The Redmi Note 14 Pro+ comes in three colours. This is the Spectre Blue version. As you can see, it's all glass. There is some dual-tone play going on, too. (Photo: Saurabh Singh)
โNostalgic idealism wouldnโt move things forward in the post Covid world.โ
Truer words were never spoken. If Covid taught us anything, itโs this: life doesnโt waitโyouโve got to make it happen. And guess what? A smartphone is just a tool in that journey.
So, the Redmi Note doesnโt start at Rs 9,999 anymore? Big deal. Itโs not the apocalypse. Let it go, because only then can you truly see everything the new Redmi Note brings to the table. And if itโs not your jam, hey, the worldโs full of choices. No hard feelings.
The new Redmi NoteโRedmi Note 14 seriesโis made for a new smartphone era. The top-of-the-line model, Redmi Note 14 Pro Plus, has a starting price of Rs 30,999 for a version with 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage. Spending Rs 2,000 more can get you 256GB. The math is clever. While it may seem like the Note 14 Pro Plus is 1,000 bucks cheaper than the Redmi Note 13 Pro Plus, there you got more storage at the base level (256GB then versus 128GB now) and more RAM in the middle (12GB then vs 8GB now). The highest-end version (12GB/512GB) is still Rs 35,999. The biggest catch though is the storage type. It is UFS2.2, not UFS3.1.
Xiaomiโs choice of processor(s) is as confusing. The Note 13 Pro Plus had the Dimensity 7200 Ultra. The Note 13 Pro had Snapdragon 7s Gen 2. Cut to now the 14 series, the Redmi Note 14 Pro Plus has Snapdragon 7s Gen 3. And Redmi Note 14 Pro, the Dimensity 7300 Ultra. But thatโs not necessarily a bad thing.
Redmi Note 14 Pro+: The hits
The Redmi Note 14 Pro Plus improves upon the Note 13 Pro Plus in four key areas. Xiaomi is really doubling down on durability in this generation. Marketing theatrics aside, this phone is built like a tank. There is Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2 on the front and Gorilla Glass 7i on the back. The non-outdoorsy can opt for the relatively less secure faux leather variant. The 13 Pro Plus made a big splash with its IP68 rating. The 14 Pro Plus takes it up a notch with the addition of IP69 which makes it also resistant to water jets and steam cleaning. The design hasnโt strayed far from its predecessor, though the camera module got a sleek new makeover inspired by Xiaomiโs shiny new logo.
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The screen is a 6.67-inch 1.5K resolution 120Hz AMOLED, same as the Note 13 Pro Plus, but it canโnowโget brighter at up to 3,000 nits. HDR10+ and Dolby Vision are natively supported. The fingerprint reader is below the screen and is of the optical type. Xiaomi doesnโt usually skimp on these things and itโs nice to see all the underpinnings of a premium smartphone display intact on the new Note.
The third big update comes by way of camera capabilities. Iโll go so far as to say, itโs the most exciting. The Note 14 Pro Plus borrows the 50-megapixel Light Hunter 800 primary sensor from the Xiaomi 14 Civi. It is joined by another 50-megapixel Samsung ISOCELL JN1 telephoto camera with 2.5x optical zoom. Rounding off the package is an 8MP Sony IMX355 ultra-wide. Of the three, the telephoto is the best performer punching above its weight-class in all lighting conditions. There is still no 4K@60fps video. The front 20MP camera is good when you give it lots of light, but it tends to smoothen out things resulting in washed-out detail.
Last but not the least, the battery capacity has been cranked up to a โfrickingโ 6,200mAh. Xiaomi says it is EV-grade and while I canโt say how it will hold up with time, for now, battery life is fantastic. Depending on use case, it can last anywhere from 1.5-2 days, easily. The charging speed has come down from 120W to 90W, but I think that itโs a compromise I can live with.
Stronger build, brighter display, excellent telephoto, and long-lasting battery are the biggest selling points of the Redmi Note 14 Pro Plus. It is nice to see that Xiaomi didnโt forget any of the modern-day conveniences like NFC, Wi-Fi 6, dual speakers, good haptics, or even an IR blaster. So far so good. What can go wrong?
Note 14 Pro+
Pros
Good design, solid build
Bright display
Excellent telephoto camera
Fantastic battery life
Cons
No 4K@60fps
UFS2.2 storage
Android 14
Only 3+4 years software support
Redmi Note 14 Pro+: The misses
Well, this: I am still not convinced with Xiaomiโs choice of processor in this phone. The Snapdragon 7s Gen 3 feels underpowered and while there is no performance issue or bottleneck that I have come across so far, I wish that it was as fast and smooth as the OnePlus Nord 4. The Nord gets you faster UFS3.1/4.0 storage, too, mind you. Longer software support as well: 4+5 vs Xiaomiโs 3+4. Note 14 Pro Plus launching with Android 14 wasnโt a surprise but Xiaomi could have lessened the blow with better commitment. HyperOS was the agent of change.
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What made the Redmi Note so successful and a force to reckon with was that Xiaomi was able to put together an ensemble so ahead of its time, you would just ignore the minor discrepancies and bask in the glory of a product you had never heard or seen before. The 10-20K pricing served as a cushion, one that rival phone companies were perhaps too stubborn to touch, with the same gusto. No one expected Xiaomi to remain forever confined to that segment. Itโs a brilliant company doing some brilliant work.
The Redmi Note 14 Pro Plus is a testament to Xiaomiโs philosophy of moving forward. Itโs built for a new era, one where smartphones are more than just toolsโtheyโre companions in a fast-paced world.
Yet, as Xiaomi raises the bar, it also narrows the margin for error. The choice of processor and storage type feels like missed opportunities to truly redefine the lineup and expand its appeal. The Redmi Note series once thrived on delivering the extraordinary within reach, and while the 14 Pro Plus stays true to that ethos in many ways, it also nudges the boundary of expectation a little too cautiously.
In this new smartphone era, the Redmi Note 14 Pro Plus is undeniably ready to compete. But as Anuj Sharma aptly put it, โNostalgic idealism wonโt move us forward.โ To fully embrace this forward momentum, Xiaomi may need to revisit the formula and ensure that every ingredient aligns with the ambition. After all, the true glory of the Redmi Note lies not just in its evolution but in its ability to surprise and captivateโsomething this phone almost achieves, but not quite completely.
