Xiaomi Redmi Note 14 4G Review
Xiaomi Redmi Note 14 4G Intro
Redmi phones are known for delivering great bang for the buck and the Redmi Note 14 4G is the cheapest phone in the series.
We doubt that many people will miss the 5G connectivity, and the Redmi Note 14 4G comes with a big and beautiful 6.7-inch OLED screen and a decent processor. So... is this the budget phone for you? Well, there are some limitations that come with the ultra-cheap price, so read on.
You can find our reviews for the slightly more advanced models in the Redmi Note 14 series below:
What’s new about the Redmi Note 14 4G
- 6.7-inch AMOLED screen with 120Hz refresh rate
- 108 MP main camera with sensor crop zoom
- 8 MP ultra-wide camera, but no telephoto camera
- Big 5,500 mAh battery
- 33W wired charging, no wireless charging support
- It has a 3.5 mm headphone jack
- Prices start from £179 or 200 euro
Table of Contents:
Redmi Note 14 4G Specs
Beautiful 120 Hz OLED screen and a good amount of storage
Before we dive deep in our experience, here is an overview of the Redmi Note 14 4G specs:
| Redmi Note 14 4G | |
|---|---|
| Size and Weight | 163.2 x 76.6 x 8.2mm 200 g |
| Display Specs | 6.7" AMOLED 120Hz 1080p up to 1800 nits GGlass 5 |
| Processor | MediaTek Helio G99-Ultra |
| Configurations | 6/128GB 8/256GB |
| Camera specs | 108MP main cam, f/1.75 2MP depth 2MP macro 20MP front |
| Battery | 5,500 mAh |
| Charging | 33W wired No wireless |
| Biometrics | Optical fingerprint |
| Others | IP54 splash proof |
Redmi Note 14 4G Design & Colors
Big and boxy design with a back that is a fingerprint magnet
(Image by PhoneArena)
With a boxy design and flat sides, the Redmi Note 14 looks like most modern smartphones in terms of design.
However, there are signs that you are holding a budget phone. The biggest giveaway is the cheaper plastic frame, but you also have bigger borders around the screen. The back has a matte finish, so that's nice as it does not attract fingerprints.
The phone itself is a tiny bit bigger and heavier than last year's model, but barely so. At 6.7 inches, it's definitely in big phone territory.
(Image by PhoneArena)
The power and volume keys are on the right side, then on the bottom you have the USB-C port, speaker and SIM card slot, and on the top you have the good old 3.5mm headphone jack and an IR blaster. All of that is very welcome.
The Redmi Note 14 comes in a choice of three colors:
- Midnight Black
- Ocean Blue
- Lime Green
Redmi Note 14 Unboxing
Here is what you can find in the box:
- Phone with pre-applied plastic screen protector
- 33W charging brick with USB-A output
- Charging cable (USB-A to USB-C)
- Silicone case
- SIM tool
- User manuals
Such a rich packaging is great to have: the pre-applied screen protector, the included case and the fast charger are all freebies here!
Redmi Note 14 Display
(Image by PhoneArena)
The Redmi Note 14 4G comes with a 6.7-inch display, which is definitely a big screen.
The picture quality is sharp with 1080p resolution and the Redmi features 120 Hz refresh rate, faster than most phones in this price segment that either have a 60 Hz or 90 Hz display.
The Note 14 can also get brighter than its rivals, which definitely helps with outdoor visibility.
We test all phone displays using professional equipment in our lab, and here are the results:
Display Measurements:
As you can see, the screen on the Redmi Note 14 is practically the same one as on the previous Note 13 model. It remains the brightest we have tested in this price tier, but at night the Galaxy A16 5G can get dimmer, which makes that phone easier on your eyes.
As for biometrics, you have your an optical fingerprint scanner that works just fine.
Redmi Note 14 Camera
Three lenses, but only one camera really counts
(Image by PhoneArena)
Below are some real-life photos and videos, so you can see how it performs.
Photo Samples
The main camera does more or less fine, but it has some troubles with dynamic range and specifically the highlights are a bit burned out. The images are decent, but not great by any means.
Zoom quality quickly falls apart beyond 2X zoom. We typically take our sample photos at 5X zoom and detail is definitely lacking. The front camera quality is also not inspiring as colors appear bleaker than we'd like.
We should also mention that it's a really weird move by Xiaomi to remove the ultra-wide camera that used to be there on the last year's Redmi Note 13 4G. The company is definitely cutting some costs with the new model and it looks more like a downgrade in this regard.
Video Quality
The Redmi Note 14 4G only records 1080p video, so detail is not as good as on more expensive phones that can record 4K.
We found video stabilization to be quite good, a welcome change from last year's model where video stabilization was much worse. This is a very important aspect of video shooting, so it's great Xiaomi got this right. However, it's the level of detail and the dynamic range that make this just an average performer for video, not great.
Redmi Note 14 Performance & Benchmarks
Decent performance
(Image by PhoneArena)
With such cheap phones, performance is never great, but Xiaomi makes some changes with the Redmi Note 14 4G, switching from the Snapdragon 685 chip used in the previous generation to a MediaTek Helio G99 in this phone.
This is a much needed upgrade.
Performance Benchmarks:
Benchmarks show that there is a big jump in performance from last year. That's definitely great to see as the choppy performance on that previous model was its biggest weakness.
The Redmi Note 14 4G is not the greatest performer in this class, but it's now in the same ballpark as the others and daily usage is now much better. This is still not a fast phone and it stutters here and there, but it's better than before.
The base version of the phone has 6 GB of RAM and 128GB of native storage, but we definitely recommend you spend just a bit more and opt for the model with 8 GB RAM and 256 GB storage. However, you do also have a microSD card slot for expandable storage.
Redmi Note 14 Software: still runs on MIUI
Android 14 and Hyper OS on board
While last year's Redmi phones did not get the Hyper OS software at launch, this Redmi Note 14 gets it.
It arrives with Android 14, though, which is a version behind the current one.
We also have to underline a persistent issue with Xiaomi and Redmi phones. They have very aggressive battery management, killing apps running in the background and because of that push notifications DO NOT work properly on some apps. This can be a big problem for many people, so be advised. There are no such issues on mainstream phones like the Galaxy A family or the Moto G series.
The good news is that Xiaomi is really upping its software commitment. We are not sure how many software upgrades you will get with this phone, though. Some sources mention four years, but all other Redmi phones are only said to get two years of major OS upgrades and we don't believe this budget phone will be an exception. That's disappointing considering many other budget phones now get three or four years of updates.
Redmi Note 14 Battery
Bigger battery
This combines with the aggressive power management of HyperOS is very good news for battery life.
Here are our own in-house battery tests for the Redmi Note 14 4G:
PhoneArena Battery Test Results:
This Redmi beat expectations scoring higher on all three of our tests when compared to the previous model. This is a very welcome battery upgrade, and the Redmi Note 14 offers noticeably longer battery life compared to biggest rival Galaxy A16 5G.
Redmi Note 14 Charging Speeds
With a 33W charging speed, the Redmi also charges faster than the Samsung competition.
The Redmi Note 14 does not have wireless charging, but that is expected in this price.
Redmi Note 14 Audio Quality and Haptics
(Image by PhoneArena)
Audio quality has improved from the previous generation, which is also good news. You have stereo sound with a main bottom-firing loudspeaker and a secondary speaker in the earpiece, and while it lacks much depth in the lower frequencies, the sound is more balanced than before and you get a decent amount of volume.
Haptics, however, are definitely a weak point. They feel like very vague buzzing and if you want a better vibration motor you'd need to upgrade to one of the Redmi Note Pro models.
Redmi Note 14 Summary and Final Verdict
(Image by PhoneArena)
The Redmi Note 14 is a cheap phone that has improved in a few key places, but first and foremost in performance as it is now not nearly as choppy and laggy as its predecessor. That makes for a much more enjoyable companionship. The bigger battery is also great and coupled with fast charging, this is great. And you also have a big OLED screen with 120 Hz refresh rate.
However, you shouldn't expect a perfect phone at this price. We feel that camera quality is better on rivals like the Galaxy A16 5G, for example. Dropping the ultra-wide camera is another strange decision by the company. And while it's a common sin at this price, we also really dislike the haptics on the Redmi Note 14 4G.
What are your thoughts about this budget Redmi phone?
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