Redmi 13C 5G Review: Budget's New Best Friend?

New Delhi: Xiaomi has expanded its budget smartphone portfolio with the launch of the Redmi 13C and its 5G variant, the Redmi 13C 5G. The Redmi 13C is priced at Rs. 8,999, while the 5G variant comes at Rs. 10,999. However, an introductory card offer of Rs. 1,000 effectively brings the prices down to Rs. 7,999 for the Redmi 13C and Rs. 9,999 for the 13C 5G.

Design and Build Quality: At first glance, the Redmi 13C 5G offers a visually appealing design and is available in black, white and green variants. While the overall build quality is good, the phone feels a bit large in the hand, and may not suit those looking for a more compact device. The plastic back panel gets a glossy finish that reveals different patterns when tilted at different angles. Sometimes you'll see a stardust pattern, like sparkles, and sometimes horizontal and diagonal lines, under varying light conditions. It's a nice gimmick and the phone looks good. Despite being a budget device, it feels robust in hand, contrasting with rival models in the same price range that tend to feel more fragile. Weighing 192 grams while housing a 5000mAh battery, the 13C 5G is comparably lighter than some offerings from brands like Lava and Samsung.

Display: The Redmi 13C 5G sports a 6.74-inch HD+ display with a 90Hz refresh rate. The screen is bordered by thick bezels and features a notch at the top, which gives it a somewhat dated look compared to newer punch-hole designs. The brightness level is adequate at 450 nits, peaking at 600 nits. While the screen isn’t exceptionally sharp, it suffices for everyday use. The colour reproduction is balanced, and there are no issues of oversaturation or fading of colours. Moreover, the presence of Gorilla Glass offers durability. The phone comes with widevine L1 compatibility and supports video playback at 1440p on YouTube, providing a decent viewing experience at budget.

Performance: Under the hood, the Redmi 13C 5G houses a MediaTek Dimensity 6100+ chipset, which we have previously seen in the more expensive Realme 11x. The phone handles regular tasks and light gaming without any noticeable lag or stuttering. The user interface is also smooth and responsive. You can do light gaming on this phone without any issues. However, for more demanding games like BGMI, you won’t get much immersive experience. You can only play BGMI at 40fps. The base variant has 4GB RAM and 128GB storage, priced at Rs. 11,000. The 6GB and 128GB storage variant is priced at Rs. 12,499, and the 8GB and 256GB variant at Rs. 14,499. The good thing is that you getUFS 2.2 storage and not the slower eMMC type. There's a side-mounted fingerprint scanner which works accurately. The handset runs on Android 13 with MIUI 14 on top, but it's loaded with a significant amount of bloatware.

Camera: The dual-camera setup of the Redmi 13C 5G includes a primary 50MP camera. The secondary camera seems to be more about addition to spec sheet rather than enhancing photo quality. In daylight, the primary camera captures good photos for its price range, though sometimes the colours can appear slightly oversaturated with a warm tone. The 5MP selfie camera is also decent.

Battery: The Redmi 13C 5G houses a 5000mAh battery which is typical for phones in this segment. The handset provides a day's worth of use on a single charge. While it supports 18W fast charging, it’s somewhat disappointing that only a 10W charger is included in the box. Charging times are therefore longer than ideal, taking more than two hours for a full charge. This approach of providing slower chargers or none at all seems to be a growing trend among smartphone manufacturers as a cost-saving measure.

Verdict: Overall, the Xiaomi Redmi 13C 5G presents itself as a balanced budget 5G smartphone. Its build quality, performance, and battery life are good for its price, though it doesn't push any boundaries in terms of display sharpness or camera capabilities. For those prioritising budget and basic 5G functionality, it's a decent option to consider.