While megapixels were once the currency used to evaluate a smartphone camera’s power, Realme believes that AI imaging will be the new metric that defines the quality of a smartphone camera and, by extension, the smartphone brand itself.
To that end, The Hindu had the opportunity to review the Realme 13 Pro+ 5G phone—the top variant from the Chinese phone-maker’s 13 Pro series. Here is what we discovered in the process.
At a Glance
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Design
Even the most hardened gadget user’s heart will melt—for at least a few seconds—when they catch sight of the Realme 13 Pro+ for the first time.
The phone’s curved display wraps over the edges of the thin metal body, giving you a beautifully immersive screen with almost invisible rails. Turn it over, and you will be mesmerised by the huge, glossy black camera dial with a textured gold ring border. The panel sits on the shimmering, flaxen back of the device with metallic silver streaks shining through. The finish feels almost ceramic and the interplay of black and gold and silver is gorgeous. This is a phone that demands to be called premium.
However, as you use the device, you begin to spot some flaws. The phone is so thin and flat that dropping it mid-call or while texting is an ever-present risk. This means a user who loves their Realme 13 Pro+ will have to invest in a sturdy protective case as well as a clear covering for the camera dial in order to extend the device’s life—even if that means destroying its aesthetics.
On the other hand, the phone is well-made and durable; it comfortably survived a few short falls from our hand.
The Realme 13 Pro+ comes in the Monet Gold and Emerald Green shades.
Technical Specifications
- Weight: 185.5 grams
- Display: 6.7-inch AMOLED display, FHD+ 2412x1080
- Refresh rate: up to 120Hz
- Peak brightness: 2,000 nits
- Processor: Snapdragon 7s Gen 2
- OS: realme UI 5.0, based on Android 14
- Battery life: 5,200 mAh
- Charging: 80W SuperVOOC
- Camera: 32 MP front camera, and 50 MP + 8 MP + 50 MP rear camera
- Storage: 12GB/512 GB [variant with the highest storage]
Display
The Realme 13 Pro+ comes with a large, curved display and almost invisible bezels as a result of the same. The viewing experience is nothing short of addictive, as video colours are richly yet faithfully reproduced on an immersive screen. However, take into consideration the phone’s slim body and the need for a protective covering that will steal some area from the screen’s edges. Accidental activation is also a risk due to the curved screen edges and its sensitivity.
With 2,000 nits of peak brightness, users can comfortably text or watch content even under harsh lights. While there are various colour modes to promote eye health and comfort, the phone’s dazzling display and colour reproduction put it ahead of many of its premium rivals as well. Its whites are cleaner and brighter, enhancing the viewer’s experience and making it an ideal device for photographers, media editors, and OTT watchers.
The ultra-slim phone is a joy to use, but is very slippery | Photo Credit: Sahana Venugopal
Performance
While gamers who want the latest chipset in the market may be disappointed by the Snapdragon 7s Gen 2 mobile platform, more casual users and photographers should find no issues in using the device as their work phone, their personal device, or both.
The phone lags a bit when fixing images with its AI features, and some waiting is required. Apart from this, we enjoyed a seamless experience across platforms when using the device. Navigation within the device is easy and intuitive. An ‘AI boost’ feature also helps optimise the phone’s functions.
One significant perk was the smartphone’s speakers, which are of astounding quality. Sounds are reproduced at high volumes and with fullness, without compromising on balance or fidelity. The phone itself could very easily be used as a small party speaker in a pinch.
One downside to the Realme 13 Pro+, however, is that it comes filled with unneeded apps, duplicate services, and pre-installed games. Around 25GB of the device’s memory was taken up by these alone, and deleting Realme’s own apps is a difficult multi-step process, if not impossible. Children, seniors, or those who are not comfortable with technology will need additional assistance to set up the phone in a way that minimises the number of app notifications they are hit with every hour.
The Realme 13 Pro+ comes with a large and stylish camera panel, but some extra protection may be required | Photo Credit: Sahana Venugopal
Camera
The star of the Realme 13 Pro series is undoubtedly its camera, as the company announced a collaboration with Sony and shared that its AI camera in the series is the first to be powered by the Sony LYT-701 sensor and the Sony LYT-600 Periscope lens.
Trying out the camera for ourselves, we were pleasantly surprised by the sharp and bright images we captured, with excellent white balance and natural yet still attractive colour rendering. Skin tones are brightened in images, giving the effect of studio lighting. The 120x zoom feels largely gimmicky and unneeded, though a navigation frame helps users better aim the device. Image stabilisation was a major problem when using the camera in dim lighting conditions or when zooming in. However, when used in well-lit and stable conditions, the camera and its AI architecture were awe-inspiring.
A landscape photo shot on the phone, followed by a highly zoomed-in second photo captured in the same location, showcases the camera’s strength and clarity | Photo Credit: Sahana Venugopal
A variety of basic/pro and automatic/manual camera modes, filters, and AI editing features will delight the more experimental photographers who enjoy playing with their phones. However, those who want a simpler experience will also be well served by the device, as it captures frame-worthy shots with just a tap.
Photos taken at night are well illuminated yet clean, without much noise or discolouration. However, due to poor image stabilisation, we ended up with beautifully lit shots filled with blurry or shaken subjects.
While nighttime photography is a breeze for the camera, it struggles with capturing even slowly moving objects | Photo Credit: Sahana Venugopal
The phone’s AI Ultra Clarity feature, which is in beta, is an editing feature that requires the internet and is meant to upgrade existing images to deliver sharper and cleaner versions. We noticed subtle improvements when using this feature but it struggled to enhance zoomed-in text, giving us GenAI-style squiggles instead of coherent letters. A lot of the AI-powered editing comes down to increased brightness and contrast as the phone tries to fill in the missing pixels.
Realme says users will be able to capture ‘Ultra Clear DSLR-like photos’ on their smartphone. Let’s break this down. On the surface, shots taken with the Realme 13 Pro+ 5G and those taken with an entry-level DSLR camera can be mistaken for one another. In fact, Realme might even come out on top, as its colour-graded end product looks far better than an unedited RAW file from the DSLR camera. However, when you zoom in, the Realme phone’s images can turn into AI-generated smears of colour in places where the phone tried to fill in missing pixels, while a zoomed-in DSLR image preserves enough data to let you carry out far more intricate edits.
Colours are naturally rendered but still attractive | Photo Credit: Sahana Venugopal
In the end, it comes down to the user. While a vlogger or model might opt for the Realme 13 Pro+ 5G camera to get instant yet professional looking photos even in poorly lit locations, a wedding or professional child photographer will stick to their larger camera.
All in all, the Realme 13 Pro+ 5G phone will not be replacing your DSLR camera any time soon, but it can cut down the time you spend editing your images, and delivers a brilliant camera at a sub-40k price point. That is an impressive feat in itself. With some software and processing upgrades, it will surpass several premium phone cameras as well.
A comparison to DSLR cameras is not accurate, but worry not because the phone camera stands on its own merits | Photo Credit: Sahana Venugopal
Battery
The Realme 13 Pro+ 5G comes with a comfortable battery life, thanks to the 5,200 mAh capacity. When used as a work and personal device, the battery lasts around a day, though there are modes that can extend the battery life. Removing some of the bloatware and apps on the smartphone is also recommended in order to extend the battery life.
An added plus point is that the phone’s battery does not drain too quickly when the device is left asleep for days on end, so users can pick up where they left off.
The battery goes from a little less than 20% to full charge in just under an hour, making it a good fit for those who are on the move.
Verdict
Priced at ₹33,999 after the company discount, the Realme 13 Pro+ 5G smartphone is an adventurous pick that pays off. It is a phone that ultimately speaks to camera lovers, but also offers an immersive screen for the film enthusiast, a gorgeous design for the style icon, strong performance for the office worker, and a formidable speaker for the music lover. It is a safe pick that will give everyday users far more than they expected to get.
We would prefer that future phones from the company’s premium segment come with fewer pre-installed apps and bloatware.
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