Xiaomi Redmi Note 14 4G review

Design, build quality, handling

The Redmi Note 14 4G adopts the new Redmi design and introduces a square camera housing with round corners. While this is a departure from the flush clean design of the Redmi Note 13 4G, it makes the new model easier to distinguish.

Redmi Note 14 4G and Note 14 5G

Anyway, the Redmi Note 14 4G has a Gorilla Glass 5 front, up from GG3 on the Note 13 4G, plastic frame and plastic back. It is still IP54-rated for dust and splash resistance.

The Redmi Note 14 4G design is all flat, there are no subtle curves around the panels' edges like on the more expensive Note 14 models. There is no glittering finish embedded in the matte surface either - at least on our Lime Green unit.

The Redmi Note 14 4G is also available in Midnight Black, Mist Purple, Ocean Blue. While the black, blue and green models feature solid colors, the purple one has an added shimmering look of its back panel.

The Note 14 4G, just like the Note 14 5G, has enhanced durability. Xiaomi used high-strength aluminum composite and energy-absorbing foam on the inside, all four corners have been properly reinforced, and the motherboard's thickness has been increased. These should give a higher chance of survival to your Redmi should you drop it on the ground.

The Redmi Note 14 4G has thicker screen bezels than the Redmi Note 14 5G, and its back is completely flat. These are the tells that mark its more budget nature.

Redmi Note 14 4G and Note 14 5G

The 6.67-inch AMOLED has been inherited from the Note 13 4G model - it's a 1080p panel with 120Hz refresh rate. There is a small punch hole for the updated 20MP selfie camera.

The earpiece above the screen also doubles as a stereo speaker, and it has a second audio outlet on the top for better audio balance.

The Redmi Note 14 4G has an under-display optical fingerprint scanner, which works great.

There are a lot of fan-favorite features here - a 3.5mm audio jack and an IR blaster at the top, and a hybrid dual-SIM slot at the bottom.

The SIM tray can take either two nano-SIM cards or you can put a microSD expansion card inside the second SIM bed. There is no support for eSIM, unfortunately.

The back of the Redmi Note 14 4G has the new rounded camera housing, which has three jutting out rings for each of the cameras. We doubt the 2MP macro and depth imagers needed such things, but Xiaomi has chosen to use them for symmetrical purposes, we guess.

The Redmi Note 14 4G measures 163.3 x 76.6 x 8.2 mm, 1mm taller and wider than the Redmi Note 13 4G, and weighs 197 g - 8g heavier than its predecessor.

The Note 14 4G is a well-balanced phone with a likable design and excellent grip. It sits very well in hand, and it's pocket-friendly. Its matte surface is fingerprint-resistant. We appreciated the Note 14 4G design, and we think most people would do, too.