Redmi Note 13R Pro Review : A Solid Mid-Range Smartphone That Packs A Punch

5/5 - (1 vote)

The Redmi Note 13R Pro is Xiaomi’s latest addition to its highly popular Redmi Note lineup of smartphones. As the ‘Pro’ moniker suggests, this model sits at the higher end of the Redmi Note series and packs some impressive specifications and features, especially considering its relatively affordable price point.

In this detailed review, we’ll take an in-depth look at the design, display, performance, camera, battery life, software and everything else the Redmi Note 13R Pro brings to the table. We’ll also see how it compares against other phones in its price segment and help you decide if it’s the right mid-range smartphone for you.

Redmi Note 13R Pro Review

Design and Build Quality – Redmi Note 13R Pro

The Redmi Note 13R Pro features a glass front and back with a plastic frame. The build quality is decent but not the most premium at this price point. The phone feels solidly put together though without any creaking. The back has a matte finish which resists fingerprints well.

The phone measures 163.99 x 76.09 x 8.9mm and weighs 210g which is average for a phone with a large 5,000mAh battery. The ergonomics are good and single-handed use is manageable despite the tall 20:9 aspect ratio display.

The Redmi Note 13R Pro is available in three color options – Forest Green, Mountain Blue, and Void Black. Our Forest Green review unit looks quite appealing with the matte texture.

Overall, while the build quality isn’t groundbreaking, it’s acceptable for the price and the phone looks and feels reasonably premium.

Display – Redmi Note 13R Pro

The Redmi Note 13R Pro sports a 6.67-inch FHD+ (2400 x 1080) AMOLED display. This is a very good panel with excellent contrast and vivid colors. The blacks are deep as expected from an AMOLED screen and it gets bright enough for outdoor visibility.

The display is protected by a layer of Corning Gorilla Glass 5. It has a 120Hz refresh rate for smooth scrolling and animations. There’s support for HDR10 and Widevine L1 for high-quality streaming from platforms like Netflix and Prime Video.

The tall 20:9 aspect ratio is great for content consumption but does make the phone a bit unwieldy for one-handed use. There’s a centrally aligned hole-punch cutout for the 16MP selfie camera.

Overall, the Redmi Note 13R Pro checks all the boxes when it comes to the display. For its price, this is among the best screens you can get.

Performance – Redmi Note 13R Pro

The Redmi Note 13R Pro is powered by the new Qualcomm Snapdragon 732G processor based on the 8nm manufacturing process. This is an octa-core chip with two high-performance Kryo 470 cores clocked at 2.3GHz and six efficiency Kryo 470 cores at 1.8GHz.

For graphics, it has the Adreno 618 GPU which delivers excellent performance for gaming at this price point. Our review unit comes with 8GB of LPDDR4X RAM and 128GB of UFS 2.2 storage. There’s also a 6GB + 128GB variant available.

Performance is blazing fast and the phone handles everything you throw at it with ease – be it heavy multitasking, intensive games like Call of Duty, or image/video editing applications. There are no slowdowns or stutters and RAM management is excellent.

READ MORE –  OPPO ColorOS 14 Global Version : A Major Update Focused on Smoothness, Security and Productivity

Gaming performance is very good with popular titles like BGMI and Asphalt 9 running smoothly at high graphic settings. The phone does get slightly warm when gaming for extended periods but doesn’t overheat.

The Redmi Note 13R Pro scores around 330,000 on AnTuTu which is higher than Snapdragon 720G powered phones like the Redmi Note 10 Pro Max. Overall, performance is fantastic for the price and the Snapdragon 732G does not disappoint.

Software – Redmi Note 13R Pro

The Redmi Note 13R Pro runs MIUI 13 based on Android 12 out of the box. MIUI 13 brings some visual changes including new widgets and icons. There are lots of customization options like always-on display, themes, animations, and more.

Most of Xiaomi’s apps like Dialer, Gallery, File Manager, and others have been updated with fresh UIs. There’s still some bloatware but you can uninstall most of the unnecessary apps. Xiaomi continues pushing ads in the UI which is annoying.

One issue is receiving timely OS and security updates. Xiaomi doesn’t have the best track record for this. So you may not get Android 13 anytime soon. However, the software experience is quite smooth and bug-free. If you can live with the ads and delays in updates, MIUI 13 offers a rich feature set.

Cameras – Redmi Note 13R Pro

For cameras, the Redmi Note 13R Pro is equipped with a triple rear camera setup:

  • 64MP main camera with f/1.9 aperture and PDAF
  • 8MP ultra-wide camera with 118° FoV
  • 2MP macro camera

On the front is a 16MP selfie camera housed in the center hole-punch cutout.

The main 64MP camera captures good images in daylight with ample detail, accurate colors, and decent dynamic range. The shots are social media ready with punchy contrast. There is very little noise too thanks to the pixel binning technology.

The ultra-wide camera provides a wider perspective but detail and colors are not as good. It’s usable for landscapes or group photos though.

Close-up shots come out really well with good subject separation and a nice background blur. The macro camera is just decent and 2MP resolution is too low.

Low-light photos have noise but Night mode helps improve it by brightening up the image and sharpening details. Night mode makes a big difference and is worth using in dim lighting.

Portrait shots are another highlight with excellent edge detection and background blur. The camera app offers built-in filters and lots of editing options too.

The 16MP selfie camera takes social media worthy shots in the daytime. Low-light selfies are just average though and could be better.

Overall, the Redmi Note 13R Pro delivers very good camera performance for the price. Both the rear and front cameras are impressive and can take social media-ready photos in different conditions. Video recording maxes out at 4K 30fps.

Battery – Redmi Note 13R Pro

The Redmi Note 13R Pro packs a large 5,000mAh battery which lasts comfortably for 1.5-2 days of use on a single charge. With heavy usage, you will still get a full day of use.

The 67W fast charging is superb and can charge up the phone from 0 to 100% in around 45 minutes which is very quick. The supplied 67W charger makes fast charging possible.

Battery life is definitely one of the highlights of this phone. You won’t have to worry about constantly finding a charger even with intensive use. The large battery combined with software optimizations and an efficient processor ensures impressive battery endurance.

Connectivity and Audio – Redmi Note 13R Pro

For connectivity, the phone has dual 4G VoLTE, 802.11ac dual-band WiFi, Bluetooth 5.1, GPS, NFC, IR blaster, USB-C port, and a 3.5mm headphone jack. It supports 7 5G bands but there’s no 5G support on the Indian variants which is understandable at this price.

Call quality and signal reception are excellent on both SIMs. WiFi and Bluetooth work reliably and the IR blaster is nice for controlling home appliances. The side-mounted fingerprint scanner is accurate and unlocks the phone instantly. Face unlock is fast too but less secure.

The Redmi Note 13R Pro has a single bottom-firing speaker which is loud but lacks bass and clarity at high volumes. There’s no stereo effect either. On the positive side, it retains the 3.5mm headphone jack. Audio through wired headphones is decent but not spectacular.

Redmi Note 13R Pro Specification

Specification Details
Display 6.67-inch FHD+ AMOLED, 120Hz refresh rate
Processor Qualcomm Snapdragon 732G
RAM 6GB/8GB LPDDR4X
Storage 128GB UFS 2.2
Rear Cameras 64MP main + 8MP ultra-wide + 2MP macro
Front Camera 16MP
Battery 5,000mAh with 67W fast charging
Software MIUI 13 based on Android 12
Fingerprint Sensor Side-mounted capacitive
Face Unlock Yes
WiFi Dual-band WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac
Bluetooth v5.1
GPS Yes with GLONASS, BDS, GALILEO, QZSS
USB USB Type-C
3.5mm jack Yes
Colors Forest Green, Mountain Blue, Void Black
Price Starts at Rs. 19,999

Pros and Cons of Redmi Note 13R Pro

Here is a quick summary of some pros and cons of the Redmi Note 13R Pro:

Pros:

  • Excellent AMOLED display with 120Hz
  • Powerful Snapdragon 732G processor
  • Very good battery life with fast charging
  • Solid triple camera setup
  • 3.5mm headphone jack retained
  • Side fingerprint scanner and face unlock

Cons:

  • Build quality could be better
  • No 5G support
  • MIUI has ads and bloatware
  • Average low-light camera performance
  • No high-quality stereo speakers

Verdict

The Redmi Note 13R Pro is an excellent smartphone priced starting at Rs. 19,999 in India. It offers a gorgeous AMOLED display, very capable Snapdragon 732G processor, long-lasting battery life with fast charging, and reliable triple cameras. Gaming performance is very good too thanks to the Adreno 618 GPU.

There are some compromises like average low-light photography, no 5G, and no stereo speakers. However, the Redmi Note 13R Pro delivers excellent value for money with its versatile performance and ticks most boxes for a great mid-range smartphone experience.

It faces stiff competition from the Realme 10 Pro+ 5G powered by the Dimensity 1080 5G chip. But the Redmi offers a better display and faster performance. For non-mobile gamers, the lack of 5G shouldn’t be a deal breaker.

Overall, if you are looking for an all-round mid-range smartphone that excels at the basics, the Redmi Note 13R Pro is easy to recommend. It hits a sweet spot between features and affordability.

FAQs about Redmi Note 13R Pro

Here are some common questions about the Redmi Note 13R Pro answered:

Q: Does the Redmi Note 13R Pro support 5G networks?

A: No, the Indian variant of the Redmi Note 13R Pro does not support 5G networks. It only works on 4G networks.

Q: How good is the camera on the Redmi Note 13R Pro?

A: The Redmi Note 13R Pro has a very capable 64MP main camera that captures good photos in different conditions. The ultra-wide and macro cameras are decent too. Low-light performance could be better but Night mode helps. Overall, cameras are impressive for the price.

Q: How long does the battery last on a single charge?

A: Thanks to the large 5,000mAh battery and optimizations, the Redmi Note 13R Pro lasts comfortably for 1.5-2 days of use on a single charge. Even with heavy use, you can get a full day’s usage.

Q: Does the Redmi Note 13R Pro have an AMOLED or LCD display?

A: It has a 6.67-inch FHD+ AMOLED display with 120Hz refresh rate and HDR10 support. The display quality is excellent with vivid colors and deep blacks.

Q: What processor does the Redmi Note 13R Pro use?

A: It is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 732G octa-core processor which delivers excellent performance for the price. Gaming performance is very good too.

Q: Does the phone have ads in the UI?

A: Yes, MIUI does contain ads on some pages and recommendations for installing certain apps. This is annoying but can be disabled in the settings.

Q: Is the Redmi Note 13R Pro worth buying over the Realme 10 Pro+ 5G?

A: The Realme 10 Pro+ 5G has a faster Dimensity 1080 5G chip but the Redmi offers a better AMOLED display, equally good battery life, faster charging, and a more versatile camera setup. Unless you explicitly need 5G, the Redmi Note 13R Pro is worth consideration.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *