HONOR Magic 5 Pro vs. Xiaomi 13 Pro vs. Galaxy S23 Ultra – What are the differences?

The mobile market is one of the largest within the entire technological spectrum. A great advantage of this breadth is that we can find mobile phones of all types, from the cheapest and simplest models to other high-end ones. Today I want to focus on the latter, the “premium” smartphones. Specifically, I am going to compare three of the most recent ones that, in my opinion, are more equal in terms of technology and functionality. Can you imagine what brands they are? Indeed, HONOR, Xiaomi and Samsung. 

In more detail, I am going to compare the specifications of the Honor Magic 5 Pro, Xiaomi 13 Pro and Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra smartphones. As you can see, they are the most advanced models in their respective ranges, so the comparison is very interesting. A priori, I will tell you that they have a fairly similar screen size, although Samsung and Xiaomi are slightly ahead of HONOR in this regard because they have more advanced technologies and resolutions.

What if I told you that they share the same processor ? You will probably understand why I am talking about three smartphones that are very similar to each other, as this means that there are many similarities between them at the level of operation. For example, they all have practically the same sensors, the same storage capacity and the same degree of water resistance. The battery is also very similar in all three cases, with barely perceptible differences.

And, when it comes to cameras, let me tell you that we are looking at three great titans of photography. Therefore, it is really important to have detailed reviews like this one in which you can see any difference, no matter how small, to help you decide which mobile phone to buy. Ready? Let’s go there!

HONOR Magic 5 Pro vs Xiaomi 13 Pro vs Galaxy S23 Ultra – Comparative table

In this table, we summarize the most important characteristics of the high-end smartphones of the three leading brands. Later, we will explain each one in detail.

(Swipe the table to see all the content)

Design: some changes and several similarities

First of all, we compare the three smartphones from an aesthetic point of view. What catches our attention the most is that they are practically the same size, so the sensation to the touch is very similar. The HONOR Magic 5 Pro and Xiaomi 13 Pro have curved edges, while the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra opts for more square edges, this being one of the most recognizable features of this smartphone.

Therefore, having the same size, the differences in weight are very small. As for colors, it should be noted that all of them are available in several, although the HONOR is the simplest, with only two colors, compared to the seven colors in which you can buy the Samsung. And, although it is not a matter of pure design, only the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra is equipped with the S Pen.

What type of screen does each mobile have?

Another aspect to take into account is the type of screen with which each smartphone is equipped. In this sense, the HONOR Magic 5 Pro has an OLED screen, while the Xiaomi 13 Pro has an AMOLED screen and the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra has a Dynamic AMOLED 2x screen. In practice, the screen on Xiaomi and Samsung phones is somewhat brighter than on the HONOR, although it is not easy to notice unless you compare them reliably.

In terms of size, the Xiaomi 13 Pro is the smartphone with the least screen area, at 6.73 inches. For their part, the HONOR and Samsung have 6.8 inches, and make better use of all the space available for the screen. Now, the most important difference when it comes to the screen is in the resolution. The HONOR Magic 5 Pro has the lowest resolution of all, compared to the Samsung (Quad HD resolution) and Xiaomi (WQHD+).

The processor is identical in all three smartphones

One of the similarities that the three phones that feature in this review share is that they have the same processor, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2. In fact, this is one of the most advanced mobile processors at the moment, and it guarantees excellent performance in all they. This, in turn, means that they have the same capacity of RAM, 12 GB, and internal storage. The latter varies between 256 GB, 512 GB and 1 TB, but is available in any of the three.

However, they do not have the same operating system. The HONOR mobile has MagicOS 7.1, while the Xiaomi mobile has the MIUI 14 operating system. Both are based on Android 13, which is the operating system we see on the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra. Therefore, although theoretically they are not the same operating system, they are all derived from the same one, so there are few practical differences between them.

Three mobile phones with high resolution cameras

The cameras are one of the main strengths of the three smartphones, as they are all of excellent quality. What’s more, the HONOR Magic 5 Pro and Xiaomi 13 Pro have the same rear cameras: a 50 MP main, a 50 MP ultra wide angle and a 50 MP telephoto lens. The front, on the other hand, is better on the Xiaomi 13 Pro because it reaches 32 MP. But what about the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra?

This smartphone, colloquially, passes the game when it comes to cameras. First, because it goes from 3 rear cameras to 4, a differentiating feature compared to its competitors. The main one is 200 MP, and is flanked by a 12 MP ultra wide angle and two 10 MP telephoto cameras. Of these two cameras, one has more optical zoom than the other. For its part, the front camera of the Samsung Galaxy is 12 MP, like that of the HONOR.

The arrangement of the cameras is also planned in a different way. The HONOR has a central circle on the back, and that is where it places its three cameras. On the Xiaomi 13 Pro, these are located in the upper left corner. Samsung, for its part, also leaves its cameras at the top left, but places them in a vertical linear row, instead of in a square way.

Are there modifications to the battery?

In reality, we dare to say that the changes that exist are reduced to theory. The Xiaomi 13 Pro has a 4820 mAh capacity battery, somewhat lower than the 5000 mAh capacity of the HONOR and Samsung Galaxy batteries. However, this does not imply a real change in autonomy; You already know that this depends a lot on the use we make of the smartphone.

Where we do find some more difference is in fast charging. Not because they don’t have it, because all mobile phones have this option. However, the HONOR Magic 5 Pro has 66 watts of fast charging, compared to 50 watts for the Xiaomi and 45 watts for the Samsung Galaxy. This makes the HONOR charge approximately 20% faster than the two phones we compared it with.

Identical sensors and resistance level

Another aspect that is worth comparing is the set of sensors that each smartphone integrates, as well as the degree of resistance to external agents such as dust or water. Starting here, it should be noted that all smartphones have an IP68 level, the maximum possible when measuring this IP index.

As for the sensors, there are not many differences either. All three phones have a fingerprint sensor and a facial recognition system to unlock. In addition, they have sensors such as proximity, ambient light, compass or gyrsoscope, among others. Additionally, in both cases, NFC technology can be enabled to make contactless payments.

HONOR Magic 5 Pro vs Xiaomi 13 Pro vs Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra: Which phone should I buy?

All three are high-end smartphones, which makes their price around 1000 euros each. However, the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra slightly raises the price to approximately 1,500 euros. It is true that it has an S-Pen, unlike the rest, and that it has a quad rear camera system instead of triple. Therefore, if the most important thing for you is audiovisual quality, you should opt for the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra, the most complete of all in this sense.

For its part, Xiaomi has made a great leap in quality compared to previous ranges; encouraged and almost forced by the competitors we analyze here. One of the aspects where it is most noticeable is the improvement of the cameras, which now incorporate Leica technology. In the case of the HONOR, it is, perhaps, the smartphone with the best quality-price ratio of the three, although don’t expect a cheap mobile.

That said, think about what your preferences, priorities and financial limits are and it will be easier for you to choose which of the three smartphones best meets your needs. At the corporate level, we do not hide that Samsung is the one that apparently gives us the most confidence, although Xiaomi has improved a lot and HONOR is growing like wildfire. And, as these are three high-end mobile phones, any of them will be a good purchase.