Xiaomi Redmi Note 13 Pro 5G review

Another year, another suite of Redmi Note mid-rangers. Today, we’re talking about the Redmi Note 13 Pro 5G, bringing plenty of upgrades over last year’s Redmi Note 12 Pro. These include an improved display, a faster chipset, and that 200-megapixel main camera.

Xiaomi Redmi Note 13 Pro specs at a glance:

  • Body: 161.2×74.2×8.0mm, 187g; Gorilla Glass Victus front, glass back, plastic frame; IP54, dust and splash resistant.
  • Display: 6.67″ AMOLED, 68B colors, 120Hz, Dolby Vision, 500 nits (typ), 1200 nits (HBM), 1800 nits (peak), 1220x2712px resolution, 20.01:9 aspect ratio, 446ppi; Always-on display.
  • Chipset: Qualcomm SM7435-AB Snapdragon 7s Gen 2 (4 nm): Octa-core (4×2.40 GHz Cortex-A78 & 4×1.95 GHz Cortex-A55); Adreno 710.
  • Memory: 128GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 12GB RAM, 512GB 12GB RAM, 512GB 16GB RAM; UFS 2.2.
  • OS/Software: Android 13, MIUI 14.
  • Rear camera: Wide (main): 200 MP, f/1.7, 23mm, 1/1.4″, 0.56µm, multi-directional PDAF, OIS; Ultra wide angle: 8 MP, f/2.2, 118˚; Macro: 2 MP, f/2.4.
  • Front camera: 16 MP, f/2.4, (wide).
  • Video capture: Rear camera: 4K@30fps, 1080p@30/60/120fps, gyro-EIS; Front camera: 1080p@30/60fps.
  • Battery: 5100mAh; 67W wired, PD3.0, 50% in 17 min, 100% in 44 min (advertised).
  • Connectivity: 5G; eSIM; Dual SIM; Wi-Fi 5; BT 5.2; NFC; Infrared port; 3.5mm jack.
  • Misc: Fingerprint reader (under display, optical); stereo speakers; Virtual proximity sensing.

Design and build

Let’s start with the design. Though it’s pretty typical for Xiaomi, featuring a square camera housing with subtle dividers and large chrome rings around the cameras. The phone’s back is made of flat glass, and the frame is made of plastic. Together, its sharp edges and matte finish make for a decent grip.

Xiaomi Redmi Note 13 Pro 5G review

The Redmi Note 13 Pro has IP54-rated INR protection, an improvement over last year’s IP53 in water resistance.

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Display on Redmi Note 13 Pro

The display is a 6.67-inch OLED with a 1220p resolution, Gorilla Glass Victus protection, and a 120Hz refresh rate, sharper than last year’s 1080p panel.

Xiaomi Redmi Note 13 Pro 5G review

Another upgrade is the support for 12-bit color depth, HDR10 Plus video, and Dolby Vision. The phone’s display brightness has seen a significant increase this year, measuring a maximum of 530 nits manually and boosting to 1330 nits in auto mode. The refresh rate behavior is standard, offering a smooth 120Hz that can dial down to 60 when not interacting with the screen.

Xiaomi Redmi Note 13 Pro 5G review

You can wake up and unlock the Redmi Note 13 Pro with a snappy under-display fingerprint reader. The phone features a pair of stereo speakers, scoring well for loudness and good sound quality with great vocals, nice highs, and some bass.

Storage and Features

Xiaomi Redmi Note 13 Pro 5G review

There’s a larger storage option this year, with the global Note 13 Pro available with 256 or 512 gigs onboard, expandable through micro SD. The interface is Xiaomi’s MIUI 14 running on top of Android 13, similar to last year’s interface, with an expected update to Xiaomi’s new Hyper OS at some point.

Chipset

Xiaomi Redmi Note 13 Pro 5G review

At the heart of the Redmi Note 13 Pro 5G is a Qualcomm Snapdragon 7s Gen 2 chipset, offering solid everyday performance and 5G connectivity. In benchmarks, both the CPU and GPU perform well for the mid-range class, providing a decent gaming experience.

Battery life

Powering the phone is a 5100mAh battery, but despite the large capacity, the Note 13 Pro earned just average numbers in battery tests. It supports 67W charging, and with the bundled adapter, it charges from 0 to 83% in half an hour, with a full charge taking 42 minutes.

Cameras on Redmi Note 13 Pro

Moving on to the cameras, the main 200-megapixel camera produces excellent photos during the day, with great sharpness, fine detail, wide dynamic range, and true-to-life colors. Even at night, the main camera performs impressively, offering good contrast, color reproduction, and plenty of fine detail.

Xiaomi Redmi Note 13 Pro 5G review

The 8-megapixel ultra-wide camera, however, falls short, providing rather soft shots lacking in fine detail, muted colors, and needing improvement in contrast. The ultra-wide camera’s night output isn’t satisfactory due to extreme softness, even with the dedicated night mode struggling to salvage the photos.

Xiaomi Redmi Note 13 Pro 5G review

The 2-megapixel macro camera produces close-ups with limited detail due to the low resolution and lack of autofocus, making it challenging to capture sharp macro photos. Selfies from the 16-megapixel front-facing camera have good dynamic range and natural conditions but are slightly soft overall.

Conclusion

The Redmi Note 13 Pro 5G offers plenty of upgrades over the previous model, including a better display, chipset, and main camera. It features a larger storage option, under-display fingerprint reader, competitive fast charging, and nice speakers. However, the other cameras besides the main one are lackluster, typical for this price point. Despite its imperfections, the Redmi Note 13 Pro is a solid all-around device, offering excellent value for money in the market. If you’re looking for alternatives, check out our reviews of the Poco X6 and the Samsung Galaxy A54. Let us know what you think, and I’ll see you on the next one.

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