Realme is often identified with affordable yet capable Android smartphones, with its bread and butter being the Number Series. The brand’s latest “flagship” midrange handset is the Realme 13 Pro Plus, which has hopped aboard the artificial intelligence bandwagon.
Place the 13 Pro Plus beside its predecessor and it can be difficult to tell them apart. The glass back with sandblast finish is a hit-or-miss affair since, despite looking classier than plastic, you would waste time wiping fingerprints off it.
Look closely under the glass and you can see a very subtle pattern that Realme’s marketing department claims to be inspired by Claude Monet’s masterpieces. An aesthete might beg to differ here.
With Emerald Green, Monet Gold, and Monet Purple shades to choose from, those who are clumsy might want to settle for the green since it comes with a vegan leather back in lieu of glass panels, making it feel far more secure in your hands.
The glossy, plastic frame of the handset betrays the sense of sophistication Realme tries to portray. If your palms sweat profusely, it is going to be rather slippery gripping the handset.
Also, the curved edges will chafe against your fingers if a protective case is not used. Thankfully, Realme includes a basic protective case with the handset.
You get a USB type-C port at the bottom edge, while the presence of hi-res stereo speakers – positioned at the top and bottom – delivers a passable audio experience. For security, there’s a functional in-display fingerprint scanner. The power button and volume rocker are positioned along the right edge.
The IP65 dust- and water-resistance rating allows it to be immersed in up to 5cm of water for an hour without suffering any damage. This means you can use the 13 Pro Plus in a light drizzle, or get it drenched in sweat as you run.
Display and cameras
The display hardware is very similar to the Realme 12 Pro+, with some improvements in the brightness department. The 6.7-inch (17cm) Amoled display boasts 2,000 nits peak brightness, FHD+ resolution, and up to 120Hz refresh rate, making it easy to view content under direct sunlight.
Widevine L1 certification enables you to enjoy video streaming in Full High Definition resolution. HDR support is missing here – though when you consume movies on a screen this small, the drop in picture quality is probably negligible.
The circular camera module clearly announces the presence of AI, with the Hyperimage+ logo featuring a dual-tone finish. As with all other smartphones these days, the circular camera bump behind makes it impossible to lie the handset completely flat on the table.
While there may be concerns that the glass protecting the lenses might get scratched too easily, using the included protective case should allay any fears.
Sporting a 50MP Sony LYT 701 primary camera and a 50MP Sony LYT600 periscope telephoto shooter (with 3x optical zoom), there is a greater degree of versatility in composing and snapping photos. Under direct sunlight, most of the shots are impressive. However, the 8MP ultrawide camera and slow processing performance may prove to be spotty.
Realme’s Hyperimage+ tends to increase the saturation above expectations when taking photos. The act of boosting clarity and dynamic range also reduces the photo-processing speed tremendously.
As for the ultrawide camera, it is functional at best. Daytime photos are good enough for social media, though it is best you avoid low-light conditions. The night mode does improve the situation somewhat, albeit it requires more time to process each shot.
Portrait shots are impressive as edge detection works correctly most of the time to provide a decent headshot with adequate bokeh. As for the 32MP selfie punch-hole camera located smack in the middle of the top of the display, it is good enough for all your selfie needs.
Processor & software
The Snapdragon 7s Gen 2 SoC powering the handset is good enough for everyday tasks without any lag, photo processing and gaming aside. That said, don’t expect mind-blowing performance.
Modern games will run well on the 13 Pro Plus, but you should expect to play them with medium graphical settings. Armed with up to 12GB RAM and 512GB storage, there is no need for a memory card.
The device comes with Android 14 right out of the box and will likely feature two years of Android upgrades and three years of security patches. Do note that you will spend a fair amount of time ridding the handset of bloatware during the setup process, which is a shame.
A beefier 5,200mAh battery powers the handset and features 80W SuperVOOC Charge, requiring under 50 minutes to fully power up the handset from empty. Realme includes a charger and a cable in the box.
So, what about the AI? It is all cosmetics, really. Apart from the photo-enhancing features, you get AI Smart Removal, which is Realme’s take on Google’s Magic Eraser. But no, there is no smart personal assistant or AI chatbot to play with here.
The bottom line
Really, Realme could have done better with this model. The RM2,299 price tag does not justify the amount of bloatware, shorter duration of software updates and security patches, middling camera performance, and the lack of practical AI features.
For a superior alternative in this price segment, you could opt for the OnePlus Nord 4 or the Nothing Phone 2(a) Plus instead.
The Realme 13 Pro Plus will be released in Malaysia tomorrow.
Edwin Kee dreamt of being a pro-gamer only to have circumstances mould him into a programmer in a past life. He has since moved on to write about consumer electronics and other topics. Read more articles by Edwin here.