Xiaomi Redmi Note 13 Pro+ hands-on review

Camera

The Redmi Note 13 Pro+ 5G has a trio of cameras on the back, with the primary one being one of the key marketed features of this device. We have a 200MP Samsung ISOCELL HP3 sensor here along with a 23mm equivalent 7P lens, f1.65 aperture, and OIS. The sensor operates in a 16 to 1 mode by default and produces 12.5MP images. It can, however, capture native 200MP images as well as use center crops to produce lossless 2x and 4x images.

The other two cameras include an 8MP ultra-wide and a 2MP macro.

The camera application is reasonably well laid out, with all major modes laid out at the bottom and additional options can be brought up by swiping down on the screen. In terms of features, you get your usual suspects such as night mode, portrait mode, as well as a pro mode. Unfortunately, there is no RAW capture in pro mode, which drastically limits its usefulness.

Camera app

Now for the image quality. The quality of images from the main camera was a bit underwhelming due to subpar color reproduction. All images have a magenta bias to them, which in some cases can be very noticeable. The colors also lack warmth, which mostly affects the reds, with the darker shades like the red soil in some shots often appearing brown. The magenta bias is especially destructive to skin tones, with darker tones often appearing pink instead of brown.

12.5MP Main camera

Our review unit also exhibited noticeable chromatic aberration in several shots, which resulted in very noticeable purple fringing around high-contrast edges, such as tree leaves in front of the sky. This is typically a lens artifact that can be suppressed through software but that didn't seem to be happening on our unit.

The situation with the colors was unfortunate, as the level of detail and dynamic range in the images is otherwise satisfactory, although there is a tendency to overexpose by a stop, just like Samsung phones. If Xiaomi manages to tune the colors and exposure, this could be a very capable camera but right now it simply isn't.

Just to illustrate this point further, here it is being compared against the OnePlus 11R. Shadow detail isn't as impressive on the OnePlus but it has vastly better and more accurate color rendition. The scene looked as it does in the OnePlus images, which further highlights how much the Redmi strays in comparison.

Main camera: Redmi Note 13 Pro+ 5G • OnePlus 11R

Both have the same level of detail despite one having four times the number of pixels and that's due to the sensor on the Redmi Note 13 Pro+ 5G operating in a 16 to 1 mode, which means it's only capturing 12.5MP worth of data and not compressing 200MP in a 12.5MP image.

But there is an advantage to having a 200MP sensor, and that's while zooming. 2x zoom uses a center crop and a 4 to 1 mode to produce a 12.5MP image, which looks super crisp and on par with any native 2x camera. In fact, it looks better because you still get the advantage of superior optics and aperture, which native telephoto cameras lack.

2x lossless digital zoom

The 4x images crop further and shoot in 1 to 1 mode so they aren't as sharp but still perfectly usable.

4x lossless digital zoom

The native 200MP images have a ton of detail but the file sizes can range anywhere from 8x to 10x the 12.5MP files. These images also don't benefit from the same level of processing as the 12.5MP images, so the dynamic range is worse and issues with chromatic aberration are further highlighted.

200MP main camera

What would have made more sense is to have a 50MP mode with 4 to 1-pixel binning. These could still have had a lot of detail with much more manageable file sizes and better image processing.

Moving on to the 8MP ultra-wide camera, it's nothing particularly special. The resolution isn't enough for this wide of a perspective so the level of detail is understandably low. The images have decent dynamic range and the color grading matches the main camera for the most part. This camera also exhibits purple fringing so it seems to be a systematic issue with the software rather than any specific camera.

8MP ultra-wide camera

The 2MP macro camera is less awful than what we have seen in the past but still pretty awful nonetheless. There is no detail to speak of and having to physically get that close to the subject with what is essentially a wide-angle lens also causes distortion.

2MP macro camera

The worst part is that the macro camera is completely redundant on this phone as you can get much better results simply stepping back and using the 2x or even 4x zoom on the main camera. You get more resolution and detail, better colors and dynamic range, and far less distortion with a more pleasing depth of field. We have said this before but macro cameras just exist to inflate the spec sheet and make it seem like you're getting more for your money when it's really just a scam.

2MP macro camera • 4x lossless zoom

Moving on to video, the Redmi Note 13 Pro+ 5G can capture up to 4K resolution video at up to 30fps. This is a limitation of the chipset itself as the sensor can do much higher resolution and frame rate combos.

The 4K videos have a rather pleasing look to them, where they do not exhibit the same level of oversharpening that we normally see on smartphones while still maintaining the level of detail one expects from a 4K video. Unfortunately, it still suffers from the same magenta bias and color fringing from still images and in rare cases can look really bad.

Stills from 4K video

The combination of OIS and EIS works well enough for handheld shots but there is a noticeable judder if you choose to walk or run and it isn't as well suppressed as on more expensive devices.

The ultra-wide camera can only record up to 1080p resolution and the videos are notably soft and underexposed to hide shadow noise. Still, they can be usable under the right conditions.