The analogy may appear outlandish. Anybody who makes espresso at home will know that the grinder is more important than the espresso machine itself. The same goes for smartphones: If the basics are not right, no matter how costly the phone, it just can’t make you happy. Redmi Note 13 Pro+ 5G is that smartphone: the equivalent of a good coffee grinder. Everything else simply falls into place.

The phone comes with a 120W charger which juices up the battery in 20-odd minutes

I have had a few days with the phone and Note 13 Pro+ makes just about the right amount of compromises to ensure smooth performance overall. A flagship phone in 2024 will be about the choice of material, the number of antennas for connectivity, some extra lens magic in the camera department, and a processor that does things in the flashiest of flashes, as Rowan Atkinson might say. What Redmi has done is consider a price point and then work backwards to give a very nimble device.

A nimble device

Here you have Corning Gorilla Glass Victus instead of Victus 2, the bezels are perhaps a millimetre or so more here than on a premium device, it’s slightly lighter than the bigwigs of the smartphone world… stuff that doesn’t make any difference to most consumers.

I love smartphones and to me every detail matters and every feature in the software department matters even more but I simply can’t overlook the importance of this device. For most people, Redmi Note 13 Pro+ 5G will become the always-there companion for a few years. After all, the company is offering three major Android updates and four years of security patch updates. Perhaps this is one of the departments where Redmi loses a few points to a flagship phone. If I were to buy a flagship in 2024, I would definitely demand Android 14 out of the box (here it’s MIUI 14 based on Android 13). Once the much-anticipated HyperOS update hits the phone, things will obviously be better.

Smooth sailing

The 4x zoom mode comes in handy on most occasions

Let me bring back the coffee grinder analogy. When you buy a grinder, you look at precision, control and consistency. The phone comes with MediaTek Dimensity 7200 Ultra. Well, Ultra may seem like a nice word to throw around but in the case of Redmi, it delivers. I wouldn’t go all out and say “look ma, a flagship killer”. Not many people need a flagship phone. In my extended family of 11 members, only four need flagship-grade phones. Others are pretty happy with what Redmi is offering.

There has been hardly any stuttering in the few days I have used the phone. Be it making casual edits to photos or cropping videos or playing games, things have been smooth sailing. If you are someone who uses a phone to make calls, browse the Internet, take some photos… you won’t really need a premium phone. In case it’s about complicated editing and running heavy-duty apps, you will need to look at a higher pricing.

That brings me to the display. The 6.67-inch 3D Curved AMOLED display (1.5K, 2,712 x 1,220) has a pixel density of 446PPI and 120Hz refresh rate. These figures are not just good on paper; you will notice it if you use the phone. Plus, there is Dolby Vision, HDR10+, Widevine L1 support, a touch sampling rate of 240Hz and peak brightness of 1,800nits. If you are using this phone and an entry-level flagship device, the difference will be miniscule, if at all. In fact, Redmi punches above its weight and gives the phone a premium feel by doing away with the 3.5mm headphone jack.

How about battery? First, you get a massive 120W charger in the box that can juice up in 20-odd minutes. A flagship phone won’t come with a power brick in the box. The phone packs a 5,000mAh battery. In the few days of testing, I have squeezed in a day with heavy usage. Given the processor, the phone does a good job. Phones with flagship processors may get a few extra hours but the cost difference is substantial.
Before I forget, there is even IP68 rating to take care of splashes and so on.

Affordable doesn’t mean mediocre

You might be thinking that Redmi has cut corners in the camera department. It depends on what kind of photographs you want from a phone. There is a 200MP main camera with ISOCELL HP3 sensor, 8MP ultra-wide and 2MP macro.

It’s very difficult to point out the photo taken on the new Redmi phone versus some Android flagship numbers. If an affordable phone can turn in brilliant photographs, it’s time for flagship manufacturers to up their game. How about at night? It’s equally good. Perhaps the shutter speed could have been a second quicker but that’s just a quibble. Autofocus is another department worth visiting. For a phone that’s not premium, Redmi wins some extra points. If you learn how to take advantage of the hardware on the Redmi phone, you will have very few things to complain about. And a quick hat tip to the 4x zoom — works effortlessly.

It’s a sleek design that accommodates IP68 rating

There are some video filters but I am not a big fan filters on any phone. And I am so far satisfied with the quality of 4K videos at 30fps. Flagships go higher… at a higher price!

Getting the pricing right is tough but Redmi Note 13 Pro+ 5Ghits the sweet spot, especially in terms of hardware. Here’s a phone that ensures the year in tech begins on a high note.

At a glance

Device: Redmi Note 13 Pro+ 5G

Price: Rs 29,999 (8GB+256GB), Rs 31,999 (12GB+256GB) and Rs 33,999 (12GB+512GB) inclusive of offers

High notes

** Impressive finish and display quality

** Sustained performance

** Camera is well-tuned