realme likes to tout their phones as segment killers, and the new realme 13 Pro+ is no exception. At first glance, it's a pretty phone that looks very similar to the realme 12 series, but it doesn't escape the AI bandwagon. From automatic camera settings to optimized battery life, realme has included a good amount of AI integration and smart hardware upgrades that make it a pretty impressive phone at its price.
Editor
Jennifer chevron_right
Table of Contents
Design & Build
The realme 13 Pro+ offers a premium design that immediately feels high-end when you hold it. Our review unit was in the striking Monet Gold, which I found myself immediately in love with. The back design is pretty minimalistic, with only a simple "realme" branding and the large, circular camera module with three cameras and a flashlight arranged symmetrically inside.
The realme 13 Pro+ is rated IP65, which means it is dust and water-resistant but not submersion-proof. That's pretty good enough for a mid-range smartphone, for what it's worth, so I'd say it strikes a lovely balance between design and durability.
Display
The realme 13 Pro+ sports a 6.7" AMOLED LTPS display with a 120Hz refresh rate that makes everything feel smooth. With a peak brightness of 2,000 nits, outdoor visibility was excellent, even under bright sunlight. The display is also capable of 10-bit colour, so everything looks vibrant and rich.
General scrolling and usage on the smartphone feel smooth and responsive. One thing I didn't like about the display, though, is that it is curved. Then again, this is rather subjective to the user—a curved screen means almost invisible bezels for a more immersive screen, but also rather prone to mistouches and screen protector bubbling.
Camera
Here’s where the realme 13 Pro+ truly shines. Its camera setup features a 50MP main Sony LYT 701 sensor, a 50MP telephoto Sony LYT 600 sensor with 3x optical zoom, and an 8MP ultra-wide sensor. The camera zooms up to 120x, which is great for concerts (we brought it to LANY!).
However, the quality of images shot in 120x is... well... not that great. I will say that the realme 13 Pro+ performs pretty great up until 30x. Anything after that is grainy at best and sometimes even indistinguishable, which we were pretty bummed about actually. Check out some of the photos we took at LANY's concert last weekend!
That said, the daylight shots with the main sensor are outstanding, with excellent colour reproduction and dynamic range. Even in low-light conditions, the AI Ultra Clarity feature helped reduce noise and enhance detail, though zooming in too much, once again, did introduce some graininess. The ultra-wide lens is decent for landscapes but struggles a bit in low light.
Performance & Battery
Powered by the Snapdragon 7s Gen 2 processor, the realme 13 Pro+ delivers smooth performance in everyday tasks. It’s not the most powerful device for heavy gaming. I found that it managed most games well at medium settings but struggled a bit with graphically demanding games at higher settings.
Running Android 14 with Realme UI 5.0, the phone promises two years of software updates and three years of security patches, which is reassuring for long-term use. The UI is clean and mostly free from bloatware, though a few pre-installed apps like Facebook and Snapchat are present. I found AI features like AI Eraser and AI Group Photo Enhance particularly useful for improving photos(
On the battery front, the realme 13 Pro+ packs a 5,200mAh battery, which easily lasted me through a day of regular use. The included 80W SuperVOOC charger is also a huge plus, allowing the phone to go from 0% to 100% in just over an hour. While it lacks wireless charging, the fast wired charging more than compensates for it(
Verdict
The realme 13 Pro+ is an excellent mid-range smartphone, particularly if you prioritize photography. Its camera system offers pretty great result, though the 120x zoom may not be as impressive as realme claims it can be. While it may not be a powerhouse for gaming, it handles daily tasks well and offers good battery life. If you’re looking for a camera-centric phone with a premium design, the realme 13 Pro+ is a solid option at a competitive price.