Xiaomi Redmi Note 14 Pro Plus: A feature-packed contender in the mid-range space
Xiaomi Redmi Note 14 Pro Plus. Picture: Xiaomi.
The Xiaomi Redmi Note 14 Pro Plus sits at the top of this year's Redmi Note series, bringing notable upgrades over its siblings. It boasts a powerful chipset, 120W fast charging, and hardware improvements to the selfie camera. While it packs some impressive specifications on paper, my real-world experience reveals highlights and compromises.
Xiaomi has retained a familiar design language for the Redmi Note 14 Pro Plus, featuring a sleek, curved aesthetic. The phone’s back panel is glass, blending into a slim aluminium frame. The screen is protected by Gorilla Glass Victus 2, while the back panel features Gorilla Glass 7i.
The squared-off camera bump remains a signature element, but it’s the build quality that really impresses. Despite its sleek profile, Xiaomi claims enhanced drop resistance, and the IP68 rating for water and dust protection is a welcome addition at this price point. This significantly improves durability, allowing the device to withstand submersion and even function with wet fingers.
The 6.67-inch curved OLED display has a 2,712 x 1,220px resolution and a 120Hz refresh rate, delivering a sharp and fluid visual experience. The display excels in clarity, colour depth with 12-bit support, and compatibility with HDR10+ and Dolby Vision, making it an excellent choice for media consumption. The peak brightness reaches 3,000 nits, giving excellent visibility even in direct sunlight.
The adaptive refresh rate can drop to 60Hz when idle to save battery. For audio, the stereo speakers with Dolby Atmos deliver good sound quality with balanced mids and decent bass. My only gripe is the under-display fingerprint sensor's positioning – it sits too low to reach comfortably while using the phone single-handed.
Under the hood, Xiaomi has opted for Qualcomm's Snapdragon 7s Gen 3 chipset, diverging from the MediaTek solutions found in lower-tier models. My review unit had 8GB of RAM with 256GB of storage, but the variant available in Ireland has 12GB of RAM and 512GB. Benchmarks on my review handset show competitive numbers, but given the fierce competition in this price segment, it doesn't necessarily stand out. Thermal management is excellent, with minimal throttling, even during prolonged stress tests.
Software-wise, the device runs Xiaomi’s HyperOS 1.0.6 on Android 14, with an update to HyperOS 2 expected soon. Features like Circle to Search with Google, Google Gemini, AI Interpreter, AI Notes, AI Recorder, AI Subtitles, AI Film, AI Beautify, AI Erase Pro, AI
Image Expansion adds to the experience.
The camera setup remains identical to last year's model, featuring a 200MP (f/1.65) main camera, an 8MP ultra-wide, and a 2MP macro lens. The main camera's default 12.5MP photos deliver good sharpness, detail, and colour accuracy. However, limited dynamic range often results in overexposed highlights or overly dark shadows, and noticeable over-sharpening can be an issue. While you can capture photos at the full 200MP resolution, doing so means losing the benefits of computational processing, and the resulting file sizes are significantly larger.
The main camera performs surprisingly well in low light with automatic night mode, providing clean and sharp images. The ultra-wide camera’s daylight shots are soft and lack fine detail, while its low-light performance remains underwhelming. Although colour saturation is maintained, the results are generally unimpressive.
The main camera supports 4K at 30fps for video, delivering good daylight performance with vivid colours and sharpness. However, ultra-wide video quality is mediocre, suffering from softness and washed-out colours. Low-light video from the main camera is decent, and electronic stabilisation remains active at all times, which helps keep footage steady.
The front-facing 20MP selfie camera, while an upgrade, is disappointing. The detail is poor, images appear soft. Portrait mode is decent, with natural bokeh and fine details. The 2x digital zoom is passable but lacks detail in darker areas.
The 5,110mAh high-density battery has been engineered to maintain performance over time, preserving at least 80% of its original capacity even after 1,600 charging cycles.
Although there isn’t a charger in the box, the Note 14 Pro Plus supports 120W charging. I used an older 120W Xiaomi charger, which charged the phone from 2% to complete in 30 minutes.
The Xiaomi Redmi Note 14 Pro Plus offers several compelling features, including a premium, durable design, stunning display, solid performance, large storage, and incredibly fast charging. If you prioritise fast charging, a quality main camera, and a refined design, the Redmi Note 14 Pro Plus is worth considering.
Redmi Note 14 Pro+ 5G Midnight Black 12GB + 512GB – RRP €529 from Tesco, Vodafone, Harvey Norman and Eir. Get a free Redmi Watch 5 with your purchase during the promotion period.
Redmi Note 14 Pro 5G (8+256) – €399. Receive a free Redmi Buds 6 Pro when purchasing via Harvey Norman Ireland and Vodafone Ireland.
Redmi Note 14 4G (6+128) – €189. Harvey Norman Ireland: Enjoy a complimentary Redmi Buds 6.
Tesco: Get a free Redmi Buds 6 plus a €30 discount on prepay.
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