Xiaomi Redmi Note 14 Pro

The Redmi Note 14 Pro starts at Rs. 70,999 for the 8GB + 256GB model, and some stores list it as high as Rs. 82,250. It is a phone with a premium look and feel but a budget-class processor, so its value depends on what you need most.

Main advantages:

• A curved 120Hz AMOLED display with Gorilla Glass Victus 2
• A 200 MP main camera with optical stabilisation and a much better 32 MP selfie camera
• Loud, clear stereo speakers and strong vibration feedback
• Aluminum frame, IP64, headphone jack and IR blaster
• A 5500 mAh battery with a 45W charger in the box

Main compromises:

• The Helio G100 Ultra is barely faster than the chip in the Redmi Note 13 Pro
• No 5G, slower UFS 2.2 storage and no 4K video
• Ads in app folders

Alternative: the Honor X8d (Rs. 78,999) has a much bigger 7000 mAh battery, a Snapdragon 6s 4G Gen 2 and newer Android 15 software. It is also 4G only, and its 108 MP + 5 MP rear cameras and 16 MP selfie camera lack the Redmi's 200 MP stabilised camera and ultrawide lens.

Verdict: worth it near Rs. 70,999 for buyers who want a premium design, a great screen, good speakers and selfies. Gamers, heavy multitaskers and anyone who wants 5G should look elsewhere.

The display is the Redmi Note 14 Pro's best feature. It is a 6.67-inch curved AMOLED panel at 1080 x 2400 resolution with a 120Hz refresh rate and 10-bit colour (1B colours). The curve is new this year, as the Redmi Note 13 Pro had a flat screen.

Everyday use: colours are rich, scrolling is smooth, and the curved edges do not cause accidental touches. The bezels are thin and the punch-hole camera sits in the centre.

Brightness: 1200 nits in high brightness mode and 1800 nits peak make it easy to read outdoors.

Eye comfort: 1920Hz PWM dimming reduces flicker at low brightness.

Durability: Gorilla Glass Victus 2 resists scratches and drops well.

Video: Widevine L1 allows HD streaming on apps such as Netflix, and the loud, clear stereo speakers make video watching a pleasure.

Limitations: the Always-On Display stays on for only 10 seconds after a tap, and some buyers expected a higher 1.5K resolution; this model is 1080p.

The MediaTek Helio G100 Ultra (6 nm) has two Cortex-A76 cores at 2.2 GHz, six Cortex-A55 cores and a Mali-G57 MC2 GPU. It is essentially an updated Helio G99 with a better image processor, so performance is almost the same as the Redmi Note 13 Pro.

Everyday use: calls, messaging, social media and browsing run smoothly, and the phone does not feel slow in normal use.

Heavy use: gaming at high graphics settings and video editing are a struggle. At this price, many rivals offer much faster processors.

Heat: GSMArena found excellent thermal management with no meaningful throttling under long stress tests, and the phone does not get uncomfortably warm.

Memory and storage: LPDDR4X RAM and UFS 2.2 storage are slower than the UFS 3.0 or 3.1 found in some rivals. The 12GB + 512GB version adds very little speed, so buy it only if you need the extra space.

Network: this is a 4G-only phone; there is no 5G.

The rear setup combines a 200 MP main camera (f/1.7) with optical image stabilisation (OIS), an 8 MP ultrawide and a 2 MP macro camera.

Daylight: photos are detailed, and lossless-looking 2x and 4x zoom options use the high-resolution sensor. The main camera tends to brighten scenes and can overexpose, though the images edit well. HDR mode gives more natural skin tones.

Low light: detail drops indoors and in the evening, with softness and over-sharpening. Night mode helps, but photos still lack brightness and detail compared with the best camera phones at this price.

Portraits: edge detection is good, blur looks natural, and a 2x portrait option is available.

Selfies: the new 32 MP front camera is a big upgrade over the old 16 MP one. Photos have good facial detail without overexposure, and a 0.8x wide option fits groups.

Video: the rear camera records up to 1080p 60fps with good stabilisation; there is no 4K, which is a limit of the chipset. The front camera records 1080p 30fps, with stable footage and slightly bright exposure.

AI editing: AI Sky and AI Erase work well, even on difficult photos, but each tool must be downloaded first and needs the internet.

The Redmi Note 14 Pro has a 5500 mAh battery, larger than the Redmi Note 13 Pro's. Because the Helio G100 Ultra is power efficient, battery backup is good, and most users can get through a full day of use comfortably.

Charging: 45W wired charging, and a 45W charger with a USB-A to USB-C cable comes in the box. Xiaomi has not published a full-charge time for this model, so charging time is not verified yet.

Missing: there is no wireless charging.

The Honor X8d offers a bigger battery at the same 45W charging speed, which matters for very heavy users.

The phone ships with Android 14 and HyperOS 1.0.

Updates: Xiaomi promises at least three years of major Android updates and four years of security patches, according to GSMArena. That is reasonable, but rivals now ship with newer Android versions.

Bloatware and ads: a Games folder and the GetApps store come preinstalled. Folders show app recommendations that can include ads. You can delete the unwanted apps and turn off recommendations, but it takes some effort.

AI features:

• Gemini is built in and works well
• AI Sky, AI Erase and AI image expansion in the Gallery

The Redmi Note 14 Pro Plus gets more AI features than this model.

Extras: the IR blaster lets the phone control ACs and TVs, and the Z-axis vibration motor gives crisp haptic feedback when typing.