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When we’re talking about the best camera smartphone out there, the Pixel 7 Pro and Xiaomi 13 Pro are difficult to avoid. That’s what we’re here for, to talk about those two devices. In this article, we’ll compare the Google Pixel 7 Pro vs Xiaomi 13 Pro. We won’t be focusing on the cameras alone, but they will be a part of the conversation, of course. It would be a shame not to talk about them.
We’ll first list the spec sheets of both smartphones, and will then get down to business. We’ll compare these two phones across a number of categories, including design, display, performance, battery, cameras, and audio. There’s plenty to talk about here, so let’s get started, shall we?
Specs
| Google Pixel 7 Pro | Xiaomi 13 Pro | |
| Screen size | 6.7-inch QHD+ curved OLED LTPO display (120Hz refresh rate, 1,500 nits peak brightness) | 6.73-inch QHD+ LTPO AMOLED display (curved, 120Hz adaptive refresh rate, 1,900 nits peak brightness) |
| Screen resolution | 3120 x 1440 | 3200 x 1440 |
| SoC | Google Tensor G2 | Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 |
| RAM | 12GB (LPDDR5) | 12GB (LPDDR5X) |
| Storage | 128GB/256GB/512GB, non-expandable (UFS 3.1) | 256GB/512GB, non-expandable (UFS 4.0) |
| Rear cameras | 50MP (Samsung ISOCELL GN1 sensor, 1.2um pixel size, f/1.85 aperture, 82-degree FoV) 12MP (ultrawide, 1.25um pixel size, f/2.2 aperture, 125.8-degree FoV, lens correction) 48MP (telephoto, 0.7um pixel size, f/3.5 aperture, 20.6-degree FoV, 5x optical zoom, Super Res Zoom up to 30x) |
50.3MP (Sony’s IMX989 1-inch sensor, f/1.9 aperture, 1.6um pixel size, Dual Pixel PDAF, OIS) 50MP (ultrawide, f/2.2 aperture, 14mm lens, 115-degree FoV) 50 MP (telephoto, 3.2x optical zoom, f/2.0 aperture, PDAF) Leica |
| Front cameras | 10.8MP (1.22um pixel size, f/2.2 aperture, 92.8-degree FoV, Fixed Focus) | 32MP |
| Battery | 5,000mAh, non-removable, 23W wired charging, 23W wireless charging, reverse wireless charger Charger not included |
4,820mAh, non-removable, 120W wired charging, 50W wireless charging, 10W reverse wireless charging Charger included |
| Dimensions | 162.9 x 76.6 x 8.9mm | 162.9 x 74.6 x 8.7mm |
| Weight | 212 grams | 229 grams |
| Connectivity | 5G, LTE, NFC, Bluetooth 5.2, Wi-Fi, USB Type-C | 5G, LTE, NFC, Bluetooth 5.3, Wi-Fi, USB Type-C |
| Security | Face Unlock In-display fingerprint scanner (optical) |
In-display fingerprint scanner (optical) |
| OS | Android 13 | Android 13 MIUI 14 |
| Price | $899/$999/$1,099 | €1,299/TBA |
| Buy | Xiaomi |
Google Pixel 7 Pro vs Xiaomi 13 Pro: Design
When it comes to the design, they don’t look all that different from the front, but things change when you flip them around. We’ll talk about that soon. The Pixel 7 Pro is made out of metal and glass, while the Xiaomi 13 Pro combines metal with a ceramic backplate. Both smartphones have curved displays, and both have thin bezels. A centered display camera hole is also included on both of them.
When we flip them around, you’ll notice that their camera modules are considerably different, design-wise. The Pixel 7 Pro has a camera visor on the back, which goes from the phone’s left side to its right side, it connects to the frame on both sides. The Xiaomi 13 Pro has a more regular-looking camera island in the top-left corner of its backplate, and Leica’s lenses on top of its cameras.
The two devices are identical when it comes to height, but the Xiaomi 13 Pro is noticeably narrower. It’s only 2mm, but you’ll definitely notice the difference. The Xiaomi 13 Pro is also slightly thinner than the Pixel 7 Pro. It is, however, heavier, mainly due to its ceramic backplate. It weighs 229 grams, compared to 212 grams of the Pixel 7 Pro. Only the ceramic variant of the Xiaomi 13 Pro was launched globally, by the way. Both phones are slippery, and both feel quite premium in the hand.
Google Pixel 7 Pro vs Xiaomi 13 Pro: Display
When it comes to displays, both are well-equipped. The Pixel 7 Pro has a 6.7-inch QHD+ (3120 x 1440) LTPO AMOLED display. This panel has an adaptive refresh rate up to 120Hz. It supports HDR10+ content, and gets up to 1,500 nits of brightness at its peak. The display aspect ratio here is 19.5:9, and the Pixel 7 Pro’s panel is covered by the Gorilla Glass Victus.
The Xiaomi 13 Pro, on the flip side, has a 6.73-inch QHD+ (3200 x 1440) LTPO AMOLED panel. This display can project up to 1 billion colors, and it has an adaptive refresh rate of up to 120Hz. Dolby Vision is supported, and the phone also supports HDR10+ content. It gets immensely bright, as its peak brightness is at 1,900 nits. It offers a 20:9 display aspect ratio, while the panel is protected by the Gorilla Glass Victus.
Both of these displays are outstanding, to say the least. They offer vivid colors, great viewing angles, and those deep AMOLED blacks. They’re also well-protected, and extremely sharp too. The Xiaomi 13 Pro does have an advantage in the form of its brightness. You will notice the difference in direct sunlight, for sure. The Xiaomi 13 Pro’s panel does get noticeably brighter, though the Pixel 7 Pro’s display is not dim by any means.
Google Pixel 7 Pro vs Xiaomi 13 Pro: Performance
The Google Pixel 7 Pro is powered by the Google Tensor G2 SoC. The phone includes 12GB of LPDDR5 RAM, and also UFS 3.1 flash storage. The Xiaomi 13 Pro is equipped with the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 SoC, 12GB of LPDDR5X RAM, and UFS 4.0 flash storage (UFS 3.1 is included on the 128GB storage model only). So, as you can see, the Xiaomi 13 Pro does have the edge spec-wise.
The Tensor G2 is an excellent chip, but it cannot compete with the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 in terms of sheer power. The Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 has also proven itself as being quite power-efficient. The Xiaomi 13 Pro also has faster and more efficient RAM and flash storage. Does that translate to better performance overall? Well, that’s a difficult question to answer, but if you look at everything altogether, then yes, it does. Let me elaborate.
The Xiaomi 13 Pro does feel a bit snappier when it comes to regular everyday tasks. The Pixel 7 Pro does all of those really fast too, but the Xiaomi 13 Pro does seem to be a small step ahead. We’re talking about app loading and such, general tasks. The Pixel 7 Pro is plenty fluid, but a bit slower than Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 phones, generally. The Pixel 7 Pro is also not great when it comes to gaming. It can play games just fine, until you come to the most demanding ones. The Xiaomi 13 Pro does chew through those with ease. Google never claimed the Pixel 7 Pro is great for gaming, though. The truth of the matter is, the vast majority of people will be more than happy with the performance of both phones.
Google Pixel 7 Pro vs Xiaomi 13 Pro: Battery
The Pixel 7 Pro has a 5,000mAh battery on the inside, while the Xiaomi 13 Pro packs in a 4,820mAh unit. Overall, we’ve seen better battery life on the Xiaomi 13 Pro. We managed to reach the 8-hour screen-on-time mark on a number of occasions, while the Pixel 7 Pro danced closer to the 7-hour screen-on-time mark. On some days, things were different, of course. The point is, both smartphones do offer really good battery life.
Your mileage, though, may vary. We use different apps, have different usage habits, and on top of that have different signal strengths. It also depends on how long in a day you spend on mobile data, and so on. There are just so many factors included here. Both of these phones do offer really good battery life, so getting to the end of the day shouldn’t be a problem for most of you. If you’re gaming, however, you’ll drain the battery considerably quicker. The same goes for hotspot sharing etc.
As far as charging is concerned, the Xiaomi 13 Pro blows away the Pixel 7 Pro. The Pixel 7 Pro offers support for 23W wired, 23W wireless, and also reverse wireless charging, while it does not include a charger. The Xiaomi 13 Pro supports 120W wired, 50W wireless, and 10W reverse wireless charging. A 120W charger is included in the box with the device. Needless to say, the Xiaomi 13 Pro charges a lot quicker. It can get you from 0 to 100% in only 19 minutes, while it takes the Pixel 7 Pro 30 minutes to get to 50%.
Google Pixel 7 Pro vs Xiaomi 13 Pro: Cameras
The Pixel 7 Pro features a 50-megapixel main camera, a 12-megapixel ultrawide unit (126-degree FoV), and a 48-megapixel telephoto camera (5x optical zoom). The Xiaomi 13 Pro, on the other hand, includes a 50.3-megapixel main camera (1-inch sensor), a 50-megapixel ultrawide camera (115-degree FoV), and a 50-megapixel telephoto unit (75mm lens, 3.2x optical zoom).
Now, these two phones are both outstanding when it comes to photography, but provide entirely different results. Google relies heavily on its processing, and it provides contrasty images, that are usually full of life. It does an outstanding job in HDR situations, and also in low light. The Xiaomi 13 Pro photos have that Leica style to them, and tend to look more moody in a way. The main camera on the phone can shoot outstanding shots with natural bokeh, though it’s not perfect. It does need some optimization when it comes to demanding HDR situations.
The Pixel 7 Pro tends to do better with zoomed-in shoots, especially for further zoom distances, while the telephoto camera on the Xiaomi 13 Pro takes outstanding portrait shots. That 75mm lens is really something else when it comes to portrait photography. You’ll be able to capture wider ultrawide shots with the Pixel 7 Pro, but both phones do a great job in that regard, and stay true to the color science of the main camera. The video recording is good on both phones, but they both shine more in the photography department.
Audio
Both of these phones include a set of stereo speakers. Those speakers are really good on both devices, actually. They’re loud enough, and also well-balanced. You won’t notice any obvious distortion or anything of the sort. We did prefer the Xiaomi 13 Pro’s output, though, as the speakers felt a bit more punchy.
What they both lack is a 3.5mm headphone jack, though. You’ll need to use their Type-C ports for wired connections. If you’d like to connect your headphones wirelessly, however, the Pixel 7 Pro and Xiaomi 13 Pro support Bluetooth 5.2 and 5.3, respectively.