Redmi Note 14 Pro+ 5G review: A Step Back or Worth It for the Price?

So today, I have Xiaomi's new Redmi Note 14 Pro+ 5G in for review. It starts at exactly 50,000 rupees here in Nepal, and considering all the competition, it doesn't look half bad. Not because this thing is absolutely terrific or anything, but the Nepali smartphone doesn't have any worthy competition to it compared to the Indian market. Where you have some fantastic midrange phones like the OnePlus Nord 4 (review), Realme 14 Pro+ (review), Motorola Edge 50 Pro, or iQOO's Neo lineup. So should you buy the Redmi Note 14 Pro+ 5G? Let's find out in this review.

Redmi Note 14 Pro+ 5G review Specifications:

• Design and Build: 162.53 x 74.67 x 8.75 – 8.85 mm, 205 – 210 gm, IP68 rating
• Display: 6.67-inch AMOLED panel, 1.5K resolution, 120Hz refresh rate
• Chipset: Qualcomm Snapdragon 7s Gen 3 (4nm mobile platform)
• Memory: 8/12GB LPDDR4X RAM, 256/512GB UFS 2.2 storage (non-expandable)
• Software & UI: Android 14 with Xiaomi HyperOS 1.0 on top
• Rear Camera: Triple (200MP primary, 8MP ultrawide, 2MP macro)
• Front Camera: 20MP sensor (hole-punch)
• Security: Fingerprint sensor (optical in-display)
• Connectivity: Dual-SIM (Nano), WiFi 6e, Bluetooth 5.4, USB-C, NFC, 5G
• Sensors: Accelerometer, Ambient light, E-compass, Gyroscope, Flicker, IR blaster, Proximity
• Battery: 5110 mAh with 120W fast charging (120W adapter in box)
• Price in Nepal: NPR 49,999 (8/256GB) | NPR 54,999 (12/512GB)
• Check the full specifications of Redmi Note 14 Pro+ 5G here

 

Redmi Note 14 Pro+ 5G Review:

Design and Build

• 162.53 x 74.67 x 8.75 – 8.85 mm, 205 – 210 gm
• Gorilla Glass Victus 2 front, plastic frames, glass/PU leather back
• IP68 dust/water resistant

When I first got my hands on Redmi Note 14 Pro+, I was already impressed with its design and display. The hands-on feel is also comfortable — and not to mention — the cute "Phantom Purple" color it comes with.

On the back, we get Gorilla Glass 7i protection while it has Gorilla Glass Victus 2 protecting the display. The Note 14 Pro+ is also IP68 rated against dust and water damage, although its Indian variant even has IP66 and IP69 ratings. It's not really that big of a deal and overall, I think Xiaomi has done a great job with the design and build quality this time.

Display

• 6.67-inch 1.5K HDR OLED curved screen
• 120Hz refresh rate, 12-bit colors

Its display is equally impressive with a slight curve on the side. You're looking at a 120Hz AMOLED screen that delivers great brightness both indoors and outdoors.

In fact, this is the phone with the brightest display in this price range. Featuring a peak brightness of 3000 nits. So whether you're watching normal SDR videos or enjoying HDR content on YouTube, the display on the Note 14 Pro+ is a treat. Xiaomi has also paired with a great set of stereo speakers and a sharp X-axis vibration motor so yeah.

Performance

• Qualcomm Snapdragon 7s Gen 3 5G (4nm)
• 8/12GB RAM, 256/512GB storage (non-expandable)
• HyperOS 1.0 based on Android 14
• 3+4 years of updates

For the performance, the Redmi Note 14 Pro+ features a Snapdragon 7s Gen 3... which honestly feels a bit underwhelming. Compared to MediaTek's Dimensity 7200-Ultra on Note 13 Pro+, this is not a notable improvement I'd say. And the real-world performance didn’t feel much of an upgrade either. And in terms of gaming, I played three demanding games between these two: PUBG Mobile, Genshin Impact, and Mobile Legends. The results? PUBG on the Note 13 Pro+ had an average fps of 56, while the Note 14 Pro+ pushed that to 59 fps. In Genshin Impact, the fps difference was minimal, but in Mobile Legends the older model won the battle.

So yeah, I was expecting more from this phone’s performance. Maybe it’s because older Redmi phones were performance-focused, but I’m honestly finding it difficult to digest these “downgrades" year over year. What's even more disappointing is that the Note 14 Pro+ still boots on Android 14-based HyperOS 1.0. Effectively turning its 3+4 years of update policy into 2+4 years when you really think about it.

Cameras

• Triple camera setup at the back
• (200MP main, 8MP ultrawide, 2MP macro)
• 20MP selfie camera (hole-punch cutout)

Moving on to the cameras, I'm sad to say that I don't have much good news either. Redmi 14 Pro+ packs the same camera setup as its predecessor and I mean... why? We at least deserve an upgrade when the series gets a new version, right? It's got the same 200MP primary camera, 8MP ultra-wide, and a 2MP macro shooter. Its Indian variant does have a newer 50MP Sony sensor and a 2.5X telephoto lens, but I have no idea why Xiaomi decided to skip that on the global models. It could have been considerable if at least the optimization was better, but sadly we don't get that as well. I compared it with the Redmi Note 13 Pro+ and on most occasions, it took better-looking photos than this guy. Quite unexpected stuff. The photos from Note 14 Pro+ have that signature boost in terms of colors and contrast. But the highlight management? Well, let’s just say it could use some work. I am crossing my fingers for an update that fixes things, although I’m not holding my breath honestly. As for portraits, I found the Note 13 Pro+ to be doing a better job once again. They both could use a little more polish in terms of how skin tone is handled but yeah. And it's the same with selfies as well, so I'm just hoping a future update will fix all this. That 8MP ultra-wide camera didn't impress me either. Nothing special, not much details, and the colors remain, well... okayish. Then again, Redmi Note 14 Pro+ takes great lowlight photos. Thanks to OIS. The results were sharp, punchy, and with great color rendition. Turns out you might not even need to turn on the night mode in most cases.

Videography

As for videos, that 7s Gen 3 processor on this guy doesn't support 4K 60 fps recording. And at 4K 30 fps mode, the videos still turn out a bit shaky. Which means Xiaomi could've optimized the gyro-based EIS much better. The selfie videos, on the other hand, max out at 1080p 60 fps. And like the ones from the main camera, the selfie videos from Note 14 Pro+ aren't that impressive as well.

Battery and Rest

• 5110 mAh battery
• 120W fast charging (120W adapted provided)

Let’s talk about the one area where I won’t complain: battery life. The Redmi Note 14 Pro+ comes with a 5110 mAh battery, which lasted me about 7 hours of screen time on average. Plus, with 120W fast charging, I was able to get it to 100% in just half an hour. Not bad at all.

Redmi Note 14 Pro+ 5G review: Conclusion

To wrap up this review, the Redmi Note 14 Pro+ 5G is clearly a "could have been better" phone for me. It's not that bad but there’s definitely a big room for improvement. While it offers good features like in terms of the display, design, speakers, and haptics, the software and camera side of things could’ve used some work. So, is it worth the price? I'm kinda hesitant to say "yes", although considering the fact that there's really not much competition in the NPR 50,000 segment, the Redmi Note 14 Pro+ does make sense.

• Our video review of Redmi Note 14 Pro+ 5G is coming soon

Redmi Note 14 Pro+ 5G review: Pros and Cons

Pros	Cons
• Good design and durability	• Still on Android 14
• Durable battery	• No telephoto lens in global model
• Impressive display	• The cameras aren't that optimized
• 120W charging	• No performance upgrade