Xiaomi Redmi Note 14 Pro 5G review – Mid-range done right

Having spent the better part of a year with Xiaomi’s Redmi Note 13 Pro+, we were keen to see what Xiaomi had cooked up for 2025. Unsurprisingly that turned out to be the recently released Redmi Note 14 Series, of which we managed to get our hands on the middle-of-the-park Note 14 Pro 5G (not to be mistaken for the more affordable (yet weaker) Pro (4G)).

This year, it’s not as simple as choosing the best smartphone you can afford. As good as Xiaomi’s Redmi Note 14 Pro 5G efforts are this year (and they are good), sporting 8/12GB of RAM and storage, we can’t ignore the brain-dead local pricing. Xiaomi brought in five Redmi Note 14 devices this year, two of which can only be found on Vodacom’s website at the time of publication. More on that later.

From the top

One of the best things about the Redmi Note 13 series was the excellent curved display, reminiscent of the old Samsung Galaxy Edge devices, and we’re glad to say it’s carried over here. You’ll get people arguing for or against it, but it’s one feature of the Redmi Note series that helps it stand out in an overflowing sea of mid-range mediocrity.

The rear is a different story. The Redmi Note 14 Pro succumbed to peer pressure from other Chinese companies, opting for a central camera bump and an all-plastic backing that makes for a more solid grip than last year’s glassy affair. More than likely you’ll throw a cover on, anyway. The matte silicone case in the box is one of the best-looking and feeling freebies we’ve seen.

The stock Android power button and volume rocker adorn the 14 Pro’s relatively thin aluminium edges (8.4mm) on the right side, while a USB-C port and SIM tray line the bottom. Sure, there are thinner mid-rangers out there, but the camera bumps and curved display go a long way to make the device feel slimmer than it is.

Don’t expect major leaps where the display is concerned, for Xiaomi has more or less left things the name – with a few upgrades. One of those is HDR10+ support in the 6.67in AMOLED 1.5K display, which is capable of hitting 120Hz. HDR support means a higher peak nit brightness (3,000) that is fully realised with HDR content. The rest of the time, though? It was plenty bright.

Our review model did experience trouble hitting that 120Hz figure, at least at first. By default, the Note 14 Pro 5G employs a dynamic refresh rate, supposedly adjusting the refresh rate whenever necessary. That all resulted in a stuttery experience that forced us to whack it onto 120Hz full-time, ultimately stiffing the expected battery life. Once we’d made the changes, the display rose to the occasion magnificently.

Entering the third Dimensity

You’ll struggle to find a listing of the 8GB/256GB RAM and storage model we used throughout our review. Instead, you’ll be forced toward the more expensive R12,000 12GB/256GB variant, dwarfing even the more powerful Redmi Note 14 Pro+ (8GB/256GB) for R10,000. It all comes down to personal preference, mind you – better chipset, or more RAM? We’d choose the Pro+ Dimensity gains any day.

If you somehow find our 8/256GB Redmi Note Pro 5G model somewhere, we’ll tell you it’s worth its reduced price. The 8GB of physical memory performed wonders throughout daily use (particularly with 120Hz settings), and had little trouble booting up most games. Or playing them for that matter. There’s no way to expand that 256GB retroactively, so you’ll want to stick to the more expensive model if that is important.

Its prowess is down to the Dimensity 7300 Ultra chipset used in the 14 Pro 5G. It’s no flagship-beater, but it’ll get the job done, and even do it well in most cases. There was hardly any stutter to speak of when bouncing between all the apps and it only suffered when we asked too much of it gaming-wise. It wasn’t devoid of lag when playing CSR 2, which is a little more intensive than your typical Subway Surfer-type games.

If it’s the best experience you’re after on weaker hardware (8GB/256GB), the 5,110mAh battery suffers accordingly. A full day of even moderate use will leave you with just enough juice to get home, but it’ll require a top-up if your evening plans extend beyond the realm of your couch. That, at least, is a relatively quick job with 45W charging, but we were envious of Xiaomi’s often much-quicker charging tech for most of our review period.

Shoot your shot(s)

The Redmi Note 14 Pro 5G lived up to our expectations of a mid-ranger and even surpassed them in the case of the 200MP main shooter. Normally that 200MP figure is just a gimmick designed to drive more sales – and there is a little bit of that going on here – but for the most part, we felt satisfied with its performance.

There was hardly any oversaturation from the big shooter, and it worked well no matter the time of day – and didn’t require much tweaking to get right. Just about anyone can take a decent shot with the Redmi Note 14 Pro 5G if they know where the ‘shoot’ button is. Colours feel natural (if a smidge warm at night), and background noise is kept to a minimum. Overall, it proved itself well worthy of our Instagram.

The same couldn’t be said for the 8MP ultrawide and 2MP macro sensors that round out the trio. The 8MP lens fared better than its macro brethren, holding its own against the 200MP lens, but ultimately didn’t deliver the level of clarity we’d have liked. The 2MP macro is… fine – if you’ve got some good ol’ Vitamin D behind those close-ups. Colours felt awkward when shooting at night, and it lost many of the finer details we were looking for.

The 20MP selfie camera performed as well as expected, though it was a little too ambitious with its AI-beautification abilities for our liking. Turning off or even adjusting those filters isn’t difficult – and once gone, it provides vivid detail that’ll make someone other than us happy.

Xiaomi Redmi Note 14 Pro verdict

The Xiaomi Redmi Note 14 Pro (5G) is one excellent, technically budget smartphone. It’s got a stunning design you don’t often see in this price range, complemented by a more than capable display and even better innards. The camera took us by surprise, with the only hitch coming from the weaker-than-usual battery life. But, as we’ve mentioned, you’ll struggle to find the Redmi Note 14 Pro (5G) with the same tech specs we did, likely just falling short of the Pro+ 5G price tag.

So if you’d rather avoid spending the R12,000 for the Pro (5G) with more RAM (12/512GB) and its larger price tag, the Redmi Note 14 Pro+ 5G should suit you as well, if not better. It’s guaranteed to make your wallet happier, at least. A Snapdragon 7s Gen 3 SoC leads the differences between its and our Pro 5G. Sure, you’ll have to make do with fewer images in storage and 4GB of RAM less, but for R2,000 less? That’s a deal you won’t often see.