design, power and camera for less than 200 dollars

Xiaomi started the year 2024 by presenting a new generation of its most legendary family of the Redmi series: the Redmi Note 13. These are devices that have always gained a good position in the mid-range, and for certain generations, the company has expanded the space they cover in the market.

This year there are five different mobile phones. The Redmi Note 13 Pro+ is the most expensive model of all, and it can compete with more expensive phones thanks to features like its 200MP camera, curved screen or 120W fast charging. The Redmi Note 13 is the basic mobile of this familyand the company launched it being more competent than ever.

It’s a 199 euro mobile that stands out with a good quality AMOLED screen, a large 5,000 mAh battery and a high-resolution camera, with a 108 Mpx main sensor. This undoubtedly raises the level of the segment considerably and will surely inspire other brands to follow in its footsteps. At EL ESPAÑOL – El Androide Libre we have tested this mobile, and the truth is that, for its price, it is an impeccable option.

A superb design

Xiaomi wanted to ensure that this range of devices, one of the best known in the mid-range, stands out from its most direct competitors. For that valued several aspects of this family, and one of them is the aesthetic section. To begin with, this Redmi Note 13 has a completely flat back and in which we do not find a camera module as such, but rather each sensor placed directly on the surface.

This same color is also reflected in the edges. Likewise, they are flat, but have a softer feel. On the right side is the button panel, while at the bottom are the USB and Type C port and one of the device’s speakers, the other is at the top, with the 3 jack socket, 5 mm and the infrared sensor.

When you look at it and hold it in your hand, it makes it seem like a more expensive phone than it actually is, and the fact that it has a flat back helps a lot with styling its shape. Plus, it comes with a case included in the box that fits like a glove, has a good feel, and also features a design that goes beyond typical clear cases.

120Hz AMOLED screen

Xiaomi’s decision that all screens in this range are AMOLED technology and have a refresh rate of 120 Hz has undoubtedly been the right one. In this case its size is 6 .67 inches, so it is not a particularly small mobile phone, but it is ideal for those looking for a device to use for a long time every day.

In terms of resolution, it is Full HD+, which is the most suitable for this type of device, and which is more than sufficient for watching content such as films and series comfortably. Its maximum brightness is 1,800 nitsand when we went out and the sun was shining, we had no problem differentiating the content on its screen, which is a very positive point.

Its 120Hz refresh rate allows it to move around the interface considerably, and it also shows up in compatible games, where the experience is smooth. As usual, Xiaomi allows you to change the color palette from the settings, so everyone can choose a more saturated or more natural configuration depending on their preferences.

This panel is one of its great strengths, and we dare to say that it offers an experience ahead of some other competing mobile phones in this sense, because, although there are many screens of the same resolution and technology, they are not all. looks like. In this case, that’s a plus.

Good power

This Xiaomi mobile has a processor manufactured by Qualcomm, the Snapdragon 685. Although it does not have 5G connectivity, it performs well in terms of power. In addition, it is very well accompanied by 8 GB of RAM and 256 GB of internal storage, figures that attract attention in a device of its price, and even more if we take into account that it is This is the basic model.

In daily use, for browsing the Internet, checking social networks and performing other daily tasks with the device, it performs quite well. It has no problem when it comes to performing multiple tasks simultaneously, although we must take into account that its performance is far from that of high-end mobile phones that cost ten times more, of course . Nevertheless, it is also capable of moving well in games, even in some more demanding titles, although in these it is necessary to set the graphics to a low level so that a certain drop in frames is not not noticeable.

It is not a mobile phone in which, a priori, it will lack more power in the case of users who give it a more basic use. If one wants a very powerful device, some shortcomings may be noted, but this is by no means something to worry about. Regarding software, it must be said that in these Redmi Note 13 the company has not yet made the leap to HyperOS, as is the case with the new POCO X6 Pro, but rather it has MIUI 14. Being a new device and one of the best known in the Xiaomi catalog, there is no doubt that it will not take too long to be updated. Its Android version is number 13.

Besides the fact that it has too many preinstalled applications, it is a good layer of customization, sometimes too overloaded, but which offers a large number of customization options that can be used to leave the mobile completely to the taste of the user. ‘user. . .

A decent camera

Xiaomi sought to differentiate the Redmi Note 13 from the competition, among other things, thanks to the camera. A movement that is not generally common in this price range, but which shows the presence of its 108 MP main camerawhich is accompanied by a 2 MP portrait depth sensor and an 8 MP wide angle.

It’s worth keeping in mind that having this resolution doesn’t ensure performance equivalent to other 108MP cameras on more expensive phones. In practice, it is an acceptable sensor, capable of taking good images when there is light and conditions are good. On the camera you can find a x2 and x3 mode which consists of digital cropping of the image, it’s not an optical zoom, so the quality is not so good. In fact, using them you can notice the presence of some grains, although in this sense it is very good that its main sensor has so much resolution.

The loss of quality when there is a little less light is quite obvious, and we notice that excess grain appears when shooting in automatic mode. This also happens when the conditions are not very favorable, such as backlighting or overly lit situations. It’s not one of the best points of the device, but thanks to a main sensor with these characteristics it is much more versatile.

I buy it?

Redmi has paid particular attention to this Redmi Note 13, which is the cheapest mobile in the family that has just been launched, although not in its catalog. Despite this, he is one of the most economical optionsand you can notice quite a few improvements over last year’s model that increase the value of the device.

The capacity of the internal memory and RAM or the quality of the camera are some of those sections in which it has been improved. In the case of the memory combination, it is something that directly impact the number of years that this mobile can lastbecause these are quite generous amounts.

The Redmi Note 13 has an official retail price of 199 dollars and is one of the best phones in this segment. It can be perfectly compared to devices that cost between 50 and 100 dollars more. It’s not a mobile for everyone, Since those looking for very good camera performance or the highest power on the market to be able to play for years with maximum performance should opt for more expensive options. However, if you have a budget limited to 200 dollars, this is an option that offers much more than it asks for and is highly recommended.

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