Realme 12 Pro vs. Redmi Note 13 Pro: Which Should You Buy?

General Sep 9, 2025 0 12 Add to Reading List

If you’re in Nigeria and planning to buy a mid-range smartphone this year, chances are you’ve come across the Realme 12 Pro+ 5G and the Redmi Note 13 Pro 5G. Both phones fall in that sweet spot of being not overly expensive, but still containing features you’d usually expect on pricier devices.

But which one actually gives you better value for money? Let’s break it down, starting with the Realme 12 Pro and then moving on to the Redmi Note 13 Pro.

First Impressions of the Realme 12 Pro Plus 5G

Upon picking up the Realme 12 Pro Plus, your first thought might be “this feels expensive.” It comes in a Submarine Blue colour with gold accents and a leather back instead of the usual plastic many phones use. The camera module, inspired by luxury watches, sits at the back with a golden ring around the lenses. It’s little details like these that make this phone stand out in a crowded mid-range market.

It has curves on the back and a lightweight body (190g), meaning you can hold and use it all day without strain. If you’re someone who loves phones that look and feel premium, Realme really nailed it here.

Bright and Smooth Display

The 6.7-inch AMOLED screen is where you notice the difference. AMOLED is a type of screen that shows deeper blacks and richer colours than regular LCDs. With a 120Hz refresh rate, scrolling feels fluid, gaming looks smooth, and colours pop beautifully. (120Hz simply means the screen refreshes 120 times in a second, which moves smoother than older 60Hz screens.)

Brightness tops out at 950 nits peak. A “nit” is just a measure of brightness, and the higher the number, the better the phone handles outdoor sunlight. At 950 nits, you won’t struggle to see the screen even under the hot midday sun.

One clever detail is the 2160Hz PWM dimming. PWM (Pulse Width Modulation) is how phones adjust brightness. At lower levels, cheaper phones sometimes cause screen flicker, which strains the eyes at night. A higher number here means less flicker and much more comfort when binge-watching YouTube or Netflix in bed.

Mid-Range Cameras With Premium Tricks

If there’s one thing Realme really wants you to notice, it’s the cameras. The setup includes:

Main camera: 50MP Sony IMX890 sensor with OIS. OIS (Optical Image Stabilisation) is like a tiny shock absorber built into the lens, as it reduces blur from shaky hands. Day or night, shots look detailed and natural.
Periscope telephoto: 64MP with 3x optical zoom, 6x in-sensor zoom, and up to 120x digital zoom. “Optical” means it zooms in without losing quality, while “digital” is more like cropping the photo. The sweet spot here is 3–6x, which is rare in a mid-range phone and is just what you need for snapping distant landmarks.
Ultra-wide: 8MP for wide group shots and landscapes.

Realme also added cinematic film filters called Journey, Maverick, and Memory. These give photos a movie-like aesthetic. The Realme 12 Pro Plus handles daytime shots with natural colours well, unlike some rivals that oversaturate greens or add too much sharpening. Night shots came out clear, too, because both the main and telephoto cameras have OIS.

For videos, you can shoot in 4K at 30fps or 1080p at 30/60/120fps. (fps means frames per second, so the higher the number, the smoother the video looks). It also has gyro-EIS, which uses software to smooth out shaky footage.

Smooth Performance, But Not the Fastest

The Realme 12 Pro Plus runs on the Snapdragon 7s Gen 2 chipset. It’s built on a 4nm process (basically, a modern, efficient way to make processors), and it’s a bit faster than the older Snapdragon 778.

Every day tasks like browsing, WhatsApp, Instagram, and TikTok run smoothly. With 12GB RAM (expandable virtually to 24GB), multitasking is snappy. Gaming is decent too, as PUBG and Genshin Impact run well on medium to high settings. That said, some rival phones in this price range have faster chips, so Realme is clearly focusing more on the camera experience than raw power.

Battery and Charging

The 5,000mAh battery is generous and lasts all day with moderate use. Charging is where Realme shines: it supports 67W SuperVOOC fast charging, which takes the phone from 0% to 100% in about 48 minutes.

Even in areas with lower voltage (100–130V), charging is still fairly quick at 55W. For people constantly on the move, this removes the stress of looking for a charger halfway through the day.

Software and Extras

The phone runs Android 14 with Realme UI 5.0. The interface is straightforward, with an under-display fingerprint scanner, stereo speakers, and support for 5G, Wi-Fi 6, NFC, and GPS.

The only omission is the lack of a 3.5mm headphone jack. For many users, that’s fine, as most people now use wireless earbuds, but if you still love wired headphones, you’ll need a USB-C adapter.

Redmi Note 13 Pro Review

When Xiaomi released the Redmi Note 13 Pro, fans immediately wondered: Is it better than the Note 12 Pro or even the legendary Note 10 Pro? In many ways, yes, although there are still some compromises, especially with the processor.

Matte, Flat, and Premium Design

The Redmi Note 13 Pro looks more refined than its predecessor. Xiaomi opted for a flat rear panel and frame, giving it a minimalist feel. The back has a frosted finish (likely plastic), which avoids the fingerprint smudges common on glossy phones.

Colour options include Forest Green, Midnight Black, Aurora Purple, and Ocean Teal. The camera lenses sit individually with chrome rings, which give them a neat and modern look.

Another welcome touch is that it has IP54 dust and splash resistance. This won’t survive being dunked in water, but it still protects the phone from rain or accidental splashes.

A Display That’s Bright, Smooth, and Immersive

The Redmi Note 13 Pro packs a 6.67-inch AMOLED display with 1220 x 2712 resolution, which means sharp, detailed visuals. It supports HDR10+ and Dolby Vision, both of which improve colour and contrast in supported content (like Netflix shows).

The display brightness peaks at 1330 nits (remember, that’s the brightness rating. A higher amount of nits means it’s easier to see the screen outdoors).