This phone has a 200MP camera, a 120Hz AMOLED display, a 4-nanometer processor, and a massive 5,100 mAh battery. All this for under ₹26,000.
There's only one brand that can consistently offer such a value proposition, and that's Redmi.
With the new Redmi Note 13 Pro, it's ready to shake up India's overcrowded mid-range phone segment. But does it deliver?
Redmi Note 13 Pro Design
At first glance, the Redmi Note 13 Pro radiates a sense of sophistication, especially in this Coral Purple colourway. It has subtle hints of violet, pink, blue, and green. Now, that may sound like a bit much, but it has been executed really nicely here.
Unlike many rivals, the back here is made out of glass, and while it has a matt finish, fingerprints are visible on it.
The camera island on the Note 13 Pro adopts a new design language versus its predecessor. It departs from the familiar rectangular shape to a more prominent square module that’s divided into 3 segments.
The lower green segment houses a unique turbine-shaped flash, but it is not perfectly centred on this review device, so quality control needs to be improved here.
The frame of the device is subtly tapered around the edges which helps with the grip.
What also helps with the premium appeal is the thin display bezels. The chin is still a bit thicker, but it is not really noticeable.
Redmi Note 13 Pro Display
The display on this device is a gorgeous 6.67-inch AMOLED panel with 1.5K resolution and a variable 120Hz refresh rate.
It also features a 100% DCI-P3 colour gamut coverage and a peak brightness of 1800 nits, making it a high-end display for the price. Its viewing angles are spot on and sunlight legibility is fantastic as well.
Redmi Note 13 Pro Utility
This is the first Redmi Note smartphone to feature an optical fingerprint scanner, which is a lot more accurate than the side mounted scanner on the Note 12 Pro.
There is no SD card slot on the Note 13 Pro, but you do get 128 or 256GB of internal storage.
It comes with an IR blaster, which may be useful if you like to operate your appliances from your smartphone.
Plus, entertainment junkies will appreciate the clear and crisp sound produced by the phone's stereo speakers.
Also, seeing a headphone jack on a new smartphone in 2024 makes me quite happy. Interestingly, the more expensive Pro+ does not have it, so brands do consider omitting headphone jack a premium feature. Weird!
Moving on, the Note 13 Pro can take on light splashes of water thanks to its IP54 rating.
Adding to its durable nature is the Gorilla Glass Victus protection on this phone’s display. In fact, this is the most affordable smartphone with Victus protection.
Xiaomi also provides a high quality cover with this phone. Just that it hides this beautiful colour.
Redmi Note 13 Pro Camera
Please check the video for cameras samples.
200MP is such a beautiful buzzword! In fact, it is proudly printed on this smartphone’s camera island. But, funnily enough, that camera above this text is the 2MP macro sensor for some reason.
Anyway, the Note 13 Pro has a 200MP primary camera that’s made by Samsung. Joining it are two familiar faces from the mid-range scene: an 8MP ultrawide and a 2MP macro.
The high-resolution main camera excels in various lighting conditions, delivering images with good dynamic range. However, colours can be a bit off. For instance, this building was teal, not blue.
You can also shoot in full 200MP resolution, but the dynamic range does suffer in this mode.
Low-light photos tend to get noisy, and the details get smudged. However, these photos are good enough for social media sharing thanks to their vibrant colours.
But, I was quite impressed with 4K 30fps videos because they showed impressive detail and decent stabilisation.
The ultrawide sensor renders more accurate colours than the main sensor, which is surprisingly impressive, even though its images are softer around the corners.
The Macro camera is fine for taking flower close ups outdoors.
The 16MP selfie camera keeps the skin tones quite natural, although it does produce soft images.
Redmi Note 13 Pro Performance & Software
The Note 13 Pro is the first smartphone to be powered by the Snapdragon 7s Gen 2 processor in India.
It is an incremental upgrade over the DImensity 1080 found on the Note 12 Pro. An Anutu score of 6 lakh is pretty good for this segment.
But, now that the Poco X6 Pro exists, good is no longer good enough.
Anyway, this chip can still handle games like Call of Duty on high graphics and 60fps.
Moreover, Snapdragon processors tend to be better optimised for games than DImensity chips, which might work in this phone’s favour in the long run.
The Redmi Note 13 Pro handles everyday tasks with ease. The device runs on MIUI 14 based on Android 13 and comes with a commitment of three major OS updates and four years of security patches.
However, one of those updates will be HyperOS, which should have been standard in the first place.
Also, while MIUI is snappy and feature rich, it comes with a lot of bloatware. And this situation is not changing with HyperOS either as we’ve seen on the Poco X6 Pro.
Redmi Note 13 Pro Battery
The 5,100mAh battery of the Redmi Note 13 Pro 5G is slightly bigger than its predecessor’s.
With my mixed usage, which included binge-watching shows, clicking some photos and taking a couple of phone calls. It provided around 7 and a half hours of screen time.
The 67W fast charging is great to have as well, allowing for a swift top-up. A full charge takes around 40 minutes.
Redmi Note 13 Pro Review
The Redmi Note 13 Pro 5G is a solid all-rounder in the mid-range segment. It shines with its impressive display and good performance.
However, it no longer offers the price-to-performance ratio that the Redmi Note series was once known for. It looks like that responsibility has now been given to sister brand Poco.
The Note 13 Pro, then, is a device that offers a well-rounded experience. It has morphed from a budget gamer’s dream phone to a phone that appeals to a broader audience, and that is not a bad thing at all.
Also watch: POCO X6 Pro Review
