Xiaomi Redmi Note 13 5G review

No different model seems mid-priced smartphones at something like the identical charge as Xiaomi, and the most recent of these is the Redmi Be aware 13 5G.

The results of such an iterative strategy is that one Redmi telephone can moderately bleed into the subsequent. So what does the Redmi Be aware 13 5G have to supply that we haven’t seen earlier than?

Valuable little, to be completely frank. However while you’re spending lower than £300 on a telephone, innovation and novelty matter a lot lower than stability and strong dependability. On these fronts, the Redmi Be aware 13 5G is hard to criticise – although there stay some acquainted points, in addition to one notable level of regression.

Design & Construct

• Flatter, slimmer, lighter design than earlier than
• Very plasticky however strong sufficient
• IP54 & Gorilla Glass 5

After the Redmi Be aware 12 5G‘s barely bland curved design, Xiaomi has joined the pattern for flatter edges with the Redmi Be aware 13 5G.

It’s nonetheless received a barely cheap-feeling plastic body, whereas the rear panel is its personal none-too-premium shiny type of plastic. Though it actually seems extra putting than its predecessor.

My Arctic White check mannequin is the stand-out one of many three (Graphite Black and Ocean Teal being the others) resulting from a curious marble-like end that’s seen at an angle, and which regularly fades into view from prime to backside.

There’s a sq. digital camera module that stands out barely from the again of the telephone, and which serves as a degree of differentiation from the non-5G Redmi Be aware 13.

Enhancements are refined, however they’re there. An IP54 score implies that the Redmi Be aware 13 5G is barely extra splash-resistant than the Redmi Be aware 12 5G, which is at all times welcome nevertheless it’s nonetheless not totally waterproof.

The usage of Corning Gorilla Glass 5 on the entrance of the telephone brings about an improve to toughness, with final yr’s mannequin solely providing Corning Gorilla Glass 3.

Jon Mundy / Foundry

At 174.5g, the Redmi Be aware 13 5G is about 15g lighter than its predecessor, whereas Xiaomi has additionally shaved the thickness down a bit of to 7.6mm. A footprint of 161.11 x 74.95mm additionally undercuts the Be aware 12 5G, seemingly due to barely smaller bezels. There isn’t the identical annoyingly giant chin this time round.

Xiaomi has as soon as once more geared up its inexpensive telephone with a side-mounted fingerprint sensor, positioned throughout the energy button. It unlocks the telephone comparatively easily and reliably.

Additionally making a return is a top-mounted 3.5mm headphone jack, positioned alongside an IR blaster. The latter characteristic allows you to management your TV or stereo utilizing the preinstalled Mi Distant.

Display & audio system

• Acquainted 6.67in Full HD+ OLED show
• 120Hz refresh charge
• Downward-firing mono speaker

Xiaomi hasn’t actually upped its show recreation in any respect with the Redmi Be aware 13 5G. However then, it was already superb for the cash so it’s comprehensible.

That is one other 6.67in Full HD+ (2400 x 1080) OLED show with vibrant colors and deep blacks. It hits a full 120Hz refresh charge, although can solely drop to 60Hz like many telephones at this value. This isn’t an uber-efficient LTPO panel.

Xiaomi cites a prime brightness of 500 nits, which tallies with my very own checks. I recorded a peak of round 480 nits with autobrightness turned off.

As that may recommend, the Redmi Be aware 13 5G isn’t the strongest relating to HDR assist. You gained’t have the ability to capitalise on HDR10+ or Dolby Imaginative and prescient when streaming viable video content material.

Jon Mundy / Foundry

In fact, it isn’t an enormous loss for a telephone promoting at this value. The necessary factor is that the display screen is good and colour-accurate, with a 100% sRGB gamut protection within the Customary color scheme, and a mean Delta E of 0.96 (near 1 being the perfect).

Xiaomi as soon as once more provides 1920Hz PWM dimming, which guarantees to minimise flickering (and thus eye pressure) at low brightness.

Whereas the shortage of show enhancements is completely defensible – it is a superb display screen – the shortage of development within the audio division is far much less so. As soon as once more, you get a fairly puny mono speaker on the underside fringe of the telephone. It’s far too straightforward to dam together with your holding finger.

The sound high quality itself is good and clear, if predictably missing in low-end punch.

Specs & Efficiency

• MediaTek Dimensity 6080 and 8GB RAM
• Ample efficiency
• 256GB of expandable storage

After Xiaomi went with a modest Qualcomm chip in 2023, we’re again in MediaTek territory in 2024’s Redmi Be aware 13 5G.

The MediaTek Dimensity 6080 supplies a modest increase to efficiency over the Snapdragon 4 Gen 1, particularly mixed with double the RAM at 8GB.

I used to be unable to make a direct benchmark comparability with final yr’s mannequin (only a few checks ran on the Redmi Be aware 12 5G on the time), however can evaluate the outcomes to among the Be aware 13 5G’s contemporaries.

In our suite of checks, the Redmi broadly matched the Samsung Galaxy A25 5G and the Moto G84 5G within the CPU-focused Geekbench 6 check, however fell in need of its rivals within the GPU-focused GFX Bench graphics checks. That’s not very best when you think about that each of these options are £30 cheaper.

Xiaomi Redmi Be aware 13 5G benchmarks

Jon Mundy / Foundry

Usually talking, utilizing the Redmi Be aware 13 5G feels completely nice. It unlocks rapidly sufficient utilizing the fingerprint sensor, and navigating by its menus makes ample use of that slick 120Hz refresh charge. Leaping between open apps doesn’t trigger fairly the identical efficiency points because it did with the Be aware 12 5G, doubtless due to that further reminiscence.

The place you discover the efficiency shortfall is within the barely protracted app begin up occasions, or the delay when leaping into the Digital camera app. For sure, high-end gaming isn’t the Be aware 13 5G’s forte both. 3D console racer Wreckfest not less than runs, nevertheless it solely turns into playable with the graphical settings cranked proper down.

In addition to 5G, the telephone additionally has Wi-Fi 5 and Bluetooth 5.3, so it’s properly arrange on the connectivity entrance.

Cameras

• 108Mp essential sensor
• Cheap ends in good lighting, horrible night time photographs
• Respectable selfie digital camera

Xiaomi has levelled the Redmi Be aware 13 5G’s digital camera system up within the type of a 108Mp 1/1.67″ essential sensor. This is able to seem like the Samsung Isocell HM6 – an older part, certain, however one which has made its means into pricier telephones just like the Xiaomi 12T previously.

I’d like to say that this has resulted in a markedly stronger photographic bundle throughout the board, nevertheless it hasn’t. Photographs taken in good lighting with that essential sensor are nice, although like final yr the colors can appear a bit of punched up on sunnier days. They’re fairly properly uncovered, although, with first rate element.

Nevertheless, Night time mode photographs are horrible, packed stuffed with noise and blur. You may most likely blame the shortage of OIS (optical picture stabilisation) right here, and fairly presumably some picture processing limitations associated to that MediaTek chip.

Jon Mundy / Foundry

There’s no devoted telephoto digital camera right here, however you may nonetheless take 2x and 3x photographs inside the primary UI by cropping strategies. For those who contact and drag, you may go as much as 10x, however I wouldn’t suggest it. The outcomes are extraordinarily noisy in direction of the highest finish.

Weirdly, nevertheless, the 3x photographs that I took with the Be aware 13 5G got here out sharper than the 2x photographs. I can solely assume (and certainly hope) that it’s a bug within the digital camera app, and one which’ll be sorted within the close to future.

Elsewhere, the 8Mp ultra-wide sees a giant drop off intimately, whereas the 2Mp macro sensor is a predictably superfluous part because it virtually at all times is. It merely doesn’t pack in sufficient pixels, and may’t pull in sufficient gentle to correctly spotlight these close-up particulars.

Selfie photographs utilizing the 16Mp entrance digital camera are fairly darned good for a telephone of this value, nevertheless, capturing first rate topic element and background separation, in addition to comparatively pure pores and skin tones. It didn’t endure too badly with blowing out vibrant background parts both.

Video stays restricted to 1080p at 30fps, which is a minor disappointment, although that is the default setting for a lot of pricier telephones regardless of having the ability to movie in 4K and even increased. Once more, it’s the shortage OIS that’s the most important obstacle to acquiring easy footage right here.

Battery Life & Charging

• 5000mAh battery
• Stamina doesn’t appear nearly as good as earlier than
• Stable 33W charging

The Redmi Be aware 13 5G’s battery and charging specs are very acquainted. That begins with the same old 5000mAh cell, which is as soon as once more ample to energy it alongside for a full day of utilization.

Nevertheless, it feels just like the telephone’s stamina is worse than the Redmi Be aware 12 5G’s earlier than it. Utilizing the same old PC Mark Work 3.0 battery check, the Be aware 13 5G lasts 9 hours 50 minutes – that’s 35 minutes in need of its predecessor.

Extra typically, I discovered the Be aware 13 5G’s battery efficiency to be considerably erratic. I by no means ran out earlier than bedtime, however for each full 15-hour day that left me with greater than 50% left within the tank, I might get one which left me across the 35% mark. On one intensive day of blended community utilization and a good quantity of media streaming, I discovered myself with simply 14% left.

Jon Mundy / Foundry

Various community environments and inconsistent third-party app behaviour imply that we should always at all times sound a be aware of warning when citing such anecdotal experiences. However when this patchy efficiency is backed up by a disappointing benchmark end result, I really feel snug in concluding that the Be aware 13 5G’s stamina isn’t fairly the place it must be.

You get the identical 33W wired charger within the field, which is completely ample, if not excellent. It allows you to get from empty to 55% in half-hour, whereas a full cost will take round an hour and 10 minutes, like earlier than.

There’s no wi-fi charging, however you wouldn’t anticipate it at this value.

Software program & Apps

• HyperOS 1.0 over Android 14
• Extreme bloatware
• Unintuitive and buggy notification menu

The Be aware 13 5G runs Xiaomi’s new HyperOS 1.0 on prime of Android 14. Don’t let the title change from or using Google’s newest OS idiot you although. This nonetheless feels very very similar to MIUI earlier than it.

Xiaomi’s heavy-handed strategy to UI customisation could be very a lot unchanged, with huge ugly icons, an annoyingly convoluted cut up notification pane, and stacks upon stacks of undesirable bloatware.

On the latter entrance, you continue to get a complete folder of ‘Extra apps’ preinstalled, in addition to one with a choice of questionable video games.

Jon Mundy / Foundry

Whereas all this can be acquainted to homeowners of earlier Xiaomi-branded telephones, I’ve a few all-new bugbears this time round.

For all of the house given over to the aforementioned notification and shortcut toggle menus, there’s now seemingly no house for a Settings menu shortcut. It’s important to again out to the house display screen and hit the devoted app icon.

Then there’s the immensely annoying Music app widget that gave the impression to be completely rooted to my lock display screen and notification pane. The intrusive (and non-existent) monitor: SONG_EMPTY by Unknown Artist.

By way of software program updates, Xiaomi has seemingly promised three main Android updates and 4 years of safety patch updates, which is first rate for a less expensive smartphone.

Worth & Availability

Xiaomi is providing a streamlined choice for the Redmi Be aware 13 5G right here within the UK and Europe. There’s only one mannequin on supply which comes with 8GB of RAM and 256GB of inner storage – a straight doubling up from the Be aware 12 5G.

This singular mannequin prices £279/€299 direct from Xiaomi. I haven’t noticed any UK operator providing the Redmi Be aware 13 5G on contract on the time of writing.

As soon as once more, this positions the telephone within the considerably awkward place of being too costly to be categorised as an out-and-out finances telephone, however so much cheaper than most mid-range telephones.

I’ve already talked about two different telephones that do one thing comparable within the Samsung Galaxy A25 5G and the Moto G84 5G. Nevertheless, these telephones handle to hit that magic £249 mark, which skirts the highest finish of finances telephone territory.

In the wrong way, Xiaomi itself gives the Redmi Be aware 13 Professional 5G for £339. This will get you a telephone that’s broadly comparable at first look. Nevertheless, with superior Qualcomm efficiency, a sharper show, quicker charging, an in-display fingerprint sensor, stereo audio system, and a greater 200Mp essential digital camera, it’s truly a big step up for simply £60.

Must you purchase the Xiaomi Redmi Be aware 13 5G?

The Redmi Be aware 13 5G covers lots of bases for £279, and there have been a few refined however welcome design enhancements over earlier fashions. I nonetheless charge its 120Hz OLED show fairly extremely, too.

Alternatively, its battery life seems to have taken a slight step again, whereas Xiaomi’s new HyperOS UI is hardly the MIUI improve we had been hoping for. The selection of processor would possibly symbolize a modest improve, in the meantime, however you will get quicker efficiency for much less cash elsewhere.

Along with a weirdly inconsistent digital camera setup, the Redmi Be aware 13 5G doesn’t really feel prefer it’s on fairly so strong floor as a few of its predecessors. It’s telephone, however there’s higher worth to be discovered elsewhere with out wanting very far.

Spending a bit of extra will get you the rather more assured Redmi Be aware 13 Professional 5G, whereas spending rather less will get you the rock-solid Samsung Galaxy A25 5G or the superb Motorola Moto G84 5G.

Specs

• HyperOS 1.0 over Android 14
• 6.67in, FHD+, AMOLED, 120Hz, flat show
• Facet-mounted fingerprint sensor
• MediaTek Dimensity 6080
• 8GB LPDDR4X RAM
• 256GB storage
• 108Mp, f/1.7 essential digital camera
• 8Mp, f/2.2 ultra-wide digital camera
• 2Mp, f/2.4 macro digital camera
• As much as 1080p @ 30fps rear video
• 16Mp front-facing digital camera
• Mono speaker
• Hybrid dual-SIM
• Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac
• Bluetooth 5.3
• 5000mAh battery
• 33W charging
• 161.11 x 74.95 x 7.6 mm
• 174.5g
• Launch colors: Graphite Black, Arctic White, Ocean Teal