The real me The 13 Pro+ 5G arrives at a time when artificial intelligence (AI) is revolutionizing the smartphone market. To keep up with the AI race, Realme has integrated advanced AI algorithms into the camera system of its latest product, which aims to take the device’s photography capabilities to new heights.
But that’s not all! The company has taken a different design approach with the Realme 13 Pro+ 5G, taking inspiration from French painter Claude Monet. The smartphone will be available in three different versions, with a starting price of Rs 32,999.
As we delve deeper into this review, we’ll find out how well Realme has executed the AI integration, and whether the Monet-inspired design is more than just a visual gimmick. Does this phone paint a different picture than other phones, or is it the same? Let’s find out.
Realme 13 Pro+ 5G Design
At first glance, the Realme 13 Pro+ 5G is a refreshing departure from the sea of drab smartphone designs flooding the market. We got the Monet Gold colour variant for review. The rear camera module appears to be the same as its predecessor, but this one sports a wavy patterned glass back.
The gold accent line running vertically down the middle of the Realme 12 Pro is gone, making the back look cleaner and more streamlined, and the Realme logo has been placed at the bottom of the phone.
At the bottom of the camera module is the Hyperimage+ branding. The edges of the phone are curved, adding appeal to the overall design. As for the button placement, the volume and power buttons are placed on the right edge. The left edge is left clean.
The top edge houses the speaker grille and a microphone, while the bottom has a USB Type-C charging port, a SIM tray, and another speaker grille.
The phone feels good in hand with a firm grip. In terms of build, the Realme 13 Pro+ 5G feels durable. Realme has added IP65 water and dust resistance to the device.
Realme 13 Pro+ 5G Display
In terms of display, the Realme 13 Pro+ 5G boasts of a 6.7-inch AMOLED LTPS screen. It’s a Full HD+ display with a 120Hz refresh rate and a curved panel. The display quality of this phone is one of the best in the segment, with near-accurate color saturation and color contrast. Objects and text look sharp. The phone has a 10-bit panel but doesn’t support HDR.
I was impressed with the incredibly thin bezels, and the display features an under-display scanner that makes unlocking the phone fast and efficient.
The Realme 13 Pro+ 5G has a wealth of display features. You can choose from a variety of screen color modes (Vivid, Natural) and two pro modes (Cinematic, Brilliant). In addition, there is also an AI Eye Comfort feature that uses AI to detect eye fatigue and automatically adjust the temperature of the phone’s screen. During testing, we found it to be somewhat effective.
The phone features a variable refresh rate, which means it can automatically adjust the refresh rate depending on the content you’re displaying. For example, when you’re scrolling through social media, it will go up to 120Hz for smoother performance, but when you’re reading online, it will go down to 60Hz. The brightness levels on the Realme 13 Pro+ 5G are also excellent. When used outdoors in direct sunlight, the readability of the display was impressive.
Realme has provided a layer of Corning Gorilla Glass 7i with Armor Shield Glass on top to protect the display, and the phone comes with a screen protector out of the box.
Realme 13 Pro+ 5G Performance
The operating system on the Realme 13 Pro+ 5G is Realme UI 5.0 based on the Android 14 operating system. The company also promises to provide two years of software updates and three years of security patches.
The Realme 13 Pro+ 5G does come with some bloatware, but most of it can be uninstalled. The phone’s UI is easy to navigate; I didn’t experience any lag when switching between apps.
The company has added some AI features to the 13 Pro+ 5G, one example being Air Gestures, which works on some supported apps like Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, etc. It also required the camera permission to work. This feature helps you control these supported apps with your palm, but it is unreliable and somewhat unstable.
Another AI feature is the AI Eye Comfort mode, which we covered in the Display section, and others include AI Eraser and AI Ultra Clarity, which we’ll cover in the Camera section.
Now, coming to the performance part, the Realme 13 Pro+ 5G is one of the smoothest performing devices in its price range. It is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 7s Gen 2 4nm chipset, which can handle everyday tasks efficiently. We use a large number of apps on a daily basis, and running apps in the background and switching between them quickly did not affect the phone’s fast response. We did not encounter any issues with the phone heating up during everyday tasks.
The Realme 13 Pro+ 5G handles games well. Games like Candy Crush were fine, while graphic heavy games like BGMI ran mostly on medium settings. We also noticed that the phone got slightly warm during intense gaming sessions. The Realme 13 Pro+ 5G has dual stereo speakers which are loud.
Realme 13 Pro+ 5G Camera
The cameras are the biggest highlight of the Realme 13 Pro+ 5G. The device comes with Sony sensors on both the front and the back. On the front, there is a 32MP Sony IMX 615 camera for selfies. On the back, there is a triple camera setup consisting of a 50MP Sony LYT 701 1/1.56-inch sensor, a 50MP Sony LYT 600 1/1.96-inch sensor, and an 8MP sensor with an ultra-wide-angle lens.
The camera app UI is familiar and easy to navigate, the most commonly used icons are right there on the screen so you don’t have to hunt for them, and the focal lengths range from 0.6 to 6.
The main 50MP Sony LYT 701 is impressive in daytime shots, even if contrast is sometimes lacking. Photos captured are usually rich in detail with good dynamic range. For shooting in dark places, a low light mode is built in. Images captured in low light conditions have ample detail.
The 8MP ultra-wide-angle camera is more than enough to take satisfying images, while the macro mode seems to struggle to focus on objects that are too close to the camera.
The 50MP telephoto sensor captures detailed photos with 3x zoom. Images look good with ample saturation, contrast and color reproduction. The smartphone is capable of up to 120x zoom, but it doesn’t perform that well as the photos are grainy and blurry.
The phone also comes with a portrait mode, and what we loved about it is the gradual blur that makes images look natural and realistic.
The phone reproduces skin tones accurately, but photos tend to be a bit blurry, and selfies taken during the day looked good, but not so good at night or in low light.
Here, we are talking about the AI camera tools on the Realme 13 Pro+ 5G, namely AI Eraser and AI Ultra Clarity, which can be used while editing images. AI Eraser helps you remove unwanted objects from the image you click. Sometimes it is very effective, but sometimes it struggles to remove the object completely. AI Ultra Clarity, on the other hand, enhances your photos by adjusting the contrast and brightness.
Realme 13 Pro+ 5G Battery
Realme ships the 13 Pro+ 5G with a 5,200mAh battery. There’s an 80-watt charger in the box. The battery life on this smartphone is impressive. While most smartphones last a day on a full charge, the average user can easily get over a day and a half. This includes everyday functions like browsing social media, answering calls, video calling, video streaming, listening to music, etc.
It takes about an hour and a few minutes to charge the smartphone to 100%, which is good news for people who are always on the go.
verdict
The Realme 13 Pro+ 5G is a great mix of features and design. Its standout features are its excellent camera performance, excellent AMOLED display, strong battery life, and Monet-inspired design that combine to create a unique look and feel. With AI technology still in its infancy, I think this smartphone does a good job of integrating AI capabilities into the phone.
The Realme 13 Pro+ 5G is available in three models – 8GB+256GB, 12GB+256GB, and 12GB+512GB – priced at Rs 32,999, Rs 34,999, and Rs 36,999 respectively. At this price point, the device offers a good balance of style and performance, and is packed with AI features.
