Samsung Galaxy M14 5G Review: Average Phone, Tough Competition

I had recently published a review of Samsung's Galaxy A24 last week, and I thought that phone was the best phone under 30 thousand rupees! But Samsung has now launched the Galaxy M14 model in the Nepali market for just around 25 thousand rupees. After testing this phone for some time, what I can say is: Please, don't buy the Galaxy M14. M14 is not a bad phone, but for just an additional 4 thousand rupees, you can buy the Galaxy A24, which is a much better phone. The only thing that M14 is better than A24 is that M14 supports 5G while A24 is a 4G phone. However, considering the context of Nepal, it will still take around 2 more years for 5G to be officially available from NTC and Ncell in Nepal, and it will take even more time for 5G to be widely available. So, honestly speaking, 5G doesn't hold much importance in Nepal. And overall, Galaxy M14 is an average offering.

Samsung Galaxy M14 5G Specifications:

• Dimensions: 166.8 × 77.2 × 9.4mm
• Display: 6.6″ PLS LCD, 90Hz, FHD+ resolution
• Chipset: Samsung Exynos 1330 5G (5nm)
• Memory: 4/6GB RAM, 64/128GB storage (expandable)
• OS: Android 13 with One UI Core 5.1 on top
• Rear Cameras: Triple (with LED flash) – 50MP, f/1.8 primary sensor – 2MP, f/2.4 macro sensor – 2MP, f/2.4 depth sensor – Up to 1080p @ 30fps videos
• Front Camera: 13MP f/2.0 (Up to 1080p @ 30 fps videos)
• Battery: 6000mAh with 25W fast charging
• Biometrics: Side-mounted fingerprint reader
• Wireless Connectivity: WiFi 5 (dual-band), Bluetooth 5.2
• Audio: Single speaker, 3.5mm headphone jack
• Colors: Silver, Blue, and Dark Blue
• Price in Nepal: Rs. 24,999

Samsung Galaxy M14 Review:

Design

• 167.7 x 78.0 x 9.1mm, 202 grams
• Glass front, Plastic back/frames

Starting with the design, I didn't find it particularly attractive. Samsung has provided attractive designs and color options in their A-series phones. From the 20 thousand rupees A14 to the 60 thousand rupees Galaxy A54, all A-series phones have a high-end design similar to the S23 series. But Samsung has given the M14 an outdated design. Plus, the material used on the back feels cheap.

Also, I'm pretty sure that if you use this phone without a cover, it will develop scratches on the back within a year or so and will lose its shine. The hands-on feel is decent. The phone is not too heavy. The curved sides provide a good grip. The placement of the fingerprint scanner is also good. Although the fingerprint scanner takes a little time to read, it is accurate.

Battery and Charging

• 6,000mAh battery
• 25W fast charging
• No charger in the box

The major selling point of the Galaxy M14 is its 6,000mAh battery. With a full charge, this phone can last up to 2 days with normal usage, including social media, video streaming, and light gaming. Even heavy users can easily get a day's usage out of this phone.

For charging, Samsung has provided 25W fast charging support in this phone, which can charge the large battery from 0 to 100% in around 2 hours. However, like other Samsung phones, the charger is not included in the M14's box. So, you will have to spend an additional 2000 rupees to buy a Samsung charger!

Display

• 6.6-inches FHD+ PLS, 90Hz
• Gorilla Glass 5 protection

Now, one of the main reasons why I am not recommending the Galaxy M14 5G is its display. Looking at the specs, the display may seem fine, but the brightness aspect of this phone's display is really weak!

Under normal usage, it may not make much difference, but when you use it outside in bright sunlight, the visibility becomes really poor, especially when compared to the A24. The display quality is decent. However, it is not an AMOLED panel, but an LCD. So, I felt that the vibrancy and black levels were lacking. In fact, the display quality of this phone is even inferior to the much cheaper Redmi Note 12!

Performance

• Octa-core Exynos 1330 (5nm Mobile Platform)
• 4/6/8GB RAM, 64/128GB Storage (expandable)

Likewise, in the Galaxy M14, you'll get Samsung's Exynos 1330 chip, which was also used in the A14 5G. Specs-wise, this chipset is quite impressive. It features a 5nm processor with two powerful Cortex-A78 CPU cores and a Mali G68 GPU. In terms of benchmarks, the Exynos 1330 outperforms the Snapdragon 685 found in the Redmi Note 12 and is on par with the Helio G99 found in the Galaxy A24. However, just like the A14, Samsung hasn't optimized this chipset well in the M14. Based on my experience, the M14 doesn't provide as smooth a day-to-day experience as the A24. There are slight lags here and there.

Similarly, games are not well-optimized on this phone. For example, in PUBG, you can only play at up to 30 fps, and in games like COD Mobile, Mech Arena, and Critical Ops, even at higher fps, you may experience occasional frame drops. The phone's cooling solution is not very effective either, so it tends to heat up during prolonged gaming sessions.

Software and UI

• Android 13 with One UI Core 5.0 on top
• 2 years of OS, 4 years of guaranteed security updates

In terms of software, the M14 runs on the latest Android 13 with One UI Core 5. Samsung's UI is good, and there aren't many bugs. The overall UI feels smooth, even in 90Hz mode, without noticeable stuttering.

Moreover, Samsung promises 2 years of Android updates and 4 years of security updates for the M14, which is more than what other companies typically offer in this price range.

Camera

• Triple camera setup at the back
• (50MP primary, 2MP portrait, 32MP macro)
• 16MP selfie camera (notch cutout)

In terms of the camera, the M14 performs consistently better than most Chinese brand phones. Samsung's optimization and color science engineering are better in this regard.

So, most of the time, the photos taken with this phone turn out well, with good skin tones and dynamic range in portraits and selfies. I compared the camera of this phone with that of the Redmi Note 12, and as you can see, the M14's photos are slightly better most of the time. However, the downside of the M14's camera is that it can only record videos up to Full HD resolution, and it lacks an ultra-wide-angle camera. The low-light performance is not particularly impressive either.

Samsung Galaxy M14 Review: Conclusion

So, considering everything I've mentioned, if you spend just 4000 more, you can get a much better device with the Galaxy A24. With the A24, you'll have a superior AMOLED screen with better brightness, more optimized performance, an ultra-wide-angle camera, and better low-light photography. Additionally, the A24 has a premium look and feel, and it offers 4 years of OS updates compared to the M14's 2 years. Therefore, even if you have a budget of around 25,000, I think the Redmi Note 12 is a better option than the M14 overall. With the Note 12, you'll get a 120Hz AMOLED display, better performance, a nice design, and a 33W fast charger included in the box.

Galaxy M14 Review: Pros and Cons

Pros:

• 5G on budget
• Decent cameras
• Great battery Life
• Android 13 out of the box

Cons:

• Inferior LCD screen
• Unoptimized performance
• No ultrawide camera
• No charger in the box