This might be the most impressive mid-range phone in terms of photography this year.

More than half of 2024 has passed, and looking back at the mid-range market battles this year, whether it's in terms of performance or design, there have been plenty of outstanding competitors delivering exceptional results. However, I've always felt that there seems to be a missing niche in the mid-range market - photography.

As everyone knows, currently, major brands position their photography-focused models at the top of their flagship lines, highlighting the importance of photography in the smartphone market. But there is one brand that is attempting to fill this gap by introducing a unique mid-range "photography niche" with flagship-level photography solutions.

Not long ago, I officially received the so-called "telephoto masterpiece," the realme 13 Pro+. As the most luxurious mid-range model in terms of photography specifications, how does it perform? Can mid-range photography truly compete with flagship photography? Join me as we explore this mid-range photography masterpiece priced starting at RMB 1,999.

Who says photography masterpieces have to be thick and heavy?

When I first laid eyes on the realme 13 Pro+, I felt a sense of familiarity. Yes, just like most "Ultra" flagships this year, realme has also designed this mid-range photography model with a centered large circular camera module on the back, albeit with minimal protrusion, creating a visually comfortable appearance.

(Image source: Leitech)

realme has partnered with the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston to design the realme 13 Pro+. It comes in two color options: Monet Gold and Lake Green, both inspired by French Impressionist Claude Monet. The Monet Gold variant I have in hand incorporates Monet's classic painting "Haystacks" into its design, featuring a shimmering gold glass back with a sand-like texture, exuding a premium feel.

The Lake Green variant, on the other hand, draws inspiration from Monet's "Water Lilies," utilizing a deep green base with high-tech nano leather to create a richer visual and tactile experience.

realme's digital series has always been meticulous in its design. For instance, the realme 11 series collaborated with former GUCCI designer Matteo Menotto to create an urban nature print, while the realme 12 series teamed up with international watch designer Ollivier Savéo for its watch-inspired camera module design. However, the previous two digital series used leather materials, whereas the realme 13 series now offers a matte glass version, which I find more comfortable to hold.

(Image source: Leitech)

The realme 13 Pro+'s biggest advantage lies in its compact size and lightweight design. The Monet Gold variant I have is just 8.23mm thick and weighs 190g. For a photography-focused model, such dimensions are truly remarkable.

Moving on to the display, the realme 13 Pro+ features a 6.7-inch 1080P AMOLED panel with a peak brightness of 2000 nits and support for 2160Hz PWM dimming. While it doesn't follow the current trend of curved or flat screens, the realme 13 Pro+'s slight curvature and narrowed top and bottom bezels create a visually harmonious appearance.

(Image source: Leitech)

Overall, thanks to its restrained approach to "packing," the realme 13 Pro+ offers an excellent visual experience and a comfortable grip. Notably, it is one of the few mid-range phones in this price range to offer stereo speakers, which alone makes it a steal.

Mid-range phones can also deliver flagship-level photography

Since establishing its digital series as a "mid-range photography niche," realme has consistently offered luxurious photography solutions with each generation. For instance, the realme 11 Pro+ boasted a 200MP primary camera, while the realme 12 Pro+ featured an OV64B periscope telephoto lens. This piqued my curiosity about the realme 13 Pro+'s photography solution.

Hardware-wise, the realme 13 Pro+ retains the previous generation's triple camera setup. The primary camera is equipped with a brand-new Sony LYT-701 sensor, boasting 50MP, a 1/1.56-inch sensor size, and 2μm pixel size. The telephoto lens uses the LYT-600 sensor with 50MP and a massive 1/1.95-inch sensor size, enabling up to 3x optical zoom. The ultra-wide-angle lens has an 8MP resolution.

Both the primary and telephoto sensors on the realme 13 Pro+ support the "ISZ" technology, short for "In-Sensor-Zoom," which can be understood as lossless digital zoom within a fixed focal length. The primary LYT-701 sensor has a native focal length of 24mm and can be extended to 49mm with ISZ technology, while the telephoto LYT-600 sensor has a native focal length of 73mm and can be extended to 144mm.

(Image source: Leitech)

Utilizing ISZ, the realme 13 Pro+ offers lossless zoom at 24mm, 49mm, 73mm, and 144mm, corresponding to the 1X, 2X, 3X, and 6X quick zoom buttons in the camera app (with an additional independent ultra-wide-angle lens at 16mm).

Additionally, the realme 13 Pro+ supports up to 120x digital zoom, equivalent to 2852mm, which falls outside the range of ISZ-supported lossless zoom and relies heavily on algorithmic support for image quality.

It's evident that the realme 13 Pro+'s photography hardware is essentially on par with flagship models. The primary camera uses an upgraded version of the IMX920 sensor found in many flagship mid-range phones last year, while the telephoto lens employs the upcoming LYT600 sensor favored by flagship photography models. So, what kind of photography experience can such luxurious hardware deliver?

The primary camera at 24mm focal length offers impressive resolution, maintaining excellent image quality even in overcast conditions thanks to its large 1/1.56-inch sensor.

(Image source: Leitech)

realme's algorithm shares similarities with that of the "O" series, emphasizing the relationship between light and shadow rather than artificially boosting brightness in dark areas to please the eye. This approach aligns closely with that of flagship photography models.

At 2X zoom, or 49mm focal length, thanks to ISZ lossless zoom technology, the overall image quality remains sharp, perfectly capturing the weather conditions at the time.

(Image source: Leitech)

The realme 13 Pro+ handles yellow and green hues with meticulous care. For example, the saturation of yellow in this shared bike is heightened, effectively highlighting its prominence in the photograph.

(Image source: Leitech)

Moving on to the telephoto lens, at its native 73mm focal length, the realme 13 Pro+ retains fine details of buildings while beautifully capturing the interplay of light and shadow on an overcast day.

(Image source: Leitech)

The realme 13 Pro+ introduces a "Street Photography" mode, where the five zoom buttons are displayed as focal length numbers, complemented by an exclusive "Street Photography" filter for more storytelling-driven candid shots.

(Image source: Leitech)

The "Street Photography" filter adds a richer texture to light and shadow compared to the standard mode. Paired with the capable LYT-600 telephoto lens, it's easier to capture photographs brimming with life's vitality.

At night, both the primary and telephoto sensors on the realme 13 Pro+ are large, allowing them to handle common night scenes with ease.

(Image source: Leitech)

However, due to limitations in the SoC's performance, processing complex scenes takes longer, though these calculations run in the background without affecting the shooting experience.

If you're not satisfied with the current image clarity, you can try using the realme 13 Pro+'s debut "AI Super Clear" feature to enhance your photos. Notably, "AI Super Clear" doesn't simply boost brightness or sharpness; instead, it optimizes the image based on the overall light and shadow relationship and optical quality.

(Image source: Leitech diagram)

Of course, if you're just sharing on social media, "AI Super Clear" might not provide a drastic improvement. However, it can significantly enhance the quality of other images. For instance, when you come across appealing photos on social media and want to save them, their quality often degrades. In such cases, "AI Super Clear" can help restore them to their original glory.

Overall, the realme 13 Pro+'s photography solution, both hardware and software, ranks among the best. Even compared to premium photography flagships priced above RMB 6,000, it holds its own in most scenarios. Nevertheless, some practical factors limit its performance. For instance, the Qualcomm Snapdragon 7s Gen 2 processor, while capable, has limited performance and computing power, requiring longer processing times for complex scenes, which may not be ideal for users with burst shooting needs.

Nonetheless, in terms of image quality alone, the realme 13 Pro+ is undoubtedly one of the most potent mid-range photography phones available.

Gaming experience is unremarkable, given the price point

If design, build quality, and photography are the realme digital series' strengths, performance is where it falls short. As usual, let's start with the hardware configuration.

The realme 13 Pro+ is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 7s Gen 2, a mid-range SoC released in September 2023, also found in its predecessor, the realme 12 Pro+. The 7s Gen 2 is built on TSMC's 4nm process and comprises eight CPU cores (4x A78 + 4x A55) and an Adreno 710 GPU.

In terms of storage, the realme 13 Pro+ comes in two configurations: 12GB RAM + 256GB ROM and 12GB RAM + 512GB ROM, supporting DRE dynamic memory expansion for up to 12GB RAM + 12GB virtual RAM.

On AnTuTu, it scored 691,779 points, while on GeekBench, it achieved 957 points in single-core and 2,846 points in multi-core tests. Overall, the realme 13 Pro+'s benchmark scores are on par with other Snapdragon 7s Gen 2 devices, lacking standout performance.

For gaming, I tested two popular titles with moderate performance requirements: "Honor of Kings" and "League of Legends: Wild Rift." "Honor of Kings" supports up to 90Hz, and during my one-hour session, the realme 13 Pro+ maintained a stable frame rate, even during intense 5v5 battles.

(Image source: Leitech diagram)

Although the realme 13 Pro+ features an X-axis linear motor, the vibration feedback feels loose and springy. I suspect this may be due to the current system version being a beta, so the tuning hasn't caught up yet. I hope realme can optimize this aspect soon.

realme 13 Pro+ is equipped with a large 5,200mAh battery and supports up to 80W fast charging. According to actual tests, it still retains 47% battery life after 4 hours of continuous use, making it stress-free for daily usage.

(Image source: Leitech Graphics)

Regarding charging speed, the 80W fast charging performs decently with a 5,200mAh battery, but the realme 13 Pro+'s charging power is relatively conservative, with a longer trickle charging process, ultimately taking 43 minutes to charge from 0% to 100%.

(Image source: Leitech Graphics)

As a mid-range device priced in the thousand-yuan range, the realme 13 Pro+'s choice of the Qualcomm Snapdragon 7s Gen 2 mobile platform is quite reasonable. However, considering the higher demand for imaging processing power, the Snapdragon 7s Gen 2 tends to consume more time when handling most imaging calculations. We hope realme can consider introducing a higher-end processor in the future to fill this market gap.

Summary: realme 13 Pro+, a mid-range phone with exceptional imaging capabilities beyond expectations

Mid-range phones have always been the most popular segment among consumers in the smartphone market, priced between 1,000 and 3,000 yuan. These phones often offer impressive performance, good quality, or advantages in certain functions. However, few phone brands dare to focus on imaging in their mid-range models, making the realme 13 Pro+ a standout in this regard.

(Image source: Leitech Photography)

According to the Leitech evaluation template, here's a brief summary of the realme 13 Pro+'s pros and cons:

Pros:

1. Slim and lightweight body with a good grip

2. Excellent imaging quality, especially for telephoto shots

Cons:

1. Slightly strained performance

2. 1080P screen resolution

After experiencing the realme 13 Pro+, I must say that while previous mid-range phones often focused on performance, many cost-conscious consumers also desire better imaging capabilities. If you have high demands for imaging but don't want to spend too much, the realme 13 Pro+ could be an excellent choice in this price range.

Source: Leitech