Redmi 13C 5G Review: Bossing the budget 5G basics!

The second half of 2023 has seen Xiaomi focus on the budget 5G smartphone segment in India. A few months ago, the brand came out with a very impressive Redmi 12 5G, which brought an elegant design and powerful chip to the budget segment. The Redmi 12 5G was one of the highest-selling phones in the quarter of its release, and now Xiaomi has come out with an even more affordable 5G smartphone, the Redmi 13C 5G. Does it have what it takes to succeed in the ever-so-competitive budget segment?

Redmi 13C 5G design: A starry trailed color changer that doesn’t look like a ‘budget’ phone

The water drop notch on its tall front might give off affordable hints, but there is little else that even whispers “budget” about the design of the Redmi 13C 5G. Its sides and back are carbonate but look like metal and glass and feel every bit as solid. The sides are straight and the back flat, keeping in with the latest flagship fashion, and there are two large camera spheres on the back, with a flash, in a setup that is a little similar to the OnePlus Nord CE 3. The metallic-looking sides have the volume rocker and power/display button, which also is a fingerprint scanner on the right, a SIM card tray with two SIM card slots and a microSD card slot on the left, a 3.5 mm audio jack on the top, and a USB Type-C port and a speaker grille on the base.

It is the back, however, that is the star of the Redmi 13C 5G design show. It comes with what Xiaomi calls Startrail design and reflects different colors and patterns when light falls on it from different angles. Some might consider it a little too flashy, but we liked it on our Startrail Silver unit (you also get green and black color variants, both with similarly jazzy backs). The Redmi 13C 5G will turn heads with its back. It will also stretch palms with its size. At 168 mm, it is a very tall phone, although it is impressively slim at 8.09 mm and at 192 grams, is relatively light for its size. All in all, this is a good-looking, large phone and punches well above its price weight in terms of appearance. It is a tough customer, too – the display comes with Gorilla Glass 3 protection, and the phone also has splash and dust resistance.

Redmi 13C 5G specs: Chip cream on a budget spec cake

Unlike its design, the spec sheet of the Redmi 13C 5G is pretty much a standard budget phone mix. The surprise here is the presence of the MediaTek Dimensity 6100+ processor, which is very close in performance to the Qualcomm Snapdragon 4 Gen 2 seen on more expensive devices. Another plus for the Redmi 13C 5G is the presence of a minimum of 128 GB storage, even though the phone comes with expandable memory up to 1 TB. You get RAM and storage variants of 4 GB/ 128 GB, 6 GB/ 128 GB, and 8 GB/ 256 GB. The 6.74 inch LCD display is a bright one and has a 90 Hz refresh rate but has an HD+ resolution rather than FHD+, which is becoming increasingly common at this price point.

The Redmi 13C 5G sports two cameras on the back, a 50-megapixel main sensor and a secondary 0.8-megapixel sensor whose role is not defined (it is referred to as an “auxiliary lens” in some places). Selfies are handled by an 8-megapixel camera in that drop notch in front. Keeping the phone running is the task of a 5000 mAh battery, which supports 18W charging. However, it comes only with a 10W charger. In terms of connectivity, you get Bluetooth, GPS, Wi-Fi, and, of course, 5G connectivity, which is one of the USPs of the device at this price point. It runs on Android 13 out of the box with MIUI 14 on top of it.

It is a decent spec sheet rendered special by the processor. We would have liked a full HD display and an 18W charger in the box, but we assume these were the corners Xiaomi cut to keep the Redmi 13C 5G’s price down.

Redmi 13C 5G performance: On point for its price point

That large and bright display, allied with a good speaker and good processor, makes the Redmi 13C a master of smartphone basics. The display is not full HD but is good for viewing content, whether it is web pages or online videos. And the Dimensity 6100+ does give the phone a decent amount of gaming power for its price. It flies through most casual games, and if you tweak the settings a little, you can even play Call of Duty on it, which is pretty impressive for its price point.

The 50-megapixel main camera delivers decent shots with a fair amount of detail in good light conditions, although the colors at times seem a little washed out. Fortunately, there are a host of filters and effects on board to enable you to do more with that shooter. It is of very limited utility in low light conditions, though, where details tend to get blurry. You also get reasonably good videos (social media worthy) in good light conditions.

The front camera is similar – selfies are good for the Gram if the light is fine. The front camera is very handy for video calls, though – something that is very important on a 5G phone. Speaking of which, the Redmi 13C 5G worked just fine with the local 5G networks. Call quality was very good as well, and the fingerprint sensor on the side worked with smooth swiftness.

Some might find too much bloatware on the MIUI 14 on the phone (there are a number of extra apps and some games), but there are plenty of features on board as well, which we think users in this segment will appreciate. The best part is that the phone functions without any stutters, even if you are running 4-6 apps on it. If you are not into heavy-duty gaming or photography (up your budget significantly if you are), this is a very good performer indeed.

Redmi 13C 5G battery life: Very impressive, but with a sluggish charger

The Redmi 13C 5G comes with a large 5000 mAh battery, and this comfortably got us through two days of normal usage, which is very impressive, although some might attribute this to its lower resolution display and the fact that the phone is unlikely to be used for extended photography and gaming sessions. The Redmi13C also comes with support for 18W charging but, rather disappointingly, ships with a 10W charger in the box. The 10W charger takes between three to three and a half hours to charge the phone from 0 to full, which seems too much by modern standards, even at this price. So you get superb battery life, but charging the battery itself takes time unless you invest in an 18W charger.

Redmi 13C 5G Pricing: Solid value for money

The Redmi 13C 5G comes with the following RAM and storage variants and prices:

• 4 GB/ 128 GB: Rs 10,999
• 6 GB/ 128 GB: Rs 12,499
• 8 GB/ 256 GB: Rs 14,499

Some might think that the prices are a little on the high side for a device that does not have an FHD+ display, but we think that it is very good value for money if you are looking for a budget 5G device.

Redmi 13C 5G challengers: Sibling rivalry

The Redmi 13C 5G faces a lot of heat from within its own family. The Poco M6 Pro 5G starts at Rs 10,999 as well and offers a larger 6.79-inch FHD+ display, a glass back, and also runs on a very good processor (Qualcomm Snapdragon 4 Gen 2), although its base variant has only 64 GB of storage. The bestselling Redmi 12 5G also boasts similar specs to the Poco M6 Pro, has an elegant glass design and starts at Rs 11,999 for a 4 GB / 128 GB variant. A key point to note with both these devices is that they come with not only support for 18W charging but with 22.5 W chargers in the box.

Redmi 13C 5G Review Verdict: Should you buy it?

So, should you invest in the Redmi 13C 5G? We can see people wondering whether the Poco M6 Pro 5G and the Redmi 12 5G might be better options, especially given that they come with larger FHD+ displays, comparable processors, and 22.5 W chargers. Well, they may seem like better options, but then this is a segment where every Rupee matters. And if you are on a very tight budget and still want a rock-solid 5G smartphone with minimum compromises, the Redmi 13C 5G is an excellent option. It is not perfect, but it does the basics brilliantly and at a very affordable price. It is not perfect. It will not blow your mind, although it might dazzle your eyes. But it just works. And for many of us, that is what counts most of all. Brilliant basics on a budget. A Redmi approach to smartphones.

Buy Redmi 13C 5G