Xiaomi's imaging efforts got a big boost last year thanks to its partnership with Leica, but the first product to feature Leica's software tuning — the Xiaomi 12S Ultra — was limited to its home market. Xiaomi acknowledged at the time that it would launch its successor globally, and the Xiaomi 13 Pro served as an initial preview of the collaboration earlier this year.
But with the Xiaomi 13 Ultra, we're getting a much better look at where this partnership is headed, and what it actually brings to the table. Without buying the lede too much, the 13 Ultra is not only Xiaomi's best phone to date, but is also the most versatile camera phone you can buy in 2023. The combination of quad 50MP cameras along with significant tweaks to image processing — no doubt facilitated by Leica — make the 13 Ultra a real powerhouse.
