Xiaomi Redmi Note 14 4G review – New Value Standard

Xiaomi has a strong reputation for offering excellent value in their handsets. Over the course of a decade, their devices have wooed customers worldwide with specs beyond what you would expect for your Yuan, Euro or Dollaridoo. Xiaomi Redmi Note 14 4G does exactly what you expect a device from the company to do – up the bar in terms of performance-to-price ratio – but it does more than that. And all for less than €200.

Eye Catcher

Xiaomi Redmi Note 14 4G has the bold visual design of a phone many times its price. Our Lime Green review model is gorgeous. The simple and elegant ‘friendly box’ design is worn well worn on the device, the rear triple-lens arrangement site in an iPhone-like clear plastic island in a squircle shape that perfectly matches the rounded edges seen elsewhere.

The three-lenses are laid out in a two-big, one-little triangular arrangement. When snapping in landscape mode, the lenses resemble the pleasantly surprised faces you’ll get when you tell people how much Xiaomi Redmi Note 14 4G cost you. It’s all wonderfully symmetric and pleasing to the eye.

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The lightly frosted rear cover and aluminium outer frame offer a nice contrast with the obsidian-like glossy blackness of the display while off. The minimalist visual design is aided by the application of just a solitary stylised ‘Redmi’ logo on the rear. As will be a theme of this review, Xiaomi Redmi Note 14 4G looks far better than it has any right to at around €199.

Built Quality

Along a reputation with offering excellent value in terms of performance and features, Xiaomi devices have also garnered some street cred for their robustness and their overall build quality. And, Xiaomi Redmi Note 14 4G also feels solid as a rock in your hand. At 200grams and only 8.2mm thick, it’s satisfying dense without being too heavy.

The device not only feels robust and solid, but has ruggedness integral to its build. The aluminium frame uses a high-strength alloy and the innards of Xiaomi Redmi Note 14 4G are isolated from the frame by a shock-absorbent foam. The front of Xiaomi Redmi Note 14 4G, like many higher-end devices, is protected by Corning Gorilla Glass 5.

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To top it all off, the device is splash and dust resistant with an IP54 rating. Again, Xiaomi Redmi Note 14 4G feels far more robust and well built than it has any right to at around €199.

Slick for Less

Xiaomi Redmi Note 14 4G (Global) offers a competitive workhorse chipset that balances two-day stamina with slick everyday performance. Opening apps, switching tasks, or doomscrolling media-rich social platforms is a seamless and smooth experience.

Xiaomi Redmi Note 14 4G doesn’t quite have the muscle to whip the most intensive of apps or most demanding of 3D games, but for 99% of users there is enough power to handle anything you’ll throw at it.

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The Irish market is served by the 6GB RAM variant, which should be enough for any tab hogs or multitaskers out there, and you can always add up to 8GB of RAM from the device’s lightning-fast (UFS2.2) onboard storage.

The device is surprisingly spry when it comes to gaming. Many AAA 3D offerings will run at 60fps, albeit with some visual finery toned down. 2D games look crisp and animate beautifully on that big, bright FHD+ AMOLED display. And once again, Xiaomi Redmi Note 14 4G feels runs far better than it has any right to at around €199.

Bright and Beautiful

The display of Xiaomi Redmi Note 14 4G is another huge positive for the device. A 6.67-inch AMOLED with a refresh rate of up to 120Hz is detailed, colourful and delightfully smooth while scrolling or consuming 120Hz material.

A noticeable bezel around the display is about the only real giveaway that Xiaomi Redmi Note 14 4G is a budget device. However, this is small potatoes given the display performance is closer to a mid-range or sub-premium device. In fact, the display of Xiaomi Redmi Note 14 4G is brighter, more colourful and more responsive than it has any right to be at around €199.

Going the Distance

The 6nm process chip at the heart of Xiaomi Redmi Note 14 4G is an efficient workhorse. Combined with the generous 5,500mAh battery and Xiaomi’s own proprietary AI-powered battery management, the average user probably won’t need the charger till bedtime on day two. Power users can also be confident that the device will cover a workday.

The 33W Turbo Charge mode is a neat inclusion at this price, and with a compatible charging plug you can get the device from 0-100% in around 80 minutes. When in a hurry, you can get around 55% in around 40 minutes. And given the stamina of the device, that’s pretty a much a day’s worth.

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Better yet, the entire Xiaomi Redmi Note 14 range is USB-IF PD PD standard compatible so you can avail of fast charging speeds with any PD compatible brand’s charger, and that’s quite a few. I would go so far as to say that Xiaomi Redmi Note 14 4G offers more stamina, better charging performance and better compatibility with fast chargers than it has any right to at around €199.

Big Eyes

The triple-lens setup leans heavily on the 108MP main sensor. The 2MP secondary sensor is used for depth effects, while the third, another 2MP sensor is used for macro images. In good light and with a still subject, the 2MP macro lens is just about good enough for a social media snap. The 2MP depth sensor does a good job at creating portrait effects.

In practice, though, you will will mostly be using the excellent 108MP main sensor. Daylight shots capture impressive detail with vibrant colours that really pop. Night shots, despite a lack of optical image stabilisation, can bring detail out of all but the darkest scenes.

Like many budget offerings, the device does not feature any optical zoom. There is, however, a 2x and 3x lossless digital zoom baked in. Xiaomi calls it ‘Optical-Grade Zoom’ and leverages the massive 108MP main sensor to produce images comparable to, but not quite to the same standard as, similar optical zoom systems.

And, in many cases, Xiaomi Redmi Note 14 4G will take a more detailed, more colourful and more Instagrammable image than it has any right to at around €199.

Wow, Seriously?

Despite costing under €200, Xiaomi Redmi Note 14 4G has AI assistance as standard, as well as the computational muscle to make use of it. The AI-powered photo trickery works perfectly well when removing background spoilers, or giving your photos a more striking skyscape.

However, AI is also used to improve imaging performance, in particular with fast-moving scenes and night shots. Xiaomi promised a camera that was ready to snap instantly, something not always a given in the budget realm, and Redmi Note 14 4G has indeed kept up.

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There are a few limitations on what the AI can squeeze from certain scenes. Night shots can have some texture or surface detail smoothed out a little too much. Added blur for aesthetic purposes on moving shots can look a little too artificial at times. But, on the whole, the added AI functions are impressive on their own before even considering the price.

New Definition of Value

Xiaomi Redmi Note 14 4G does not operate on 5G, the somewhat disappointing mobile data standard that hasn’t delivered much on its promises to blow 4G/LTE away. 5G’s omission saved a few euro that was clearly better spent elsewhere by Xiaomi’s designers.

There’s also a few pre-loaded games and apps, as is common on budget devices. There aren’t too many, and they can all be completely uninstalled.

In exchange for these two penny-pinching exercises, you get a smartphone as robust and attractive-looking as devices three, four or five times the price, one with flawless everyday performance and a display that would be at home in the mid-range. Xiaomi Redmi Note 14 4G is, without doubt, the best value smartphone I have ever reviewed in ten years of professional tech reviews for various publications.

Specifications – Xiaomi Redmi Note 14 4G

Redmi Note 14 4G (6+128) Pricing and Availability

Redmi Note 14 4G 6GB + 128GB storage variant is available in Ireland now in Midnight Black, Ocean Blue, and Lime Green (reviewed) at an MRRP of €199. You can find Redmi 14 4G, and their other Redmi Note 14 series devices, at Xiaomi’s authorised retailers, including Tesco IE, Vodafone IE, Harvey Norman and Eir.

And, Irish customers can pick up a free smart tech gift with Redmi Note 14 devices, including free Redmi Buds 6 TWS earbuds (worth €44.99) with Redmi Note 14 4G. And if you choose Tesco, you get the wireless earphones and a substantial discount.

• Harvey Norman Ireland: Get a pair of Redmi Buds 6 when purchasing Redmi Note 14 4G for €189.
• Tesco: Get your free Redmi Buds 6 wireless buds plus a €30 discount on prepay when choosing Redmi Note 14 4G on Tesco Mobile (original RRP €199).

• Xiaomi Redmi Note 14 4G review – New Value Standard
• Xiaomi Ireland Offering Free Tech with Redmi Note 14 Series
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