Xiaomi's Redmi Note portfolio used to be synonymous with value; this is the series that set up the brand as a major global player. Although earlier models in the series were aimed at the budget segment, Xiaomi changed course last year, pushing the series up to the mid-range. In my Redmi Note 12 Pro+ review, I said Xiaomi's priorities were misguided; instead of trying to focus on the value, Xiaomi chased after the likes of the Galaxy A54 and Pixel 6a, ultimately resulting in a device that wasn't as good an all-rounder as either of those phones.
A year on, not much has changed. The Redmi Note 13 Pro+ has a lot of similarities to its predecessor, and software annoyances continue to remain — the device is launching in January 2024 with Android 13 out of the box, and while Xiaomi introduced an overhauled HyperOS, you still get MIUI 14 here. Annoyingly, the same auxiliary cameras are back for another year, and they're just as meaningless this time around.
