Redmi Note 13 Pro+ Review: Mainstream beast gets some premium beauty

It started out as the go-to option for anyone wanting a great phone for around Rs 10,000. Then, it moved up the price ladder and hovered around the Rs 15,000 zone. In 2023, the Redmi Note took a massive leap, and with the Redmi Note 12 Pro+ 5G actually got close to the Rs 30,000 price point, and this year, has actually gone past it with the Redmi Note 13 Pro+ 5G, which starts at Rs 31,999, almost three times the price from which the series had started.

For that price, you get perhaps the best-specced and most elegantly designed Redmi Note ever. But is that going to be enough for the Redmi Note 13 Pro+ 5G to carve a niche for itself in what is known as the premium mid-segment? Let us find out.

Redmi Note 13 Pro+ 5G Design and Appearance: The Note gets a really premium design

Nothing reflects the progression of the Redmi Note from mainstream mid-segment to premium mid-segment waters as its design. We had found the design of the Redmi Note 12 Pro+ 5G to be a little too plain and routine for its increased price tag, but no similar accusation can be leveled against its successor.

The Redmi Note 13 Pro+ 5G is hands down the most elegant Redmi device that we have seen in the Indian market, and that includes the very eye-catching Redmi K20 series. It is the first Redmi Note to come with a curved AMOLED display, surrounded by narrow and symmetrical bezels. The curve is obvious (the phone has a screen-to-body ratio of an impressive 93.35 percent) but is not intrusive – one can grip the straight-ish sides of the phone without fearing any accidental touches on that display. The back of the phone comes with a very distinct block design around the triple camera unit (two huge lenses and a tiny one), which comprises three blocks of subtle different color shades – color-blocking, as Xiaomi calls it.

The phone is available in three colors. Of these, Fusion Black and Fusion White come with glass backs, but the eye-catcher is the Fusion Purple, which brings a vegan leather back to the Redmi Note for the first time. Whether that light purple back with blocks of light blue and pastel green looks good or not depends on your taste – some might find it a little too subtle (you cannot really see the blocks from a distance)- but it certainly makes the Redmi Note 13 Pro+ 5G stand out from run-of-the-mill mid-segment phones, and actually gives it a distinctly premium touch and feel (the textured vegan leather back is great to grip). We have seen vegan leather in this price segment from Realme and Motorola as well, but Redmi’s implementation of it is easily the most striking. It does pick up smudges but stays relatively scratch-free, which means we can use it without a case.

There are other premium touches. That curved display is protected by Gorilla Glass Victus, generally something seen in premium flagships, and also comes with an in-display fingerprint scanner. The phone also comes with IP68 dust and water protection, which is the same as seen on the iPhone 15 Pro series, and means that this is one Note you can actually take swimming (it can survive in 1.5 meters of water for about 30 minutes)!

All of this is packed into a frame that is 8.9-9 mm thin, 161.4 mm tall, and weighs in the vicinity of 200 grams (light for its size). There is plenty of premium-ness going around the Redmi Note 13 Pro+ 5G, thanks to that back and curved display. Enough to make a lot of people who saw the Redmi Note 13 Pro+ 5G with us assume that we were using a OnePlus or Samsung flagship!

Redmi Note 13 Pro+ 5G Hardware: Great display, middling chip, speedy RAM and storage

Within that stylish design lies some very interesting hardware. The curved display itself is an impressive one, with a resolution of 1.5K (2712 x 1220) that hits the middle ground between 2K and FHD. It is a brilliant and bright display with HDR10+ and Dolby Vision and supports more than 68 billion colors with an impressive peak brightness of 1800 nits. The display also has a refresh rate of 120 Hz and can adjust between four refresh rates (30/60/90/120 Hz) as per the content being seen to optimize battery life. The fingerprint scanner in the display can also record your heart rate, although this functionality is buried inside the settings.

The phone is the first in the world to feature MediaTek’s Dimensity 7200-Ultra 5G processor, a very good mid-segment performer. It is backed by up to 12 GB of LPDDR5 RAM and up to 512 GB of UFS 3.1 storage – impressive at this price point.

The cameras on the back are a mix of the amazing and the relatively routine. The star of the show is the main camera, which Xiaomi calls a “true 200 megapixel” Samsung Isocell HP3 sensor with OIS, a large f/1.65 aperture, and up to 4x lossless zoom. Its support cast is, however, not as impressive – an 8-megapixel ultrawide, a 2-megapixel macro sensor (yeah, right!), and a 16-megapixel selfie snapper.

The phone also comes with dual speakers with support for Dolby Atmos, although there is no 3.5 mm audio jack for the first time in a Redmi Note in India. Connectivity options include 5G, Wi-Fi, GPS and infrared. The Redmi Note 13 Pro+ 5G also comes with NFC connectivity, which means it can be used for payments, again a first for a Redmi Note. Keeping all this running is the task of a 5000 mAh battery, with support for 120W HyperCharge. There is a 120W charger in the box as well.

All said and done, the Redmi Note 13 Pro+ 5G’s spec sheet has a lot of premium cream above steady mid-segment milk. The processor and secondary cameras are all that hold it back from getting into the budget flagship zone.

Redmi Note 13 Pro+ 5G Software: Good old MIUI, but no HyperOS for now

Those expecting the Redmi Note 13 Pro+ 5G to come with Xiaomi’s much-talked-about new UI, HyperOS, will be disappointed to know that the phone actually comes with Xiaomi’s MIUI 14 running on top of Android 13. While this may disappoint the geek brigade who wanted to try HyperOS, we do not see it as a deal breaker for the general consumer. MIUI remains one of the most feature-rich and well-designed Android skins out there that allows users to do a truckload with their phones right out of the box. Although there are no ads on the UI, there is a fair bit of bloatware in the form of third-party apps. Yes, they can be uninstalled, but their presence is an irritant.

HyperOS itself will be coming to the Redmi Note 13 Pro+ 5G in the coming months, and the phone has been assured of three OS updates and four years of security updates. The speed at which this happens is going to be important. It is a little disappointing to see a device with such a contemporary design running Android 13. We do hope HyperOS comes to it quickly.

Redmi Note 13 Pro+ Cameras: Main camera = Messi, Other cameras = spectators!

The Redmi Note 12 Pro+ 5G had made headlines with its 200-megapixel camera in 2023. Its successor comes with an improved 200-megapixel camera and a Samsung Isocell HP3 sensor with OIS. Although its supporting cast is markedly less so, it is a very impressive camera. Shooting with the 200-megapixel sensor and then with the others is akin to watching Lionel Messi play and then switching to seeing spectators in the stands.

But let us start with that massive main sensor. It shoots in 12.5 megapixels by default, but you can shoot full 200-megapixel snaps as well. We often got marvelously detailed images with slightly saturated colors, and even the 4x lossless zoom worked a treat, allowing us to capture animals and birds from a distance without disturbing them. Even 200-megapixel shots seemed sharper than the ones we got in the Redmi Note 12 Pro+ 5G. Low light performance was impressive for the segment, although the phone has a tendency to make night shots ever so slightly yellow-ish. Video quality is significantly better than the Redmi 12 Pro+ 5G as well, although you cannot shoot 4K videos at 60 fps.

Xiaomi has packed in a number of shooting and editing options, although they can be a little laggy, especially when you are editing 200-megapixel snaps. We also found that the camera had a tendency to be inconsistent, with shots taken within seconds of each other looking noticeably different. Xiaomi says that an update is in the works and should be available soon, but even with its current output, that 200-megapixel sensor makes the Redmi Note 13 Pro+ 5G a superb camera phone.

That 200-megapixel sensor also makes the 8-megapixel ultrawide and 2-megapixel macro secondary sensors on the back look ordinary to the point of being unnecessary. We would suggest just taking a high-res snap with the 200-megapixel sensor and cropping out what you do not want, as this generally yields much better results. The 16-megapixel selfie snapper is good for video calls and vanity snaps but, again, seems very ordinary compared to the main camera on the back. It is really about time Xiaomi deployed a better selfie sensor on the megapixel-heavy Notes!

Redmi Note 13 Pro+ 5G Gaming and multimedia: Great sight and sound, good enough gaming

That brilliant display and stereo speakers make the Redmi Note 13 Pro+ 5G a great device for viewing videos and shows. We are not the greatest fans of curved displays for viewing (part of the view seems to go over the sides), but the colors are vivid, and the sound quality is excellent. When it comes to gaming, the phone is a decent performer, too. Manage the settings a little, and you can get a great Call of Duty and Genshin Impact experience. We would not recommend maxed-out graphics settings, as that can lead to a few lags, but this Note does more than enough to deliver a very good gaming and multimedia experience. The display’s touch sensitivity is on point, and we faced no heating issues – the phone gets a little warm occasionally, but never alarmingly so.

Redmi Note 13 Pro+ 5G Battery life and charging: Decent battery life, insanely great charging

In terms of battery life, the Redmi Note 13 Pro+ 5G gets you through a day of normal to heavy usage with 2-3 hours of calls and gaming without too many problems. This might seem a step down from its predecessors, which comfortably delivered a day and a half of battery life on a single charge, but then this Note comes with a higher resolution and brighter display. We would say that this is perhaps the rare Note whose battery life is decent rather than exceptional.

In terms of charging speed, however, the Redmi Note 13 Pro+ 5G remains the champ not just in its category but even as compared to high-end flagships. The 120W HyperCharge charger in the box charges the phone from 0 to 100 in about 20-25 minutes. That charger incidentally can also charge a notebook that supports USB Type-C charging!

Redmi Note 13 Pro+ 5G General performance: A great daily driver…which does not need a cover!

The Redmi Note series has a great tradition of being great “daily drivers,” or perfect phones for everyday tasks. And while it might have added a number of premium touches to its design and hardware, the Redmi Note 13 Pro+ 5G is at its best handling routine work like browsing the Web, checking social networks, messaging, and mailing, with the odd spell of casual gaming added to the mix. That large, bright display is great for viewing content and for typing, and as the Redmi Note 13 Pro+ 5G comes with plenty of RAM, multi-tasking is a breeze.

The in-display fingerprint scanner took a bit of getting used to as we tended to head to the power button out of sheer Note-worthy habits, but it works speedily enough (we still prefer it on the side of the phone, though). The phone picked up 5G networks without a problem and handled calls very well indeed – we would say that calling on the Redmi Note 13 Pro+ 5G has been among the best we have experienced on a Redmi phone. MIUI works very smoothly, and while battery life is a notch below Notes in the past, the extremely fast charging speed more than compensates for this. IR connectivity remains a blessing for those of us who misplace TV and AC remote controls.

But perhaps the most remarkable feature of the Redmi Note 13 Pro+ 5G was the fact that it was the first phone we have used in a long while without a screen protector or a case. Our Fusion Purple unit survived without any scratches on the front or back, and the one time we did spill tea on it accidentally, we literally washed it under a tap in the kitchen sink. It’s been a while since we have done that with a mid-segment device!

Redmi Note 13 Pro+ 5G Pricing: Going past the Rs 30,000 mark!

The Redmi Note 13 Pro+ 5G is available in the following RAM and storage variants at these prices:

• 8 GB/ 256 GB: Rs 31,999
• 12 GB/ 256 GB: Rs 33,999
• 12 GB/ 512 GB: Rs 35,999

The price represents a Rs 2,000 leap over its predecessor, the Redmi Note 12 Pro+ 5G. It also brings it into the range of the OnePlus Nord 3 5G, which retails at Rs 29,999 and, in spite of being older, has a powerful Dimensity 9000 chip. There is also the iQOO Neo 7 Pro 5G, which starts at Rs 32,999, comes with very good cameras, and runs on the old-but-still-gold Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 chip. And suppose you are not into the curved display and vegan leather back. In that case, there is also a “minus plus” version of this very Note – the rock steady Redmi Note 13 Pro 5G, which has the same cameras and a display of similar size and resolution at Rs 25,999 (for a 6 GB/ 128 GB version) and runs on the Snapdragon 7s Gen 2 chip, which is not too far behind the Dimensity 7200 Ultra.

Another phone in this price zone is the Honor 90, which is retailing for Rs 31,999 at the time of writing and also features a curved AMOLED display, a 200-megapixel main camera (with better secondary cameras, and a 50 MP selfie sensor) and runs on the rather able Qualcomm Snapdragon 7 Gen 1 chip. Significantly, the Redmi Note 13 Pro+ 5G is also now within striking distance of perceived budget flagships like the OnePlus 11R, the Nothing Phone (2) and even the likes of the Pixel 7a, especially when festive offers bring their prices down.

Redmi Note 13 Pro+ Review Verdict: Going from a no-brainer to a yes-looker!

All of this brings us to the big question: should you purchase the Redmi Note 13 Pro+ 5G? Its higher price tag means it is no longer the no-brainer that some Redmi Notes were. You can get devices that can match it in terms of performance – there are phones out there with comparable (and perhaps even better) cameras and processors. Where the Redmi Note 13 Pro+ 5G stands apart from many of its competitors is in terms of its design, in particular the curved display and vegan leather back, and the presence of features like Gorilla Glass Victus and IP68 dust and water resistance.

And if that does not tell you the story of the evolution of the Note, perhaps nothing will – the series that was known for its spec substance is now turning on spectacular style. How well the consumers take to this switch will be known in the coming days. As of now, we will say that if you are in the market for a phone that will turn heads while delivering a good performance without turning your bank balance red, then the Redmi Note 13 Pro+ 5G is one of your best options.

Buy Redmi Note 13 Pro+