Xiaomi just launched its newest mid-range devices – the new Redmi Note 13 series. Bringing with them numerous improvements over their predecessors, these works of innovation aim to deliver a premium user experience without the premium price tag.
We got our hands on the “leader” of the bunch – Redmi Note 13 Pro+ 5G, and here are our initial thoughts on the device.
Design and Build Quality
Looks-wise, the Redmi Note 13 Pro+ uses a two-tone finish for its rear panel. The one we have here has a slightly off-white color for the top half, and white for the rest. It’s glossy and is a fingerprint magnet, but I admit that it looks good. Plus, chances are, you’ll be using a case anyway.
The 6.67-inch CrystalRes AMOLED display is a treat for media consumption and gaming due to its sheer size. With up to 1800 nits of peak brightness, using the phone in daylight poses no issues, and of course, the 120Hz refresh rate keeps things smooth and snappy.
The display is protected by Gorilla Glass Victus, which may not be the latest, but is still good to have on a mid-range phone. The device also boasts an IP68 rating for water and dust resistance, giving you added confidence to take it to your adventures.
Performance
Redmi Note 13 Pro+ 5G is powered by a MediaTek Dimensity 7200-Ultra, along with 12GB of LPDDR5 RAM and 512GB of internal storage with no room for a microSD card. It’s a sad reality, but I guess that’s what you call moving with the times. Personally, I don’t use my phone enough to fill in that much space, but I can see why some would still want the option to expand the storage.
I’m not going to spoil you with benchmarks now – just GeekBench 6. But what I can confirm is that this phone is fast and snappy through the usual daily grind. In my case, that’s a lot of picture-taking, email, social media updates, Spotify, YouTube, and Netflix.
II won’t spoil you with all the test results, but what I will confirm is that this can run Mobile Legends: Bang Bang smooth with Frame Rate and Graphics set to Ultra. As for Honkai: Star Rail – Medium Settings with 60 fps enabled with no major issues.
Camera
Redmi Note 13 Pro+ 5G is equipped with a 200MP ISOCELL HP3 sensor with OIS that works well even in slightly less than ideal lighting.
So far, the samples we took showed good levels of detail and sharpness, but colors can be off at times, which is noticeable especially when switching from the main camera to the ultra-wide.
That being said, night shots can be decent, if your definition of a good night shot is brighten everything. Dynamic range isn’t bad but not great as well.
You can shoot in 200MP mode to allow for good amounts of detail to still be visible even when zoomed in. This is also good for those who want to make prints of their photos.
Software
At the time of writing, the Redmi Note 13 Pro+ 5G was running MIUI 14 on top of Android 13. As usual, Xiaomi’s take on Android is probably one of the best in terms of the amount of customization that you can do. The downside is that you still get so many pre-loaded apps that you won’t end up using.
There’s even ads when using some of Xiaomi’s own apps, like its
Battery and Fast-Charging
While I still have to do a more stringent battery test, the phone was able to recharge from around 15% to full in just 30 minutes using the 120W charger that came with it. That is impressive.
Redmi Note 13 Pro+ 5G: Initial Results
What we like so far
- Crisp, Large, and Detailed screen for content
- Two-tone design
- Good overall performance
- Good night shots
- Good video performance
- Quick to recharge
What we didn’t like
- Glossy rear panel
- Color accuracy can be improved
- No zoom capability when using Portrait Mode
- UI with so many pre-loaded apps + ads
Emman has been writing technical and feature articles since 2010. Prior to this, he became one of the instructors at Asia Pacific College in 2008, and eventually landed a job as Business Analyst and Technical Writer at Integrated Open Source Solutions for almost 3 years.
