Nothing Phone (4a) vs Xiaomi 13 Ultra

Nothing Phone (4a)

A standout 3.5x periscope telephoto at this price and a solid main camera, undercut by an under-optimised zoom and a basic ultrawide.

• A triple setup — 50MP main, a 50MP periscope telephoto and an 8MP ultrawide — undoubtedly one of the best experiences at this level.
• The telephoto has been tweaked to a much better 3.5x (80mm) zoom factor.
• A telephoto with optical zoom at this price is great, but this is the worst optimisation I've seen on a 3.5x camera — expect disappointment if you buy for the zoom.
• The 3.5x optical-zoom telephoto is one of the biggest highlights, adding much more flexibility than most competitors in this price range, and the cameras are surprisingly capable.
• Each camera here feels better than what you'd get on Samsung at the price, and the main is solid with nice detail.

Xiaomi 13 Ultra

The Xiaomi 13 Ultra is a camera-first phone — four 50MP cameras with Leica tuning, a 1" variable-aperture main sensor, and an accessory grip that turns it into a proper mirrorless workflow. The consensus across Wired, PetaPixel, Phone Arena, Android Authority, and Android Headlines: best camera phone of 2023.

• 50MP f/1.9-f/4.0 variable-aperture 1"-type main sensor (Sony IMX989) — first phone with mechanical variable aperture on a 1-inch sensor.
• Triple 50MP telephoto chain: 75mm 3.2× + 120mm 5× periscope + 12mm 122° ultrawide — every camera at 50MP with shared processing, unmatched system consistency.
• Phone Arena: 'might just be the best camera phone of the year' — Xiaomi's attempt to reclaim 'real phone camera' status.
• PetaPixel verdict: 'A camera that happens to have a phone attached' — one of the most feature-rich camera phones available.
• Wired caveat: 'It takes practice and know-how to squeeze the best results' — Auto mode doesn't always match iPhone 15 Pro Max / Pixel 8 Pro point-and-shoot quality.
• 8K @ 24fps + 4K @ 60fps video recording, plus the Camera Kit grip's physical shutter — hybrid camera-phone workflow no rival matches.

Nothing Phone (4a)

A capable mid-range chip that handles everyday use and casual gaming well — not a powerhouse, but appropriate for the price.

• Gaming is absolutely possible on this device, with solid everyday performance for the class.
• There's no shortage of substantial hardware upgrades over the 3a, even if the design doesn't stand out as much as the Pro.
• After 24 hours the home screen is extremely customisable and feels massively more functional than iOS, with no responsiveness complaints.
• Gesture-based navigation is fully supported and the overall experience is good thanks to Nothing's optimisations.

Xiaomi 13 Ultra

Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 + 16GB RAM delivers flagship-class performance with strong thermal headroom — Xiaomi's tune is among the best of 2023 SD 8 Gen 2 phones for sustained tasks.

• Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 + 16GB RAM + 512GB UFS 4.0 storage — top-tier 2023 silicon and the most RAM of any flagship phone.
• Wired: 'a smooth operator' with Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 + 12GB RAM (global variant) — no real-world performance complaints.

Nothing Phone (4a)

A ~5,080mAh cell with 50W wired charging — reviewers call endurance strong, but a notable group of owners report disappointing screen-on time.

• The Nothing Phone (4a) features a ~5,080mAh cell which delivers very strong endurance in everyday use.
• The battery grew slightly — about 80mAh in most markets but a more meaningful 400mAh in India — with a 50W PD unit recommended on the box.
• Several owners report only 4–6.5 hours of screen-on time with moderate use — worse than other phones with similar ~5,000mAh batteries.
• Battery life on this phone is excellent in everyday use.

Xiaomi 13 Ultra

5,000mAh battery + class-leading 90W wired and 50W wireless charging — Reddit's drain shootout placed it ahead of S22 Ultra, OnePlus 11, and Pixel 7 Pro at 10h 26min total SOT.

• 5,000mAh battery + 90W wired (full in ~35 min per Xiaomi) + 50W wireless (full in ~49 min) + 10W reverse wireless.
• Wired charge test: 34% to 63% in just 10 minutes — fantastic real-world charging speed.
• GSMArena endurance: 15h 29min web browsing, 19h 13min video looping — par with Find X6 Pro, ahead of Vivo X90 Pro.
• Reddit drain shootout: 10h 26min total SOT — beat S22 Ultra (9h 43m) and OnePlus 11 (10h 16m); narrowly beaten by S23 Ultra (11h 15m) and iPhone 14 Pro Max (11h 25m).
• Camera-heavy use drains battery noticeably faster per r/Android — the photography workflow is the biggest endurance hit.

Nothing Phone (4a)

Aggressively priced below the Pixel 10a with a more distinctive design and a real telephoto — the standout budget pick for buyers who want personality.

• It's a good chunk of change cheaper than the $500 Pixel 10a.
• It fits the perfect budget for buyers who can't afford the ~$1,000 needed for an entry-level iPhone 17, with good hardware and excellent battery.
• A very strong mid-range smartphone that stands out with unique design, great display, solid performance and surprisingly capable cameras — definitely worth a closer look.
• Nothing stands out among the crowd with a brand identity strong enough to turn consumers into fans.

Xiaomi 13 Ultra

The 13 Ultra's value proposition depends entirely on region — at 5,999 yuan ($870) in China it's a steal; at €1,500 European import or US grey-market it's premium-priced and a niche purchase. Galaxy S23 Ultra at $1,199 wins the official-availability + 4+5-year update fight.

• China launch: 5,999 yuan (~$870) for 12GB/256GB; €1,499 (~$1,613) European import via Trading Shenzhen.
• Notebookcheck: at €1,100 (~$1,216) import, the price difference of €400+ vs Galaxy S23 Ultra is 'a good incentive' for camera enthusiasts.
• Reddit r/OnePlus user verdict: 'Xiaomi has the best hardware, BBK (OnePlus/Oppo) wins in software' — the import trade-off summary.
• Official global version still not available in 2026 — Xiaomi's distribution gap remains the biggest barrier to mainstream Western buyers.