Xiaomi 13 Lite review: a lot of phone, for not a lot of money

The Xiaomi 13 Lite, like its bigger siblings, impressively undercuts its competition.

A light-blue Xiaomi 13 Lite camera phone sitting on a wooden desk
(Image: © Future / Erlingur Einarsson)

Our Verdict

For under $/£400, you can get something almost as good as the flagship Xiaomi 13, by simply going for the Xiaomi 13 Lite. No, it doesn't have its bigger siblings' stunning Leica lens, and the performance is understandably slower than on these powerhouses, but at a low-midrange price, you're getting some decidedly premium features, like a big, sharp, bright screen, a very good camera and a phone that's a joy to use (once you've cleared all the bloatware away).

For

  • Affordable alternative to the 13 or 13 Pro
  • Big, sharp screen
  • Good camera performance

Against

  • Bloatware
  • No Leica lens here

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The Xiaomi 13 Lite is the third Xiaomi I've tested in the last few months, having already had a thorough go on the no-holds-barred Xiaomi 13 Pro and the mainstream flagship contender Xiaomi 13. And with those latter two making a mighty strong case for the Mi conglomerate becoming a serious alternative to Apple and Samsung phones, I was keen to see whether the discount model would disrupt the midrange market in a similar way.

Midrange camera phones tend to straddle the border between competing among the best camera phones and best budget camera phones on the market, either not high-specced enough for one category, while being too expensive for the other.

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Chipset:Qualcomm SM7450-AB Snapdragon 7 Gen 1
RAM:8GB
Storage:128-256GB
OSMIUI 14 (Android 12-based)
Screen:6.55in AMOLED curved, 1080 x 2400px, 414ppi
Cameras:50MP f/1.8 main, 8MP ultrawide, 2MP macro, 32MP front main, 8MP front depth
Connectivity:5G, Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.2, NFC, USB 2.0 Type-C, Infrared port
Dimensions:159.2 x 72.7 x 7.2 mm
Weight:171g
Battery:Li-Po 4500 mAh, non-removable
The Verdict
8

out of 10

Xiaomi 13 Lite

For under $/£400, you can get something almost as good as the flagship Xiaomi 13, by simply going for the Xiaomi 13 Lite. No, it doesn't have its bigger siblings' stunning Leica lens, and the performance is understandably slower than on these powerhouses, but at a low-midrange price, you're getting some decidedly premium features, like a big, sharp, bright screen, a very good camera and a phone that's a joy to use (once you've cleared all the bloatware away).

Erlingur Einarsson
Tech Reviews Editor

Erlingur is the Tech Reviews Editor on Creative Bloq. Having worked on magazines devoted to Photoshop, films, history, and science for over 15 years, as well as working on Digital Camera World and Top Ten Reviews in more recent times, Erlingur has developed a passion for finding tech that helps people do their job, whatever it may be. He loves putting things to the test and seeing if they're all hyped up to be, to make sure people are getting what they're promised. Still can't get his wifi-only printer to connect to his computer. 

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