Redmi 13 5G, the next smartphone offering from the house of Xiaomi, is set to break cover on July 9, 2024. Interestingly, on the same day, Xiaomi is celebrating its 10-year anniversary in India, with a big-ticket launch event in Bangalore. The Redmi 13 5G will be joined by a bevy of other products including the Redmi Buds 5C, Xiaomi RVC X10 robot vacuum cleaner, and two new power banks.
FE Tech Bytes has insider news that Xiaomi also has a “secret” product that it plans to show off at the event and while it hasn’t explicitly confirmed the name, we have a strong feeling that India is going to get its first look at the Xiaomi SU7 EV. We don’t expect Xiaomi to launch its maiden electric car in India at this point, but it would be nice to see it in all its glory especially since it has had a limited showing, in China and recently at the MWC trade show in Barcelona, Spain. If it were to happen, India would become part of a handful of countries to have “seen” the Xiaomi car in person. Not everybody would get to see it, but we’re sure you get the gist.
Anyhow, enough about speculations, let’s talk about things we know for sure that are coming. We’ve spent some hands-on time with the Redmi 13 5G and decided to share some early impressions with you. True that it’s not a super premium phone, the kind that Xiaomi has been launching aggressively for a while now, but given its entry-level stature and the promise of 5G at affordable prices, it’s probably a more important product from a sales point of view for Xiaomi than something like a Xiaomi Civi 14.
Speaking to Xiaomi spokespeople ahead of launch, it was abundantly clear that the Redmi 13 5G has big shoes to fill because the Redmi 12 5G — its predecessor — was a runaway hit apparently. Xiaomi is so confident about the Redmi 13 5G, it’s not launching a 4G variant this time round (the Redmi 12 5G had a 4G variant that launched simultaneously). And because the Redmi 12 5G was such a potent mix of good hardware at launch, Xiaomi probably said, let’s not mess up a good thing. Instead, it worked on areas that perhaps needed some more improvement, rather than going for an all-out revamp in all the departments. The result is a phone that feels like, Xiaomi might just have pulled another winner out of its hat.
Here’s a quick first look at the Redmi 12 5G, what’s new and what’s been fine-tuned further:
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The Redmi 13 5G’s design is a throwback to the Redmi 12 5G’s. It, too, has a back panel made of unspecified glass. Xiaomi still calls it “crystal glass” design. The phone will come in a choice of Hawaiian Blue, Black Diamond, and Orchid Pink. We have the Hawaiian Blue variant. It has wavy patterns, the kind we’ve seen on some Vivo phones like the V30 and V30 Pro. (Photo credit: Saurabh Singh/Financial Express)
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On the front, Xiaomi is using Corning Gorilla Glass 3. The display is same as the Redmi 12’s mostly: a 6.79-inch 1080p LCD. The big new update is that it can now refresh at up to 120 times per second (the Redmi 12 had a 90Hz screen). Xiaomi claims the panel can top 550 nits in high brightness mode. There is no HDR support though you do get Widevine L1. The bezels, especially the chin, are noticeable which is typical of budget phones like these. (Photo credit: Saurabh Singh/Financial Express)
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The Redmi 13 5G is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 4 Gen 2 same as the Redmi 12 5G, though Xiaomi is using the term “accelerated edition” for the processor which seemd to indicate some kind of fine-tuning for overall smoother performance. The phone will come in a choice of 6GB/128GB and 8GB/128GB. A big highlight of the Redmi 13 5G is that it is the first Redmi phone in its class to come with Xiaomi HyperOS software out-of-the-box. (Photo credit: Saurabh Singh/Financial Express)
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Xiaomi is promising 36-month “lag-free” experience with the Redmi 13 5G. (Photo credit: Saurabh Singh/Financial Express)
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The camera setup is getting a complete makeover in the Redmi 13 5G. It has a 108-megapixel Samsung HM6 main sensor with 3x in-sensor zoom paired to another 2-megapixel macro. The front camera, too, is an upgraded 13-megapixel. Both rear and front cameras can record only 1080p@30fps videos. (Photo credit: Saurabh Singh/Financial Express)
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The Redmi 13 5G has a headphone jack and IR blaster. No dual speakers, though. (Photo credit: Saurabh Singh/Financial Express)
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There is USB Type-C for charging and data syncing. (Photo credit: Saurabh Singh/Financial Express)
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Biometrics are handled by a side-mounted fingerprint scanner. (Photo credit: Saurabh Singh/Financial Express)
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The phone is backed by a 5,030mAh battery and supports 33W fast charging. A compliant charger will ship in the box. (Photo credit: Saurabh Singh/Financial Express)
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Watch this space for our full review of the Xiaomi Redmi 13 5G coming soon. (Photo credit: Saurabh Singh/Financial Express)
