Xiaomi 13 Ultra Design Teased Ahead of April 18 Launch; Looks More Like a Camera Than a Phone

Xiaomi 13 Ultra is scheduled to launch in China on April 18. Ahead of the launch, the Chinese manufacturer has started teasing several aspects of the phone. Most recently, the company revealed some details about the camera sensors used in the smartphone. Now, the company has given us a first official look at the design of the Xiaomi 13 Ultra, and it looks more like a camera than a smartphone. The upcoming flagship is expected to succeed the Xiaomi 12S Ultra, and will feature Leica-tuned cameras.

In a recent Weibo post, Xiaomi CEO Lei Jun shared a couple of promotional images of the Xiaomi 13 Ultra, that teases the design of the upcoming handset. It is a silhouette image of the smartphone with a camera-like design. Jun wrote in the post, “With the blessing of this suit, the phone turns into a camera! Mi 13 Ultra has a full range of professional photography. There are so many fun things in this set,” and added that more information will be divulged and discussed at the press conference.

Even though it is not very clear, from the post, it can be assumed that the camera-like bump and grip seen in the promotional image is an external case that can be attached and detached from the Xiaomi 13 Ultra. It is important to note that the Xiaomi 12S Ultra Concept allowed users to attach a Leica M-series lens module to its body, therefore it is possible that Xiaomi will implement a similar mechanism this time.

The company says that the Xiaomi 13 Ultra “is a professional imaging device, not a camera phone.” (translated) The official post also adds that at the April 18 launch press conference a unique model of the phone will be given away for “re-evaluation.”

Earlier today, the handset was confirmed to feature Leica-tuned cameras with special Summicron lenses and Sony IMX989 and Sony IMX858 sensors. The quad camera setup will include a 50-megapixel Sony IMX989 sensor and three 50-megapixel Sony IMX858 sensors that are said to offer improved noise reduction technologies and HDR features.

According to previous reports, the Xiaomi 13 Ultra could be powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 SoC with up to 16GB of RAM and up to 512GB of internal storage. The handset will reportedly include a 6.7-inch WQHD+ AMOLED LTPO display with a refresh rate of 120Hz.

The smartphone is also tipped to come with a 32-megapixel front-facing camera. The Xiaomi 13 Ultra is expected to ship with Android 13-based MIUI 14. It could also house a 4,900mAh battery with 90W fast charging capabilities, as per leaked reports.