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Two of the 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 sometime after that, but the latest leaks suggest we may have to wait longer than expected for this remarkable Galaxy S rival.
According to Digital chat station (opens in new tab) – a reputable leaker – posting on Weibo (via Notebook check (opens in new tab)), the Xiaomi 13 Ultra will probably not land until after March, while another user replies that it will probably launch in early April.
That would give Samsung a clear runway of about two months before Xiaomi’s S23 Ultra rival lands, and perhaps even longer for most of the world, as that April launch might be China-only – while other regions might see the Xiaomi 13 Ultra even later, based on what Xiaomi does for some of its phones.
This also means that we probably won’t see the Xiaomi 13 Ultra at MWC 2023 – a huge trade show that starts on February 27.
Still, some other Chinese handsets could land earlier, with Digital Chat Station saying in the same post that they expect the Oppo Find X6 series and Honor Magic 5 line to be announced in late February or early March, which would align with MWC.
Analysis: The Xiaomi 13 Ultra could live up to its name
Phones with ‘ultra’ in their names are expected to be high-end, feature-packed devices, and from what we’ve heard about the Xiaomi 13 Ultra it certainly could be.
For example, we’ve heard it could have a quad-lens camera; complete with a 1-inch sensor for its primary snapper (much like its predecessor, the Xiaomi 12s Ultra), which should help take some great shots.
It will certainly match or better the Xiaomi 13 Pro in most other areas too, and that phone has already been unveiled. So we know to expect at least a Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset, likely a large QHD+ display and extremely fast charging; since the Xiaomi 13 Pro can charge up to 120W.
So if you want one of the best Android phones and not sold on Samsung, the Xiaomi 13 Ultra could be worth the wait.