Xiaomi 17 Ultra vs OnePlus 13

The Xiaomi 17 Ultra and the OnePlus 13 are both premium Android flagships, but they sit at very different prices and chase different goals. The Xiaomi is a no-compromise camera phone with the newest chip and the most ambitious lens hardware money can buy; the OnePlus 13 delivers flagship power, a huge battery and the fastest charging for hundreds of pounds less. There is roughly a £400 gap between them, so this comes down to whether you want the ultimate camera or the smarter value. Here is how they compare, drawn from independent expert reviews of each, with current UK prices.

At a glance

The Xiaomi 17 Ultra (around £1,099.00) is the camera specialist: a one-inch main sensor, a 200-megapixel continuous-zoom telephoto, the latest flagship silicon and a bright 6.9-inch screen, all in a large 218.4 g body. The OnePlus 13 (around £699.99) is the value champion: flagship performance, a matching 6000 mAh battery with even faster 100 W charging, an extremely bright display and clean software — for around £400 less. Both are excellent Android phones; the question is whether the Xiaomi's camera edge justifies the premium.

Check the Xiaomi 17 Ultra price on Amazon · Check the OnePlus 13 price on Amazon

Software and experience

Both run Android, but with different skins. The Xiaomi 17 Ultra uses HyperOS, which is fast and richly featured, while the OnePlus 13 runs OxygenOS, long regarded as one of the cleanest and quickest Android layers. Both are supported for years of updates. If you like a lean, fluid interface the OnePlus appeals; if you want a deeper toolbox with more built-in options, Xiaomi's software delivers. Neither will feel unfamiliar if you are coming from another Android phone, so this is more about taste than a decisive gap.

Design and build

The two are similarly large. The Xiaomi 17 Ultra measures 162.9 x 77.6 x 8.3 mm and weighs 218.4 g, built around a big screen with a substantial camera module that dominates the rear. The OnePlus 13 is fractionally lighter at 213 g and is built around a 6.82-inch display, and it pushes water resistance further with an IP69 rating on top of the usual IP68. Both feel thoroughly premium in the hand and are properly sealed against dust and water. The Xiaomi is the more imposing, camera-led design; the OnePlus is the marginally lighter, more understated one.

Screen

Both use large OLED panels running at 120 Hz, and both are superb. The Xiaomi 17 Ultra's is a 6.9-inch panel claiming a very high 3500 nits of peak brightness, so it stays clearly legible in harsh sunlight. The OnePlus 13's 6.82-inch display is a sharp 2K panel quoted even higher, at up to 4500 nits of peak brightness. There is little to separate them for everyday viewing: colours are rich, motion is smooth and both get bright enough for any conditions. The OnePlus edges ahead on paper brightness and resolution, while the Xiaomi matches it for size and outright quality.

Performance

Both are as fast as Android phones get, though the Xiaomi has the newer silicon. The Xiaomi 17 Ultra runs the latest Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 with 16 GB of RAM and storage up to 1 TB. The OnePlus 13 runs the previous-generation Snapdragon 8 Elite, also with up to 16 GB of RAM, and it remains blisteringly quick for demanding games and heavy multitasking. In daily use you would struggle to tell them apart; the Xiaomi's chip is a generation ahead and pairs with up to 1 TB of storage for those who want maximum headroom, while the OnePlus keeps pace comfortably and costs far less.

Cameras

This is where the Xiaomi earns its premium, and where both nonetheless shine. The Xiaomi 17 Ultra is a photography flagship first: a 50-megapixel one-inch main sensor for outstanding light-gathering, a 50-megapixel ultra-wide, and a standout 200-megapixel telephoto with a continuous mechanical zoom that glides smoothly through its range rather than jumping between fixed steps, the whole system tuned with Leica. The OnePlus 13 answers with a triple 50-megapixel array co-engineered with Hasselblad, including a 73 mm telephoto, and it takes consistently strong, natural-looking stills across every scene. Both are excellent cameras; the Xiaomi's one-inch sensor and continuous-zoom telephoto give it a clear hardware advantage for demanding photography and long-range zoom, while the OnePlus delivers most of the everyday quality for hundreds of pounds less, its Hasselblad tuning lending photos a pleasing, true-to-life colour character.

Battery and charging

Here the two are closely matched, with the OnePlus edging ahead on speed. Both pack a large 6000 mAh battery, so endurance is excellent on either and a full day is never in doubt. The Xiaomi 17 Ultra charges at 90 W wired plus 50 W wirelessly, while the OnePlus 13 goes faster still over a cable at 100 W, with the same 50 W wireless. Both refuel from empty in well under an hour and cut the cord for top-ups just as happily. This is close to a dead heat: the OnePlus tops up fractionally quicker by wire, the Xiaomi matches it wirelessly, and stamina is a genuine strength for both.

Price and verdict

At the time of writing the Xiaomi 17 Ultra is around £1,099.00 and the OnePlus 13 around £699.99, so the OnePlus undercuts the Xiaomi by roughly £400 — a substantial gap that frames the whole decision.

Buy the Xiaomi 17 Ultra if photography is your priority and you want the most ambitious camera hardware available — the one-inch sensor and 200-megapixel continuous-zoom telephoto — along with the newest chip, up to 1 TB of storage and a very bright 6.9-inch screen. It is a camera lover's flagship, and the price reflects its ceiling.

Buy the OnePlus 13 if you want most of that flagship experience for far less: the same 6000 mAh battery, even faster 100 W charging, an extremely bright screen, excellent Hasselblad cameras and clean OxygenOS software. Both are outstanding Android phones; you are choosing between the Xiaomi's camera-and-hardware ceiling and the OnePlus's exceptional value.