Redmi 13 is a budget contender for its sub Php 8K price tag. This continues the company’s tradition of offering capable hardware in the entry-level department. After the successful run of the Redmi Note 13 series, the smartphone maker is at it again, giving consumers more options in the budget category.
The Redmi 13 shapes up to have well-rounded specs: a large FHD+ display, a fairly new chipset, a large battery, and a 108MP Samsung ISOCELL camera. These are excellent features for a budget phone. If you’re in the market for one, you might want to stick around to decide if this is the phone for you.
Pros
- Capable camera under Php 8K
- Glass back design
- Long battery life
Cons
- Fingerprint magnet
- Display needs more brightness
Design
The Redmi 13 is a candy bar smartphone that features a shiny back panel. It is made of glass and reflects a lot of light when seen from a distance. The frame features a contrasting matte finish, providing the phone with a secure and comfortable grip.
We have the black colorway, which is definitely a fingerprint magnet. Smudges might be less visible on other colors, but they are easy to wipe off. The back panel features an individually placed camera lens and a circular LED flash. Flipping the device, you’ll see a hole-punch design for the front camera. For a sub Php 8K smartphone, the bezels are actually acceptable, with the chin being thicker than the other bezels.
The side-mounted power button also houses the fingerprint scanner. It is accompanied by the volume rocker on the right side. The top has a 3.5-mm audio jack and IR blaster, while the left side has the SIM tray. At the bottom, we have the microphone, USB-C port, and the speaker grille.
Overall, the Redmi 13’s design is very practical and functional. It is easy to use and offers a better grip than most entry-level smartphones.
Display
The Redmi 13 has a 6.79-inch FHD+ display with a 90Hz refresh rate and a 396 ppi pixel density. The screen has a typical brightness of 450 nits and can reach a maximum of 550 nits. It has a 1500:1 contrast ratio and supports DC dimming. It’s also TUV Rheinland-certified for low blue light and flicker free performance.
The phone’s display quality is quite good. I’d say that it may need to crank up the brightness a bit, but considering this is an entry-level phone, this could be acceptable. Color accuracy is quite good, and the contrast is also something to be lauded about with this phone.
If you enjoy watching YouTube or streaming content through your favorite apps, the large display will keep you satisfied. As an FHD+ display, the color saturation and dynamic range could be improved. Nevertheless, this panel is quite a worker when we talk about overall display quality.
In terms of protection, the screen is treated with Gorilla Glass coating, which is a bonus feature in this segment. The refresh rate can be set to automatic or forced to 90Hz, depending on your preference.
Performance
Powering the handset is the MediaTek Helio G91-Ultra, an upgraded variant of the Helio G85 and Helios G88. This SoC is developed on a 12-nanometer process. The Redmi 13 supports up to 8GB of RAM, but only has 128GB of storage. However, it has up to 1TB expansion option via microSD card. There’s also the 6GB RAM variant, but I suggest getting the one with bigger memory for obvious reasons.
Using the phone in real-time, the Redmi 13 handles common daily tasks well. Some tasks may cause it to stutter, but this can be remedied by clearing your cache or closing existing apps.
The phone can run popular gaming titles like Mobile Legends: Bang Bang and Genshin Impact smoothly. Both games default to low graphics and other settings that require more capable hardware. I was surprised that the phone does not have heating issues during extensive gaming. However, when subjected to continuous load, you will notice a slight heat buildup, especially on the section where the chipset is located. To me, this is just normal and nothing to be worried about.
The Redmi 13 also fares well in our Geekbench 6 benchmark test. It scored 1398 in Multi-Core and 408 in Single-Core. In our graphics benchmark test, the Redmi 13 scored 1086 in Vulkan. These numbers are quite competitive for a smartphone in this segment.
Camera
The Redmi 13 packs a 108MP main camera sensor with an f/1.75 aperture. It’s a Samsung ISOCELL HM6 sensor, which supports 3x in-sensor zoom and 1080p video recording at 30 fps. It is complemented by a 2MP f/2.4 macro camera for easy macro shots. The smartphone supports a 13MP front camera, which produces great-looking social media selfies.
When it comes to photo quality, the Redmi 13 produces capable photos under bright lighting conditions. Photos have good details and are not over-processed. There’s also a good amount of contrast to balance the color saturation. Speaking of colors, they are quite accurate in most shots. The dynamic range is surprisingly good, which is something that you can’t find in most entry-level phones nowadays.
There’s a full 108MP resolution mode should you wish to use it. However, if you’re just taking everyday photos, I’d advise not to use this mode as it takes a huge toll on the storage. As mentioned, the camera app is capable of 3x zoom. In this mode, photos retain most of the details with ample sharpness and color accuracy—provided they are taken in good lighting; otherwise, a drastic noise buildup occurs.
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| Sample Photos: 1x zoom vs 3x zoom |
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| Sample Photo: 1x zoom |
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| Sample Photo: 1x zoom |
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| Sample Photo: 1x zoom |
Low-light shots are also great. Photos taken at night have satisfactory details. The phone works well in exposing dark areas without blowing up the highlights.
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| Night Mode Photos: 1x zoom vs 3x zoom |
The selfie camera produces great selfies with a bucket-full of customizations and beautification features. The selfies have a good amount of detail, and the skin texture is passable. The portrait mode works as expected for an entry-level phone—passable in most instances, but the subject and background separation is inconsistent.
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| Front Camera: Day Selfie vs Night Selfie vs Night Portrait |
The overall camera performance is quite above average. The 108MP Samsung ISOCELL HM6 is a generous choice at this price. Although the macro sensor needs to be updated, the overall camera performance remains favorable.
Software and Battery
The Redmi 13 boots with HyperOS based on Android 14. This is a fairly new UI with a simple and minimalist software interface. It has less bloatware compared to the previous MIUI. HyperOS comes with lots of customizations, allowing users to tinker more with their device.
The apps and control toggles are well put together. It still has the MIUI elements, but the whole interface is refined and tailored for a better user experience. We still have the Navigation options like Buttons and Gestures; I use the latter for simplicity and overall ease of use.
The Redmi 13 has a large 5030 mAh battery. One single charge can power all-day performance. In my real-time usage, I was quite surprised that the phone could even last until the next day. Of course, I am using it as my second phone, but if you’re a moderate user, this phone could last longer than expected. There’s also 33-watt fast charging support, so recharging the phone is faster.
Should You Buy the Redmi 13?
Overall the Redmi 13 is a dependable smartphone that offers great value without breaking the bank. I'm particularly impressed with the battery life and camera. The phone is quite capable of handling daily tasks. Its display brightness could be improved, but the large screen real estate is ideal for multimedia consumption.
The battery life is above average, and both the selfie and rear cameras are great for everyday use. If you're a student looking for a new smartphone this coming school year, or someone looking for a budget phone that offers good value, the Redmi 13 is a good choice.
Redmi 13 Specifications
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