We’re back at it again with the last entry from the Redmi family, and this time around we’re shifting our focus onto the Redmi Note 13 Pro+ 5G. The highest tier among the Redmi midrange series as well as the most premium Redmi phone made yet. So let’s get right into it.
DESIGN
The Redmi Note 13 Pro+ 5G needs no introduction, as it shares many of its design attributes with the Redmi Note 13 Pro 5G with only a few noticeable exceptions. This includes the camera arrangement. Gone was the levitated rectangular island that surrounded the lens, this time around the cameras are directly protruding on the left corner of the phone’s rear. The back of the phone was made out of glossy glass, able to emit an aura of classiness just by the looks of it. But it attracts fingerprints and smudges so there’s that. On that note, there is also a leather back variant but unfortunately, we do not have the opportunity to experience the said variant hands-on. So we’ll just stick to what we have at the moment.
This time around, one of the key differences in terms of design is the 3D curved screen that’s also protected by Gorilla Glass Victus. Allowing the phone to have a more premium form factor coupled with extra resistance. The body of the phone is composed entirely of aluminium. It’s easy to grip for sure but it’s a bit too slippery without a proper protection case. Moreover, being the premium enhanced version of the entire Note 13 line, Xiaomi had added some extra precautionary protocols to the device in general. With an IP68 dust and water resistance label, prompting an even more resilient design compared to its predecessor.
Before we move on to the other aspects of the phone, it should be pointed out that Xiaomi has decided to favor an on-screen biometric sensor rather than a side button sensor. With that being said, try to look for a more finger-sensitive screen protector if you’re inclined to apply it on the phone.
CAMERA
The camera does a pretty solid job in what it’s intended. With the inclusion of a 200MP camera that clocks in with a 1/1.4-inch image sensor and f/1.65 lens, powerful enough to do what it does best. But as far as uniqueness goes, that’s all when it comes to the device’s cameras. The rest were the same old lens as per Note 13 Pro 5G namely the 8MP wide lens and the 2MP macro lens. I would say the device can capture shots flawlessly during daytime, powerful even. Especially when utilising the 200MP camera you’ll get yourself a solid vibrant shot with no issue at all. Zoomed shots are fine as long as they don’t go beyond 4x.
Night shots are okay, the only issue that you need to worry about is the device’s capability to focus as noises are visible but only on a minuscule amount. Bokeh shots on the other hand, well similarly, it has issues when it comes to focusing. There were times I struggled to take a decent bokeh shot, multiple tries even though only then I could get the lens to focus on the object that I wanted.
The frontal camera comes with a 16MP lens, the AI does a pretty good job in touching up my face, and unironically, the bokeh shots taken by the front camera yield better results than the rear camera.
Another feature worth pointing out is the document scanning feature. Although most phone has it nowadays but is neat that Xiaomi decided to include this in. Not gonna lie the document enhancement function seems adequate enough in comparison to the app CamScanner app.
When it comes it comes to video capture, the highest resolution that the device could go to is 4K and 30FPS. Which is exactly similar to its precursor the Note 13 Pro. Impressive but felt like Xiaomi could do better than this by a little.
DISPLAY & AUDIO
Xiaomi had put some effort into improving the overall display of the device. It can generate a resolution of 2712 x 1220 and a pixel density of 446ppi, as well as adjustable brightness that could go all the way up to 1,800 nits, coupling with 1,920Hz PWM dimming. Greatly improving viewing experience especially when it comes to streaming. Display aside, there’s nothing too dissimilar to the Note 13 Pro when it comes to audio performance. Still, it has an okay stereo sound though.
PERFORMANCE
Having improved slightly better than the Note 12 Pro+, the Note 13 Pro+ is by far one of the best-performing devices in the Note series when of gaming. Disclaimer, best of its line but it does not mean it’s the best midrange gaming phone out there as it still comes with its own hiccups. Powered by the Dimensity 7200 Ultra, the chipset is powerful enough to provide a refined gaming experience compared to the Note 13 Pro 5G as it’s capable of running resource-intensive games like Genshin at medium graphical settings… provided you turn off the shadowing. But 30 minutes into the session will cause the phone to warm up really quickly. Other than that, the Note 13 Pro+ can hold up a couple of rounds of COD: Warzone with absolutely no problem. Fluid performance and flawless execution.
BATTERY
Like any Xiaomi midrange phone, the Note 13 Pro+ comes with a 5,000 mAh battery installed and a W120 charger + USB included in the package. Pretty standard if you ask me. With the 120W charger, the phone would take about 12 mins to hit 30%, 24 mins to hit 55%, and 45 mins to reach 100%. In addition to that, the phone could last up to 4 days or so with a full charge while doing nothing. Thanks to its current chipset which further utilises the power output.
BENCHMARK
This round I went full out with the benchmark scores, so here you go:
SYSTEM
One thing about the Note 13 Pro+ is that the device runs on Android 13 and MIUI 14. You know what that means? two years of security updates till Android 15, and that’s the best you can go. However, worry not as starting from the 1st half of the year onwards, the Redmi Note 13 Pro+ will come with HyperOS.
VERDICT
Okay bottom line is, that the phone did improve quite a fair bit compared to Note 13 Pro 5G. It did relatively well in the gaming section and also the photography section. But in my humble opinion, with that price tag, I would suggest getting the Note 13 Pro 5G instead as both function practically the same well as a daily productivity phone. But if you want something that’s more premium in the mid-ranger game, then by all means go ahead and get your hands on one.
Overall ratings :
Available on :
1) Shopee
2) Lazada
Currently the Redmi Note 13 Pro+ 5G is available in 2 variants on the market, which are: 8+256GB or 12+512GB.
Tl;dr
Pros:
– Nice cameras
– Great design
– On-screen biometric sensor
Cons:
– Software updates are slow