Xiaomi Redmi Note 14 Pro Plus

At Rs. 144,999, the Redmi Note 14 Pro Plus is sold in Pakistan in one version: 12GB RAM with 512GB storage. It is a well-rounded upper mid-range phone, but buyers pay a premium for its charging speed, screen and build rather than for top-level speed.

Main advantages:

• Very fast 120W charging
• A bright 1.5K curved AMOLED with HDR10+ and Dolby Vision
• A 200 MP main camera with optical stabilisation and 4K video
• Aluminum frame, Gorilla Glass Victus 2 and IP68
• 5G, an IR blaster and stereo speakers

Main compromises:

• A weak 8 MP ultrawide camera
• The Snapdragon 7s Gen 3 is mid-range, not flagship-class
• Battery life is average for the size
• No headphone jack, no memory card slot and UFS 2.2 storage

Alternative: the Oppo Reno 16F (Rs. 139,495) has a 7000 mAh battery, a 50 MP + 50 MP + 8 MP camera setup with a telephoto lens, a 50 MP selfie camera and a microSD slot. It charges much more slowly at 80W and has a dimmer screen.

Verdict: a good choice for buyers who want fast charging, a premium screen and a dependable main camera in one package. Buyers who value battery life, zoom or gaming speed can find better matches at this price.

The Redmi Note 14 Pro Plus has a 6.67-inch curved AMOLED at 1220 x 2712 resolution (1.5K), with a 120Hz refresh rate and support for 68B colours. Text and images look noticeably sharper than on 1080p phones.

HDR: HDR10+ and Dolby Vision work in streaming apps such as Netflix, and Widevine L1 allows HD playback.

Brightness: Xiaomi rates the peak at 3000 nits, and the screen feels very bright in use. GSMArena's measurements show real-world brightness well below that figure, but still enough for bright outdoor conditions.

Colours: slightly saturated by default, which gives a vivid look. Bezels are thin and evenly trimmed.

Comfort and protection: 1920Hz PWM dimming reduces flicker at low brightness, and Gorilla Glass Victus 2 protects the front.

Limitations:

• The fingerprint scanner sits quite low on the screen, so your thumb has to stretch to reach it, though it is fast
• The Always-On Display lights up for only 10 seconds after a tap

The Qualcomm Snapdragon 7s Gen 3 (4 nm) has one Cortex-A720 core at 2.5 GHz, three Cortex-A720 cores at 2.4 GHz and four Cortex-A520 cores, with an Adreno GPU. It is roughly 20 to 30% faster than the previous model and feels fast in everyday use, including app switching and the 120Hz interface.

Limits: it is a mid-range chip. It is not as fast as the Snapdragon 7+ Gen 3 or 7 Gen 3 found in some rivals.

Gaming:

• PUBG Mobile and Mobile Legends run at up to 60fps
• Call of Duty Mobile runs smoothly
• Genshin Impact manages around 30fps
• High-frame-rate modes such as 90fps are not available

Heat: temperatures stay low during gaming, with no noticeable heating.

Storage: GSMArena lists UFS 2.2 storage for the global model, which is slower than the UFS 3.1 used in some rivals. There is no memory card slot, so the 512GB storage in the Pakistani version is helpful.

The rear has a 200 MP main camera (f/1.7) with optical image stabilisation, an 8 MP ultrawide and a 2 MP macro camera. There is no telephoto lens on this model.

Main camera: a solid performer. Daylight photos are detailed, HDR handles bright skies well, and low-light shots are a strength. Overall, the main camera competes well with phones in a higher price class.

Ultrawide: the weakest part of the system. Photos are soft and colours look washed out, and ultrawide video shows colour shifts. Many buyers expected a higher-resolution ultrawide at this price.

Selfies: the 20 MP front camera gives better colour and image quality than the 32 MP camera on the Redmi Note 14 Pro. HDR copes well with harsh light and keeps facial detail. Portrait mode is good, though it can flicker slightly in low light.

Video:

• Rear: up to 4K at 30fps with optical stabilisation, plus 1080p at 120fps for slow motion
• Front: up to 1080p at 60fps, with good stabilisation but no 4K option

There is no 8K recording.

The Redmi Note 14 Pro Plus has a 5110 mAh battery, which is smaller than the batteries in the cheaper Redmi Note 14 and Redmi Note 14 Pro.

Battery life: reports differ. Normal daily use goes without major battery problems, but GSMArena found endurance underwhelming, with weak web browsing and video playback results compared with rivals. Heavy users should plan on charging daily.

Charging: this is the standout. 120W wired charging is among the fastest in the mid-range. GSMArena measured three quarters of the battery in about a quarter of an hour, and a full charge in well under half an hour.

Missing: there is no wireless charging.

The Oppo Reno 16F has a much bigger battery, but its 80W charging is far slower.

The phone ships with Android 14 and HyperOS 1.0, and the update to HyperOS 2 is expected.

Updates: Xiaomi promises up to three major Android upgrades and four years of security patches. That is fewer than some rivals now offer, and the phone starts on an older Android version than the Oppo Reno 16F, which ships with Android 16.

AI features: the AI tools available on the Redmi Note 14 Pro, such as AI Sky and AI Erase in the Gallery, were not yet active on early Pakistani units. Check for a software update after purchase.

Useful extras:

• An IR blaster to control ACs and TVs
• A stronger vibration motor that gives crisp feedback when typing and on calls
• A fast optical in-display fingerprint scanner
• Dolby Atmos stereo speakers with fuller sound than last year's model