Redmi Note 13 Pro vs Redmi Note 12 Pro: Should You Finally Upgrade To The New Model?

Redmi Note 13 Pro vs Redmi Note 12 Pro: Should You Finally Upgrade To The New Model?

As 2024 takes off, Xiaomi is ready to take on the highly competitive and revenue-yielding mid-range smartphone segment with the Redmi Note 13 series. In a space that’s been largely dominated by Vivo, Oppo, Motorola and Samsung, Xiaomi’s latest effort to woo customers has set a new benchmark, especially with the Redmi Note 13 Pro. Be it the design or the specifications, this smartphone seems to have it all and hence, we couldn’t resist doing a comparison piece of the Redmi Note 13 Pro vs Redmi Note 12 Pro.

In a highly diverse model lineup, the Redmi Note 13 Pro seems to be the one model that achieves the finest balance of value, features and desirability. When compared to the older Redmi Note 12 Pro, the new 2024 model seems to have a more appealing prospect. In fact, the Pro model has enough meat to make some buyers find the more expensive Note 13 Pro Plus a pointless investment. The same can be said for most of its rivals coming from Vivo and Oppo, although the Motorola Edge 40 continues to be the most powerful phone in this class.

Hence, without further ado, let’s compare the specifications of these smartphones and try to figure out how much of an upgrade the Note 13 Pro offers over its predecessor.

Redmi Note 13 Pro vs Redmi Note 12 Pro: Comparing the specifications

Design and build

Image Credits: Xiaomi

Unlike the Plus model, which goes for an entirely new design, the Redmi Note 13 Pro settles for a rather subtle refresh over its predecessor. Save for the larger squarish camera hump with larger lens housings, both the phones features a similar boxy shape with flat sides.

However, the bezels around the display on the Note 13 Pro are slimmer and Xiaomi is now offering Gorilla Glass Victus for superior resistance to scratches and drops. The overall water and dust resistance rating has been boosted to a better IP54 over the Note 12 Pro’s IP53 rating. With the fresh new colour options, the Note 13 Pro seems to have a solid advantage over its outgoing predecessor.

Winner: Redmi Note 13 Pro

Gear

Redmi K60 vs Redmi K70: How Does Xiaomi’s Newest Flagship Killer Stack Up Against Its Predecessor?

By Amritanshu Mukherjee, Dec 02 Gear

Xiaomi 14 Pro Vs Xiaomi 13 Pro: Does Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 Make The New Model The Best One Yet?

By Amritanshu Mukherjee, Oct 28

Display

The Redmi Note 12 Pro impressed us last year with its 6.67-inch 120Hz 1080p AMOLED display with 1 billion colours. With this year’s iteration, you are getting a highly improved 6.67-inch 120Hz AMOLED display with a 1.5K pixel resolution, a higher peak brightness of 1,800 nits and outdoor brightness of 1,200 nits.

The panel also supports 68 billion colours, thereby allowing for a more vibrant viewing experience.

Winner: Redmi Note 13 Pro

Performance

This is another area where the Redmi Note 13 Pro bags a handsome win over the Redmi Note 12 Pro, courtesy of its new Qualcomm chipset. The Snapdragon 7s Gen 2 is a new 4nm mid-range chipset that aces the Note 12 Pro’s Dimensity 1080 chipset in terms of CPU and GPU performance and overall power efficiency.

Paired with the newer MIUI 14 based on Android 13, the newer model offers a notable advantage in terms of gaming and multitasking. Moreover, it has been confirmed to get Xiaomi’s new HyperOS skin based on Android 14.

Winner: Redmi Note 13 Pro

Battery

Image Credits: Xiaomi

The battery capacity on the Note 13 Pro has seen a modest upgrade of 5,100mAh as compared to the Redmi Note 12 Pro’s 5,000mAh capacity. The charging system, which also remains unchanged, can withdraw a maximum power of 67W, promising to fill 51 per cent of the battery in 15 minutes.

Winner: Redmi Note 13 Pro

Cameras

Shutterbugs looking for a capable mobile camera system on their next smartphone might be falling for the Note 13 Pro, courtesy of its revamped camera system. Instead of the older 50-megapixel sensor from the Note 12 Pro, Xiaomi has given the 2024 variant the same 200-megapixel ISOCELL HP3 sensor as its pricier sibling. This allows photographers to take ultra high-res photos as well as gain useable digital zoom performance up to 4x magnifications.

The rest of the camera setup remains unchanged. Hence, you still get the 8-megapixel sensor with an ultra-wide lens, a 2-megapixel macro shooter and a 16-megapixel selfie camera.

Winner: Redmi Note 13 Pro

Price

The base variant of the Redmi Note 12 Pro is currently selling for MYR 1,299 offering 8GB RAM and 256GB storage.

In comparison, the newer Note 13 Pro with all its upgrades commands a higher price of INR 25,999 (approximately MYR 1,454) for the base variant with 8GB RAM and 128GB storage. That’s notably high for a variant offering lower storage and unless Xiaomi adjusts the pricing for the local market, buyers will need to shell out more for this midrange offering.

Winner: Redmi Note 12 Pro

Redmi Note 13 Pro vs Redmi Note 12 Pro: The verdict

Image Credits: Xiaomi

Our winner: Redmi Note 13 Pro

Despite the higher price tag, it comes as a no-brainer that the Redmi Note 13 Pro brings along some qualitative and quantitative upgrades over its predecessor. In the mid-range segment, this is a big deal for the value-conscious buyer and hence, we believe the Note 13 Pro is a solid upgrade over the Redmi Note 12 Pro. The higher-resolution and better quality AMOLED display, the improved 200-megapixel main camera and the new Snapdragon 7s Gen 2 chipset make the Redmi Note 13 Pro a commendable deal in the sub-MYR 2,000 price category.

Even if you are restricted to a tighter budget and the Redmi Note 12 Pro is the only one making it within reach, we would recommend spending a little extra and getting the newer model for the sheer value it offers.

Gear

Upcoming Android Phones In 2024: Galaxy S24 Ultra, OnePlus Open 2 And More

By Amritanshu Mukherjee, Dec 22 Gear

OnePlus 12 vs Apple iPhone 15 vs Samsung Galaxy S23: Which Flagship Should You Opt For?

By Amritanshu Mukherjee, Dec 08

(Hero and Featured Image Credits: Courtesy Xiaomi)