Xiaomi makes many great phones every year, but its Redmi sub-brand is particularly suited to budget phones.
The Redmi Note 12 series has made a splash in 2023, with no fewer than four phones released in the UK and Europe. And depending on your budget, you could make a strong case for buying the Redmi Note 12, 12 5G, 12 Pro, or 12 Pro+.
But Xiaomi announced three successors in China a few months later, and we won’t have to wait long for them to launch elsewhere. Here’s everything you need to know about the Redmi Note 13 phones.
When will the Redmi Note 13 be released?
Xiaomi launched the Redmi Note 13, Note 13 Pro and Note 13 Pro+ in China on September 21, 2023.
As the company has confirmed, the Redmi Note 13 Pro+ will arrive in India on January 4, 2024. It is most likely to be joined by the other two phones.
All three are expected in Europe at some point, but Xiaomi has yet to reveal when they might do so. For context, here’s when the latest generations were announced:
- Redmi Note 12 – March 2023
- Redmi Note 11 – January 2022
- Redmi Note 10 – March 2021
If this rough release schedule continues, a global launch is likely in the first quarter of 2024. It could take place around Mobile World Congress (MWC) in Barcelona in late February, but Xiaomi tends to prefer to host its own separate events.
But Xiaomi doesn’t sell any of its phones in the United States, and that’s unlikely to change anytime soon.
How much will the Redmi Note 13 cost?
So far, we have only confirmed prices for the Redmi Note 13 series in China:
- Redmi Note 13 – from CNY 1,199 (around £130/$150)
- Redmi Note 13 Pro – from CNY1,499 (around £165/$190)
- Redmi Note 13 Pro+ – from CNY1,999 (around £220/$250)
But these UK and EU figures are only direct conversions and are therefore unlikely to be accurate. Instead, the price of Redmi Note 12 phones is a more useful guide:
- Redmi Note 12: from £219/$249
- Redmi Note 12 5G: from £279/$299
- Redmi Note 12 Pro: from £339/$399
- Redmi Note 12 Pro+: from £449/$499
Hopefully prices will remain relatively constant, but there could be slight increases.
What specifications and features does the Redmi Note 13 have?
With the Redmi Note 13 series official in China, we know pretty much exactly what to expect when they arrive in Europe.
Redmi Note 13
Let’s start with the classic Note 13, the cheapest of the three. It’s powered by the MediaTek Dimensity 6080 chip, which should be a nice upgrade over the Qualcomm Snapdragon 4 Gen 1 in the Redmi Note 12. The Dimensity 6080 supports 5G, so it’s possible that it won’t there is no 4G model this time.
The display is largely the same as before, with a 6.67-inch, 1080×2400 OLED panel with a 120Hz refresh rate. However, the Gorilla Glass 5 is now tougher (rather than the Gorilla Glass 3), while the slightly thinner bezels reduce the overall footprint of the device.
Xiaomi
Cameras are probably where you’ll see the biggest changes. The main rear lens has been upgraded from 48MP to 108MP, and it’s joined by a 2MP depth sensor that should allow for better portraits. But to make room for that, the 8Mp ultra-wide and 2Mp macro cameras have been removed.
On the front, the selfie camera has been increased from 13Mp to 16Mp. It supports a simple face unlock, but the side-mounted fingerprint sensor remains the most secure option.
There’s no change in battery life or charging, with the same 5,000mAh capacity and 33W wired speed.
Redmi Note 13 Pro
The upgrades to the more expensive Redmi Note 13 Pro are concentrated in a few key areas. Under the hood is a new, more powerful Snapdragon 7s Gen 2 chipset from Qualcomm, rather than the MediaTek silicon found on the Redmi Note 12 Pro.
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Its main rear camera can reach 200 Mp, and is still joined here by an 8 Mp ultra-wide and a 2 Mp macro. The 16Mp selfie lens is largely the same.
There are also some small changes to the 6.67-inch OLED display, with a slightly higher resolution of 1220×2712. But the 120Hz refresh rate is still there, as well as an under-display fingerprint sensor.
Battery capacity is slightly higher than the standard Note 12 Pro and Note 13, with a 5,100 mAh cell. But the 67W wired charging is identical to its predecessor.
Redmi Note 13 Pro+
Then there’s the high-end Redmi Note 13 Pro+. It’s powered by the Dimensity 7200 Ultra, which isn’t quite MediaTek’s most powerful chipset, but it’s not far off.
The rest of the phone is very similar to the Redmi Note 13 Pro, but it’s still a significant upgrade over the previous Redmi Note 12 Pro+. You can expect a resolution of 1220×2712 on this 6.67-inch OLED display, along with a 120Hz refresh rate.
The rear cameras consist of a 200MP main sensor, an 8MP ultra-wide and a 2MP macro, as well as a 16MP selfie lens on the front. It can be used for face unlock, but it’s better to use the fingerprint sensor under the screen.
Xiaomi
Although the 5,000 mAh battery is actually smaller than that of the Note 13 Pro, charging is much faster. Like the Note 12 Pro+, it supports 120W wired speeds, although there’s still no wireless charging on either phone.
However, the Chinese version of all three phones still run the same MIUI 14 software (based on Android 13) as their predecessors. Hopefully by the time they arrive in Europe it will instead be based on Android 14. This may be known as HyperOS, Xiaomi’s MIUI replacement which is starting to roll out.
Judging by the strength of their predecessors, the Redmi Note 13 phones could be real contenders among budget and mid-range handsets.
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