make a giant distinction in day by day use, and I do not discover it to be as cumbersome to carry and use as its predecessor. Then there’s the cameras; with a brand new 200MP lens on the again and versatile auxiliary cameras, the S23 Extremely is a powerhouse on this space.
For
- The most effective AMOLED screens out there in the present day
- Quickest inner {hardware} of any Android cellphone
- Beautiful design with usability-focused tweaks
- Cameras take gorgeous photographs and movies
- All of the extras you want
- 4 assured Android OS updates
Towards
- Giant and heavy
- Slower charging than Xiaomi 13 Professional
- No charger within the field
I am not exaggerating once I say that the 13 Professional is Xiaomi’s finest effort by an extended margin. The ceramic design is harking back to the Mi 11 Extremely, and the cellphone feels fabulous to carry and use — I undoubtedly choose the in-hand really feel to the S23 Extremely regardless that it weighs practically the identical. Xiaomi additionally did a superb job with the cameras this 12 months, and the trio of 50MP cameras on the again together with Leica collaboration permits the 13 Professional to take wonderful photographs and movies in any state of affairs. MIUI 14 feels somewhat extra fluid, however you aren’t getting fairly as many options as Samsung, and the 13 Professional will get one fewer Android OS replace. Probably the most irritating factor concerning the 13 Professional is that it’s not bought in North America, however in case you’re in a rustic the place it’s formally out there, it’s a viable various to what Samsung is providing this 12 months.
For
- Excellent cameras
- Hanging design with glorious in-hand really feel
- Vibrant AMOLED display with loads of customizability
- Standout {hardware} with IP68 water resistance
- Quick 120W wired and 50W wi-fi charging
Towards
- Will not get as many software program updates as S23 Extremely
- Not bought in North America
- Far more reasonably priced in India/China than different international markets
What are your choices if you wish to purchase the finest Android cellphone? Samsung is all the time a superb wager, and the Galaxy S23 Extremely has a stunning design and options one of many strongest {hardware} packages together with versatile cameras that take phenomenal photographs. Xiaomi additionally has a robust exhibiting this 12 months within the Xiaomi 13 Professional, providing three 50MP cameras and a brand new design that is extra in step with Extremely variants of years previous. With the Xiaomi 13 Professional now out there in India, the U.Okay., and choose international markets, let’s discover out if it has what it takes to go up towards the S23 Extremely, or in case you ought to simply purchase Samsung’s flagship.
Samsung Galaxy S23 Extremely vs. Xiaomi 13 Professional: Design
I like Samsung’s design aesthetic with the Galaxy S23 Extremely; not a lot has modified from final 12 months, however there are delicate tweaks that make holding and utilizing the cellphone somewhat extra snug. That is right down to the decreased curvature of the display and the again, and the flatter design means there’s extra alongside the mid-frame to carry on to. Samsung additionally did an important job with the digicam housing, and the minimalist housing with the rings across the three digicam modules appears elegant.
As for Xiaomi, I by no means fairly know what the model goes to do subsequent. I used all of its flagships during the last 9 years, and there has by no means been design consistency between generations — Xiaomi is perennially altering the design on a yearly foundation, and that is no completely different on the Xiaomi 13 Professional. The cellphone includes a ceramic again — much like the Mi 11 Extremely — and has a squarish digicam island on the again that dominates consideration.
The way in which the island merges with the design is harking back to the Discover X5 Professional, however the impact is not as seamless, and the big housing with sq. traces would not fairly line up with the graceful flowing curves that you’re going to discover all over the place else on the cellphone. In fact, the bigger island means you aren’t getting any wobble when utilizing the 13 Professional on a flat floor — this is not the case on Samsung’s cellphone.
Now, as a lot as I just like the design of the S23 Extremely, this factor is an absolute unit, and is giant and considerably unwieldy. In contrast, the Xiaomi 13 Professional is rather more manageable, and at 229g, it’s 5g lighter. On that be aware, Xiaomi went with aggressive curves at the back and front, so in case you’re not a fan of telephones with a dual-curved display, you will not just like the 13 Professional. There’s nonetheless sufficient room on the mid-frame to carry the system, however it is not a lot; in fact, a case solves this downside.
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The again of the S23 Extremely has a frosted glass end that feels nice in-hand, and whereas I additionally just like the ceramic design of the 13 Professional, it’s a smudge magnet, and I discovered myself having to continually clear it to make sure it appears pristine. Elsewhere, you get dual-SIM connectivity and eSIM as normal on each gadgets, and the 13 Professional has an IR blaster. Each gadgets additionally provide IP68 ingress safety as normal, and with Xiaomi ignoring this characteristic prior to now, it is nice to see the model make amends with the 13 Professional.
Samsung Galaxy S23 Extremely vs. Xiaomi 13 Professional: Display
Each Samsung and Xiaomi are recognized for providing vibrant AMOLED panels on their telephones, and the S23 Extremely and 13 Professional have two of the very best screens you may discover in the present day. The S23 Extremely has a bigger 6.8-inch panel, however the 13 Professional is not far behind with a 6.73-inch display.
Utilizing each gadgets side-by-side, I will have to provide a slender edge to the Galaxy S23 Extremely; its display will get marginally brighter outdoor. That mentioned, the variations between the 2 are minute, and no matter no matter system you get, you are assured to love the panel on provide right here.
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You get an exhaustive suite of customization choices on each telephones, together with always-on mode, tweaking the colour steadiness, and adjusting the display refresh. Xiaomi continues to be obstinate and limits the display refresh to 60Hz out of the field, and it’s the solely Android model to take action — each different model that has a 120Hz panel has that setting as default out of the field. However on the 13 Professional, you may want to enter the settings to change to the 120Hz mode.
Each gadgets even have stereo sound, and whereas Xiaomi would not have similar drivers like earlier years, the 13 Professional nonetheless manages to supply stellar sound, and it will get loud and detailed with no distortion at increased volumes. In an analogous vein, the S23 Extremely’s stereo configuration is greater than satisfactory for streaming movies and taking part in video games, and whereas it would not get fairly as loud, it’s detailed.
Samsung Galaxy S23 Extremely vs. Xiaomi 13 Professional: {Hardware}
This has been a superb 12 months for Android {hardware}, and loads of that’s right down to Qualcomm’s efforts with the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2. The platform has tangible features over final 12 months — each by way of sustained efficiency and thermal throttling — and is a real powerhouse. Consequently, the S23 Extremely and Xiaomi 13 Professional are two of the quickest telephones you may discover in the present day.
As soon as once more, the S23 Extremely will get a slight edge as Samsung is utilizing a custom-made model of the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for its gadgets that sees a slight overclock for the Cortex X3 core, bringing it to three.36GHz — the usual 8 Gen 2 on the Xiaomi 13 Professional and different Android flagships goes as much as 3.2GHz. In fact, this doesn’t suggest the S23 Extremely is noticeably sooner than the Xiaomi 13 Professional; we’re infinitesimal adjustments right here, and so they do not translate to any real-world distinction.
That mentioned, Samsung will get to say that it’s utilizing essentially the most highly effective model of the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, and it’s the solely producer doing so in the intervening time. Apart from that, the S23 Extremely comes with 12GB of RAM as normal, and it begins out with 256GB of storage and goes as much as 1TB, with all storage modules primarily based on the most recent UFS 4.0 normal.
| Class | Samsung Galaxy S23 Extremely | Xiaomi 13 Professional |
|---|---|---|
| OS | One UI 5.1 primarily based on Android 13 | MIUI 14 primarily based on Android 13 |
| Show | 6.8-inch 120Hz QHD+ (3088 x 1440) LTPO AMOLED, Gorilla Glass Victus 2, HDR10+ | 6.73-inch 120Hz QHD+ (3200×1440) LTPO AMOLED, Gorilla Glass Victus, Dolby Imaginative and prescient |
| Chipset | Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy, 1 x 3.36GHz Cortex X3, 2 x 2.8GHz Cortex A715, 2 x 2.8GHz Cortex A710, 3 x 2.0GHz Cortex A510, Adreno 740, 4nm | Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, 1 x 3.2GHz Cortex X3, 2 x 2.8GHz Cortex A715, 2 x 2.8GHz Cortex A710, 3 x 2.0GHz Cortex A510, Adreno 740, 4nm |
| RAM | 12GB LPDDR5X | 8GB/12GB LPDDR5X |
| Storage | 256GB/512/1TBGB UFS 4.0 | 128GB UFS 3.1, 256GB/512GB UFS 4.0 |
| Rear digicam 1 | 200MP 1/1.3-inch f/1.7, 0.6um pixels. OIS, 8K at 24fps, 4K at 60fps | 50MP 1-inch f/1.9 Sony IMX989, 1.6um pixels, OIS, 8K at 24fps, 4K at 60fps, Dolby Imaginative and prescient |
| Rear digicam 2 | 10MP f/4.9, telephoto lens, OIS, 10x optical zoom, 100x digital zoom | 50MP f/2.0, telephoto lens, OIS, 3.2x optical zoom |
| Rear digicam 3 | 10MP f/2.4, telephoto lens, OIS, 3x optical zoom | 50MP f/2.2 wide-angle lens, 115-degree subject of view |
| Rear digicam 4 | 12MP f/2.2 wide-angle lens, 120-degree FoV | None |
| Entrance digicam | 12MP autofocus | 32MP mounted focus |
| Ingress safety | IP68 mud and water resistance | IP68 mud and water resistance |
| Connectivity | International Sub-6 5G bands (mmWave in NA), Wi-Fi 6e, Bluetooth 5.3, NFC, UWB | International Sub-6 5G bands, Wi-Fi 6e, Bluetooth 5.3, NFC |
| Safety | In-screen ultrasonic fingerprint module, face unlock | In-screen optical fingerprint module, face unlock |
| Audio | Stereo sound, USB-C, 24-bit/192kHz audio | Stereo sound, USB-C, 24-bit/192kHz audio |
| Battery | 5000mAh, 45W wired charging, 15W wi-fi charging, 4.5W reverse wi-fi charging | 4820mAh, 120W wired charging, 50W wi-fi charging, 10W reverse wi-fi charging |
| Dimensions | 163.4 x 78.1 x 8.9mm, 234g | 162.9 x 74.6 x 8.4mm, 229g |
| Colours | Inexperienced, Lime, Phantom Black, Cream, Lavender, | Ceramic Black, Ceramic White, Ceramic Inexperienced, Mountain Blue (leather-based) |
Xiaomi, in the meantime, has a 128GB base variant in China that makes use of UFS 3.1, however the international mannequin has 256GB of storage, and there is additionally a 512GB version, with each of those that includes UFS 4.0. Whereas Xiaomi’s base variant has 8GB of RAM, the worldwide fashions provide 12GB of RAM as normal. Elsewhere, you may discover the most recent connectivity requirements, with each gadgets providing Sub-6 5G connectivity with international 5G bands, and Samsung has native variants in North America that embody mmWave 5G as nicely.
There’s Bluetooth 5.3, NFC, all of the radios for numerous GPS requirements in use globally, and high-res audio codecs. I would wish to level out that each telephones have a big vibration motor that delivers glorious suggestions in day by day use; whether or not that is normally navigation or utilizing the keyboard. I will give the sting to Xiaomi right here because the x-axis motor it makes use of is pleasant in day by day use, and you may tweak the suggestions to a better extent.
The place Samsung takes an edge is with its cell funds service, Samsung Pay, and UWB connectivity. Samsung Pay continues to be a superb selection for cell funds on the go, and whereas I am miffed about the truth that there is no MST, it nonetheless works over NFC. Whereas it is good to have these added options, I nonetheless do not just like the in-screen fingerprint sensor on the S23 Extremely; the ultrasonic module takes somewhat longer to authenticate than the optical possibility on the 13 Professional.
As for battery life, each gadgets handle to final over a day with ease. That is one other key good thing about Qualcomm’s newest silicon, and having used each the S23 Extremely and 13 Professional extensively over the course of the final two months, I can confidently say that there is no battery nervousness in any respect on both system — no matter utilization.
However in the case of charging tech, Xiaomi has the clear edge; with 120W wired and 50W wi-fi charging, it simply outmatches the 45W wired and 15W wi-fi charging on provide with Samsung’s cellphone. Then there’s the truth that Xiaomi bundles a 120W charger within the field that can be utilized with different gadgets as nicely — it really works over the USB PD 3.0 protocol — and you may want to purchase a charging accent with the S23 Extremely; the one factor included within the field is the cellphone itself and a consumer guide.
Samsung Galaxy S23 Extremely vs. Xiaomi 13 Professional: Cameras
Samsung continues to ship a robust digicam package deal with the S23 Extremely, and this 12 months, the spotlight is the inclusion of a 200MP module that is phenomenal in day by day use. The primary digicam has OIS and is joined by a 12MP wide-angle lens, and twin 10MP telephoto lenses with OIS that go as much as 10x optical zoom. Samsung has a number of software-assisted options that allow you to take usable photographs at as much as 30x zoom, and there is additionally 100x zoom — a characteristic that debuted two years in the past.
Xiaomi is doing loads of attention-grabbing issues on this space as nicely. The 13 Professional is the primary international cellphone from Xiaomi that leverages Leica optics, and it comes with three 50MP cameras on the again, with the principle digicam that includes a big 1-inch lens. Xiaomi helps you to shoot 10-bit Dolby Imaginative and prescient HDR movies from the system itself, and it has 8K video at 24fps, with all cameras in a position to shoot 4K video at 60fps. For its half, Samsung additionally has 8K at 24fps, and its 4 cameras shoot 4K video at 60fps.
In the case of picture high quality, each the Galaxy S23 Extremely and Xiaomi 13 Professional do an excellent job in all conditions. That is a given contemplating the caliber of {hardware} on provide and the tuning efforts undertaken by each manufacturers lately. That mentioned, the Galaxy S23 Extremely is ready to dial in on a topic a smidgen sooner than the 13 Professional, and its photographs have higher vibrancy. The oversaturated look is attribute of Samsung’s telephones, and the resultant photographs look nice whereas sharing on social media.
Xiaomi does a superb job as nicely, and the addition of Leica modes means the pictures tackle a definite tone that wasn’t current in earlier variations of its flagships. You get to decide on between Genuine and Vibrant modes, and I went with the latter. This mode gives saturated colours and a delicate vignette that highlights the general picture somewhat higher, and the system is on par with the S23 Extremely in the case of minimized noise ranges and colour accuracy in conditions with little to no ambient mild.
Each telephones even have stellar wide-angle lenses, and whereas I like the truth that Xiaomi is doing extra with a zoom lens, the S23 Extremely fares higher when capturing at as much as 10x and past. What’s significantly attention-grabbing is the strides each manufacturers made by way of video; the S23 Extremely and Xiaomi 13 Professional have the flexibility to shoot clean footage with out the necessity for a gimbal, and the built-in stabilization works extremely nicely.
Total, these are two of the very best digicam packages you may discover on Android, and it comes right down to versatility. I nonetheless suppose Samsung has the sting right here, however Xiaomi is not far behind.
Samsung Galaxy S23 Extremely vs. Xiaomi 13 Professional: Software program
Samsung and Xiaomi did loads of work during the last three years to refine their interfaces, and that is evident when utilizing the S23 Extremely and 13 Professional. Let’s begin with Samsung; the S23 Extremely runs One UI 5.1 primarily based on Android 13 out of the field, and it has a contemporary design that feels polished.
Samsung did an important job integrating all of the options Google launched in Android 13, and there is loads of customizability out of the field. In fact, you additionally get customized utilities like Good Lock that considerably lengthen the customization choices out there, and if you wish to tweak nearly each side of the interface, I extremely advocate giving it a attempt.
As for Xiaomi, I just like the course the model is taking with MIUI. The Xiaomi 13 Professional runs MIUI 14 primarily based on Android 13 out of the field, and whereas the model made loads of under-the-hood tweaks to make the interface runs smoother — it feels extra fluid than earlier generations — it would not fairly have any main user-facing adjustments, and the interface wants a contemporary coat of paint.
To its credit score although, Xiaomi is doing an important job guaranteeing it would not embody as many pre-installed apps on its telephones, and no matter you may discover on the 13 Professional, you may simply uninstall. That is the place Samsung is on the backfoot; the S23 Extremely has a boatload of bloatware, and whilst you can disable or uninstall most of those providers, it is annoying to see on such a high-end cellphone.
In the case of updates, Samsung continues to set the tone for Android as an entire. My S23 Extremely has acquired month-to-month safety updates on time — Samsung sends it out on the identical time and even sooner than Google for its Pixels — and the cellphone will get 4 assured Android OS updates.
Xiaomi hasn’t performed a lot on this space within the final two years, and the 13 Professional will get three platform updates. I am not assured in Xiaomi’s potential to ship these updates on time both; my 12 Professional was the final of the most important flagships to change to Android 13. And as for safety updates, Xiaomi ensures quarterly updates, and that simply is not sufficient for a flagship — I wish to see month-to-month updates like Google and Samsung.
Samsung Galaxy S23 Extremely vs. Xiaomi 13 Professional: What’s the very best cellphone for you?
The Xiaomi 13 Professional is among the finest telephones Xiaomi has rolled out thus far, and the cameras alone are definitely worth the value of admission. That mentioned, the S23 Extremely additionally has terrific cameras, and Samsung gives extra software program updates and a cleaner interface with extra options.
In the end, my suggestion varies primarily based on the area. Contemplating Xiaomi has no intention to launch its telephones in North America, the Galaxy S23 Extremely is the default selection in that area. As for different international locations, the Xiaomi 13 Professional is obtainable for ₹79,999 ($976) for the 12GB/256GB mannequin in India, and you may must shell out ₹1,24,999 ($1,526) to get your palms on the S23 Extremely within the nation. Sure, the S23 Extremely is nice, however it is not ₹45,000 ($550) higher than what Xiaomi is providing, and for my cash, I would just get the Xiaomi 13 Professional.
Now, the state of affairs adjustments in European markets. Within the U.Okay., the Xiaomi 13 Professional is promoting at £1,099 ($1,372) for the 12GB/256GB model, and the S23 Extremely might be had for £1,249 ($1,559). Equally, the Xiaomi 13 Professional prices €1,299 ($1,435) in Germany, and the S23 Extremely is €1,399 ($1,546). With a distinction of underneath $200, you are higher off with the S23 Extremely; simply the truth that you get yet another software program replace makes Samsung’s flagship that rather more engaging.
It is clear that Xiaomi is being aggressive in India and China — two of its largest markets — and in these international locations, the Xiaomi 13 Professional is an absolute steal. However all over the place else, it’s best to take into account the Galaxy S23 Extremely as an alternative — it’s my favourite all-round cellphone of 2023.
If you would like the cellphone with essentially the most variety of options, the Galaxy S23 Extremely continues to be the very best general selection. With a stunning design, elegant display, the very best {hardware} at present out there, and versatile cameras that ship excellent photographs, the S23 Extremely is the apparent selection for many customers.
Xiaomi did an impressive job with the 13 Professional, and the cameras specifically are markedly higher than earlier years. The truth that the cellphone is bought for significantly decrease than the S23 Extremely in choose international markets makes this a terrific cut price.
