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Realme makes some tall claims about the Realme 13 Pro+, its latest camera-centric smartphone, and compares it to some of the best DSLRs and mirrorless cameras on the market. But are these claims plain marketing malarkey, or is there some truth to it? read more
 "When smartphone photography meets AI, all in a neat budget")
Image Credit: Firstpost | Mehul Reuben Das
Pros:
- Stunning display
- Great camera setup with huge potential
- Solid battery life with an awesome charging setup
- Premium looks with tank-like build quality
- Tons of AI features in a practical budget
Cons:
- Ads and bloatware, even during setting the device up
- Ultrawide camera needs improvement
- Camera shutter can be a bit slow at times
Price: Rs 36,999 for the 512GB+16GB unit. Starts at Rs 32,999
Rating: 4.5/5
Realme’s number series like the 12 Pro and the 12 Pro+ have boasted some of the best camera setups among budget smartphones, especially in the sub-Rs 40,000 segment. With their latest release, the Realme 13 Pro+, the smartphone maker claims they have taken things up a notch with what they are calling the Hyperimage+ features.
Basically, Realme claims that they have made a monumental shift in the budget segment when it comes to smartphone photography, thanks to a plethora of AI features that they have baked into the new 13 Pro and 13 Pro Plus.
But that’s not all. There are a bunch of other changes as well. We get a new back design, one that comes with a sandblast finish, which is very artistically done. We also get some significant spec bumps and of course a new camera array.
Realme is positioning its latest device, the Realme 13 Pro series, especially the 13 Pro+ as the go-to camera smartphone in the under Rs 35-40,000 segment. Although that in itself is not an issue, they have been making some tall claims about the capabilities of the Realme 13 Pro+’ cameras in their marketing material.
So is it all marketing malarkey, or is there some truth to it? More importantly though, does the AI features and the AI-assisted photography that the smartphone offers, enough to nudge customers towards the Realme 13 Pro+? We find out.
Realme 13 Pro+ Review: Design
The Realme 13 Pro+ sticks closely to the design of its predecessor, with a few key updates. One standout change is the introduction of a glass-back option, available in the Monet Gold or Emerald Green colour. This variant features a unique pattern on the back that resembles sand waves, giving it a fresh and appealing look. The edges of the back panel are curved, making the phone comfortable to hold, though the frame remains plastic.
Realme has retained the large, circular camera module with a fluted bezel, but now it includes a new HyperImage+ logo at the bottom. The previous leather variant had a vertical strip running down the centre of the back, which is now absent, resulting in a cleaner, more minimalist design with the camera module being the main focal point.
The phone’s plastic frame has a gold accent, providing a contrasting look. However, the curved edges don’t blend seamlessly with the frame, which might make the phone feel a bit awkward in hand. Additionally, the glossy finish on the frame could make it slightly slippery, but this can be easily remedied by using a quality case, such as the one provided with the device.
A major improvement is the addition of Corning Gorilla Glass 7i protection and an IP65 rating, making the Realme 13 Pro+ more durable than before.
Regarding connectivity, the Realme 13 Pro+ includes a USB Type-C port at the bottom for charging and data transfer. It’s equipped with Hi-Res stereo speakers for a solid audio experience, with speaker grilles and mics at both the top and bottom edges. The IP65 rating ensures the phone is protected against dust and water.
For security, the phone features an in-display fingerprint scanner, which unlocks the device quickly.
Realme 13 Pro+ Review: Display
The display on the Realme 13 Pro+ will feel familiar to those who’ve used Realme’s previous models. It features a 6.7-inch AMOLED curved panel with full-HD+ resolution and a refresh rate of up to 120Hz. Users can toggle between 60Hz and 120Hz, or let the phone decide based on current usage. The screen is surrounded by slim bezels and has a hole-punch cutout at the top center. While the display doesn’t support HDR, it is a 10-bit panel.
Compared to the Realme 12 Pro+, the Realme 13 Pro+ boasts a brighter display, with a peak brightness of 2,000 nits.
Overall, the Realme 13 Pro+ has a good display. This isn’t surprising, given Realme’s track record of delivering quality displays in its number series over the past few generations. The displays are bright, responsive, and accurate, even though they don’t feature advanced tech like LTPO or anti-reflective coatings. They get the basics right, and that’s what matters. The curved edges also give the phone a sleek appearance.
The display is protected by Corning’s Gorilla Glass 7i. The curved design adds to the phone’s slim feel.
The screen delivers sharp visuals, accurate colours, and a high contrast ratio, along with impressive viewing angles. It’s also Widevine L1 certified, allowing for full HD streaming on platforms like Netflix.
For eye protection, the display includes SGS AI Eye-Protection technology, which uses AI to adjust the colour temperature based on how you interact with the screen, making it warmer for added comfort.
Even in bright sunlight, the display remains clear, with minimal fading during testing, putting it ahead of competitors in this price range.
Overall, the display quality is excellent, especially considering the phone’s price. Realme continues to excel in this area, particularly in the mid-range and budget segments.
Realme 13 Pro+ Review: Camera
Realme markets the 13 Pro+ as a smartphone that can put most DSLRs and mirrorless cameras to shame. As good and capable as the cameras on the 13 Pro+ are, the claim that it is a replacement for some pretty iconic mirrorless cameras and DSLRs, even the entry-level ones, is a tall claim.
Even in their marketing materials, like the ‘Realme 13 Pro+ vs 100 DSLRs’ Realme is pitting the the 13 Pro+ against completely raw files taken from some mirrorless cameras. In their video, one of the cameras they are comparing it to came out in 2019. Clearly, Realme’s marketing team ought to reel it in a little.
Having said that, the Realme 13 Pro+’s camera system is very capable, and certainly one of the best fitted to a smartphone in this budget. The Realme 13 Pro+ is the first smartphone in the world to feature a 50MP Sony LYT-701 primary sensor as part of its triple rear camera setup.
The setup also includes a 50MP Sony LYT-600 periscope lens and an 8MP ultrawide lens. Both the primary and periscope sensors are equipped with Optical Image Stabilization (OIS) for more stable shots. For selfies and video calls, there’s a 32MP front camera housed in the punch-hole cutout.
The cameras on the Realme 13 Pro+ deliver impressive results, capturing sharp details, good dynamic range, and vibrant colours. Realme credits its HyperImage+ technology for enhancing photo quality, which works with high-resolution sensors and AI to improve clarity and colour accuracy. However, the AI-powered HyperRAW algorithm, while effective, is slightly slow, taking about 3-4 seconds to process an image.
The Realme 13 Pro+ does take a bit longer to process images, which might be frustrating for those who like to capture moments quickly. The slow image processing is particularly noticeable in portrait shots.
The 50MP periscope lens on the Realme 13 Pro+ is designed to deliver ‘Pure’ bokeh, natural skin tones, and clear portraits. It supports 3x optical zoom and does a good job of separating subjects from the background. The AI Group Photo Enhance feature also optimizes facial clarity in group shots. The 32MP front camera produces decent results, though not always the most flattering.
Sometimes, the camera can oversaturate colours, especially in scenes with a lot of greenery, leading to high-contrast images. However, in low-light conditions, the camera performs well, with good detail even in shadows. The dedicated night mode ensures accurate white balance, colour saturation, and exposure, and the camera excels at capturing natural-looking skin tones.
The telephoto camera is a highlight, producing detailed photos with great colour saturation and contrast, especially at 3x zoom. The bokeh effect looks natural, and portrait photos are excellent, with skin tones close to natural. The telephoto lens performs well at night too, with minimal noise at up to 3x zoom.
Overall, the Realme 13 Pro+ has a good camera setup. The images are detailed, with natural-looking colours, and you can capture professional-looking shots. The addition of a telephoto lens with 6x in-sensor zoom makes photography fun and versatile, even though the image processing could be faster.
Finally, in terms of video performance, the Realme 13 Pro+ handles 4K and 1080p video well, though stabilization could be better. The telephoto camera delivers similar results, with both cameras maxing out at 4K 30fps, while the ultrawide is limited to 1080p 30fps. The phone’s ultra-steady mode, available at 1080p 60fps, provides good results.
Realme 13 Pro+ Review: Performance, Software Experience, AI and UI
The Realme Realme 13 Pro+ is equipped with the Snapdragon 7s Gen 2 processor, paired with up to 12GB of RAM, which can be expanded further using Realme’s RAM expansion feature. This setup ensures smooth and efficient multitasking, making it a good option for heavy users and gamers.
However, if you’re in the market for a phone that delivers peak performance, the Realme 13 Pro+ might not be your top choice. While it handles multitasking and gaming competently, there are other phones in the same price range that offer more power. The Realme 13 Pro+ is more suitable for casual users, particularly those who value camera performance over raw speed. For these users, the phone’s performance will be more than sufficient.
In everyday use, the Realme 13 Pro+ does a great job. Whether you’re browsing, running multiple apps, or scrolling through social media, it handles everything without any noticeable lag. Gaming on the 13 Pro+ is also decent; it can run most games smoothly. However, for more demanding titles like CoD: Mobile and BGMI, you might have to dial down the graphics settings to medium. The phone does tend to warm up during long gaming sessions or extended camera use, but it’s not something that would cause major concern.
On the software front, the Realme 13 Pro+ runs Android 14 with Realme UI 5.0 on top. The user experience is consistent with other recent Realme phones, offering plenty of customization options. The phone does come preloaded with 55 apps, including some third-party ones, which might make your app drawer feel a bit crowded. However, you can easily uninstall the third-party apps if you wish.
Realme UI 5.0 also introduces several handy features on top of Google’s operating system. One of the standout features of the Realme 13 Pro+ is its excellent heat management. While the phone does warm up slightly during heavy use, it never becomes uncomfortably hot, thanks to Realme’s Iceberg Vapour Cooling System. This system, with its larger vapour chamber, does a great job of keeping the phone cool, ensuring smooth performance even during prolonged gaming sessions or when running resource-intensive apps.
In addition to the camera AI features, the 13 Pro+ includes an AI Smart Loop, which recognizes content and suggests what you might want to do next. For instance, you can long-press an image and drag it to the screen’s edge to quickly share it with compatible apps. This feature needs to be turned on in the settings menu.
The phone also offers a few AI-powered image editing tools, such as AI Ultra Clarity, which aims to enhance the quality of images in your gallery. While it’s still in testing and doesn’t always work perfectly, when it does, AI Ultra Clarity can reduce blurriness and improve sharpness, making low-resolution images look better.
Another helpful tool is AI smart removal, similar to Google’s Magic Eraser, which lets you remove unwanted objects from your photos. It works well through Realme’s Photos app, though there is still some room for improvement.
Realme 13 Pro+ Review: Battery Life
The Realme 13 Pro+ is packed with a larger 5,200mAh battery, and it supports 80W fast charging. This bigger battery makes a noticeable difference in the phone’s performance. In battery tests, the Realme 13 Pro+ performed well, showing only a 5-6 per cent drop in battery life during intensive gaming sessions and about a 7 per cent drop while streaming Netflix for half an hour at full brightness.
When it comes to charging, the 13 Pro+ impresses with its speed. Thanks to its 80W fast charging, the phone can go from 0 to 100 per cent in just 48 minutes, which is pretty remarkable. This fast charging capability ensures you spend less time tethered to an outlet and more time using your phone.
Realme 13 Pro+ Review: Verdict
The Realme 13 Pro+ builds on the strengths of its predecessor, the Realme 12 Pro+, particularly excelling in the camera department. While it may not match up to competitors like the OnePlus Nord 4 and Motorola Edge 50 Pro in terms of raw performance and software features, it stands out as an excellent option for photography enthusiasts.
The AI-enhanced camera system, complete with advanced sensors and Realme’s innovative Hyperimage+ technology, delivers impressive photo and video quality. The phone’s sleek design, featuring a premium finish and thoughtful details, along with its vibrant display and reliable battery life with fast charging, adds to its overall appeal.
Beyond its standout camera capabilities, the Realme 13 Pro+ offers plenty of AI features, a high-quality display, and a stylish design. Overall, it’s a well-rounded smartphone and arguably the best camera phone in its price range.
While it might not dominate in benchmark scores, the Realme 13 Pro+ holds its own with a robust Snapdragon 7s Gen 2 processor, capable of handling most tasks with ease.
The device also features a stunning AMOLED display, offering brightness and clarity that rivals many premium smartphones.
For consumers in India considering a smartphone in the Rs. 35,000 range, especially those who prioritize camera quality over pure performance, the Realme 13 Pro+ is a strong contender. It offers solid performance, excellent battery life with fast charging, and a camera system that truly shines.
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English (US) ·