Redmi Note 14 5G Review | Geek Lifestyle

Is the latest Redmi Note device another bang-for-buck winner?

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Xiaomi PH has kicked off 2025 by launching the new Redmi Note 14 5G, the brand’s latest affordable smartphone contender.

It has been exactly a year since Xiaomi launched its Redmi Note 13 series in the Philippines, so now is the perfect time to release the Note 14 lineup in the country. For this latest entry in the popular Redmi Note line, Xiaomi promises to deliver another set of phones with great bang for buck.

The unit that we’re checking out now is the base 5G model. Even though it’s not the Pro variant, it does have some interesting specs that make it seem more like a premium mid-ranger than a more affordable model. To be exact, it has a 108MP main camera, this time with OIS. This is paired with an 8MP ultrawide, a 2MP macro, and a 20MP selfie shooter at the front.

This phone also has key improvements when it comes to design and battery life. As such, this is a notable upgrade on paper, but does it deliver in real-world use? Here’s what we think.

Geek-sthetic

To start things off, let’s take a look at the phone’s design. Xiaomi updated the design of its Redmi Note phone a bit, especially its camera module which has a slightly more iPhone-style look to it, albeit with a smaller third camera. The phone also has an interesting pattern that’s not like the more typical gradient color.

In terms of looks, the Redmi Note 14 5G looks quite good from the back, and it also feels great as it’s shiny without feeling too slippery. Of course, the Coral Green colorway makes it quite eye-catching. For those who want a sleeker look though, the phone also comes in a Midnight Black option.

If we have to nitpick though, we’re not big fans of the included case color-wise. While it’s nice that Xiaomi added a free case, it has a dark green color which we think clashes a bit too much with the exposed camera module of the phone’s Coral Green version. Again, this is nitpicking as this is far from a dealbreaker, though it might not be to some users’ liking. On the flip side, we do like that the free case is not a clear one given how those cases often turn yellow after a year or so.

What’s also worth noting design-wise is the Note 14 5G’s headphone jack. Yes, this phone still has a 3.5mm connector, though it’s located at the top, similar to other Xiaomi smartphones. While the location may be a bit unusual for some, it’s still a positive overall given that many phones today no longer have a headphone jack.

Moving to the front, we have the Redmi Note 14 5G’s 6.67-inch AMOLED screen that has a 120Hz refresh rate and a 1080p resolution. It also has slim bezels and a small notch for the front camera in the middle.

Some budget-friendly smartphone models still have slightly thicker bezels, so it’s nice to see that the latest Redmi Note has slim ones as they give the phone a more premium look. Plus, the 120Hz refresh rate is always welcome.

Binge-Watching Factor

Yes, even though the phone is on the affordable side, it still packs an AMOLED screen. As such, the Redmi Note 14 5G is a great binge-watching partner with its vibrant colors and deep blacks. So, if you like watching movies/shows while on the go the latest Redmi device shouldn’t disappoint, at least when it comes to visuals.

For sound quality, the phone’s onboard audio is just okay. While it gets fairly loud, the quality isn’t the best; not too surprising given this phone’s price tag. Thankfully, as we mentioned above, the phone has a 3.5mm headphone jack as we highly recommend using headphones or external speakers for a better experience.

Gaming Performance

The Redmi Note 14 5G is powered by a Mediatek Dimensity 7025 Ultra processor, a bit of an upgrade to the Note 13 last year which used a Dimensity 6080 SoC. Take note that the Dimensity 7025 Ultra isn’t exactly billed as a top-tier gaming SoC, meaning you should still temper your expectations when it comes to gaming performance.

That’s not to say it’s a bad phone for gaming though. In our tests, we found that it can handle today’s popular games without any issues, though not on the highest settings.

For instance, League of Legends: Wild Rift ran fairly smoothly at 60FPS on the Medium graphics setting. You can bump it up higher, though the game recommends sticking to Medium quality. Meanwhile, Call of Duty Mobile also recommends Medium or High. We played the game on Medium and it ran fairly well.

Given its performance on popular MOBAs and shooters, you may not want to run the most demanding games here. We did try Genshin Impact, and it ran on the Lowest graphics settings decently well. It’s not the best experience given that the Lowest preset looks fuzzy and lacking in detail, though the Redmi Note 14 5G running it is still quite a feat.

Geek Photoshoot Capabilities

The Note 14 5G has a mostly similar camera setup as the Note 13 from last year, with both phones having a 108MP main + 8MP ultrawide + 2MP macro triple rear shooter setup. For the latest model though, Xiaomi packed the main camera with OIS, meaning it should have better low light photos and more stable videos.

Also improved in the new model is the selfie camera which is now a 20MP f/2.2 shooter. For comparison, last year’s model had a 16MP f/2.4 front camera.

Before we get into the selfie capabilities though, first here’s a look at shots taken by the main camera:

As expected, the 108MP camera took high quality images in daytime, and it also did pretty well for shots taken indoors with ample lighting. When you crop these daytime outdoor images, they retain a good amount of quality that, while not quite premium mid-range/flagship level, is still good overall.

Even when taking photos against the light, you can get good results thanks to the phone’s image processing capabilities. This can be seen in the second image above as the buildings still retain good sharpness and detail even with the afternoon sun.

For night photography, the Redmi Note 14 5G also works quite well thanks to its combination of OIS and its Night Mode processing. As you can see in the samples above that are taken with the Night Mode, low light photos are sharp and detailed. It’s worth noting though that these photos can appear a bit too vibrant, a common occurrence with Night Mode photos. Still, the results are good overall.

Meanwhile, the 8MP ultrawide camera is good for daytime and indoor photos. We particularly like how the fish-eye lens effect isn’t a big issue here compared with other ultrawide shooters.

On the flip side, the low light performance is just okay, even with Night Mode. As such, you may want to stick with the main camera when taking night shots.

Finally, selfies are of fairly good quality thanks to the new 20MP selfie camera. You’ll want to have as much light as possible for the best experience of course, though you can get away with suboptimal lighting like in the second sample image (which isn’t the best, but still has some good detail). Note that for our tastes, we prefer turning off the beautification filter as it can be a bit too unnatural, even at the default setting.

Everyday Reliability

When it comes to everyday use, you won’t habe any issues with the Redmi Note 14 5G. That’s because the phone is quite fast and reponsive for general tasks like emails, social media, and some light photo and video editing (for reels and such).

HyperOS is also fairly straightforward to use, though it’s worth noting that the layout of Settings is a bit different from other Android phones. Plus, it has the iPhone-style pull down menu where swiping from the left reveals notifications while swiping from the right is for various settings.

As for connectivity, we mentioned the 3.5mm headphone jack already that’s found at the top. Meanwhile, at the bottom is a USB Type-C port.

Interestingly, the phone has an under display fingerprint scanner instead of a side mounted one. This is unexpected given that many budget friendly phones pack sife mounted scanners.

Before we end this review, let’s talk battery life. The Redmi Note 14 5G has a large 5,110mAh battery with 45W fast charging. This is a bit of an upgrade from last year’s model.

In actual use, the battery enables the phone to generally last for a day of use in a single charge. While you can drain it fast, most users should enjoy all-day use. If you do need to charge, the phone’s 45W fast charging means you won’t have to wait too long for it to reach 100%.

Final Geek Lifestyle Verdict

As the Note 13 from last year was already a compelling option at the time, the Redmi Note 14 5G is yet another compelling wallet-friendly smartphone from Xiaomi. While its changes aren’t massive, the phone does have some key improvements that make it worth considering for users who are upgrading from an entry-level phone that’s 2+ years old.

Price-wise, the Redmi Note 14 5G has a PHP 13,999 starting price tag, and considering the current options in the competitive segment, this latest Redmi Note phone is a pretty nice deal.

Redmi Note 14 5G specs:

  • 6.67-inch (1080 x 2400) AMOLED display, 120Hz refresh rate, Corning Gorilla Glass 5
  • Mediatek Dimensity 7025 Ultra processor
  • IMG BXM-8-256GPU
  • 8/12GB RAM
  • 256/512GB storage
  • Rear cameras: 108MP main + 8MP ultrawide + 2MP macro triple rear camera setup
  • Front camera: 20MP
  • 5G, LTE
  • Under Display Fingerprint scanner, USB Type-C port
  • Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct, Bluetooth 5.3
  • 5110mAh battery with 45W wired Fast charging
  • Android 14 with Xiaomi HyperOS
  • Price:
  • 8GB/256GB – PHP 13,990
  • 12GB/512GB – PHP 16,990