Xiaomi Redmi Note 13 Pro+ hands-on review

GSMArena Team, 8 January 2024.

Conclusion

The Redmi Note 13 Pro+ 5G pricing starts at INR 31,999 in India, which is the highest yet for a Redmi series device. For that money, you get impressive design and build quality, the best yet on a Redmi phone. The display quality is also excellent and we were extremely pleased with the performance of the device in everyday tasks. The lightning-quick 120W charging is also a phenomenal feature and we do appreciate the inclusion of a 120W charger in a world where they are fast disappearing from packages.

Redmi Note 13 Pro Plus hands-on review

However, we weren't quite as pleased with the camera. The lossless zoom feature from the massive 200MP resolution is truly neat but there were notable color issues plaguing all the cameras on the device. The good news is that it's fixable and we hope the company adjusts things based on the feedback provided here as the camera hardware is otherwise quite capable.

Unfortunately, we don't see much change happening on the software side, which remains one of the weakest aspects of a Redmi device. Despite the ever-increasing prices, the phone still comes jam-packed with bloatware, ads, and apps with annoying notifications. These things are never okay but are especially insulting at these new prices.

It seems the company wants to have its cake and eat it too; bump up the retail pricing on the phones while maintaining the side income from all the software nuisance. Well, this is us saying you can't have it both ways, and if you charge a premium you need to start providing a premium user experience.

Pros

  • Good design and IP68-rated durability
  • Great display quality
  • Fast and fluid performance
  • Extremely fast charging speeds

Cons

  • Software is full of bloatware, redundant apps, and annoying notifications
  • Permanent sharpening and saturation filter for video apps is frustrating
  • Camera has white balance and color fringing issues
Current prices

Reader comments

  • Torjaann
  • 28 Jun 2024
  • P%P

Got me RN13P+5G to replace my RN10P on the back of reviews from the likes of gsmarena. A good general usage phone. Photo apps have come a long ways, combined with a faster processor. I can even take good quality handheld Night Panoramic photos. Only ...

  • Anonymous
  • 17 Jun 2024
  • xtU

Very difficult to customise. After the update I can't manage Bluetooth from the shortcut menus but I have to go all the way to the settings then sort it out from there. No option to make Bluetooth visible. The phone cannot connect to Huawei watc...

  • Anonymous
  • 08 Jun 2024
  • JKj

Macro cameras are meant for taking a fast picture of lettres that are too small to read. They are very useful and solve lots of problems. Such nonsense that so many people keep ranting at them.like this reviewer does.