The realme 13+ 5G leads the pack of the newly launched 13+ Series. It is pegged to be a mobile gaming powerhouse but also expected to shine in some mobile essentials like camera and battery efficiency. For a sub Php 20K device, the realme 13+ 5G shows plenty of promise at first glance.
In this review, we’ll take a closer look at its features and performance to see who it’s best suited for. Is it worth the investment? Let’s find out.
Review Summary:
Pros
- Premium build and design
- Capable camera system
- Long battery life with fast charging
- High-performance gaming smartphone
Cons
- No ultrawide sensor
- No wireless charging
Design
The realme 13+ 5G aligns with the aesthetics of the company’s Pro number series phones with its circular camera module and curved back panel. Our Victory Gold review unit features a hue of light copper and rose gold, depending on its lighting environment. This colorway is like a chameleon, it mimics the vibe of its surroundings.
We have a matte plastic backing that comes with a dual design pattern—the bottom half looks like a marble piece, while the upper half has a plain texture. The frame is made of high quality plastic but it looks metallic on first look. This gives the handset a premium aesthetic.
The smartphone is quite thin at 7.6mm and weighs 185 grams. This explains why it’s easy to use the phone even in longer hours. Going back to the back panel, realme says that it has designed the back panel for enhanced grip - I can totally see that! I’ve done countless hours of gaming with this phone and I barely notice a strain or uncomfortable grip on the hands.
realme has also designed the internals to withstand external forces with its ArmorShell tech. You’ll also see the ports and buttons in their no-nonsense position. The power button and the volume rocker are on the right; while the SIM tray, microphone, USB-C port, and speaker grille are on the bottom. The top side houses another set of speaker grille, the secondary microphone, and a 3.5-mm audio jack.
It’s quite uncommon to have an audio jack in a phone nowadays, but considering that this model is pegged for mobile gaming, it makes more sense.
Display
There’s a 6.67-inch OLED display with 1080 x 2400 pixel resolution; it’s a hole-punch display that’s perfect for streaming content. The panel has a 92.6% screen-to-body ratio and 16.7 million colors. It’s also a feat that this display could reach up to 2000 nits of peak brightness with 600 nits for regular use.
The realme 13+ 5G has a 120Hz display refresh rate and 240Hz sampling rate. However, it could support up to 1200Hz touch sampling rate whenever it runs compatible apps like PUBG Mobile. And just like the Pro variants, the realme 13+ 5G supports Pro-XDR feature and eye-caring capabilities, such as PWM Dimming, DC Dimming, Bedtime Mode, AI Eye Comfort, and more.
There’s no physical fingerprint sensor; however unlocking your device will be in the form of an in-display fingerprint sensor. Good thing it’s quite zippy every time I unlock the phone. When it comes to the display quality, I am always impressed with the number series’ display. The blacks are deep and the whites are very bright. The colors are also vibrant with just the right amount of saturation.
Some realme essentials are present here too like the Rainwater Smart Touch which allows users to still use the phone even when the display surface is wet.
Performance + Gaming
The realme 13+ 5G is powered by the MediaTek Dimensity 7300 Energy. Our review unit has 12GB RAM which supports up to 14GB of RAM expansion - that’s a total of an astounding 26GB of RAM! We also have 256GB of storage that should be good enough for my multimedia files and system essentials.
The chipset is quite remarkable knowing that it’s specifically tailored for mobile gaming. Of course, it’s not a perfect chipset considering that we are in the mid-range category, but the overall feel when pulling up apps, navigating the UI, and playing games are zippy.
The chipset is well suited for MOBA games like Mobile Legends: Bang Bang, Honor of Kings, and the likes. The phone supports up to Ultra graphics in MLBB and Ultra Resolution in Honor of Kings. Genshin Impact is also playable with this smartphone.
And when you need more resources for your gaming session, the realme 13+ 5G can access the GT Mode. It’s a specialized function that allocates most of your phone’s resources to preserve better frame rate, rendering, and maintain low temperature while in game. Speaking of low temperature, the phone has a Vapor Chamber Cooling System which keeps the device at the 38 to 40 degree range when gaming.
On top of that, the smartphone supports AI Boost 2.0 which tallies improved performance at 40%. Users can either choose Smooth Boost for optimized multitasking or Game Boost for enhanced gaming. Smooth Boost improves memory, app launches, and touch response, while Game Boost adjusts CPU and DDR frequencies for better gameplay.
This smartphone has Hi-Res Audio Certification, so the dual speakers on the top and bottom deliver clear, detailed, and realistic sound. Whether I’m listening to music, watching videos, or gaming, the audio is loud, crisp, and immersive. This complements the large display for a more immersive content consumption experience. If you're keen on benchmarks, we tested this phone using Geekbench 6.0. Here are the results:
Camera
The realme 13+ 5G’s camera module is top billed by a 50MP camera. This Sony LYT600 sensor has 1/1.95”size with an f/1.88 aperture and a 26mm focal length. It also features Optical Image Stabilization (OIS) to reduce shakes and prevent blurry photos. Additionally, the secondary sensor complements the main shooter whenever the frame needs it.
This is a pretty straightforward camera module that comes with a plain main camera, but does not include an ultrawide sensor and telephoto sensor. The main camera supports 2x cropped zoom, branded as “In-Sensor Zoom”, which mostly preserves the details of the original 1x magnification.
As for the quality, I am quite impressed. I treaded the urban scenes of Taiwan carrying the realme 13+ 5G, and I am amazed by its capabilities. Color reproduction in most of the shots are spot on as you can see in the National Taiwan Museum, National Theater Building, and Chiang Kai Shek Memorial vantage point shots. The gloomy weather highlights the good dynamic range capabilities of the camera, as well as its sharpness and contrast.
In Yehliu Geopark, the camera delivers detail-oriented wide shots that’s just enough to feature the landscapes and the amazing scenery. The colors pop in every shot, but they’re not oversaturated. The 2x In-Sensor Zoom also makes wonders. Despite a slight loss of detail, it still manages to preserve most of the detail, delivering great-looking shots. This came in handy during my visit to the Taipei Zoo, where I could capture clear photos of the animals without needing to get too close.
When indoors, the camera still manages to take good photos even when there’s not enough light. Some shots could tend to go to the warmer side as seen in the figurine. Other than that, I'm quite amazed, the overall night photography is impressive.
Selfies are fantastic for social media use. The 16MP front camera delivers just the right blend of detail and color saturation. I also love the beautification feature wherein you can manually retouch some of the elements of your facial features. If you have a monopod or selfie stick, you can capture amazing shots with beautiful backgrounds. I’m genuinely impressed by the front camera’s quality. It’s so good that it can even rival the 50MP rear sensor
Software, Battery
The realme 13+ 5G boots with realme UI 5.0 that’s based on Android 14. The new realme UI brings an updated design and features focused on security, personalization, and performance. It includes innovations like File Dock and PhoneLink, introduced with realme UI 5.0, and will be available via OTA updates according to the company.
New additions include security features, such as "Anti-theft Alarm" and "Anti-theft Protection", as well as AI Clear Voice, Free Call, and Smart Image Matting 2.0. The latter is a fun feature wherein you can make stickers out of an existing photo with the use of AI. The overall feel of the interface is quite familiar. It has the same squarish icons with rounded corners and clean UI.
The phone packs a 5000 mAh battery which could last up to a full day of moderate use. Of course, this would drop if you’re doing lengthy gaming sessions or snapped more photos than usual. The battery supports 80W VOOC fast charging which could give you 50% juice in just about 20 minutes.
The battery has 38 safety protections, including safeguards against overvoltage, overcurrent, overheating, and abnormal circuits, alongside a fireproof design. realme’s charging and battery optimizations allow the phone to retain at least 80% battery health even after 1,000 charging cycles, ensuring long-term reliability.
Verdict
The realme 13+ 5G makes a bold statement in the mobile gaming segment with its eye-catching design, great camera, and competitive gaming-oriented features. If these features top your priority list, this device is definitely worth considering.
While it may not be the most powerful in its class, the Dimensity 7300 Energy chipset is more than capable of handling everyday tasks with ease. It also shines in multimedia consumption, offering a great overall experience.
For under Php 20K, the realme 13+ 5G offers excellent value with its well-rounded features, making it an easy recommendation for anyone seeking a balanced and reliable smartphone in this price range. If you're looking for an all-rounder phone with gaming-inspired features, look no further.
realme 13+ 5G Specs
- 6.67-inch FHD+ OLED Display, 1080 x 2400p, 120Hz, 2000 nits peak brightness
- MediaTek Dimensity 7300 Energy, 4nm
- 8-core, up to 2.5GHz
- 12GB RAM, expandable to 14GB (Virtual)
- 256GB Storage (expandable via microSD card)
- Triple rear cameras: 50MP, f/1.8 main camera (Sony LYT-600) with OIS + 2MP depth sensor + flicker sensor
- 16MP f/2.4 selfie camera
- Dual nano-SIM, 5G, Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.4, GPS, Glonass, Beidou, Galileo, QZSS
- USB Type-C
- 3.5mm audio jack
- NFC
- Under-display fingerprint sensor
- IP65 dust and water resistance
- Dual stereo speakers
- Realme UI 5.0, based on Android 14
- 5000mAh battery
- 80W charging (wired)
- Dimensions: 161.7 x 74.7 x approx 7.6 mm, 185 grams
- Colors: Victory Gold and Dark Purple
- Php 19,990 Official Price in the Philippines | Buy via Shopee
