While the midrange smartphone segment sees the fiercest competition, sub-P10,000 phones (or what I will call entry-level here) still sell well here in the Philippines. Xiaomi’s popular Redmi Note series continues to offer an entry-level phone in 2025. But with a slightly bigger 5500 mAh battery and a MediaTek Helio G99 processor, is it worth considering? Find out in my Redmi Note 14 review.
Disclaimer: Xiaomi sent over both the Redmi Note 14 Pro+ 5G in Midnight Black and the 8GB RAM + 256GB storage variant of the Redmi Note 14 in Mist Purple. They arrived on December 21, 2024 and I unboxed them on December 22. I’ve been using the Note 14 as my main Android phone for one week and using it on and off within two months.
Unboxing Experience
While flagship phones continue to lose the included accessories in the box, entry-level phones still have them. From the free case to the 33W power adapter, we get a typical unboxing with this phone.
Nailing The Smartphone Essentials
If there’s one thing Xiaomi is good at, it’s making good hardware. While I do prefer the flat sides for better grip, it’s nice to see the back have some curve. We still get a glossy back, but this Mist Purple color doesn’t show off that many fingerprints.
While makers of flagship phones ditched the 3.5mm headphone jack and microSD card, I’m glad to see those features still thriving on this phone. It also offers the same IP54 dust and water resistance so you can be at ease when it comes to water splashes and some dust.
One of the big things of the base Redmi Note model is its AMOLED display. This is certainly the case with the Redmi Note 14. It has a 6.67-inch AMOLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate, 960Hz PWM dimming, and 1800 nits peak brightness. Protecting this display is Corning Gorilla Glass 5, which may be good enough for Xiaomi since they’ve used that since the Redmi Note 7 in 2019.
For most people, this phone’s AMOLED display is good enough. While its peak brightness won’t help under direct sunlight, the display is good for most scenarios. The dual speakers on the Note 14 are fine but you won’t be going max volume on it.
How’s The Performance and Battery Life?
The Redmi Note 14 uses the MediaTek Helio G99-Ultra processor coupled with either 6 or 8 GB of LPDDR4X RAM and either 128 or 256 GB of UFS 2.2 storage. I could be that person who rants about MediaTek’s rebranding of processors, but I honestly don’t mind it as much. The Helio G99 may not be a “gaming powerhouse” of a chip, but I didn’t expect it to be.
If you check these AnTuTu benchmark scores, this phone is perfectly fine for casual gaming, video watching, and social media use.
Like the rest of the Note 14 Series, this phone came with Xiaomi’s HyperOS out of the box. Based on Android 14, this is the company’s fresh take on an Android skin and includes integrations to the wider Xiaomi ecosystem. Unlike with the Note 14 Pro+, my expectations of HyperOS aren’t as high on this phone. The overall user experience is mostly okay, with the HyperOS 2 update making it slightly smoother. I was able to play Pokémon UNITE, TCG Pocket, and ML without much issue even if I didn’t utilize the highest settings.
The Redmi Note 14 has a bigger 5500 mAh battery with the same 33W fast charging as its predecessor. While its bigger brother had disappointing battery life, this phone is the opposite. Thanks to that bigger battery, we got around 14.5 hours in the PCMark battery test. Charging the phone from 0 to 100% takes around an hour and a half.
Are The Cameras Any Good?
The Redmi Note 14 may rock a “triple rear camera” setup along with a front camera, but only two of those are useful. The rear camera setup consists of a 108MP main camera and two 2MP cameras (macro and depth). There’s also a 20MP front camera for capturing those ever-important selfies. Are the photos from this phone any good though? Let’s check them out together.
Click on the photos for full-resolution versions.
For the most part, the Redmi Note 14’s 108MP main camera takes good photos if given enough light. It tends to struggle indoors even if there is enough light. The photos have a good amount of detail, though taking said photos can be a challenge sometimes with the camera software.
It’s nice to get some zoom options thanks to being able to take photos in 2x and 3x. I wouldn’t recommend going past 3x though, as there is a big decrease in quality.
Front Camera
Its 20MP front camera takes decent selfies given enough light. The bokeh effect on the portraits I took is good enough. I wouldn’t take low-light photos with the front camera though.
Should You Buy the Redmi Note 14?
The Redmi Note 14 offers the essentials of what a sub-P10,000 smartphone can offer in 2025. While competition is fiercer today compared to 5 years ago, Xiaomi brought some meaningful upgrades even if some downgrades need to be done. Standout features of this phone are the 5500 mAh battery, the 120Hz AMOLED display, and its 108MP main camera. While there are multiple variants of this phone, I would recommend just going for the models with 8GB of RAM.
Pros
- A clean design with a nice selection of colors (I’m fond of the Mist Purple)
- IP54 dust and water resistance
- Has a 3.5mm headphone jack and a microSD card slot
- Still a good 120Hz AMOLED display
- Performance is decent for the price thanks to MediaTek Helio G99-Ultra processor
- Good battery life with its 33W fast charging
- Solid 108MP main and 20MP front cameras
Cons
- The back has some curve, but is sharp in some parts
- Other sub-P10,000 phones support IP69 dust and water resistance
- No 5G
- Xiaomi’s HyperOS didn’t improve the overall smoothness and user experience
- Those filler 2MP depth and macro cameras
The Redmi Note 14 comes in four colors: Midnight Black, Mist Purple, Ocean Blue, and Lime Green. It is available in three variants: an 8GB RAM + 128GB storagevariant for P8,999, an 8GB RAM + 256GB storage variant for P9,999, and an online-exclusive 6GB RAM + 128GB storage variant for P7,999. You can get one at your nearest Xiaomi Store or authorized retailer nationwide. If you prefer buying online, it is available in Xiaomi’s official stores in Shopee, Lazada, and TikTok Shop.