Xiaomi Redmi Note 14 5G review

Competition

The vanilla 5G Redmi Note this year offers a few notable upgrades that the specs sheet alone doesn't reveal. But you might be more interested in how the Redmi Note 14 5G stacks against the competition.

Sitting in the mid-€200, the Redmi goes against the Motorola Edge 50 Fusion, Nothing Phone (2a) and some homegrown competition from the Poco X7.

Almost all of the Note 14 5G's competitors offer better camera performance, but they are also slightly more expensive than last-year models, namely the Motorola Edge 50 Fusion and the Nothing Phone (2a). We believe the extra few bucks are well worth it, though, because both handsets are more powerful and offer longer battery life.

Nothing Phone (2a) • Motorola Edge 50 Fusion • Xiaomi Poco X7

In fact, even the Poco X7 seems like a more potent device, but with comparable camera quality.

Even though the competition is mainly from 2024, it seems like the better choice in the current market conditions.

Verdict

This year's Redmi Note 14 5G doesn't live up to the hype. Sure, it's definitely an upgrade over last year's model, but the upgrades hardly make any difference in the current market conditions. The vanilla Redmi Note 14 seems to be behind the curve mostly in the performance and camera departments, and we expected more from the battery as well.

Still, Xiaomi was able to put together a decent all-rounder that would probably become more competitive as the price settles. The handset still has a decent main camera, excellent display and a competitive fast-charging solution.

Pros

• Attractive design with improved durability and IP64 rating.
• Nicely specced flat OLED display with HDR10+ video.
• Fluid day-to-day performance.
• Relatively quick charging.
• Loudspeakers are very loud (at the expense of quality).
• 3.5mm jack, IR blaster, microSD card slot.

Cons

• Phones with more powerful chipsets for the same price.
• Camera quality is not great.
• Some competitors support 4K video recording.
• No charger bundled in the EU.
• Virtual proximity sensor.
• Doesn't come with the latest Android 15/HyperOS 2 out of the box.