Tech Blog #212 | Redmi Note 14 Pro+ : Other Brands Does Better with Pro+

The Pro+ should have a meaning. It should deviate from Pro and add more to tend the customer to pay more and buy the Pro+. The Xiaomi Redmi Note 14 Pro Plus 5G aims to conquer a corner in the competitive mid-range smartphone market with its sleek design and robust specifications. It's not perfect though. Let's dive into details.

The device gives a premium feel, featuring a glass back protected by Gorilla Glass Victus 2, which enhances its visual appeal. Weighing in at a manageable 204 grams and measuring just 8.1 mm thick, it strikes a balance between comfort and oversize. However, the button placement feels cramped, and the tactile feedback from the volume and power buttons leaves much to be desired. The camera island is kinda new to Redmi but we've seen that before. Having IP69 water resistant certification is noteworthy.

The display on the Redmi Note 14 Pro Plus is one of its standout features. It sports a vibrant 6.67-inch 1.5K AMOLED screen with a refresh rate of 120Hz, ensuring smooth scrolling and gaming experience. The brightness levels can reach up to 3000 nits, making it suitable for outdoor use. Additionally, it supports HDR10+ and Dolby Vision, enhancing multimedia consumption. However, while the display excels in brightness and color accuracy, the frame drops can occur under heavy load as the Processor could fail to cater the demanded power.

Under the hood, the Redmi Note 14 Pro Plus is powered by the Snapdragon 7s Gen 3 processor built on a 4nm process, paired with options of up to 12GB RAM and 256GB storage. This configuration promises efficient multitasking and decent gaming performance. However, real-world usage reveals some shortcomings; reports suggest that RAM management can be subpar, leading to apps closing unexpectedly when multitasking. This could be due to 7s Gen 3 being a mid-range processor. 7 Gen 3 would be cool though.

The camera system features a versatile setup with a primary 50MP sensor accompanied by an impressive telephoto lens capable of 2.5x optical zoom and OIS. While this setup allows for stunning portrait shots in good lighting conditions, low-light performance has been criticized for producing noisy images with washed-out colors. The ultra-wide lens also fails to impress, often resulting in distorted images that lack detail as it packs only an 8MP sensor. This has been the story of Redmi smartphones while other brands are putting at least 12MP sensors right now, Redmi still plays with toys. Moreover, video recording suffer from stabilization issues despite OIS being present.

Battery life is one of the Redmi Note 14 Pro Plus's strong suits, featuring a massive 6200mAh battery that easily lasts through a day of heavy usage. Coupled with fast charging at 90W, it can reach about 60% charge in just 20 minutes. I think anything of 100W fast charging is not sustainable. 65 - 100W would be the ideal range right now and this fixes right there.

On the software front, the device runs Xiaomi's HyperOS based on Android 14. While it includes several AI features to enhance user experience, such as AI Image Expansion and live translation, the overall software experience has been marred by reports of poor RAM management and aggressive task killing. This could lead to frustration for users expecting a smooth experience typical of modern smartphones. And the other thing is it comes with Android 14. Android 15 is out now. And with promised 3 Android updates, it could go only up to Android 17. Feels like cheating.

Priced around $365 for the base 256GB variant, the Redmi Note 14 Pro Plus positions itself as an attractive option in its segment. However, potential buyers should weigh its impressive battery life and display against its camera performance and software quirks. The Redmi Note 14 Pro Plus offers many appealing features that could attract users seeking value in a mid-range device but it ultimately falls short in critical areas like 8MP Ultrawide and Poor software arrangement.

Source - https://www.mi.com/in/product/redmi-note-14-pro-plus-5g/