The two best phones of 2023 could launch in the first half of the year, with the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra expected on February 1 and the Xiaomi 13 Ultra likely to land later, however the latest leaks suggest we may be waiting longer than expected for this notable Galaxy S rival
According to Digital chat station (opens in a new tab) – reputable leak – post on Weibo (by Notebook Check (opens in a new tab)), the Xiaomi 13 Ultra will probably only land after March, and another user replies that it will probably launch in early April.
This would give Samsung a clear runway of about two months before rival Xiaomi S23 Ultra lands, and possibly even longer for most of the world, as this April launch may only be in China – with other regions likely to get the Xiaomi 13 Ultra even later, based on what Xiaomi does for some of its phones.
By the way, this means we probably won’t see the Xiaomi 13 Ultra at MWC 2023 – the massive trade show that kicks off on February 27.
Still, some other Chinese phones may land sooner, with Digital Chat Station saying in the same post that they expect the Oppo Find X6 series and the Honor Magic 5 line to be announced in late February or early March, in line with MWC.
Analysis: Xiaomi 13 Ultra may live up to its name
Phones with “ultra” in the name are expected to be state-of-the-art, feature-packed devices, and from what we’ve heard about the Xiaomi 13 Ultra, that certainly could be the case.
We’ve heard, for example, that it may have a quad-lens camera; complete with a one-inch primary snapper sensor (like its predecessor, the Xiaomi 12s Ultra), which should help it take excellent photos.
It certainly matches or exceeds the Xiaomi 13 Pro in most other areas, and this phone has already been unveiled. So we know we can expect at least a Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset, possibly a large QHD+ screen and extremely fast charging; because Xiaomi 13 Pro can charge up to 120W.
So if you want one of the best Android phones and you don’t sell them at Samsung, the Xiaomi 13 Ultra is worth waiting for.