REDMI Note 13 Pro 5G - Reviewed

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There’s a new kid in the mobile phone block and it’s the Redmi Note 13 Pro 5G!

Guess who was given the chance to review the phone two weeks after it had launched in Singapore? That’s right, it’s us! Woohoo! *cues excited dancing here*

I had been seeing advertisments about the Redmi Note 13 series releasing in Singapore. Yet, it never crossed my mind, we would be able to write a review about it within that same month. So, thank you Xiaomi for giving us this opportunity to try it out <3

Let’s get to it!

Redmi Note 13 Pro 5G – the deets

The Redmi Note 13 Pro 5G launched two weeks ago on 15th January. Together with the Redmi Note 13 Pro 5G were the Redmi Note 13 Pro+ 5G, Redmi Note 13 5G and Redmi Note 13. Xiaomi also has another model in the series which is the Redmi Note 13 Pro but that’s not going to be sold in Singapore. Almost all of the phones released in Singapore is 5G-capable except for the Redmi Note 13.

There were also wearables that were launched on the same day and those were the Redmi Watch 4, Redmi Buds 5 Pro and Redmi Buds 5. Wish we were able to review the watch, cause guess who is currently shopping around for a smart watch? Me!

The current price of the phone is $493.94 on Aliexpress for the 8GB+256GB in black. It is much cheaper on Shopee (priced at $419) but there were limited quantities at the time of this review being written.

Redmi Note 13 Pro 5G – the specs

Processor: Snapdragon 7s Gen 2
Storage & RAM: 8+256GB | 12+512GB
Dimensions: 161.15mm (height) x 74.24mm (width) x 7.98mm (thickness) + 187g (weight)
Display: 6.67″ AMOLED display
Rear Camera: 200MP+8MP+2MP triple camera
Front Camera: 16MP camera (f/2.4)
Operating System: MIUI 14

The unboxing of the Redmi Note 13 Pro 5G

My first impression while unboxing the phone was mostly centered on the box, lol. I honestly was quite excited when I realised the box still had intact stickers and my excitement spiked higher when I held the phone.

I especially loved how sleek the display looked. Without the screen bracket, Redmi’s Note 13 Pro 5G front looks extremely smooth. The glass back was also very reflective. In the mere minutes I was holding on to it, my fingerprints were all over the back.

Set up was fast and easy. Probably because I skipped a few steps, namely the sim card and gmail account. I think the only issue I had with the phone was how much the camera was sticking out. But I do believe once the phone casing is on, it would not stick out as much as it is currently.

The Tests!

We started our tests with the Wild Life Stress Test. From the results, the Redmi Note 13 Pro 5G was pretty stable throughout the run, at 90.3%. The battery didn’t drop much too, from 94% to only 88%. I have seen other phones dropping from 80-ish% to 60-ish% for this same test, so the 6% drop did not bother me much.

Then, we moved on to the Sling Shot. The Redmi Note 13 Pro 5G scored 81% better than other devices that has used this stress test. I do believe this is more than acceptable for a mid-range phone. Please do keep in mind that Redmi is the economical side of Xiaomi, but at the same time, please don’t lower your expectations too much thinking that it’s not going to be a good phone. Prior reviews has made me aware that Xiaomi produces great phones, no matter the arm the phones come from.

After the 3DMark tests, we moved on to PCMark, the battery life and the work test.

The work test, to be honest, took me aback. Still keeping in mind that the Redmi is supposedly the mid-range arm of Xiaomi, the results so far is doing really great. We did the review for the Xiaomi 13T Pro and the Xiaomi 13 Pro last year (here and here), and the result for the Note 13 Pro 5G isn’t too far off from the 13T Pro.

Last and final test is the battery test. It is pretty straightforward. Supposedly we are able to use the phone for approximately 11 hours. That sounds quite acceptable to me as I believe most of us would either have a charger at work or a portable charger in our bags to use when we’re out and about. Unless you’re me, then you would charge your portable charger and promptly forget to bring it out.

The Camera!

In the few years that I have done reviews for phones, the one function that I always look forward to trying is the camera. I love, love, love taking photos and videos so I always look for phones which produces good quality photos. So far, most of the phones have done quite well. I know I will always love the 13T Pro camera with Leica lens. Those pictures turned out gorgeous.

I was especially looking forward to trying the camera since it was mentioned that the inclusion of the OIS+EIS stabilization would act as an invisible tripod for the camera. There was also the mention of how the 200MP camera would ensure that the pictures taken would still have ultra-clear quality even when zoomed.

I also managed to use the ‘Short Film’ option in the camera function. It is already preset with 9 few seconds clips, sounds and filter to make things easy for you. I did attempt to try use this while reviewing the Xiaomi 13T Pro but was unable to complete the whole film. This time, I did with the POV of “A Day in My Life”.

The Results

I walked home from work as I knew I wanted to take the photos overlooking the traffic together with the skies as a background. The skies were extremely clear and the sun was out in its full force when I took the photos. I started with the 200MP function followed by ultra-wide, original, 2x zoom and lastly 4x zoom. I stayed in the same position throughout the taking of the photos to ensure that the pictures come out true. The only changes were the camera settings while taking photos.

This is the original. I am super duper extremely sorry but the photo shot on 200MP refuses to be uploaded no matter what I do. However, to be quite frank, I was not able to see any noticeable difference between the two. Next up is the ultra-wide.

It did zoom out quite a bit but the colours still remained sharp and clear. I’m really liking how the skies look in every photo so far.

Now we have the 2x zoom and the 4x zoom. Here, we can see how the photos included the plants at the foreground initially but with the 2x zoom (left), it has been cut out, the SAFRA on the right side completely cut out and the HDB flats partially cut out. The 4x zoom (right) has zoomed to the white building at the background and we can see the cranes much clearer.

Let’s compare the 4x zoom with the original. We can definitely see how much the camera had zoomed in. We are even able to see that the skies at that side is darker. Looks like it’s going to rain there soon.

The photos turned out great! The colours are sharp and clear, the moving vehicles are not blurred at all and even the 4x zoom do not turn out pixelated. The different shades of green really stand out. You could see the bright green at the divider, the darker green on the trees and the shadows underneath.

Last, the short film that I put together using the preset filter, ‘Neverland’.

A Day in My Life as an Adjunct Teacher

I have to admit, I am quite impressed by it. All I need to do it take the shot and the seconds are all set by the function. The fact that I am also able to delete any one particular shot if it’s not to my liking and reshoot it again was a bonus I did not expect. I’m really digging this video since I’ve always liked to watch those short reels done by others.

Conclusion

I really like the phone. For a mid-range phone, this is a bang for your buck. You’re only paying $419 for a good quality phone with impressive camera, an acceptable battery life and it’s super easy to use as well. The colour choices of the phones are great too (Midnight Black, Aurora Purple and Ocean Teal) but most of the time the colour of our phones are covered by our cases anyway.

The pros outweighs the cons in my opinion. On a purely short usage, I am extremely happy with the Redmi Note 13 Pro 5G. Should you get it? Sure, why not? Would I get it for myself? Hmm, I am tempted but, I am quite a creature of habit so I don’t see myself getting it especially since my phone is still not up for recontract yet. But, if I would ever need a second phone for work, I am more than willing to pay for this.

So in conclusion, if you’re on a tight budget and looking for a new phone, this is a very good option for you to buy.