Xiaomi 13 Ultra goes official w/ 1-inch variable aperture main sensor

Damien Wilde | Apr 18 2023 - 4:31 am PT

The Xiaomi 13 Ultra has now officially been unveiled with the headline attraction of a variable aperture main camera alongside plenty of other high-end additions.

Effectively an upgraded version of the Xiaomi 13 Pro, the 13 Ultra offers a plethora of impressive hardware additions. The 1-inch Sony IMX989 main camera sensor now includes a variable aperture between f/1.9 and f/4.0. Xiaomi is not the first to add such a function to a smartphone. You may recall that Samsung offered variable aperture controls with the Samsung Galaxy S9 series. However, with a smaller sensor and less control over the amount of light that could enter the sensor.

A larger sensor and the ability to adjust the aperture means that you can control the light intake and also the depth of field of images and videos. However, the aperture controls on the Xiaomi 13 Ultra main camera are fixed at f/1.9 and f/4.0 – f/2.0 through f/3.5 are not available. Shooting wide open at f/1.9 will create a shallow depth of field, while f/4.0 should provide pleasing visuals while retaining a wider focal range.

This quadruple camera array also includes a 50-megapixel f/1.8 ultrawide that utilizes the Sony IMX858 sensor with a 122-degree FOV. The telephoto system consists of two 50-megapixel Sony IMX858 sensors. A 75mm (2.5x) equivalent f/3.0 telephoto and 120mm (5x) “super-telephoto” with a maximum f/3.0 aperture. Leica optics have been used on the Xiaomi 13 Ultra with a number of in-camera functions and features also added for image/video post-processing.

A phone is also part of the package here, and it’s an impressive 2023 flagship at that. The Xiaomi 13 Ultra has a 6.73-inch 120Hz QHD+ AMOLED. The internals include the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor, which is paired with 12/16GB RAM, and 256/512/1TB of UFS 4.0 storage. A 5,000mAh battery powers the show with 90W wired charging and 50W wireless charging included. The charging port has also been upgraded to USB 3.2, which offers 5Gbps transfer speeds via USB-C.

The Xiaomi 13 Ultra will be available in black, olive green, and white colors with a synthetic leather finish. A global launch is expected with a rumored €1,299 price tag. However, no details were shared on when the device might go on sale in regions outside of China or if that pricing will be adhered to.