realme 13 5G Review

This is the realme 13 5G, which is the base model of the realme 13 Series 5G. In comparison to the realme 13 Pro Series 5G that was camera-centric, this line is all about performance.

In other words, this device is slated to be a budget-friendly yet reliable offering under the mid-range segment. After some time with the device, we’re pleased to say that it delivers under the necessary areas.

As the base model, its highlights include a Dimensity 6300 chipset, sizable 5,000mAh battery, and large 6.72-inch display. Before we begin, we have to note that our review unit comes with 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage.

Design and Construction

Admittedly, I wasn’t a fan of the color we got our review unit in. For reference, this is the Speed Green colorway. But to be fair, I appreciated it more up close.

The back panel is made of polycarbonate material and sports a two-tone finish. Around the camera island, users will see flat color. Below it, it seems to give off a marble-like finish. I feel like realme wanted these to be subtle by design, but it doesn’t feel like it worked out.

realme 13+ 5G

Speaking of its cameras, realme kept the watch face-like design yet again. However, I’ve noticed that the sensors are a bit too close to each other compared to the realme 13+ 5G.

It’s a bit of a nitpick, but it just bothered me that much. At the very least, users who get to see both phones can have a point of reference in what’s different.

In terms of feeling, it’s as light as the realme 13 Pro 5G I’ve recently reviewed at 190 grams. However, it is thinner at 7.8mm. It’s good to hold and has the right amount of weight to it.

For I/O, the power switch and the volume rocker can be found on the phone’s right side. Meanwhile, the left side is clean as a whistle.

At the bottom, we have one of two loudspeakers, a USB Type-C port for charging, and a 3.5mm audio port. On top, we have the SIM tray, the microphone, and what I assume is an air vent. I say this, because I found that the other speaker is found in a slit above the front camera.

I’m surprised that this phone uses a 3.5mm audio jack since it was removed from the realme 13 Pro 5G. Well, I guess it’s a big win for people that use wired earphones like myself.

Full disclosure, I’m not a fan of how the back panel’s design turned out to be. However, I do feel like it’s colorway-specific in this case. It doesn’t feel like it lives up to realme’s streak of offerings that make devices feel premium.

I think realme should’ve used a darker hue for the camera enclosure to remedy this color in particular. It just loses out design-wise when compared to its predecessor, the realme 12 5G.

Display, Multimedia, and Biometrics

The phone has a 6.72-inch IPS LCD with FHD+ resolution with a refresh rate that caps at 120Hz. The screen size feels nice, complemented by the high resolution. However, I feel like it’s a bit lacking compared to the realme 13+ 5G’s OLED panel.

To elaborate, it’s not as smooth as I’d imagined it to be. While I understand that it is the base model, my time with both devices made the difference very noticeable.

As for how it did individually, it wasn’t half bad. You wouldn’t mind what I’ve said once you’ve already loaded up a YouTube video or played a game. My gripes were mainly when I noticed the difference upon scrolling and browsing.

Other than that, the screen is alright. From a viewer’s perspective, the benefit of having an IPS panel does lie with color accuracy over vibrance. This was also complemented by dual stereo speakers.

These can be quite loud with its Ultra Volume mode at 200%, but I wouldn’t recommend cranking it that high. From that point, the audio peaks in an unpleasant manner. I do recommend that users stay around 170%-180% max to keep the audio loud, clear, and enjoyable.

For biometrics, the phone offers the usual means for security. This includes a side-mounted fingerprint sensor and facial recognition. There’s also options to use traditional means of security like numeric codes and pattern methods. These worked pretty seamlessly along with the biometrics enrollment process.

Cameras

As a newer model, I find it interesting that the realme 13 5G looks like it had a downgrade for cameras. For context, the realme 12 5G had a dual-rear camera system led by a 108-megapixel main shooter.

The realme 13 5G, however, has a 50-megapixel main camera with OIS paired with a 2-megapixel depth sensor. It also has a 16-megapixel front camera for selfies and such.

A couple of questions here, like why is realme downsizing on sensors? I wouldn’t blame readers for thinking otherwise, since the camera enclosure looks like it has three shooters.

Second, how did the cameras fare? We’ll leave readers with some sample shots below.

The realme 13 5G offers decent performance under the photography department. Color accuracy is evident in well-lit environments. Plus, photos are sharp and complemented by the right amount of saturation and contrast.

It’s even capable of taking decent shots at night. It only loses a bit of detail and gains just a tiny bit of grain. Granted, we probably have AI post-processing to thank for these results. On a side note, I do have to tell readers that the portrait mode is kind of odd.

The portrait mode doesn’t let users zoom in at all. You can only tinker with aperture, retouch, and filters. I’m not sure if this was intended, but I’d appreciate it if I could fix this in a firmware update.

OS, Apps, and UI

The realme 13 5G runs on realme UI 5.0 based on Android 14 out of the box. We’ll update the review once we have details on how long realme is providing operating system support for the device. This includes firmware updates and security patches.

It’s kind of sad that this is a typical thing for realme devices, but it comes with a ton of bloatware. Of course, these are all segmented in different folders for users to do what they will. At the very least, at least there are some useful apps to keep.

Plus, it now has this cool feature that sends you notifications of unwarranted ads periodically now too. Before anyone asks me how that’s even good, it was sarcasm.

For useful features, we have Riding Mode, Air Gestures, and GT Mode. Riding Mode allows users to access app shortcuts while traveling. This includes music players, Google Maps, etc. Just keep in mind, it mutes all sounds except calls.

Next, we have Air Gestures. It works by using the phone’s front camera for switching between videos, answering calls, and even muting them.

There’s also GT Mode, which is essentially a performance hack for your device. Turning this on will enable the device to offer better performance, higher frame rates, and higher graphics resolution. I was surprised this was offered on this device, as I thought it was a flagship feature.

Other than that, native Android users can still find the usual floating windows, split view, and smart sidebar features under settings. As for the interface, it’s your standard Android device as well with nothing too significant to note down.

Performance and Benchmarks

Powering the realme 13 5G is a MediaTek Dimensity 6300 based on 6nm process technology. Graphics-wise, it has an ARM Mali-G57 MP2 GPU.

Again, our review unit came with 12GB of RAM with 256GB of internal storage. However, users may extend memory via virtual RAM by up to 14GB under settings.

The realme 13 5G can handle gaming reliably, and it doesn’t suffer too much from frame drops or performance dips. However, you may feel some heat from the camera enclosure.

It’s nothing too concerning, as the device has a vapor chamber cooling system inside. This might be why the back panel didn’t feel as hot as it should’ve.

I played a ton of games on the device like PUBG Mobile, Mobile Legends (ML), Genshin Impact. Playing ML was significantly smooth, as I was able to play with the highest settings enabled.

For Genshin, which is a more of a resource-heavy game, it did pretty well. I’d recommend users to stick to medium graphics though. If users have the highest graphics settings enabled, there’s a slight dip in frames coming your way.

Personally, I’d recommend this phone for MOBA players. I believe the phone is built for games that need a moderate amount of resources. This includes games like ML, League of Legends: Wild Rift, and Honor of Kings.

As for numbers, we’ll leave the realme 13 5G’s benchmark scores below for those interested.

Battery and Connectivity

This device packs a modest 5,000mAh battery with support for 45W of SUPERVOOC fast charging via USB Type-C. We can attest that the phone is good for multimedia consumption, gaming, and general multitasking between apps.

We took some practical tests with the realme 13 5G, which include mixed usage variables. In PCMark’s Work 3.0 Battery test, our review unit was able to provide 18 hours and 2 minutes of activity. This was conducted with 50% brightness, muted volume, and in airplane mode.

In our video loop test, the phone provided 24 hours and 4 minutes of media playback. For this test, we played a full HD movie with the same variables mentioned above.

With the nature of the device based on performance, we found it fitting to take a gaming test as well. The phone was able to provide us with 14 hours and 17 minutes of gameplay. The test was done with brightness and volume set to 50% over a Wi-Fi connection.

In terms of charging speed, the phone can power up from empty to full in 1 hour and 15 minutes. We conducted the test using the 45W charging brick that comes with the device.

Connectivity options include 5G, Wi-Fi 5, and Bluetooth 5.3. The call and network quality on the device was fine, with nothing much to write home about here.

Pricing and Conclusion

At the start of the article, I noted that this phone does deliver under the necessary areas. That being said, I’m sure that its reliable performance is a surefire advantage for the realme 13 5G.

Other than that, the phone also excels with its great battery life. It’s rated for an entire day’s usage, going through different tests with consistent results. However, it does have contentious points under its display, design, and software.

I want to say that the pros outweigh the cons, but honestly, it evens out. Then again, things I didn’t like about the device are subjective.

All I can say is, if you’re interested, then you’ll get a reliable daily driver for sure. My gripes lie with inconsistencies in display, bloatware plus ads, and a bit of lag during browsing.

Take what you need from my observations and run with it! If you’re sold, the realme 13 5G has a suggested retail price of PHP 16,999USD 290INR 24,557EUR 276CNY 2,110 with 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage. Readers can get it at PHP 1,400USD 24INR 2,022EUR 23CNY 174 off at realme’s official TikTok shop here for those interested.

What we liked:
Display (color accuracy, resolution)
Performance + GT Mode
Battery Life

What we didn’t like:
Design (probably a colorway issue)
Display (scroll lag)
Bloatware + ads

realme 13 5G specs:
6.72-inch FHD+ (2400 x 1080) IPS LCD @ 392 ppi
120Hz adaptive refresh rate
MediaTek Dimensity 6300 (6nm)
2x Cortex-A76 (2.4GHz)
6x Cortex-A55 (2.0GHz)
ARM Mali-G57 MP2 GPU
12GB RAM
256GB internal storage
microSD card support (hybrid slot)
50MP main camera (f/1.8, 26mm), PDAF, OIS
2MP depth sensor
16MP front camera (f/2.5, 24mm)
Dual stereo speakers
3.5mm audio port
Dual nano-SIM
5G
Wi-Fi 5
Bluetooth 5.3
GPS
USB Type-C
Fingerprint sensor (side-mounted)
Face unlock
realme UI 5.0 (Android 14)
5,000mAh battery
45W SUPERVOOC fast charging (wired)
IP64 rating for dust and splash resistance
165.6 x 76.1 x 7.8mm (dimensions)
190 grams (weight)
Speed Green, Dark Purple (colors)