Xiaomi Redmi 13C (23100RN82L) Review, Price And Specifications.
Display: 6.74" HD+ (1600×720) 90Hz IPS-LCD U-notched Display.
Software: Android 13 OS, Redmi MIUI 14 Skin.
CPU: Helio G85 (12nm).
RAM: 4GB/6GB/8GB (And up to 3GB of Virtual RAM).
Storage: 128GB/256GB (Expandable to 1TB).
Rear Camera: Triple-lens (50MP+2MP+AI.
Front Camera: Single-lens (8MP).
Security: Face Unlock, Side-mounted fingerprint reader.
Port: USB Type-C
Speaker: Single
Network: 4G/LTE.
Battery: 5,000mAh.
Fast Charging: 18W (Wired).
Starting Price:
₦130,000, GH₵ 1,600.00, KSh 13,198, UGX 450,00, $123.80.
Although Xiaomi Redmi 13C (23100RN82L) packs almost the same specs as the competitions, it has a better build quality and its display looks more prettier. Photos taken with the phone also look slightly better, especially in term of colour representation. Also unlike the contenders, Redmi 13C comes with an assurance of OS updates.
Nonetheless, Redmi 13C features the same previous Android OS as the contenders. And the phone's performance is also similar. This is as a result of the fact that Redmi 13C is fitted with the same CPU and has the same amount of RAM as the competitions.
By the way, Redmi 13C wears a more premium looks and has a better build quality than the Xiaomi Redmi 12C. The latest phone also includes fast charging, USB Type-C port, and a side-mounted fingerprint reader. The phone also offers an higher megapixel front-facing camera, and its base model is equipped with an higher RAM and twice storage capacity.
However, the latest phone retain the earlier model's CPU, rear camera setup and battery capacity. In short, all the rest of the Redmi 13C features remain as those of the Redmi 12C.
Price And Colour Design:
Xiaomi Redmi 13C sports a nice looking frosty matte finish. And the phone is available in four colour options of Midnight Black, Navy Blue, Glacier White, and Clover Green.. Currently, the price of the base model of the 13C is about 130,000 Naira.
The Contenders:
At a slightly higher price, the Tecno Spark 20 offers an higher megapixel front-facing camera and stereo speakers. The phone also comes with fast charger (unlike the 13C that has a standard charger). The TPU case and earphone are also found inside the box of the Spark 20. But the Tecno phone is slightly smaller and its display is not as pretty as the one on the 13C. Also, Spark 20 doesn't have the build quality nor Corning Gorilla Glass protection of the 13C. Even, despite that the Tecno phone also features the same CPU, Android OS, and amount of RAM as the 13C, there's no promise of OS updates for the phone. Notwithstanding, the rest of the features of the Spark 20 remain as those of the Redmi 13C.
Another contenders is the Infinix Hot 40i. Yet like the Spark 20, Hot 40i attract a little higher price than the 13C. The Infinix phone also comes in size of the Tecno phone, and it features the same megapixel front-facing camera. However, the Infinix phone lacks stereo speakers. And it's also fitted with a less beefier CPU than both of the the Tecno Spark 20 and Redmi 13C.
At a similar price, Samsung Galaxy A05 shares almost everything with the Redmi 13C. And it's almost as big. The build quality of the Galaxy A05 is also similar to that of the 13C, but there is no Corning Gorilla Glass on the front of the Samsung phone.
Yet, like the Redmi 13C, Galaxy A05 comes with an assurance of OS updates. However, unlike the Tecno and Infinix phones, A05 doesn't come with complete accessories in its box. Even, unlike the 13C that offers charger, Galaxy A05 only comes with Type-C to Type-C cable in its box.
DESIGN: Premium Looks And Good Build Quality:
As i mentioned earlier, and compared to the unexciting looks of the Redmi 12C, Redmi 13C sports a more appealing design. And it also feels (at hand) more premium.
In details, compared to the curved edges and curved back cover of the Redmi 12C, the latest phone has flat edges and flat back cover. The tear-drop notch on the earlier phone's display has also been replaced with a U-shape notch. Redmi 13C also sports a more stylish camera module. As i also mentioned before, the rear mounted fingerprint reader on the earlier model has been replaced with a side-mounted one. The front of the Redmi 13 is also protected with Corning Gorilla Glass; which was missing on the earlier model. In summary, Redmi 13C looks more premium and has better build quality than the 12C.
Nonetheless. the latest phone retain virtually other physical attributes of the 12C. And it's almost the same size. The 6.74-inch screen of the Redmi 13C is just hair's bigger than the 6.71-inch screen of the Redmi 12C. And they have the same aspect ratio. Also, except for the fact that the microUSB port on the earlier phone's has been replaced with a USB Type-C port, other ports and connections remain as those of the 12C.
The 3.5mm audio jack is still on the top edge, while the USB Type-C port, microphone and single speaker are also found on the on the bottom edge of the new phone. As usual, the volume keys and power button (which now doubles as a fingerprint reader) are located on the right edge. The phone's 3-in-1 4G dual nano-SIM+microSD card slot (and tray) is located on the left edge.
By the way, all the previously mentioned contenders have similar flat attributes as the 13C. Even the front of the Spark 20 and Hot 40i look more sleeker because they feature hole-punch cameras (compared to the U-shape notch on the 13C). Still, as opposed to the iPhone style camera modules on the two phones and few of other budget phones, it's refreshing to see a different looking camera module on the 13C.
Meanwhile, as i mentioned earlier, Redmi 13C comes with a standard (or 10W) charger in the box, though the phone support fast charging as the contenders. Also, TPU casing and earphone are not included in the box of this Redmi phone.
Nice Looking Photos:
Although Xiaomi Redmi 13C maintain the 50-megapixel dual back camera of the Redmi 12C, but the earlier phone 5-megapixel selfie lens has been upgraded to an 8-megapixel lens on the 13C. As a result, 13C was a able to take clearer and better looking selfies than the 12C. But the shots from the rear camera of the latest phone look almost the same as the ones taken with the earlier model.
And compared the camera system to those of the contenders. Firstly, the 50-megapixel dual back camera and an 8-megapixel front-facing camera are also what you get on the Galaxy A05. However, both of the Spark 20 and Hot 40i offer a much higher, 32-megapixel front-facing cameras. Still they both have 50-megapixel rear cameras like the 13C and A05.
Talking about the photos qualities, At a glance, photos taken with the rear camera of the 13C look like the ones from the competing phones. Which as a result of their identical rear camera sensors. But on a closer look, i started noticing the differences.
Firstly, photos taken with the Redmi rear camera has better contrast. Which makes the photos to appear a little clearer and a little more detail than the ones from with the Spark 20 and Infinix Hot 40i. I also noticed that the shots from the Galaxy A05 also have this quality too.
But where the 13C slightly outshines the contenders is in the aspect of colour representation. The colour of the shots taken with the phone are a little more true to life, when compared to the ones taken with other three. Though, sometimes, photos from the 13C lack vibrancy (or brightness) of the ones taken with the competitions. Also sometimes, photos appear to have a tinge of warm or brownish tone. Nonetheless, colours look more better and they are moderately saturated, compared to the ones from the main contenders.
But, when it comes to HDR shots, both of the Spark 20 and Hot 40i did a better job than the 13C. The Portrait shots (background blurring shots) from the two phones also look more better. Also, as result of their low contrast (but good brightness) level, the low-light shots from the Infinix and Tecno phones appear clearer or brighter.
It should be noted that the Galaxy A05 also couldn't keep up with the Spark 20 and Hot 40i when it comes to Portrait and HDR shots. But, like the ones taken with Redmi 13C, the shots from the Samsung also have better colour representation. Though the colour are little less on point, compared to the 13C.
Like the shots from its rear camera, selfies taken with the front-facing camera of the Redmi 13C also have better colour representation and a more accurate skin tone than the ones from the three competing phones. However, as a result of their higher megapixel selfie lenses, selfies from the Spark 20 and Hot 40i are more sharper and detailed. These two phones also have better Portrait and HDR selfies. Although selfies from the Samsung phone put up a fight, but they are affected by inconsistency and purplish (or warm) tinge.
In summary, what distinguish the photos taken with the Redmi 13C, compared to those of the competitions, are their slightly better colour rendition and vividness.
Meanwhile, both the front and rear cameras of Redmi 13C can shoot videos up to 1080p at 30fps (frame per second). There's no Video Stabilization. It should be noted that out of all the four competing phones, it's only Spark 20 that can shoot videos up to 2K. But it also has no Video Stabilization.
Big And Nice Looking 90Hz Display:
Apart from the fact that the screen of the Redmi 13C is one of the biggest in this segment, it's also one of the nicest looking.
Though at this price point, you don't get AMOLED panel or 1080p resolution. In other words, the 6.74-inch screen of the Redmi 13C has an IPS-LCD panel and it features a 720p resolution of 1650-by-720 pixels. But apart from the fact that the screen is bigger than the 6.6-inch display that accompanies both of the Spark 20 and Hot 40i, it also has better picture qualities.
Firstly, the colour reproduction of the Redmi screen is more better than those of the two competing phones. In other words, the colours are slightly more richer and appear more accurate. The white balance also look better and the usual bluish tinge is minimal. As a result, the screen is easier on the eyes, even with Eye Care mode off.
Also, despite that the screen is not the brightest around, it's brighter and has better contrast than the ones on the two phones. As a result, it is more vibrant or a little easier to see under direct sunlight. Furthermore, like the ones on the contenders, the screen of the Redmi 13C also support 90Hz (or high) refresh rate; for smoother page scrolling, swiping and gaming.
By the way, apart from having almost the same size as that of the Redmi 13C, the screen of the Samsung Galaxy A05 has almost the same picture quality.
Similar Processing Power:
Xiaomi Redmi 13C retain the Helio G85 MediaTek CPU of the Redmi 12C. The CPU is also what you get on the competing phones, save for the Hot 40i; which has a little less beefier Unisoc T616 CPU.
And despite that Redmi 13C features the same CPU as the Redmi 12C, the 3GB of RAM and 64GB inbuilt storage of the earlier phone's base model have been increased to 4GB of RAM and 128GB storage, respectively, on the 13C.
Still, this is exact amount of RAM and storage capacity that you also get on the base models of the competitions. Also like the competitions, Redmi 13C is also available in higher RAM and higher storage configuration of 6GB/128GB and 8GB/256GB.
Out of the box, Redmi 13C is pre-installed with the latest version of Redmi MIUI, i.e, MIUI 14.0.5. And it's running the custom UI on top of the Android 13 OS. There's an assurance of up to two years of OS updates for the 13C. The same Android 13 powered Galaxy A05 also comes with an assurance of OS updates. But, as i said earlier, there's no promise of OS update for the Spark 20 and Hot 40i, despite that they also features Android 13 OS. Though Spark 20 is likely to get Android 14 update.
Talking about the Redmi 13C performance. The Helio G85 processor that powered this phone is an entry-level gaming chipset. Which implies that Redmi 13C packs more than enough power to handle day to day usage, regular tasks and basic games. In defense of that, Redmi 13C handled multitasking, internet browsing, and video streaming without lagging or hiccups. But the phone reveals it weakness when it comes to graphics demanding games. Though, the phone managed to play most of these games smoothly, but it played them at Lower (or Medium) Graphics settings and Medium Frame rates.
Meanwhile, and basically, the performance of the Redmi 13C is similar to those of the Spark 20 and Galaxy A05. Which is as a result of the same CPU. Surprisingly, Spark 20 was able to multitasks, and move in-between Apps, a little faster than both of the Redmi 13C and Galaxy A05. And i think the slightly faster and smoother performance of the Tecno phone is a result of its highly optimized HiOS Custom UI. Notwithstanding, if you don't really have the privilege of comparing them or pushing them beyond average or regular tasks, you can't really notice the difference between the performances of the Spark 20 and those of the other two phones.
Same Battery Capacity But Fast Charging:
Though Redmi 13C features the same 5000mAh battery as the Redmi 12C, but compared to the standard 10W charging of the earlier phone, Redmi 13C support an 18W fast charging. 18W fast charging is also what you get on both of the Tecno Spark 20 and Infinix Hot 40i. But Samsung Galaxy A05 offers an higher 25W fast charging.
But despite supporting fast charging, Redmi 13C has standard 10W charger its box. So, if you want to experience the fast charging of the Redmi 3C, you need to buy a supportive 18W fast charger.
By the way, with the phone's out of the box 10W charger, it'll take abou two hours fifty minutes to fully charge the 13C battery from zero to hundred percent.
Full Specifications Of The Xiaomi Redmi 13C (23100RN8L):
GENERAL
Maker: Xiaomi Redmi.
Name: 13C (23100RN82L).
Year Released: November, 2023.
Dimensions: 168x78x8.1mm
Weight: 192g.
IP Rating: N/a.
Colour: Midnight Black, Navy Blue, Glacier White, & Clover Green.
DISPLAY
Screen Type: IPS-LCD Capacitive Touchscreen.
Size and Resolution: 6.74-inch, HD+, 1600-by-720 pixels, 90Hz (high) Refresh Rate.
Aspect ratio & Pixel Densities: 20:9, 260PPI.
Protection: Corning Gorilla Glass 3.
PORTS:
3.5mm Audio Jack: Yes.
USB Type-C Port: Yes.
MicroUSB port: No.
Lightning Connector: No.
Google Assistant Button: No.
IRS Blaster: No.
PERFORMANCE
Operating System: Android 14 (Go Edition), MIUI 14 Custom UI.
Chipset: MediaTek Helio G85, 12nm Octa-Core Processor, 2.2GHz.
GPU: PowerVR GE8320.
RAM: 4GB/6GB/8GB (And up to 4GB of Virtual RAM).
STORAGE
Internal Storage: 128GB/256GB.
Micro-SD card slot: Yes, up to 1TB (One Terabyte).
SIM AND NETWORK
SIM: Nano, Dual SIM slots.
Network: GSM, HSPA+, & LTE.
CAMERA
Rear camera: Triple-lens; 50MP +2MP+AI, Dual-Flash.
Front camera: Single-lens, 8MP, Front Flash.
VIDEO RECORDING:
Rear Cameras: 720p, 1080p @ 30 fps.
Front Camera: 720p, 1080p @ 30 fps.
CONNECTIVITY:
Wi-Fi 4, Bluetooth 5.3, HotSpots, USB-OTG.
BIOMETRIC, SENSORS & LOCATION:
Security: Face Unlock, Side-mounted fingerprint reader.
Sensors: Ambient light, Virtual Proximity, G-sensor, Accelerometer And
Barometer.
Others: GPS, Location (Geo, Glonass), Beidou.
BATTERY
Capacity: 5,000mAh.
Qi Wireless-Charging: N/a.
Fast Charging: 18W (Wired).
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