Xiaomi finally announced its much-awaited Redmi Note 13 series, which is comprised of several models designed for entry-level and midrange markets worldwide – we have the Redmi Note 13 Pro+ 5G, Redmi Note 13 Pro 5G, Redmi Note 13 Pro, Redmi Note 13 5G, and the base model Redmi Note 13. With that in mind, the 13 Pro+ 5G is essentially the flagship model of this year’s Redmi Note series, and it offers some rather compelling features that’ll make you look twice at the phone’s price tag.
Priced at around £449 (cheaper than a lot of midrange competitors), the Redmi Note 13 Pro+ 5G packs some significant upgrades in terms of performance, camera hardware, and even design, making it a tempting upgrade especially for Xiaomi fans.
Design and Display
In front is a 6.67-inch curved AMOLED display with a 1.5K resolution, up to 120Hz refresh rate, as well as a peak brightness of 1800 nits. Redmi’s Note series handsets have always been among the more impressive devices in Xiaomi’s lineup, but the Note 13 Pro+ really amps up the hardware offerings, and it’s great to see such specifications on a relatively affordable smartphone.
As for design, the phone comes with flat polycarbonate edges which are contoured around the curved display in front, and features Gorilla Glass Victus protection for the display. Speaking about the curved glass screen, not everyone will be a fan given that big names such as Google and Samsung are stepping away from the trend, although it’s a hardware element that’s consistently been incorporated by Chinese manufacturers into their handsets.
The entire device does come with IP68 dust and water resistance, which is a nice addition at this price point and adds a bit of durability that’s always welcome on fragile devices such as smartphones.
Internals and Cameras
The Note 13 Pro+ 5G’s sub-500 price tag doesn’t mean that it skips out on performance as well – the phone runs on the MediaTek Dimensity 7200 Ultra chipset, one of the more impressive SoCs from the Taiwanese manufacturer. This is backed by up to 12GB of RAM and 512GB of internal storage, although there is a slightly cheaper 8GB + 256GB configuration available for folks who don’t feel the need to max out their device’s storage and memory. For software, the phone runs on Android 13 with MIUI on top, which is a bit surprising given that Android 14 has been out for a while now. The phone is powered by a 5,000 mAh capacity battery, which comes with support for 120Hz charging – again, it’s nice to see features like these make their way on a phone in this price bracket.
As for optics, the phone features an f/1.65 200MP main sensor, an f/2.2 8MP ultra wide sensor, and an f/2.4 2MP macro camera, complemented by a 16MP sensor in front for selfies and video calls. The Redmi camera app does come with some exclusive effects and modes from Xiaomi, as well as optical image stabilization. Video recording on the other hand maxes out at 4K resolution at 30 frames per second.
With all that being said, the Redmi Note 13 Pro+ 5G is a pretty good example of what Xiaomi’s Redmi brand is all about – affordable hardware without compromises in performance. Sure, some folks might have reservations about the curved display and mostly plastic build, but the phone manages to impress in terms of performance, and the added upgrade to camera hardware is something to look forward to. The Redmi Note 13 Pro+ 5G will be available starting January 18 from Xiaomi and select retailers.
