Xiaomi 13 Lite spotted as re-styled Xiaomi CIVI 2 with Snapdragon 7 Gen 1 SoC

It seems that Xiaomi is preparing to release the CIVI 2 outside China, where it launched in September. While IMEI databases suggested this would be the case, Xiaomi has now submitted the device with the Google Play Console, often a sign of a device's impending release. As expected, the CIVI brand will remain a Chinese exclusive, which Xiaomi debuted in September 2021 in its home market.

Instead, the CIVI 2 appears to set make its global appearance as the Xiaomi 13 Lite. While Xiaomi has not teased the device yet, it has hinted that it will showcase new devices next month during MWC 2023 in Barcelona. Hence, we would not rule out an appearance from the Xiaomi 13 Lite alongside the Xiaomi 13, Xiaomi 13 Pro and maybe even the Xiaomi 13S Ultra. The Xiaomi 13 Lite appears completely unchanged from the Xiaomi CIVI 2, for better or worse.

On the one hand, the Google Play Console confirms that the Xiaomi 13 Lite relies on the Snapdragon 7 Gen 1, a 4 nm chipset that has not received mass adoption yet. Additionally, the Xiaomi 13 Lite has a 1080p display, presumably the same 6.55-inch and 120 Hz AMOLED one found in the CIVI 2. For some reason, Xiaomi has uploaded an image of the CIVI 1S to the Google Play Console. We suspect this was done in error though, rather than a nod to Xiaomi combining the internals of the CIVI 2 with its predecessor. 

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