Xiaomi Redmi Note 13 Pro+ Handson Review
Software
Redmi Note 13 Pro+ 5G runs Android 13 with MIUI 14. This is disappointing because Xiaomi has already announced and started rolling out its next-gen HyperOS with Android 14 to other devices.
Here the company uses the oldest trick in the world. Releasing a phone with an older version of Android will allow companies to ship fewer updates in the future. Xiaomi is promising three major Android updates for this device, which means the phone will ship with Android 14 and Android 17 to Android 16. The HyperOS update for this device is expected to arrive at an indefinite time.
The Redmi Note 13 Pro+ 5G will be the last Xiaomi device in the Redmi Note 13 series to launch with MIUI, so this is more of a wrap-up interview than a review. On the other hand, visually HyperOS is not much different from MIUI, so what is said here also applies to the next big update.
MIUI 14:
MIUI has always been an acquisition of pleasure. The iOS-inspired design is more than a passing resemblance, and while many competitors have stepped up to do the same, Xiaomi has only upped the ante over the years. These include some questionable ideas, such as a separate notification and control center, an overly confusing Settings app, an intentionally bad share sheet, and the need to default every app icon. The result is as far from Android as possible.
What MIUI has always had ahead of iOS and even most of Android is an incredible level of customization. Many aspects of the user experience can be tweaked to the point where you're happy that there's often no room for complaint, as there's almost always a setting that allows you to tweak whatever bothers you. This is what makes unique image sharpening, especially for video, so frustrating because it's not only user-friendly, it's not the soul of the operating system. This makes the design of the Settings app even more annoying, as there are an incredible number of options to customize, but they are often (as in iOS) hidden so deep that most users never dare to access them.
Bloatware and notification spam
But when Xiaomi gives, it also takes. No matter how customizable the operating system can be, one complaint has always been the amount of unnecessary apps and services pre-installed, many of which cannot be removed or disabled. Is there a good reason to have two SMS apps, two file managers, two app stores, two gallery apps and two browsers on your phone? Not really. Redmi phones are particularly offensive as they come with malware. We counted 18 third-party apps pre-installed on the phone, including many games, excluding Xiaomi and Google. Xiaomi seems to have forgotten what their phones sell these days because we don't expect or want to see so much junk in expensive devices.
Note that this is different from the ads that are still present in many third-party apps for Redmi devices in markets like India, and you should go out of your way to disable them in each of those apps. Still, it's not what you'd expect from a premium device.
Then there are endless notifications. The best advice for the user of the new Xiaomi smartphone is to immediately go into the settings and turn off notifications for each individual application (or at least for those that allow it), otherwise they will not stop spamming you. The App Vault feature in particular is an ungodly abomination that constantly spams you with information you don't subscribe to or care about.
Software remains a controversial issue for Xiaomi phones. It's like an upgraded version of iOS with the best and worst features of Android, extreme customization options, but the ability to throw in an insane amount of crap that isn't user-friendly. Some of the options presented here are particularly offensive given the price of this device. Unfortunately, no matter how many times this issue is brought up, the company always ignores software reviews that affect the bottom line without mentioning the user experience.
Performance
The Redmi Note 13 Pro+ 5G is powered by the MediaTek Dimensity 7200-Ultra processor, which appears to be a modified version of the Dimensity 7200 for the device. However, in terms of base configuration and clock speed, no difference is seen in the article. The settings can be very limited by the ISP and its interaction with the camera.
The phone also comes with up to 12GB of LPDDR5 and up to 512GB of UFS 3.1 storage. Our tester had 12 GB of RAM and 256 GB of internal storage. No support for memory expansion.
The performance of Redmi Note 13 Pro+ 5G was really impressive. The phone is very responsive and the scrolling is very smooth. This is usually a hurdle that many phones can't overcome even though they claim to have high-quality and luxurious hardware, but Xiaomi has nailed this aspect of the user experience. It's a powerful phone that's a pleasure to use on a daily basis.
Unfortunately, we couldn't run some of our general tests because our test devices couldn't connect to the Internet and therefore couldn't download additional data to run. We had to limit our testing to only working tests. Hopefully manufacturers will stop finding new and creative ways to screw up the testing process and leave the device alone. We may update the results if these criteria ever come into effect.
In the tests we were able to carry out, it was clear that the Redmi Note 13 Pro+ 5G is not very competitive, falling far behind older devices such as the OnePlus 11R and Nord 3. tell the whole story and as mentioned, this phone performs perfectly in everyday use.
