Xiaomi makes a lot of great phones every year, but its Redmi sub-brand is particularly adept at budget handsets.
The Redmi Note 12 series made a real splash in 2023, with no fewer than four phones making it to 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 just a few months later, and we won’t be waiting 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 21 September 2023.
As the company has confirmed, the Redmi Note 13 Pro+ will arrive in India on 4 January 2024. It’s highly likely to be joined by the other two phones.
All three are expected in Europe at some point, but Xiaomi is yet to reveal when they might be. For context, here’s when the last few 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 at some point in Q1 of 2024. It might take place around Mobile World Congress (MWC) in Barcelona in late February, but Xiaomi tends to prefer to have its own separate events.
But Xiaomi doesn’t sell any of its phones in the US, and that’s unlikely to change anytime soon.
How much will the Redmi Note 13 cost?
So far, we only have confirmed pricing for the Redmi Note 13 series in China:
- Redmi Note 13 – from CNY 1,199 (approx. £130/€150)
- Redmi Note 13 Pro – from CNY 1,499 (approx. £165/€190)
- Redmi Note 13 Pro+ – from CNY 1,999 (approx. £220/$250)
But those UK and EU figures are simply direct conversions and so unlikely to be accurate. Instead, the pricing of the 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, pricing will stay relatively consistent, but there may be some small increases.
What specs 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 regular Note 13, the cheapest of the three. It’s powered by the MediaTek Dimensity 6080 chip, which should be a nice upgrade compared to the Qualcomm Snapdragon 4 Gen 1 on the Redmi Note 12. The Dimensity 6080 supports 5G, so it’s possible there’ll be no 4G model this time.
The display is largely the same as before, with a 6.67-inch, 1080×2400 OLED panel with 120Hz refresh rate. However, it is now tougher Gorilla Glass 5 (rather than Gorilla Glass 3), while slightly slimmer bezels reduce the total footprint of the device.
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Cameras are arguably 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 which should enable better portrait shots. But to make room for this, both the 8Mp ultrawide and 2Mp macro cameras have been removed.
On the front, the selfie camera has been upgraded from 13Mp to 16Mp. It supports a simple face unlock, but the side-mounted fingerprint sensor remains the more secure option.
There are no changes to battery life or charging, with the same 5000mAh capacity and 33W wired speeds.
Redmi Note 13 Pro
The upgrades on the more expensive Redmi Note 13 Pro are concentrated in a few key areas. Under the hood is a more powerful Qualcomm’s new Snapdragon 7s Gen 2 chipset, rather than the MediaTek silicon found on the Redmi Note 12 Pro.
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Its main rear camera is up to 200Mp, and still joined here by an 8Mp ultrawide and 2Mp macro. The 16Mp selfie lens is largely the same, though.
There are also some small changes to the 6.67-inch OLED display, with a slightly higher 1220×2712 resolution. But the 120Hz refresh rate is still here, plus an under-display fingerprint sensor.
Battery capacity is ever so slightly higher than both the Note 12 Pro and regular Note 13, with a 5100mAh cell. But the 67W wired charging is identical to its predecessor.
Redmi Note 13 Pro+
Then there’s the top-of-the-line 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 that’s still a significant upgrade compared to the previous Redmi Note 12 Pro+. You can expect a 1220×2712 resolution on that 6.67-inch OLED screen, alongside that 120Hz refresh rate.
Rear cameras are comprised of a 200Mp main sensor, 8Mp ultrawide and 2Mp macro, plus a 16Mp selfie lens on the front. It can be used for face unlock, but you’re better off with the under-display fingerprint sensor.
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While the 5000mAh battery is actually smaller than the Note 13 Pro, the charging is much faster. Like the Note 12 Pro+, it supports 120W wired speeds, though there’s still no wireless charging on any of the phones.
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’ll be based on Android 14 instead. This may be known as HyperOS, Xiaomi’s MIUI replacement which is beginning 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.