2024 will mark ten years since Xiaomi entered the Indian market. Redmi—Xiaomi’s sub-brand—has undoubtedly been one of the most popular series in the country, offering competitive specifications and performance at affordable pricing. The latest addition is the Redmi 13 5G. With this iteration, the brand offers something extra for users who wish to upgrade to a 5G device but have a limited budget.
According to Xiaomi, 5G is still a major reason users upgrade phones, but affordable 5G devices have fallen short on reliable experience. The Redmi 13 5G is an attempt to further improve the affordable 5G device. However, it also has to live up to the legacy of its predecessor. That’s because the Redmi 12 5G, powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 4 Gen 2, was a game-changer for the segment. So, what has changed in 2024 with the Redmi 13 5G? But here’s our quick first impression of the new Redmi device.
Redmi 13 5G First Impressions: Design, Display
Redmi 13 5G sports a dual-glass design at the back to give it a slightly more premium look. The phone has a plastic frame. Xiaomi has launched the phone in three colour options: Orchid Pink, Hawaiian Blue, which has an interesting pattern, and Black Diamond.
The last one on the list is sparkly when the light hits it, which explains the ‘diamond’ in the colour name. The glass back undoubtedly adds a premium look to the device and makes it stand out. The front of the Redmi 13 5G has Corning Gorilla Glass 3, while the back has strengthened glass.
The back also sports the Infinite Camera Design, similar to the Redmi Note 12 series, with a prominent ring-shaped flash. Xiaomi says the flash can be used for notifications and alarms as well. The phone also has an IP53 rating, so there is some dust and water ingress protection. But don’t go dunking this in water; it will not survive. Another useful addition is the ‘wet finger detection’ feature to the phone’s display. So even if you use the phone in a situation where your hands are wet, the screen will respond. Overall, from a design perspective, Redmi has done enough to make this budget phone stand out.
The Redmi 13 5G display is 6.79 inches (FHD+ resolution) with a 120 HZ refresh rate. So far, in our limited testing, the display’s performance has been acceptable, given the price. However, we’ve been unable to test performance under harsh sunlight, as the last few days have been rather cloudy in Delhi.
Redmi 13 5G First Impressions: Performance, Software
The Redmi 13 5G is powered by the Snapdragon 4 Gen 2 AE (Accelerated Edition). The phone’s launch also marks the official debut of this particular chipset in India. Whether this is a significant jump over the earlier Snapdragon 4 Gen 2 is something we can only confirm in review.
The Redmi 13 5G has only one storage option: 128GB, with the company using UFS 2.2 storage. There are two RAM variants: 6GB and 8GB. The Redmi 13 supports up to 8GB Virtual RAM. This is also the first Redmi phone with HyperOS out of the box. Xiaomi also offers two years of Android and four years of security updates.
The performance so far has been acceptable in our limited usage. But we will have more to say in our detailed review. Interestingly, Redmi is offering a claim of a 36-month lag-free experience on the Redmi 13 5G. This is to ensure users that the budget device will last for a longer time without giving too much trouble.
Redmi 13 5G First Impressions: Camera
The Redmi 13 5G has a 108MP camera on the back. Xiaomi relies on a Samsung HM6 sensor for the main camera, which supports 3X zoom. There’s also a 2MP macro camera at the back. The main camera performance is impressive since we expect this phone to have an affordable price tag. There’s a good dynamic range, and the colours look impressive overall. Even the selfie camera is tuned well.
The 13MP selfie camera is also an upgrade compared to what users got on the Redmi 12 5G. Redmi says they have refined the camera UI and added more granular controls this time.
Redmi 13 5G First Impressions: Battery
The phone has a 33 W charger and a 5030mAh battery. Redmi claims it will easily charge 50% in 30 minutes. The battery should last a whole day for most users with moderate usage. Our testing took around one hour and 13 minutes to get to a 100 per cent charge.
Redmi 13 5G First Impressions: Final Thoughts
Budget devices—priced under Rs 15,000—remain an important segment in the Indian market, given that many users still rely on them. However, such devices often compromise on the latest features, looks, and performance.
With the previous Redmi 12 5G, the brand ensured users didn’t have to settle for these compromises. After all, it was the first time a phone under Rs 15,000 was powered by a 4nm chip and performed extremely well. It also had one of the best battery life. Based on our observations, the Redmi 13 5G meets some earlier expectations while significantly improving the camera. Stay tuned for our review to learn more about the performance and price.
