Realme 13 Pro 5G Review: Impressive camera and AI features, but can it justify the price?

Realme 13 Pro 5G Review:Since the beginning of 2024, Realme implemented some new strategies to sway customers with its unique designs, powerful performance, impressive camera, and also utilising new-generation technologies such as Artificial Intelligence (AI) impressively. Earlier this year, the Realme 12 Pro series was announced which gained much attention for its design and camera performance. Now in just six months, Realme announced the 13 Pro series in collaboration with the Museum of Fine Arts to introduce Claude Monet-inspired design.

Over the past few months, Realme has been putting a lot of effort into its designing and bringing performance-centric smartphones at a much more affordable price range. I have not used many of their smartphones, but I recently used the Realme GT 6 series which became one of the best smartphones in their price range. I also have been using the Realme 13 Pro 5G for about a week to examine its new camera architecture, performance, and AI features, and more. Although I am mostly impressed with the smartphone, I have some areas where it can make improvements. In addition to reviewing the Realme 13 Pro 5G, we also reviewed the top-end variant of the series which you can check here. 

Check out the in-depth review of the Realme 13 Pro 5G to know if it's worth the hype with its new cameras, Monet-inspired design, and other features.

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Realme 13 Pro 5G Review: Design and display

The evolution of design in Realme smartphones has been incremental and I like how much effort they put into bringing something new to the market. With Realme 13 Pro 5G, the company has introduced a new Monet-inspired design which was possible by collaborating with the Museum of Fine Arts. I received the Monet Gold colour variant which was inspired by one of Claude Monet's paintings. The smartphone is a treat to the eyes, it not only feels premium but also provides a sturdy grip. The Realme 13 Pro 5G has also received an IP65 dust and water resistance rating.

In terms of display, the Realme 13 Pro 5G features a 6.7-inch curved AMOLED display with 2412 x1080 FHD+ resolution. So far my experience with Realme displays has been fluid and the Realme 13 Pro 5G is no exception. The smartphone provides sharp visuals and a detailed viewing experience that makes the overall viewing experience enjoyable. The colour gamut was also very accurate. I binge-watched several movies and web series on Netflix and Prime Video and I was able to enjoy the HD-quality content. However, the speakers of the smartphones are quite off in my opinion. The sound quality was not up to the expectations and it created some noise which may compel you to use a TWS to enjoy any kind of content.

Also read: Motorola Edge 50 vs Realme 13 Pro

The display supports a 120Hz refresh rate enabling smooth motion with easy navigation while scrolling or gaming. It offers a peak brightness of up to 2000nits which is optimal for outdoor viewing. It used the smartphone during direct sunlight conditions several times and the usability was quite easy. The display also supports rainwater smart touch, therefore even if your hands are wet you can use the smartphone easily.

Realme 13 Pro 5G Review: Camera

The Realme 13 Pro 5G comes with a triple camera setup and features the industry's first AI photography architecture called HYPERIMAGE+ camera system. It includes a 50MP main Sony LYT-600 Sensor with OIS support. Without any doubt, the smartphone captures amazing quality images with great details regardless of lighting conditions. With the main camera sensor, you'll experience images with balanced colours and no oversaturation, making it a perfect camera smartphone option in the segment. However, during extremely low light conditions, you'll notice slight haze or grain in the images, however, it is acceptable.

The Realme 13 Pro 5G also consists of an 8MP ultra-wide camera and a 2MP macro camera, both providing a decent performance with promising details and colours. The smartphone excels in portrait photography with a great focus on the subject. I liked how naturally it blurs the background and it manages the artificial blur quite well. Since the smartphone does not have a telephoto lens, it still offers 5x digital zoom and 2X optical zoom. However, anything above 2x showcases stutter. Therefore, users may notice the missing telephoto capabilities. However, the overall camera performance of Realme 13 Pro 5G is impressive. While I have not used the Realme 12 Pro to provide you with a detailed comparison if it is worth the upgrade or not. But, based on my experiences with other mid-range Realme smartphones, the Realme 13 Pro 5G has the best cameras so far.

Also read: Realme 13 Pro series to come with AI camera features: Here's everything you need to know

The highlight of the smartphone is its AI photography architecture which empowers the smartphone with several AI features such as an AI eraser and AI ultra-clear mode. Both functionality offered decent performance, whereas the AI eraser worked more beautifully.

Realme 13 Pro 5G Review: Performance

The Realme 13 Pro 5G is powered by the Snapdragon 7s Gen 2 5G processor which is similar to last year's Realme 12 Pro 5G. It offers LPDDR4X RAM and UFS 3.1 storage which may not seem promising to many, however, you will experience no lag or slow file transfer during usage. The smartphone performed exceptionally well with day-to-day tasks, making everyday usage a breeze. To push the smartphone's limits I played some demanding games such as BGMI and Call of Duty in high graphic and frame rate settings, even then the Realme 13 Pro 5G ran smoothly throughout the usage. I also played for extended periods of time to test if I encountered frame drap, lag or overheating, and nothing of sorts occurred. Since the smartphone is backed by a 9-layer 3D VC cooling system, the smartphone is not extremely hot, making your usage smooth.

Also read: Realme 13 Pro Plus vs Oppo Reno 12 Pro

In terms of UI, the Realme 13 Pro runs on Realme UI 5.0 based on Android 14. While the UI is quite user-friendly, it does come with some bloatware and unwanted gaming apps which at times get annoying to see on the menu screen.

Realme 13 Pro 5G Review: Battery

The Realme 13 Pro 5G is backed by a 5200mAh battery that provides an all-day battery life in medium usage. Therefore, you do not have to worry about charging as it does not get drained very quickly even during gaming or watching online content. However, the charging speed could have been higher in my opinion and it takes more than 1 hour to fully charge the device with its 45W charging adapter.

Realme 13 Pro 5G Review: Verdict

The Realme 13 Pro 5G is one of the ideal smartphones at a price range of under Rs.30000. The smartphone offers a crisp display, impressive camera performance, effective multitasking and gameplay, lasting battery life, and more. However, the speaker quality and the charging speed of the smartphone could have been improved. Otherwise, the Realme 13 Pro 5G is a great option if you are looking for an all-rounder smartphone.