Xiaomi 13T review

Design and ergonomics

The Xiaomi 13T and 13T Pro share the same design, and since they share pretty much the same hardware, their dimensions are also identical. We received the duo in two different colors - Alpine Blue and simple Black. The vanilla 13T is the black one.

While the 13T is glossy with plastic back imitating glass, Xiaomi offers the 13T series with vegan leather as well, just like the Alpine Blue 13T Pro. The frame is also plastic on both variants, while a Gorilla Glass 5 sheet protects the front. Nothing fancy.

Bezels are moderately thin, including the bottom one, while the selfie cutout is what you'd expect. It's not troubling at all.

Xiaomi 13T

Along with the front, the side frame also adopts a flat design with oval edges. The transition between the back panel and the side frame doesn't feel smooth and seamless and kind of ruins the rather nice curvature of the back. Grip feels rather tight and secure, though.

Speaking of the side frame, the right accommodates the power button and the volume rocker, both conveniently positioned right within thumb's reach. The bottom holds the USB-C and the speaker grille, while the top is home to the IR blaster and another opening for the top speaker.

Xiaomi 13T

Unlike the back panel, the camera piece is made of glass and adopts a square shape and sloped frame to the side. Each camera ring sticks out just a little, but the whole camera island protrudes enough to make the phone unstable on flat surfaces. Conversely, the ultrawide camera doesn't get a ring of its own and sits just below the LED flash. Barely noticeable.

This year, the 13T and 13T Pro get proper IP68 certification against water and dust, so you can have peace of mind around pools or out in the rain.

Overall, the build is okay, nothing too special, but it provides a comfortable grip. Even though the body is almost entirely made of plastic, it doesn't feel cheap. Design-wise? Well, this is up for debate, but we see the 13T series in line with the current design trends and nothing more than that.