Realme 13 Pro 5G first impression: Premium and promising

Realme hosted a special event in India today wherein it launched the Realme 13 Pro 5G smartphone. This new series includes two devices – the Realme 13 Pro Plus 5G and the Realme 13 Pro 5G. While the two phones look and feel similar, there are some subtle differences between them. Besides the price, of course, the Realme 13 Pro Plus 5G and the Realme 13 Pro 5G also differ in terms of camera and charging capabilities.

Beyond these features, the Realme 13 Pro is just as powerful as its Pro Plus sibling. This means that you get the same vibrant display, the same battery and the same processor powering this machinery. What’s more? You also get the same AI-powered camera features that you get in the Realme 13 Pro Plus 5G, which means that you won’t miss out on much when you buy this phone.

Needless to say, that the Realme 13 Pro 5G is just as competitive as the Realme 13 Pro Plus 5G. Before we talk more about the Realme 13 Pro 5G, let’s take a quick look at its specifications:

Realme 13 Pro 5G: Specifications

Image: Shweta Ganjoo/Techlusive

Realme 13 Pro 5G: Initial thoughts

While the above table gives us a fair idea about the features that the phone offers, there’s more to the phone than these specifications. Here are our initial thoughts about the Realme 13 Pro 5G:

– The Realme 13 Pro 5G features a design, which the company says is inspired by Monet’s paintings. While I am no expert in art, the design of the phone sure looks premium. Despite having a plastic back, the subtle shimmer at the back along with a golden chassis and the rim of the camera module give it the appeal of a luxury watch, which is also what the company is aiming for. In fact, I like the design of this phone far more than that of the company’s newer Realme GT 6 5G, which feels a bit boring at this point. What it does take from its GT-series siblings is the curved glass design on the front that adds to the overall premiumness of the phone. The overall design also gives the phone a better grip and makes it look sleek.

– While the Realme 13 Pro 5G doesn’t have the brightest display that the company offers, it’s perfectly legible under the Delhi sun. In usage, the phone has a bright and vibrant display that doesn’t disappoint while watching videos. The colours are bright and balanced, which makes up for a pleasurable viewing experience. Of course, we will have to test the device more thoroughly to talk about it at length.

– The Realme 13 Pro 5G is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 7s Gen 2 chipset, which at this point is a fairly established chipset in terms of performance. During my short time with the phone, I found the experience quite smooth and fuss free. What I didn’t like is the bloatware that clutters the storage and the screen. You’ll have to delete a lot of apps and I mean a loooot of apps in order to get to a point where you have just the apps that you need.

– Coming to the camera, the Realme 13 Pro 5G does a decent job at preserving colours and capturing details in the indoor lighting conditions. However, clarity takes a major hit when you zoom in a little. This is true for outdoor lighting conditions as well. That said, the phone doesn’t overtly brighten the colours, which means you get a slightly subdued colour palette. As far as the front camera is concerned, this phone does a good job at capturing the details whether you are clicking images in the daylight conditions or outdoors.

Overall, the Realme 13 Pro 5G seems like a promising smartphone. It has all the hallmarks of being your daily driver – the AI camera features, the vibrant display and the processor. That said, we will have to test it more thoroughly to give you a more conclusive opinion about this phone.