Redmi 13 5G Review: A decent budget buy

Redmi 13 5G Review: Xiaomi recently expanded its budget 5G smartphone lineup in India by launching the Redmi 13 5G. This new smartphone joins the Redmi 13 series as its top variant. The series also includes the Redmi 13C 5G, which starts at Rs 10,499 and the Redmi 13C, which starts at Rs 7,699.  Also Read: Xiaomi 16 Leak Reveals Key Specifications Ahead Of Rumoured Launch This Month

As far as the Redmi 13 5G is concerned, this new smartphone offers a decent mix of features to anyone who is looking for a 5G smartphone on a budget. It has a large bezel-less display with Gorilla Glass 3 protection with dust and water protection, a large battery and a decent rear camera setup. But it also faces stiff competition from the likes of the Realme Narzo 70 5G and the Vivo T3x 5G. Also Read: Xiaomi 15T Series With Leica-Tuned Cameras To Launch On This Date: Expected Specs, Features

Does the Redmi 13 5G offer a value-for-money proposition in the incredibly competitive market of budget 5G phones or is it just another phone in the lot? We will try to answer that and a lot more in the detailed review below. So, keep reading! Also Read: 5 Best Smartphones With 4K Video Recording Under Rs 40,000 In India

Image: Shweta Ganjoo/Techlusive

Redmi 13 5G: Specifications

Redmi 13 5G Review in 5 points

– Let’s talk about the design first. The Redmi 13 5G comes with a plastic back and a plastic chassis that is coupled with a design that is hard to miss. The Hawaiian Blue colour variant of the device that we got has a sand-on-the-beach like effect with shimmery highlights, which is a pleasure to look at and hold. What’s equally good about the back is that it’s not prone to just and fingerprint smudges. And if that’s not enough for you, the phone ships with a transparent cover.

In usage, the Redmi 13 5G is quite comfortable to use. While it is slightly taller than its competitors and even some phones in the Redmi Note 13 series, it’s also thinner, which makes using it easy to use with a single hand.

– Now let’s talk about the display. The Redmi 13 5G offers a decent display if not an exceptional one. While the display is moderately bright and vibrant, it misses out on the clarity front. To put it simply, if you are someone who loves to watch TV series and movies on your smartphone, the Redmi 13 5G is not the one for you. So, no watching Emily in Paris Season 4 on it! Also, the phone has its hits and misses when it comes to maintaining optimum brightness levels whether you are indoors or outdoors.

–  Now comes the performance. The Redmi 13 5G features a slightly advanced version of the Qualcomm Snapdragon 4 Gen 2. Qualcomm has essentially bumped up the speed in the Qualcomm Snapdragon 4 Gen 2 AE or Accelerated Engine. Does that make a lot of difference in usage? Probably not, especially if you are a light user. If your day-to-day usage involves a lot of social media time and WhatsApp time, the Redmi 13 5G will work like a breeze. That said, the phone is loaded with bloatware, which means you need to delete a lot of unnecessary apps from the phone. Beyond that, the Redmi 13 5G is adept at unlocking the phone using the fingerprint sensor. The face recognition system works equally well.

– Next comes the camera. This is another area where the Redmi 13 5G performs exceptionally well, especially when it comes to capturing images in daylight conditions. The colours are bright and vibrant and there is ample depth. It also does a decent job at edge detection but of course it has its hits and misses. To put it simply, the more the light, the clearer the images. This is also true for images captured in indoor lighting conditions. That said, clarity takes a hit when using the ‘3x in-sensor zoom’.

This trend is also true for the front-facing camera. In the daylight conditions, the Redmi 13 5G fairs well in capturing selfies. It even separates and captures your greying hair well. However, clarity takes a major hit when capturing selfies in indoor lighting conditions. There is visible noise in the images captured indoors and the edge-detection is also spotty.

– Lastly, the battery. This is another area where the Redmi 13 5G doesn’t disappoint. The phone easily lasts an entire day on light usage. And it takes around one hour to charge completely.

Image: Shweta Ganjoo/Techlusive

Redmi 13 5G Review: Verdict

To sum it up, the Redmi 13 5G is a decent phone to have as your daily companion if not an exceptional one. There are some things that work in its favour – the design, the battery, camera performance when there is abundant light and performance to a large extent. There are other things that don’t – display quality, camera performance in indoor lighting conditions. If you are transitioning to a 5G phone or if you are simply looking for a 5G phone under Rs 15,000, the Redmi 13 5G is a phone you can consider.