Xiaomi is known for bringing out powerful daily drivers at price tags that are truly segment-disrupting. The latest addition to its Redmi Note lineup—the Redmi Note 13 Pro+ 5G—manages to live up to the brand’s legacy of devices that pack so many good things in a wallet-friendly package. Here are the top five things that, in our opinion, make the Redmi Note 13 Pro+ 5G the latest bang-for-the-buck midrange king.
1. Built like a tank
The first thing we noticed about the Redmi Note 13 Pro+ 5G is its build. In a time when manufacturers seem to be gearing their contenders to be thinner and lighter, Redmi has gone in the opposite direction and built a tank. It is not particularly heavy at 204.5g—it’s actually comfortable and wieldy in-hand—but compared to its peers, it is definitely a big and beefy smartphone. This weight is refreshing and translates to a reliable and durable feeling which is confidence-inspiring. It also sports IP68 dust- and water-resistance and Corning Gorilla Glass Victus to further drive home this point. It is also light on the eyes thanks to its Midnight Black, Moonlight White, and Aurora Purple colorways.
2. Can handle anything thrown at it
Running the show for the Redmi Note 13 Pro+ 5G is a 4nm octa-core MediaTek Dimensity 7200 Ultra processor with a Mali-G610 GPU graphics chip. Six cores are Cortex-A510s running at a maximum 2GHz, while two cores are Cortex-A715s ticking at a maximum 2.8GHz. This is paired with 12GB of RAM and 512GB of internal storage. In synthetic benchmarks, it performs as well as can be expected, notching scores of 4,358 in the 3D Mark Wildlife; 11,997 in PCMark Work 3.0; 1,119 in the Geekbench 6 CPU single-core; 2,675 in Geekbench 6 CPU multi-core; and 3,304 in Geekbench 6 GPU OpenCL. Storage speeds are also fast at 577.86MB/s of sequential reads and 525.85MB/s of sequential writes via the Cross Platform Disk Test.
These numbers mean that it can confidently run anything you throw at it. In fact, it is able to smoothly run demanding titles such as Genshin Impact and Diablo Immortal with every graphic setting maxed out. Of course, less demanding titles such as Mobile Legends: Bang Bang, Pokémon Unite, and Call of Duty Mobile are all easy pickings for the Redmi Note 13 Pro+ 5G.
3. 200MP camera is more than just a number
The Redmi Note 13 Pro+ 5G sports a set of three great rear lenses. The main shooter takes the form of a 200MP camera with a wide f/1.65 aperture, a huge 1/1.4-inch sensor, 7P lens assemblage, and optical image stabilization (OIS). It is supported by an 8MP f/2.2 wide-angle camera and a 2MP f/2.4 macro camera for depth. Thanks to this roster, it is able to take great snaps in virtually all kinds of situations, from well-lit landscapes to dimly-lit food shots. Photos are detailed, sharp, and with eye-accurate colors that are tuned to be beautifully natural instead of vividly artificial. Due to its huge 200MP capability, it is also able to take 2x and 4x zoom shots which look as crisp as unzoomed ones. Videos likewise come out looking great, with the OIS able to compensate for any shakiness when taking moving shots.
4. Battery that lasts and charges in a flash
Fueling the Redmi Note 13 Pro+ 5G is a 5000mAh battery pack which is more than plenty to get you out of the house and back after a long day. In the PCMark Work 3.0 battery life test, it is able to last for over 13 hours and 2 minutes with screen brightness set to half and audio levels all the way up. It’s quite impressive, given all the innards it needs to run. When the battery does run out, you’d be happy to know that you won’t be tethered to the wall for long. It ships with a 120W USB-C HyperCharger out of the box, which juices it from fully flat to 40% in a speedy 15 minutes and all the way to 100% in under 45 minutes.
5. Price tag that is hard to beat
Coming in at PHP23,999 for the lone 12GB RAM and 512GB storage variant, the Redmi Note 13 Pro+ 5G may seem quite heavy on the wallet. But compare it with its peers, and you’ll see that it is a definite steal. Not only are you getting a relatively new and powerful processor in the MediaTek Dimensity 7200 Ultra released just in September of 2023, but you also get a great camera headlined by a 200MP shooter, blazing fast charging times courtesy of the bundled 120W USB-C HyperCharger, a gorgeous 6.67-inch CrystalRes AMOLED display with TÜV Rheinland Flicker-free certification, dual speakers, and more!
Words by Chris Noel Hidalgo
Also published in GADGETS Magazine June 2024 issue