Redmi 13C 5G Challengers: Poco M6 Pro, Samsung Galaxy F22, More

Xiaomi has been the budget smartphone boss for a long time now and while its roots are now travelling into the premium zone as well, its grip over the budget segment is still as strong as ever. To further strengthen this grip, Xiaomi has been focusing on launching budget 5G devices of late. After releasing the best-selling Redmi 12 5G, the brand has now launched another budget 5G beast, the Redmi 13C.

The phone comes with a number of impressive specs. It comes with a 6.74-inch HD+ display with a fast 90Hz refresh rate. The phone runs on the MediaTek 6100+ processor, which is quite powerful, and on par with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 4 Gen 2 chipset which we have been using in much more expensive devices. The RAM and storage go all the way up to 8GB and 256GB, while the storage can be expanded up to 1TB using a microSD card.

The dual rear camera setup comes with a 50-megapixel main sensor and a 0.8-megapixel lens (with an undefined role) while a 5-megapixel sensor sits at the front for selfies and video calls. It has a 5,000mAh battery, with support for 18W fast charging, although you only get a 10W adapter in the box. If you want to charge it at 18W, you would need to invest in a faster adapter. The phone comes with Android 13 out of the box with MIUI 14 on top. It even cuts a flashy figure with a shiny back that reflects different patterns depending on the light falling on it, and has Gorilla Glass 3 protection along with dust and splash resistance.

All of this at a starting price of Rs 10,999 makes the Redmi 13C a formidable proposition for anyone seeking a very good device on a tight budget. But that does not mean that Xiaomi’s latest value-for-money warrior does not face competition. The budget segment is full to the brim with equally good smartphones. Here are five phones that can give the Redmi 13C a run for its money. Some might not have 5G muscle, but they more than compensate in other ways in a segment where users are very careful about how they spend their money:

Poco M6 Pro 5G: A Brutus In Making

Price: Rs 10,999 onwards

Not surprisingly, some of the strongest 5G competition for the Redmi 13C 5G  comes from its own parent company. This particular “Et tu, Brute?” moment is served by the Poco M6 Pro 5G. The smartphone is arguably one of the biggest hurdles in the way of Redmi 13C’s success.

It comes with a marginally taller 6.79-inch display which is full-HD+, unlike the Redmi 13C which comes with HD+ resolution, with a refresh rate of up to 90Hz.

The display is protected by Gorilla Glass and the phone has IP53 dust and splash resistance too. To top this, it also comes with a proper glass back, again a rarity in the price segment, and runs on the fairly powerful Qualcomm Snapdragon 4 Gen 2 processor. That said, the RAM on the phone only goes up to 6GB and not 8GB like the Redmi 13C 5G. The M6 Pro 5G features a 50-megapixel main sensor which is backed by a 2-megapixel sensor with a well-defined role — it is a depth sensor — and also has a bigger megapixel number on the front with an 8-megapixel sensor for selfies and video calls.

A 5,000mAh battery keeps it running and comes with support for an 18W fast charger and unlike the Redmi 13C 5G, the M6 Pro 5G ships with a 22.5W fast charger as well. The phone comes with Android 13 out of the box with MIUI 14 for Poco on top. While the Redmi 13C 5G and Poco M6 Pro 5G share many similar specs, the Poco M6 Pro edges it out in some departments, which can prove to be quite crucial in this ultra-competitive smartphone game.

Redmi 12 5G: Another Brutus In Line

Price: Rs 11,999 onwards

In the story of the Redmi ‘Julius Caesar’ 13C 5G, there is not one but two Brutuses. The other is the very popular and successful Redmi 12 5G, which poses a massive threat to the new entrant in more ways than one. When it comes to specs, the Redmi 12 5G is like the Poco M6 Pro 5G pretty much all the way. The phone also comes with a 6.79-inch full HD+ display with 90Hz refresh rate.

There is a Gorilla Glass on top of the display, glass on the back, and IP53 dust and splash resistance. The Redmi 12 5G is also powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 4 gen 2 processor and comes with Android 13 with MIUI 14 on top.

There is a 50-megapixel main sensor doing the photography heavy lifting accompanied by a rather decorative 2-megapixel depth sensor. It, too, has an 8-megapixel selfie camera and a 5,000mAh battery with support for 18 W fast charging with a 22.5 W charger in the box. The only major difference between it and its Poco bro is in terms of design, and that the Redmi 12 5G comes with three RAM variants — 4GB/ 6GB/ 8GB and that the inbuilt storage on the device goes up to 256GB, which can be expanded up to 1TB with a microSD card.

This makes the Redmi 12 5G even more lethal than the Poco M6 Pro 5G to the Redmi 13C 5G. Beware, budget-segment Caesar.

Realme Narzo N55: A Strong Competitor 

Price: Rs 9,499 onwards

The Realme Narzo N55 5G comes from one of Xiaomi’s most bitter rivals and stands right in the way of the Redmi 13c 5G. The phone might not have 5G, but still comes with several specs that could pose a threat to the Redmi 13C 5G.

For starters, its 6.7-inch display is a full-HD+ one and comes with 90Hz refresh rate. This is followed by bigger megapixel numbers on the main camera which features a 64-megapixel main sensor, although the secondary camera is a 2-megapixel depth one. At the front, it has an 8-megapixel selfie camera, and its 5,000mAh battery comes with support for some seriously fast 33W wired charging (Realme claims it can charge the phone up to 50 per cent in less than half an hour), and also ships with an adapter in the box.

The processor powering the Narzo N55, the MediaTek Helio G88 might not be on the same level as the Redmi 13C 5G and the Realme UI 4.0 on top of Android 13 might come across as a little overwhelming, but in most other zones, the Narzo N55 proves to be a very strong competitor.

Moto G32: Hello, Multimedia Monster Moto

Price: Rs 9,999

The Moto G32 is a great budget segment device for those wanting a good multimedia phone for under Rs 10,000, and if 5G is not critical (a vast majority of users are still not on the network).

It comes with an ever so slightly smaller display of 6.5 inches, it brings full HD+ resolution with a 90Hz refresh rate to the table. Unlike most phones in the list, it also brings a triple camera set up to the mix,  spearheaded by a 50-megapixel main sensor that is backed by an 8-megapixel ultrawide and a 2-megapixel depth sensor. The megapixel number on the front is also higher with a 16-megapixel selfie sensor.

This is also the only phone in the list that comes with stereo speakers on board, making it quite a multimedia star. The 5,000mAh battery on the Moto G32 comes with 30W fast charging which is quite impressive too.

The absence of 5G is a major downer, while a minor one is that the phone still ships with Android 12 out of the box, and comes with an older but still very capable Qualcomm Snapdragon 680 processor. That said, stock Android lovers would still prefer the Moto G32’s clean, uncluttered interface over the loaded Redmi 13C 5G.

Samsung Galaxy F22: Super+AMOLED 

Price: Rs 10,990

Another phone that could rain on the Redmi 13C parade is the Samsung Galaxy F22. The Galaxy F22 has some pretty good specs cards up its sleeve. For starters, the phone comes with a 6.4-inch (yes, slightly smaller) Super AMOLED display, which is a very rare sighting in this price band. It is not full-HD+ but does bring 90Hz refresh rate to the table, and in best Samsung tradition, delivers some punchy, vibrant colours. The phone comes with a quad camera setup, which is a rarity at this price point It is led by a 48-megapixel main sensor backed by an 8-megapixel ultra-wide and two 2-megapixel macro and depth sensors.

At the front, there is a megapixel-ly superior 13-megapixel selfie camera too. The phone also comes with a bigger 6,000 mAh battery, although it charges a tad slowly at 15W.

It is powered by the MediaTek Helio G80 processor which might not be on the same level as MediaTek 6100+ powering the Redmi 13C 5G but remains very capable. The biggest bummer here would be the absence of 5G support and Android 11 that the phone ships with, although it can be upgraded to Android 13 and given Samsung’s great software update track record, getting it updated would not be a problem either.