Redmi 13 smartphone review: NFC, 108 megapixel camera and price from 5999 UAH

It seems like only recently we wrote about brand new models Redmi Note 13 and Redmi Note 13 Pro and the latest budget model Redmi 13 is already officially on sale in Ukraine. In addition to the Note prefix, it has also lost in price and in some characteristics. So is it worth paying attention to if you need an affordable smartphone for yourself, your child, or your parents? Let’s find out.

Redmi 13

Pluses:

adequate 90 Hz IPS screen; high-quality cameras; 5000 mAh battery; 33 W fast charging; NFC; 3.5 mm port; stylish modern design

Minuses:

weak chip and poor system optimization; mono sound; in some scenarios, the screen lacks brightness; no power supply included

7.2/10

Rating ITC.ua

Redmi 13 specifications

Packaging and equipment

Redmi 13 comes in a flat cardboard box in white and red colors.

In addition to the smartphone with a film stuck to the screen, inside we see a USB-C cable, documentation and a paper clip to open the SIM card slot, as well as a transparent silicone case. From the flat box, it was clear that in this case the company is «in the trend of» environmental friendliness, so they did not include a power supply.

Design and ergonomics

Redmi 13 definitely looks pricier than it costs. Yes, it shows that this is an affordable model, but a modern one. The edges are flat, the corners are rounded, the body is plastic, and the main dual camera protrudes only slightly above the surface.

On the front panel, we see relatively thin bezels and a thicker bottom one. The screen also houses the front camera, and it is protected by tempered Gorilla Glass.

On the back panel there are two main modules, a large backlight ring, and the Redmi inscription below.

The arrangement of elements on the case is more or less standard. We can only distinguish a 3.5 mm audio jack and an IR port.

The dimensions of the smartphone are 168.6×76.3×8.3 mm, and it weighs 205 grams. Redmi 13 has a glossy plastic body, but only the bezels are matte. The back panel is also glass. This means that it quickly collects dust and other traces of use, and it also scratches quickly. Therefore, it is better to put on the included transparent case.

The smartphone is also protected against moisture according to the IP53 standard. This means that it is not afraid of some splashes, but definitely not more. And you should be more careful with them.

The budget device is available in three colors: black (Midnight Black) with sparkles, pale pink (Pearl Pink) and blue (Ocean Blue). We had the first one for review. Judging by the appearance of the other two colors, the situation with dust and scratches may be much better there.

Redmi 13 fits comfortably in the palm of your hand, and most importantly, it doesn’t slip out, despite the glass back cover.

It’s even more secure to hold it in the case, as the grip becomes stronger. In terms of size, this is a relatively small smartphone with a 6.79-inch screen, which is already standard today. Sometimes it is convenient to use it with one hand, but often, of course, you have to use both hands.

Redmi 13 display

Redmi 13 is equipped with a 6.79-inch IPS screen with a resolution of 1080×2460 pixels. The pixel density here is 396 ppi, and the screen refresh rate is — 90 Hz. The maximum brightness is 450 nits, and the peak brightness is 550 nits.

The brightness of the smartphone is okay, but no more. 550 nits seems to be a good indicator, but I was comfortable only at maximum brightness. This can be partly attributed to my habit of much brighter AMOLED screens, and partly to the fact that the Redmi 13 display really lacks brightness, and most importantly, saturation.

You can use it in the sun, but sometimes you have to squint to see some details, but for the most part, the maximum brightness is enough.

However, we need to mention the price of the smartphone at 5999 UAH and the available IPS-matrix, so if you have used another device with a similar screen, you will not have any problems with it.

Viewing angles are also mediocre, but this is the norm for any affordable smartphone, again, with IPS screens, so Redmi 13 is no exception.

The settings include auto-brightness, night mode, font change, reading mode, color scheme and temperature, as well as a choice of refresh rate. In the latter case, you can choose automatic, 60 or 90 Hz. I didn’t like the auto mode, so I selected 90 Hz and everything was fine.

I can also advise you to choose the saturated color mode in the color scheme. There are also modes «Standard» and «Vivid», but the latter does not actually affect the brightness, but with «Saturated» the colors will definitely be more pleasant and, accordingly, more saturated.

Sound and vibration response

Redmi 13 has one speaker on the bottom. It’s loud and doesn’t buzz at maximum volume, but we’re not talking about volume, nor is stereo sound, which is already familiar, even for budget models.

In addition to the latest Bluetooth 5.4, the smartphone has a standard 3.5 mm port for modern budget models. That is, you can connect wired headphones to it, if you still have them and it is important to you.

The vibration response is standard, the power is average. There are no additional settings, and the vibration motor itself is definitely the simplest, but it copes with its task.

Redmi 13 cameras

Redmi 13 has a 108-megapixel Samsung ISOCELL HM6 main sensor with f/1.75 aperture. There is also a second 2-megapixel macro module with f/2.4 aperture.

The smartphone shoots in standard 12 megapixels, but there is a 108 megapixel mode. There is a difference, but as always, the latter option is only needed for photo processing. For its price category, the smartphone takes high-quality, even relatively detailed photos. But there are problems with contrast, but the overall impressions for this price are pleasant. Night photos are very noisy and overexposed, but again, for its price, their quality is adequate.

What’s mediocre is the video recording. It’s 1080p at 30 frames per second. There is electronic stabilization, but its level is so-so, so the picture shakes and its quality is not very good.

The front module is 13 megapixels, capable of shooting 1080p/30fps. The photos are nice, and I also liked the Bokeh effect. In this mode, the background is unexpectedly beautifully blurred, and the overall quality of the photos remains at the same level. I would like to emphasize the detail. Of course, this is all taking into account the segment and price tag of the smartphone.

Productivity, software, and games

Redmi 13 is powered by an 8-core 12-nanometer Mediatek Helio G91 Ultra chip. It has four Cortex A75 cores and the same number of Cortex A55 cores. The graphics processor here is Mali G-52 MC2. There is 6 or 8 GB of LPDDR4x RAM. Built-in memory 128 or 256 GB of eMMC 5.1. You can also add up to 6 GB of virtual RAM at the expense of ROM.

The modules include 2xNano-SIM, 4G, Wi-Fi 5, Bluetooth 5.4, NFC, GPS, GLONASS, GALILEO, BDS. I would like to emphasize the last module for contactless payments, which is rare even for modern models of the entry-level segment, but here it is.

The chip is not very cold, and, of course, it is weak. The smartphone overheated several times and crashed the CPU Trottling Test, but I should note that it was 32 degrees in the room and more than 40 degrees outside. Then, when I got it, I turned on the fan, it became cooler and the smartphone was fine.

With a screen in 90 Hz mode and 6 GB of RAM, its power is often not enough for at least normal system operation. Sometimes the interface slowed down in the simplest tasks, and this often happened in the «Camera» application. See all tests and benchmarks below.

Redmi 13 is more or less suitable for gaming, but it will pull popular projects like COD Mobile or Wild Rift on low or medium settings at 60 fps.

Redmi 13 runs on Android 14 with HyperOS. I have already told you more about it in the reviews POCO X6 Pro and Xiaomi 14. In general, it’s a nice system with a lot of visual customization, but there are many proprietary apps and ads.

Autonomy of Redmi 13

Redmi 13 is equipped with a 5030 mAh battery. The smartphone supports 33W fast charging. The device charges from 0 to 100% in 75 minutes, which is not bad. However, it’s worth remembering that there is no bundled power supply, so you should have one with the appropriate power because if it’s less, the charging speed will be slower. The PC Mark test was launched, but it kept giving an error, so there will be no results. In other reviews, I’ve seen from 9.5 to 11 hours in similar tests, so the results are just normal.

The budget smartphone works all day without any problems with the Internet, social networks, calls, and an hour of games. The screen here is IPS, the processor is weak, so it doesn’t take much, and the battery life is adequate. Especially if you also set the refresh rate to 60 Hz. In this version, you can count on a full day of autonomy.

User experience

The Redmi 13 is an affordable budget smartphone for 2024. It looks nice, has more or less normal hardware for this segment, but there are obvious problems with optimization.

The smartphone has high-quality cameras, again, for an ultra-budget, and for its price tag of 5999 hryvnias, the smartphone works fine.

I would like the screen to be brighter, but that’s certainly too much to ask from an affordable IPS. The main thing is that it has 90 Hz, and that’s enough. I was pleased with the presence of an NFC module, which is rare in such models. But mono sound is, of course, a disadvantage, because in the same segment they have already begun to use stereo sound actively, involving the earpiece speaker. I don’t understand why they didn’t do the same here.

Minus — the lack of a power supply. If this is a saving and a positive impact on the final price tag, then okay. But if it’s like «environmental care», then why isn’t it in the same Redmi Note 13 and Redmi Note 13 Pro or Xiaomi 14?

I like the way the smartphone feels in my hand. It’s nothing special, but it’s relatively small, by 2024 standards, doesn’t slip in the palm of your hand, and is thin enough. And I don’t have a very positive attitude towards HyperOS in general, because the system is fast and has incredible customization tools. But the presence of ads and tons of proprietary applications, most of which no one needs, negatively affect the overall experience.

Price and competitors

Redmi 13 is sold at a price from 5999 UAH. The 8/256 GB version costs 7999 UAH. The price tags are affordable, but the price/quality/features ratio is still better in the 6/128 GB version. Also, the price no longer seems so good if you look at how much competitors cost and what they can do for this money.

The model has many serious competitors, though some of them are also from Redmi. For example, you can pay a little extra and get Redmi Note 13, or save even more on Redmi 13C . There is also last year’s Redmi 12 5G. Also pay attention to HMD Pulse Pro, review that we had recently.

Noteworthy are the Motorola Moto G32, Motorola Moto G24 Power (our review here), and Samsung Galaxy A05s.

7.2/10

Rating ITC.ua

Autonomy

8

A day and a half of work deserves an adequate assessment.

Screen

7

The screen is not bad for this segment, but I found it lacking in brightness at some points.

Design, ergonomics

7.5

Modern design, flat edges, and smart ergonomics.

Software

6.5

The software adapts perfectly to the user, but there are ads and many unnecessary applications.

Performance, Throttle

6.5

Weak processor and poor optimization.

Camera

7.5

The camera is adequate for this segment. Especially the portrait mode on the front-facing camera.

Price

7.5

The price tag is nice, but there are a lot of serious competitors for this money.

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