Realme 13 Pro+: Camera at the height of high class

I have been testing the Realme 13 Pro+ for a few weeks, a premium mid-range smartphone that stands out for its triple-camera system, two of which have 50-megapixel Sony lenses, and a rather attractive design that makes it stand out in the segment. And if we recently told you how the Realme GT6 became one of the best options of 2024 and a solid competitor for the top models of the year, the Realme 13 Pro+ remains in this lineup, offering photographic capabilities that surpass some high-end options in an extremely competitive price range.

Realme 13 Pro+: Features and Specifications

Realme 13 Pro+: Screen and Design

I’m a fan of curved edges, so I really like the display on the Realme 13 Pro+. The bezels are quite thin, so the surface feels very well used to achieve a diagonal of 6.7 inches. The AMOLED panel technology, as well as the actual maximum brightness of 1200 nits, make it much easier on the eyes. However, I missed some of the display options I’ve seen on other phones, particularly the black and white display option, as if it were a Kindle, which is very useful for reading before bed.

Overall, though, I find the Realme 13 Pro+ display to be quite decent. Any social media content and even your favorite streaming apps will look fantastic.

In terms of design, you can see Realme’s desire to offer an unusual design. The design is inspired by the impressionist artist Claude Monet, and let’s just say the models are notable for the choice of colors it comes in: gold and emerald green. On the back, you’ll notice a leather-like finish on the back, which only adds to the feeling that you’re looking at an expensive phone. Definitely, the icing on the cake would be an aluminum frame, which I hope to see on its successor.

In addition, the Realme 13 Pro+ is IP65 certified and has Gorilla Glass 7i. And yes, I have dropped it hard already and I can say that it holds up quite well, with only a small crack on one of the edges.

Realme 13 Pro+: Camera at the height of high class

The main attraction of the Realme 13 Pro+ is the triple camera system, consisting of a Sony LYT-701 main lens, a LYT-600 telephoto lens, and a wide-angle lens. As for the main camera, the first thing that stands out is that it is really fast, I shot several times, thinking that the result would come out with some person or car, slightly swept away, but the shooting speed simply surprised me, and I did not activate the action mode, which configures the camera for fast shooting. In addition to the speed, you will notice that the photos are quite clear, with a good level of detail and quite reliable in night mode.

What I definitely liked most was the 50MP telephoto lens, which offers 3x optical zoom, 6x hybrid zoom, and a stunning 120x digital zoom. While it’s obvious that images will look pretty pixelated at this zoom level, at 60x I found the results to be quite useful.

In this gallery I show you images of the famous Morisco Kiosk in Mexico City taken with a wide angle prime lens at 3x, 6x, 10x, 15x, 30x, 60x and 120x magnification.

Now let’s look at the result of 3x optical and 6x hybrid zoom compared to 3x optical and 6x hybrid zoom. iPhone 14 Pro 3x optical and 6x digital zoom.

As you can see, the Realme 13 Pro+ definitely captures more detail. Perhaps my only complaint is that the colors look a little oversaturated. However, in the photo of the church dome, I noticed that the Realme 13 Pro+ captures the colors of stained glass, while the iPhone 14 Pro shows them as if they were dark glass.

As for the video, I see footage with a good level of detail, although with some stabilization issues that result in jumps in the image. On the other hand, I will note that switching lenses during video recording is natural, without the abrupt image cuts that occur with other phones in the line. However, keep in mind that one of the most important limitations is that you can only record in 4K at 30 fps with both the main and selfie cameras.

Realme 13 Pro+: Battery and Performance

The Realme 13 Pro+ has a 5,200mAh battery, which is slightly higher than the 5,000mAh standard for high-end and mid-range models, and it comes with 80W fast charging. In my tests, I went from 10% to 90% in 40 minutes, and Realme claims to charge to 100% in 49 minutes, so this is definitely not a gimmick. Incidentally, the included charger puts out the 80W needed to get the most out of fast charging.

In terms of processing, this is perhaps where Realme has compromised to offer a highly competitive handset. The chipset of choice is the Snapdragon 7s Gen 2, which while it is quite capable of handling almost all types of tasks, video editing or graphically demanding video games, you will end up with thermal throttling (performance drop to keep the phone at an optimal temperature) This is not an aspect that will bother most users, but if you are looking for performance, you are better off going with the Realme GT6.

Realme 13 Pro+: Very balanced photography

After using the Realme 13 Pro+ for a couple of weeks, I can say that anyone looking for the best photography experience in its price range will be more than satisfied. In terms of photography, it is on par with some of the top models of 2023, or even more affordable ones, which even in 2024 you will find at a higher price than the Realme Pro 13+.

I suggest going for the 512GB model as it is very competitively priced and will give you virtually unlimited storage for all your photos and videos.