Hands-on with the realme 13 5G smartphone.
The realme 13 5G boasts reliable gaming performance for MOBA games, upgraded durability, decent camera quality, and long-lasting battery.
After weeks of hands-on testing, here’s my full review of the device. Let’s dive into several camera samples, gaming tests with FPS measurement, design observations, and my overall smartphone experience and see if it’s your midrange smartphone of choice.
The realme 13 5G comes in the brand’s usual yellow box with the model name in bold letters. Here are the contents of the box:
The realme 13 5G has a distinctive boxy design with a dual-tone back featuring a unique marble-like texture below a smooth camera area. The large, round camera island with glossy outer ring stands out, but the design feels a bit less refined than its predecessor, the realme 12 5G.
Available in Dark Purple and Speed Green, the Dark Purple color variant shows off the dual-tone texture more prominently, while Speed Green has a more subtle look. Although the device feels solid, it would benefit from more rounded edges for comfort, as seen on the Pro version.
IP64 Water Resistance: Equipped with IP64, the realme 13 5G can handle light splashes and offers ArmorShell protection for enhanced durability. Nevertheless, I still use the free phone case for peace of mind.
Button Layout: The multi-function power button and volume rocker are on the right, while the SIM card tray is at the top. The 3.5mm headphone jack, USB Type-C port, and speaker grille are all positioned at the bottom.
The 6.72-inch IPS LCD display offers a 1080p resolution, reaching a maximum brightness of 580 nits. Texts are legible outdoors but it can still use more brightness.
With a 120Hz refresh rate, the display provides a smooth experience, but by default, it automatically adjusts between 60Hz and 120Hz. For consistent fluidity, I set it to always use 120Hz, which enhances overall responsiveness.
Screen Quality: Despite lacking the deeper contrasts of an OLED panel, the display is sharp, bright, and enjoyable for watching content on YouTube and Netflix, though HDR support is absent.
Audio Quality: The stereo loudspeaker system is clear but can sound tinny at high volumes. For better sound, using TWS earbuds or wired headphones (via the 3.5mm jack) is recommended.
Powered by a MediaTek Dimensity 6300 processor with 8GB RAM, Android 14, and realme UI 5.0, the realme 13 5G handles daily tasks and app-switching with ease. The overall experience is smooth but there are occasional lags.
While some pre-installed apps are present, they can be uninstalled quickly. Notifications from realme’s apps can be annoying though.
Its user interface is just like your regular Android 14 look. Diving into the Settings reveals several unique features including the following:
Dynamic Button – the power button supports gestures like swiping to control volume, double press to silent, etc.
AI Smart Loop – quick sharing of screenshots to different apps
Gaming Tools – feature-packed sidebar with gaming-related functions such as call blocker, screen recording, voice changer, etc.
Honor of Kings on the realme 13 5G
Gaming Performance: The realme 13 5G runs popular games like Mobile Legends, Honor of Kings, and Call of Duty Mobile, averaging 59 FPS with stable performance in GT Mode. However, it struggles with more demanding games like Genshin Impact at high settings.
Thermals are well controlled thanks to a large vapor chamber. It remained at a comfortable temperature during prolonged gaming sessions.
Related: realme 13 5G Gaming Tests
| Game | Graphics | Framerate |
|---|---|---|
| Honor of Kings | Ultra (4) | 59.8 FPS |
| Mobile Legends | Ultra | 59.1 FPS |
| Call of Duty | High | 59.0 FPS |
| Genshin Impact | High | 33.3 FPS |
Benchmark scores:
Antutu Benchmark: 432,761 points
GeekBench Single Core: 783 points
GeekBench Multi-Core: 1,989 points
The realme 13 5G has two cameras at the back – a 50 Megapixel main camera and 2 Megapixel depth sensor. It’s a slight step back in resolution compared to its predecessor’s 108MP camera but it now comes with Optical Image Stabilization or OIS.
It can produce good-looking pictures in well-lit situations. The images look sharp with good color saturation and decent dynamic range. Hand-held shots usually come out sharp thanks to its OIS feature.
Night shots also look decent although it can use a little boost in brightness. There’s also some graininess in very low-light scenes.
Here are some sample pictures:
I usually recommend Portrait mode because it results in more pleasing pictures of people especially at night.
However, the realme 13 5G’s Portrait mode needs some improvement. Its edge detection algorithm cuts off hair strands and you can’t even zoom-in when using Portrait mode!
Here’s a sample portrait:
On the other hand, there’s a 16 Megapixel camera on the front of the realme 13 5G. It captures decent selfies with natural-looking colors and sharp details in well-lit situations. Low-light selfies can also look good when the screen flash function is used.
Here are some sample selfies:
Furthermore, the realme 13 5G can shoot videos up to 2K or 1440p resolution at 30fps. It can also capture 1080p videos at 60 fps.
The videos have decent sharpness and colors. I expected smooth videos since it has OIS but its effect is minimal in hand-held videos.
The realme 13 5G is a dual-SIM smartphone with 5G connectivity. It can provide fast mobile data speeds and I’ve even used its hotspot function reliably. Its Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and GPS also work well.
Unlike many smartphones nowadays, it retains the 3.5mm audio jack for those who still prefer wired earphones.
For security, the device has a fingerprint scanner embedded in its power button and face unlock using the selfie camera. Both unlocking methods are fast and reliable enough.
The realme 13 5G has a 5,000mAh battery that lasts a long time on a single charge. I’m usually left with around 30% battery life after a whole day of normal usage.
When playing games continuously, it lasts around 8-9 hours before needing a recharge which is impressive.
Recharging the device from 0% to 100% battery capacity takes around 1 hour and 20 minutes using the bundled 45W charger and cable.
The realme 13 5G delivers good gaming performance, decent cameras, and long battery life. However, it leaves me wanting more power for heavier games and smoother overall experience.
When compared to its predecessor, there are obvious step backs like the main camera resolution. On the other hand, the better durability, OIS, and a sharper selfie camera are all welcome improvements.
If you’re looking for a gaming smartphone that can handle Mobile Legends, Honor of Kings, and similar games reliably and with long battery life, then I’d recommend the realme 13 5G.
It’s officially priced at ₱16,999 and is now available in realme stores, authorized retailers, and official online stores on Shopee, Lazada, and TikTok Shop.
