Mobile photography infused with the essence of AI is a trend every brand wants to follow. So, Realme followed suit and launched its latest Realme 13 Pro series, which ticks most boxes for AI. Not just that, the 13 Pro+ merges stylish looks and impressive on-paper specifications and tries to be the perfect option in the sub-Rs 35,000 price bracket. From the looks of it, it feels like a Caroline Herrera with a Zara packaging but does it succeed when fierce competition like the OPPO Reno 12 Pro, the Motorola Edge 50 Pro, and more exist in the same price segment? Having spent a fair amount of time with the phone, I can help with an answer. Read my review to find out.
Realme 13 Pro Plus
What Is Good?
- Premium and unique design
- Great display
- Faster charging speeds
- Commendable cameras
- Reliable battery life
What Is Bad?
- Bloatware apps
- Only 2 years of major updates
- Same chipset as the predecessor
Realme 13 Pro+: Pricing and Availability in India
The Realme 13 Pro+ comes in different storage variants, all of which will be available from August 6 on Realme’s official website, Flipkart, and retail outlets. Here’s a look at its pricing.
| Variant | Price |
| 8GB+256GB | Rs 32,999 |
| 12GB+256GB | Rs 34,999 |
| 12GB+512GB | Rs 36,999 |
Realme 13 Pro+ Review: Design and Build
The Realme 13 Pro+ takes its design inspiration from the outgoing model, but nowhere does it compromise on the in-hand feels. It is a lightweight phone and the presence of a curved display further adds to the ease of usage. Using it for hours outside or while lying down has been quite convenient, though, this also made me fear that I can drop it. While you may not wish to, slapping on a case should help avoid the oopsie moments. Realme includes one and this one’s of a really good quality as opposed to the flimsy transparent cases.
| Weight | 190 grams (Monet Gold), 185.5 grams (Emerald Green) |
| Thickness | 8.23mm (Monet Gold), 8.41mm (Emerald Green) |
| IP Rating | IP65 |
| Port and button placements | Bottom: USB Type-C port, microphone, SIM tray, and speaker grille
Top: Secondary microphone, and secondary speaker grille |
The Monet Gold colour features a sandstone finish which helps with the grip. The phone looks and feels extremely luxurious with patterns of the beach sand on it, which gives it a unique appearance. Since the focus is on cameras, the module at the back is huge. It’s hard to miss, but it does protrude a lot, causing table wobbles. That said, it’s very intricately crafted, so people who are suckers for the little details will greatly appreciate this.
The in-display fingerprint scanner is placed neatly and performs well. The IP65 rating is also a good addition and should help save the phone from accidental water splashes.
Realme 13 Pro+ Review: Display and Audio
It’s a comfortable and tall 6.7-inch AMOLED display with thin, equally-sized bezels. This makes consuming content quite convenient, especially on the go. The videos are vivid and the colour reproduction is good. I watched OG movies like Dil Chahta Hai and Rang De Basanti on the phone and the experience was great. I also watched a few episodes of Friends and mostly the picture quality appeared balanced.
| Display | Specifications |
| Size | 6.7-inch curved display |
| Type | AMOLED |
| Resolution | 2412×1080 pixels |
| Refresh rate | 120Hz |
| Peak brightness | Claimed: 2000 nits |
| Other features | 2160 PWM dimming |
The 120Hz refresh rate makes endless scrolling a breeze, especially when I have to navigate apps outdoors. The display is plenty bright, even with the brightness levels set to 50 per cent. Even under direct sunlight, the legibility is good, especially when I took numerous photos in Thailand, which had particularly sunny weather.
The dual speakers result in appreciative audio quality with clarity and decent loudness. Higher volume levels, however, make the audio a little tinny.
Realme 13 Pro+ Review: Cameras
The Realme 13 Pro+ is all about the AI cameras and I would have to say, it’s easily a good performer in the arena. I have taken hundreds of photos with the 13 Pro+ and all came out crisp and good-looking. The images were Instagram-ready.
| Cameras | Specifications |
| Primary camera | 50-megapixel Sony LYT-701 1/1.56-inch, f/1.88, with OIS |
| Secondary camera | 50-megapixel (telephoto periscope lens) Sony LYT-600 1/1.95-inch, f/2.65, with OIS |
| Third camera | 8-megapixel (ultra wide angle) with f/2.2 |
| Selfie camera | 32-megapixel with f/2.45 |
| Video recording capabilities | Up to 4K at 30fps |
The star features, which are mostly the AI editing features like the AI Smart Removal and AI Ultra Clarity did a splendid job and were mostly on point. I particularly liked the AI Ultra Clarity one, which is so good for improving older photos, bringing them to some use. I have talked about the Realme 13 Pro+ cameras in my dedicated camera review, so, do check out for deeper analysis.
Realme 13 Pro+ Review: Performance and Software
The Realme 13 Pro+ has the Snapdragon 7s Gen 2 chipset, also found in the Motorola Edge 50 Fusion, the POCO X6, and even its predecessor — the Realme 12 Pro+. While the use of a Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 would have made more sense considering the price and the mediocre AnTuTu and Geekbench scores of the Snapdragon 7s Gen 2, it still helps sail the ship with ease.
| Hardware | Specifications |
| Processor | Qualcomm Snapdragon 7s Gen 2 |
| RAM | Up to 12GB |
| Storage | Up to 512GB |
| Geekbench 6 | Multi-core – 2844, Single core – 863 |
| Software version | Realme UI 5.0 based on Android 14,
2 years of Android updates and 3 years of security patches |
| Connectivity details | Dual SIM, Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.2, GPS |
Routine tasks like messaging, social media scrolling, checking emails, clicking pictures, and moving from one app to another – all have been stutter-free. I didn’t face any lags and the RAM management is also pretty good.
Gaming hasn’t been a problem either. From light word games and Candy Crush Saga to BGMI and COD: Mobile, the gameplay has been more than acceptable. I played BGMI for about 45 to 50 minutes and it didn’t showcase any lags or major heating problems. Of course, it does get a little warm but this isn’t worrisome.
Realme UI 5.0 based on Android 14 has been an easy-to-navigate experience. Nifty features like hiding the quick settings panel while screen recording, floating windows, and more have been quite convenient. The problem is with the bloatware; there are loads of pre-installed apps and while I don’t mind Netflix and LinkedIn, the Hot Apps and Hot Games folders are annoying. Luckily, you can disable them.
Realme 13 Pro+: Battery and Charging
The 5,200mAh battery is quite impressive. With the aforementioned daily tasks, it produced close to 7 to 8 hours of screen time on average, which lasted for more than a day. Running benchmarks did take a toll on it but it still had some juice left. The phone lasted for 17 hours and 14 minutes on PCMark, which is quite impressive, compared to the results of the OPPO Reno 12 Pro and even the more expensive Motorola Edge 50 Ultra.
| Battery | Specifications |
| Battery | 5,200mAh |
| Charging Adapter | 80W support, charger in the box |
| Charging Time | 56 minutes |
| PCMark Battery Test | 17 hours 14 minutes |
The 80W fast charging support is equally good; It gets fully charged in less than an hour. The charger is included in the box and the adaptor structure is meant for the modern switchboards in houses, which makes it easier to plug in. Thanks, Realme for considering this small yet important detail.
Realme 13 Pro+: Verdict
The Realme 13 Pro+ is an all-rounder phone, doing well in the camera, performance, and display departments. The good battery life, topped with great charging speeds, is also noteworthy. I commend the phone for the nifty AI camera editing features that make the experience wholesome. This has come in handy for me to retrieve older photos of myself from my school days.
The overall vibe is like getting an expensive fragrance on a budget. I approve of it but it only offers 2 years of major updates, which could have been better. Plus, the Realme 12 Pro+, launched a few months ago, has the same chipset and can be bought at a starting price of Rs 28,999, which makes one question the choice of the chipset. Moreover, we have options like the Reno 12 Pro with far more AI integrations and the Motorola Edge 50 Pro with a cleaner UI that can appear more attractive for almost the same price range.
But, these little off-putting aside, the Realme 13 Pro+ can be recommended and does make a compelling case!
