Xiaomi may go to great lengths to tell you how its new Redmi 13C 5G is the best entry-level 5G smartphone that there is in the market right now— and it may be in some areas— but it is not. While its design and feature set maybe competitive, especially when you factor in its “net effective” pricing shenanigans, the Redmi 13C 5G is not great value for money, something Redmi phones have perfected over the years. And no, it’s not because of a Realme or a Samsung. The biggest threat to the Redmi 13C’s existence comes from within Xiaomi itself from a phone launched not long ago— the Redmi 12 5G.
You don’t even have to wait for reviews to know which phone trumps the other. It’s that easy. And frankly, it’s surprising that a phone like the Redmi 13C 5G even exists in late 2023-24 regardless of whether we’re (still) living in the “5G tax” phase, or out of it. Xiaomi in fact has launched it first in India (like the Redmi 12 5G). And that too, after a bit of a lull period, we might add, when actually the product to jumpstart its portfolio should have been one of the new Redmi Notes. You know you’re having problems when the most exciting thing to be announced during a product launch is a yet-to-launch product. (Spoiler alert: the Redmi Note 13 Pro Plus has been confirmed to launch in India in January 2024.)
But we digress.
Truth be told, Xiaomi has had this positioning problem since the Redmi 10 Prime days. That was in 2021. And the race to offer 5G at “affordable” prices seems to have only made things worse. Easily the Redmi 13C 5G’s biggest draw is its Dimensity 6100 Plus processor. MediaTek bills the 6-nanometre system-on-chip (SoC) for its potential to bring 5G connectivity to the mainstream. It was announced in July and the Realme 11 series (followed by the Narzo 60x) was among the first to make it available commercially. Since then, we’ve hardly seen the chip in action. The availability is not as sporadic as the 4-nanometre Qualcomm Snapdragon 4 Gen 2 at least. There was the possibility that the Redmi 13C 5G may be powered by the 4 Gen 2, like the Redmi 12 5G but clearly Xiaomi went the other way, which makes total sense now.
Anyhow, the Dimensity 6100 Plus also brings support for 10-bit 90Hz or 120Hz displays and up to 108-megapixel camera sensors. The Redmi 13C 5G has a 6.74-inch 720p LCD display. The panel can refresh at up to 90Hz per second, though, Xiaomi says. An unspecified version of Corning Gorilla Glass protects it, too. While on the back, it has a single 50-megapixel camera. The rest of the package includes LPDDR4x RAM and UFS2.2 storage, dedicated micro-SD slot for expansion, Android 13, 5MP front camera, and 5,000mAh battery with 18W Type-C charging. We have a bone to pick from Xiaomi for that last bit.
The Redmi 13C 5G will ship with a 10W charging brick in the box as and when it goes on sale. Xiaomi notes the change on the product’s listing page. We say “change” because Redmi phones –like these—have generally shipped with a faster 22.5W charger in the box. The Redmi 12 5G is a classic example. It support 18W fast charging and includes a 22.5W charger at no extra charge. One can argue, at least, it’s not like a Samsung with 25W charging support and no charger in the box. Xiaomi itself has been known to ship one odd Redmi phone at least in the past— called Redmi Note 11 SE— without one and so, can’t say it’s completely out of the blue. Still, it’s something you can’t sweep under the carpet.
The Redmi 13C 5G listing adds, “Power adapters that support 18W charging are sold separately, recommended to use 18W or above power adapters that support PD charging.”
That’s an additional Rs 599 if you purchase directly from Xiaomi. As for the Redmi 13C series itself, the Redmi 13C 5G comes in a choice of 4GB/128GB, 6GB/128GB and 8GB/256GB at a price of Rs 10,999, Rs 12,499 and Rs 14,499 respectively. The Redmi 12 5G also comes in 4GB/128GB, 6GB/128GB, and 8GB/256GB trims at Rs 11,999, Rs 13,499, and Rs 15,499, respectively. By paying another Rs 1,000, you’re getting a bigger 6.79-inch LCD display with a 1080p resolution and 90Hz refresh rate with a more modern hole punch cut-out at the centre and Corning Gorilla Glass 3 protection, a similar 5,000mAh battery with 18W fast charging, and a more potent 50MP main and 2MP depth joined by an 8MP selfie camera setup.
The only redeeming quality then would have been the design and the Redmi 13C 5G does look nice. But then, it’s no Redmi 12 5G. For Rs 1,000 extra, you’re also getting a glass back with a proper IP53 rating with the 12 (the 13C has an unspecified splash and dust resistance).
We’ll just leave it here and as we said before, it will take no review to figure out who wins this one. As for competition, Realme is launching its own Redmi 13C 5G challenger phone called the Realme C67 5G in India on December 14. We’ll keep a close eye on that one as well. As for the rest of the segment, be sure to check out our five most affordable 5G smartphones in India buyer’s guide down below.
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