realme 13+ 5G Full Review – A Solid Gaming Smartphone Under Php 20K
We recently released a review of the realme 13+ 5G for its gaming capabilities. This time it is now officially announced in the Philippine market and we are now able to share its full review. What improvements they made for the realme 13+ 5G let’s find out in this full review.
Table of Contents
realme 13+ 5G Specifications
| OS: | Android 14, realme UI 5.0 |
|---|---|
| Processor: | MediaTek Dimensity 7300 Energy |
| Display: | 6.7″ 120Hz HDR10+ AMOLED |
| Wireless Connections: | 5G, Bluetooth 5.4, Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6, dual-band, GPS, GLONASS, GALILEO, BDS, QZSS, BDS |
| Memory: | 12GB, 256GB |
| Connectors: | USB Type-C 2.0 , OTG |
| Cameras: | Rear Camera: (Main) 50 MP, f/1.8 (Macro) 2 MP, f/2.4 Front Camera: 16 MP, f/2.4 |
| SIM Card Slots: | Dual SIM (Nano-SIM, dual stand-by) Shared microSD card slot |
| Battery: | 5000mAh 80W wired |
| Price: | 12GB, 256GB: Php 19,999 |
The Design
In my opinion, the design of the realme 13+ 5G is a downgrade compared to the previous realme 12+ 5G. However, the feel in the hand is quite improved, with a slight curve on the edges of the phone. The design of the back panel of the realme 13+ 5G aims to capture the lightning quickness of a racing car, reflecting a sense of ultra-speed.
The color we received is Dark Purple, which I prefer over the typical black color found on other phones. There is also a Victory Gold color model available.
As for the ports and buttons, they remain the same as in the previous model, with the power button and volume rocker located on the right side. Located below are the speaker grill, USB Type-C port, microphone hole, and a SIM tray slot, which still supports a microSD card slot for expanded storage shared with the second SIM card slot. On the top of the phone, you will find the audio jack port, which I really hope will be retained throughout all price ranges.
realme also boasts its dust and water resistance, now rated at IP65, offering better protection for your smartphone.
The Display and Speakers
The display of the realme 13+ 5G remains unchanged, featuring a 6.67-inch 120Hz HD10+ AMOLED display with a resolution of 1080 x 2400 pixels. It offers a typical brightness of 600 nits and a peak brightness of 2000 nits.
There is no difference in display quality compared to the previous generation; it still delivers rich colors and inky blacks.
For audio, the device is equipped with stereo speakers that provide loud and clear sound quality. This makes it great for enjoying music or immersing yourself in the games you are playing. Additionally, there is a headphone jack available, which is a valuable feature for this unit.
The Performance
If you have read our review of the realme 13+ 5G gaming performance, you will understand how far it has come compared to its previous generation. The realme 13+ 5G is equipped with a MediaTek Dimensity 7300 Energy, a 5G processor built on a 4nm architecture. According to the MediaTek website, it offers 25% higher performance than its predecessor, along with up to 30% increased energy efficiency.
Paired with a substantial 12GB of RAM, which can be expanded by an additional 14GB for a total of 26GB, the device ensures smooth multitasking. For storage, it features 256GB with UFS 3, resulting in excellent performance in our AnTuTu storage benchmark test. You will experience a snappy and fast performance when opening apps and loading games.
Regarding cooling, the realme 13+ 5G utilizes a vapor chamber cooling system, making it suitable for long gaming sessions. While some games may cause the phone to heat up, it remains playable; for example, Genshin Impact can be played for a few minutes on medium-quality settings before it becomes barely manageable. Even when it gets warm to the touch, it can still maintain decent framerates.
Here are the results of the benchmarks we conducted on the realme 13+ 5G:
Upon booting up the realme 13+ 5G, you will be greeted by realme UI 5.0, which is based on Android 14. While there are numerous pre-installed bloatware apps, they can easily be uninstalled if you don’t use them. Navigating and opening apps is snappy, and we did not encounter any issues while reviewing this phone.
For its gaming capabilities, we have already published a full article on this topic, which you can read. The realme 13+ 5G is capable of handling any game you throw at it and has received the world’s first lag-free mobile gaming certificate from TÜV SÜD. It also offers dedicated support for six major global games, achieving 90fps performance for a truly esports-level smooth experience.
You can also activate its GT mode, which functions like overclocking your smartphone, enhancing your gaming experience by unleashing much higher and more stable frame rates while you play.
The Cameras
The cameras of the realme 13+ 5G remain the same, utilizing a 50MP Sony LYT-600 for its rear camera. So, technically, if you liked the quality from the previous generation, it is still almost the same because of this. However, they have unfortunately dropped the ultrawide camera and opted for a 2-megapixel depth sensor instead. On the flip side, the front camera remains the same at 16 megapixels.
realme 13+ 5G Main Camera Sample
The photo quality of the 50-megapixel rear camera on the realme 13+ 5G is decent in both daytime and nighttime conditions. It offers great sharpness and vibrant colors. In low-light conditions, the camera switches to auto night mode, which takes a few seconds after you press the capture button. The results we obtained are quite good for its price range, with slight noise that is not very noticeable.
realme 13+ 5G Front Camera Sample
Regarding the front camera, the selfies we took display nice, natural skin colors with great sharpness.
As for video quality, the rear main camera is capable of recording up to 4K at 30fps and 1080p at 60fps, while the front camera records only at 1080p at 30fps. The rear main camera features gyro-EIS and OIS for video stabilization. You can also enable Ultra Steady mode for more aggressive video stabilization for both the rear and front cameras; however, for the rear camera, this mode restricts recording to 1080p at 60fps only.
The Battery
The battery capacity of the realme 13+ 5G is 5000mAh which is normal these days for a smartphone. However paired with an efficient chipset of the realme 13+ 5G it resulted in a great battery life capable of lasting all day of your busy day. It also showed in our PCMark battery test that resulted 16 hours and 34 minutes.
They also retained its 80w charging speed because it is already a great charging speed for its price range. It is capable of charging from 0% to 100% under an hour.
realme 13+ 5G Verdict
The realme 13+ 5G has now identified itself as a great gaming smartphone for the price range with its chipset paired with decent RAM and internal storage. Sadly with these benefits has trade off they made to be still affordable for the market like dropping its ultrawide camera. Nevertheless, if you’re a hardcore gamer that only has under 20k pesos budget this is a smartphone you might want to consider.
The realme 13+ 5G that has 12GB+256GB is priced at Php 19,999 and available now to purchase Shopee, Tiktok, and realme authorized dealers nationwide.
