What's more important in digital imaging, sensor size or megapixel count? Now's as good a time as any to find out because the two most high-profile Android releases of 2023 so far also happen to bring new camera systems headlined by main cameras that have taken those opposite paths. Samsung's Galaxy S23 Ultra packs a new 200MP main camera, while Xiaomi's 13 Pro uses a 1-inch type sensor. Xiaomi's sensor is significantly larger than the S23 Ultra's 1/1.3-inch sensor, but Samsung's camera can produce shots with four times as many pixels as Xiaomi's.
While the other cameras aren't quite as philosophically opposed, they still differ enough that it's worth a closer examination. In other words, this is one of the more interesting camera comparisons we've done yet.
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Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra Xiaomi 13 Pro Brand Samsung Xiaomi SoC Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 Display 6.8-inch QHD+ Edge, Dynamic AMOLED 2X Display, Super Smooth 120Hz refresh rate (1-120Hz), 240Hz touch sampling rate in gaming mode 6.41 x 2.94 x 0.33 inches, 6.7-inch, 1440 x 3200 AMOLED, 1-120Hz, 1900 nits peak brightness Battery 5,000mAh 4820mAh, 120W wired, 50W wireless, 10W reverse wireless Operating System Android 13 / One UI 5.1 MIUI 14 based on Android 13 Dimensions 6.43 x 3.07 x 0.35 inches (163.3 x 77.9 x 8.89mm) 6.41 x 2.94 x 0.33 inches Colors Cream, Green, Lavender, Phantom Black, Samsung exclusive colors (Lime, Graphite, Sky Blue, and Red) Ceramic White, Ceramic Black, Ceramic Flora Green, Mountain Blue Camera 200MP f/1.7 wide angle, 10MP f/2.4 2x zoom, 10MP f/4.9 10x zoom, 12MP f/2.2 ultra-wide, 12MP f/2.2 front camera 50MP, f/1.9, 1-inch wide, 50MP f/2.2 ultra-wide, 50MP f/2.0 telephoto (shifting sensor; 3.2x optical zoom), 32MP selfie Weight 8.25 ounces (233.8g) 210 g or 229 g IP Rating IP68 IP68
Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra vs Xiaomi 13: Price and availability
The Galaxy S23 Ultra is available virtually worldwide at any carrier and retailer selling mobile phones, starting at $1,199 for the base model with 8GB RAM and 256GB storage. You can bump the RAM up to 12GB and opt for 512GB or 1TB storage, with the most spec'ed out variant going for $1,619.
The Xiaomi 13 Pro doesn't have as wide a retail presence; Xiaomi does not sell in North America, and availability across Europe and Asia varies. In Spain — where the device held its global launch — it's available at most retailers and carriers, but in U.K., it's only for sale online. It's available at carriers in Asia, and physical stores in China, Thailand, and Singapore, but will only be in select stores in Japan. The price also varies wildly, with European pricing getting as high as 1299 euros (that's $1,388!), but in regions like China and Hong Kong, it's significantly more affordable at about the equivalent of $950.
Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra vs Xiaomi 13: Camera hardware overview
The Galaxy S23 Ultra's quad-camera main system is the most versatile camera system on the market, with lenses that cover optical focal lengths as wide as 13mm (ultrawide camera) to as long as 230mm (the 10X Periscope zoom lens). None of this is new, as the last two Galaxy S Ultra phones offered the same range. What's new this year is primarily the main camera, which uses Samsung's new 200MP HP2 sensor.
This 200MP sensor is designed mostly to shoot pixel-binned images, but instead of the usual 4-in-1 binning or 9-in-1 binning, this one uses 16-in-1 binning. In other words, a normal photo snapped by the S23 Ultra's main camera packs 16 times as much information in each pixel as a 12MP smartphone camera. You can shoot in full 200MP resolution, allowing you to zoom deeper into photos without losing as many details as with other phones. But the phone requires a couple seconds to snap a single 200MP image, and the image file size is relatively huge at 40-60MB, so this is not a mode that's meant for regular use — only in special circumstances.
However, Samsung's main camera image sensor has not increased in size in two years, so its 1/1.3-inch size can't be considered large anymore by flagship standards. It is significantly smaller than the 1-inch type sensor used in the Xiaomi 13 Pro.
And yes, we are aware that the Sony IMX989 image sensor used in the Xiaomi 13 Pro doesn't actually measure 1-inch, and that the phrase "1-inch sensor" is a marketing embellishment (established by camera brands, not Xiaomi). But still, it's a much larger sensor than on other smartphone sensors. The promotional graphic below shows off the 1-inch sensor relative to other sensors. Samsung's 200MP sensor is not shown, but its 1/1.3-inch size is similar to the IMX707/700 sensor in the graphic.
Xiaomi co-developed the 1-inch sensor with Sony, apparently contributing $15 million in funding. The 13 Pro is also not the first phone to use this lens, as those who follow smartphones closely will remember that the Xiaomi 12S Ultra packed the sensor already. But I tested the Xiaomi 12S Ultra against the 13 Pro, and the 13 Pro's camera system is more polished all around.
The Xiaomi 13 Pro packs two other cameras on the back: a 3.2X telephoto zoom lens and an ultrawide camera, both with 50MP sensors. The telephoto zoom lens is a new development, and Xiaomi has coined it "floating telephoto," which means it has actual moving elements inside that shift in place to adjust minimum focusing distance. Xiaomi says the lens can shoot as close as 3.9 inches (10cm) and keep focus, making it almost like a macro lens.
Around the front are selfie cameras in the usual hole-punch position. Samsung uses a 12MP camera, while Xiaomi uses a 32MP shooter.
The first thing to examine is whether the phones can keep consistency in color science, temperature, and dynamic range across all its rear-facing cameras. Both phones pass this test, as images are consistent across the lenses. This was something Android phones couldn't get right until a year or two ago. We can now examine the cameras one by one.
Main camera: Sensor size vs megapixels
The first thing to note is that Samsung's images are consistently brighter and exhibit a cooler temperature, while Xiaomi's shots show deeper shadows. These are intentional decisions made by each brand. Samsung's cameras have always cooled images, and its Ultra phones have always flexed their ability to bring lots of light into each shot via pixel binning and generous use of night mode (Samsung's phones turn on night mode much more often than Xiaomi's).
The Xiaomi 13 Pro, like the 12S Ultra, features a camera system co-developed with Leica, and the cameras tend to aim for that Leica look with deep shadows and contrasty images. Just looking at these images in scaled-down format (on a phone screen), these images all look great.
On left, Samsung and on right, Xiaomi.
If you pixel peep the images snapped under great lighting, like the set of the purple plants on a small road, both images are still very close in quality.
But do so on a low light image, and Xiaomi's images are more detailed and organic looking, while Samsung's image looks over-sharpened digitally, resulting in a fake look. This is very likely due to Xiaomi's much larger sensor, which can just take in more light and image information naturally, while Samsung is using a lot of digital trickery (16-in-1 pixel binning) to produce the image. See for yourself in the 100% crops below.
Another key difference between the two main cameras is that Xiaomi's larger sensor produces images with a shallower depth-of-field. When shooting subjects/objects with some separation in the background, you can see a stronger focus dropoff in Xiaomi's images. In the below samples, you'll see Xiaomi's image has more natural bokeh — look at the background behind the cup of coffee or the ATM behind the plant.
Generally speaking, if we are shooting in automatic point-and-shoot mode, I usually prefer Xiaomi's main camera over Samsung's, but only if I'm pixel-peeping. The differences in details at 100% crop or slightly stronger natural bokeh become much less apparent if looking at the photos on Instagram on a phone screen. I still think this matters because having a higher-quality base allows more room for editing later.
But the Galaxy S23 Ultra, as mentioned, can shoot at full 200MP resolution. That's four times more than the Xiaomi 13 Pro's full 50MP resolution, and it in theory allows you to crop in much closer without losing details. Below are 100% crops of two images: the S23 Ultra's 200MP mode and Xiaomi's 50MP mode. You can see Samsung's image can indeed crop in closer, but it's also much noisier.
Zoom camera(s): Periscope vs 3.2X
The Galaxy S Ultra phones have been the smartphone zoom king for a few years now because it has two zoom lenses, including a 10X Periscope zoom that, so far, only Huawei has also offered. Everybody else, including Xiaomi's 12S Ultra, had a Periscope lens that maxed out at 5X optical zoom.
This year, Xiaomi ditched the Periscope lens entirely, instead opting for a new 3.2X telephoto lens. This is a downgrade on paper: A Periscope lens uses a more complicated hardware structure to achieve superior zoom. But Xiaomi's new telephoto was designed with portraits in mind, and it has shifting optical elements inside to allow it to shift minimum focus distance.
We'll start with the short zoom. The Galaxy S23 UItra's 3X lens shoots an equivalent of 69mm, while the Xiaomi 13 Pro snaps 75mm shots.
For this short zoom, it appears the script has flipped from the main camera. Now, Samsung's images are consistently a bit sharper and more detailed, particularly when examined on a larger screen. But generally, both phones' zooms produce aesthetically pleasing bokeh and a more flattering angle for close-up photos of people and objects than the slightly too-wide main camera (which can lead to distortion).
For 10X zoom, Samsung is the clear winner because it has a dedicated Periscope lens, while Xiaomi uses digital crop in the telephoto sensor. The gap widens as you zoom further, like 30X.
The Xiaomi 13 Ultra's telephoto lens can double as a macro lens, with shifting optical elements that allow the minimum focus distance to get as close as 10cm, or around 3.9 inches. Samsung's telephoto lens cannot focus as close, but Samsung's ultrawide can snap macro images that can get even closer in focus distance. But using an ultrawide sensor results in distortion, so it comes down to preference. Samsung's macro shots can get closer, but images have a distorted look compared to the Xiaomi 13 Pro's telephoto macro lens.
Ultrawide: The closest comparison
The competition between the ultrawide cameras is very, very close in terms of quality and field of view. Sharpness and distortion correction are above average in both cameras, but I think Samsung's color science is a bit better in the ultrawide, particularly in how it handles white balance.
If we zoom into the actual size and examine, we can see the Galaxy S23 Ultra's ultrawide shows more noise and digital artifacts, but ultrawide images are not meant for zooming into pixel peeping anyway, so this is a non-issue.
Selfies: Turning down beauty mode
In the past, Samsung's selfie cameras had an aggressive beautifying mode that smoothed skin and lightened skin tone, and I'm happy to report that has finally been done away with. The option to turn on the beauty filter is still there, but it's off by default, and the results are natural-looking selfies. The Xiaomi 13 Pro shoots with a 32MP front-facing camera, but it does not shoot pixel-binned 8MP images, instead churning out 32MP selfies. This means Xiaomi's selfies can be printed in larger sizes.
During the day, Samsung's selfie images are consistently more aesthetically pleasing, particularly in how it handles dynamic range. But Xiaomi's front-facing camera is better at night, with Samsung's slower shutter speed occasionally resulting in blurry selfies.
However, Samsung's selfie camera is the winner because it can also shoot in 4K resolution in videos, while Xiaomi's front-facing camera maxes out at 1080p resolution.
Video performance: Samsung's is more polished
Speaking of video, both phones perform well. The days of the iPhone having the best video camera are long gone. Both the Galaxy S23 Ultra and Xiaomi 13 Pro's cameras can capture smooth and stable 4K videos at up to 60FPS. There's also the option to shoot 8K, but I still think 8K footage is unnecessary in 2023.
You can see how close it is in the video samples. The Galaxy S23 Ultra has better audio recording and exposure adjustment (particularly when I pan over to bright lights), but Xiaomi's stabilization is better when I walk, and Xiaomi's larger sensor produces more natural bokeh. The Galaxy S23 Ultra's video zooming capabilities are superior, though. And when you factor in that Samsung's front-facing camera can shoot 4K while Xiaomi's cannot, I think the Galaxy S23 Ultra is the better video system overall.
Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra vs Xiaomi 13: Which camera system is better?
These are both excellent smartphone camera systems, but if you're keeping score, Xiaomi's main camera was better than Samsung's. I am a firm believer that a larger image sensor matters more than more megapixels, and I think most photographers would agree. But the Galaxy S23 Ultra has a better, more versatile set of zoom lenses, a selfie camera, and slightly better video performance. The ultrawide camera is a virtual tie.
So Samsung won more categories, but Xiaomi won the most important category — it's called the main camera for a reason. The thing is, this result isn't new for someone who's tested Xiaomi and Samsung phones closely over the last couple of years (which I have). In previous testing, I found Xiaomi flagships had a better main camera, but Samsung's camera system was always a bit more polished. The Xiaomi 12S Ultra, for example, had a pretty bad ultrawide camera.
Xiaomi has improved other cameras this year and brings a very strong performance overall, but Samsung's camera system is still the most versatile. However, I have been carrying both phones with me for the past week as I traveled across multiple countries, and whenever I needed to snap just one photo with normal wide framing, I have chosen to use the Xiaomi 13 Pro.
Overall, you can't go wrong with either camera system, and I honestly think both beat the iPhone 14 Pro's cameras pretty handily.
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FollowFollowed- Brand
- Samsung
- SoC
- Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy
- Display
- 6.8-inch QHD+ Edge, Dynamic AMOLED 2X Display, Super Smooth 120Hz refresh rate (1-120Hz), 240Hz touch sampling rate in gaming mode
- RAM
- 8GB, 12GB
- Storage
- 256GB, 512GB, 1TB UFS 4.0
- Battery
- 5,000mAh
The Galaxy S23 Ultra is one of the best phones on the market, packing an all-new 200MP sensor, a refined design, a custom Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy chipset, and One UI 5.1.
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Xiaomi 13 Pro
- Brand
- Xiaomi
- SoC
- Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2
- Display
- 6.41 x 2.94 x 0.33 inches, 6.7-inch, 1440 x 3200 AMOLED, 1-120Hz, 1900 nits peak brightness
- Battery
- 4820mAh, 120W wired, 50W wireless, 10W reverse wireless
- Operating System
- MIUI 14 based on Android 13
- Dimensions
- 6.41 x 2.94 x 0.33 inches
Xiaomi's latest flagship, the 13 Pro, boasts an impressive 1-inch style primary camera sensor to produce some of the best photos from a smartphone. Bundle that with the great build quality, the latest Snapdragon processor, and fast memory to get a contender for the best smartphone on the market.
