Xiaomi Redmi Note 14S Smartphone Review – Xiaomi has been delaying the Note 14S launch for a few weeks, but the company has finally unveiled this phone. It’s a new mid-range smartphone that brings 4G connectivity, lightweight software, and decent hardware. In the first impression, it looks like a promising phone. But surprisingly, some might even say it’s a sibling of the Redmi Note 13 Pro 4G with the latest Android and a new camera module.
Indeed, the Xiaomi Redmi Note 14S phone was released this year, and Xiaomi is ready with yet another rebranded phone. There’s no denying that Note 14S got identical specs, except for a few changes here and there. But, it’s a common strategy Xiaomi has used for the last decade to dominate the value-for-money smartphone market. Now, if you are thinking of purchasing this phone, go through the Xiaomi Redmi Note 14s review to find all the answers.
Table of Contents
Xiaomi Redmi Note 14S Smartphone Review
Highlights
- The phone arrives with a 6.67-inch AMOLED panel with a higher refresh rate and a well-lit screen.
- The lightweight software experience is obtained through the Android 15-based HyperOS.
- In the hardware department, the company integrated the Helio G99 Ultra chipset.
- A 200MP triple camera on the back and a 16MP selfie lens will provide fabulous photos and video results.
- A 67W wired charging support will grant a long-lasting screen time with the 5000 mAh battery.
Design and Display
Unlike the previous models, the Xiaomi Redmi Note 14S smartphone misses the aluminum side panel and provides a standard plastic build. The back panel is also made up of plastic. For many people, this design layout might seem similar to the Poco M6 Pro. However, the company modified the camera island to a certain extent. Still, this familiar design language isn’t new. Yet, the good part would be the remarkable color options. You can pick from Midnight Black, Aurora Purple, and Ocean Blue.
All of them look appealing on their own. At the same time, if you are looking for something out of the box, the Aurora Purlpe is something that you should look forward to. As far as the built quality is concerned, the device is fairly slim and lightweight, which makes holding the phone more comfortable. In addition to that, the IP64 rating can effortlessly handle dust and light water splash damage with ease. Although, the water resistance might be just for show.
Anyway, the fingerprint scanner is embedded in the 6.67-inch AMOLED panel covered with Corning Gorilla Glass 5 protection. The display in the core highlight of this phone and the addition of a 120Hz refresh rate with 1300 nits peak brightness will improve the response rate. The vibrant colors are accurate, the blacks are deep, and the overall usage is great for gaming and video streaming. Long story short, the design is a pretty much subject thing, while the screen usage is practical and the holding experience is comfortable. But if the display supports 4K, it would be a complete deal.
Memory and Internal
For a few years, Xiaomi’s budget segment phones only featured the MediaTek Helio chipset, instead Dimensity chipset. Nevertheless, getting the Helio G99 Ultra gives a slight edge compared to the older G99 chipset. Moreover, there’s no doubt that the Redmi Note 14S smartphone processor can efficiently handle daily activities.
With that, you can enjoy casual games as the Mali-G57 MC2 GPU handles all the heavy lifting. As for UI, you are getting the HyperOS-based Android 15 OS. Unlike other Xiaomi’s user interfaces, the HyperOS has relatively fewer pre-installed apps. It makes the overall UI smoother and lightweight for the users. Besides this, there are plenty of customization options with a few years of Android updates policy.
One of the reasons to get this phone will be 8GB RAM which provides a lag-free experience. It is coupled with a 256GB UFS 2.2 internal storage to store all of your data. However, the only downside of the hardware section would be the 4G connectivity. In 2025, most budget phones will offer 5G, and it will become more mainstream. Choosing this phone feels like a step back, if that’s a dealbreaker for you.
Camera
Honestly speaking, the upgrade from 108MP to 200MP primary is barely noticeable during the photoshoots. Last year’s Note 13S offered almost the same camera performance. But with the Redmi Note 14S, the camera results aren’t improved. They are like stop upgrading where the previous model was. The main sensors present evenly lit pictures in good light condition.
However, the real challenge began with the lowlight picture quality. It can be said barely good, even though the primary lens has OIS support. The phone struggles to take decent photos at night and in low-light locations. On the other hand, the 8MP ultra-wide lens is usable, but it lacks details and accurate dynamic range. As for the 2MP macro lens, it’s pretty much useless these days.
Following this, the front display equips a 16MP selfie lens that can capture decent photos. Yet, the low-light selfies usually tend to be a bit grainy. The phone offers the traditional Xiaomi image processing with sharp colors and contrast. But don’t get your hope for high videography as the phone can only record up to 1080p resolution. Clicking decent photos and videos won’t be an issue. But don’t expect anything state-of-art from this camera module.
Battery and Others
Here the battery department is something which you can’t complain about. The Redmi Note 14S houses a 5000 mAh battery that can efficiently last for a full day. Even if you are playing games for two hours straight, the battery percentage will barely reach the 40% mark. Alongside this, the phone supports 67W fast charging that refills half of the battery within 16 minutes. Ideally, the device would need a 50-minute refill to full capacity.
Undoubtedly, the battery life and charging speed are the key selling point of this phone. As for other aspects, the phone has a combination of dual speakers and a 3.5 mm jack port with good enough audio output support. Lastly, the Redim Note 14S is an expensive deal at the price point of $209 (Rs. 17,799 in India). At the same cost, you can purchase a reliable 5G phone instead.
Xiaomi Redmi Note 14S Pros and Cons
Xiaomi Redmi Note 14S Specifications Detail
Down below you can see the full specifications of the Xiaomi Redmi Note 14S Smartphone.
| Specifications | Xiaomi Redmi Note 14S |
| Network | 2G, 3G, 4G |
| Announced | March 2025 |
| SIM | Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM |
| Dimensions | 6.34 x 2.95 x 0.31 inches |
| Weight | 179 g |
| Size | 6.67 inches |
| Display | AMOLED 1B colors 120Hz 500-1300 nits brightness 20:9 ratio ~395 PPI density |
| Protection/Others | Corning Gorilla Glass 5 IP64 dust-tight and water-resistant (water splashes) |
| Resolution | 1080 x 2400 pixels |
| OS | Android 15, HyperOS |
| Chipset | Mediatek Helio G99 Ultra |
| CPU | Octa-core 2×2.2 GHz Cortex-A76 6×2.0 GHz Cortex-A55 |
| GPU | Mali-G57 MC2 |
| Card slot | microSDXC (uses shared SIM slot) |
| RAM | 8GB |
| Internal | 256GB UFS 2.2 |
| Camera | 200 MP (wide), multi-directional PDAF, OIS 8 MP (120Ëšultrawide) 2 MP (macro) LED flash, HDR, panorama Max – 1080p@30/60fps |
| Selfie | 16 MP (wide) Max – 1080p@30/60fps |
| Loudspeaker | Yes with dual speakers |
| 3.5mm jack | Yes |
| WLAN | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band |
| Bluetooth | 5.2, A2DP, LE |
| GPS | GPS, GLONASS, GALILEO, BDS |
| NFC | Yes (market/region dependent) |
| Infrared port | Yes |
| Radio | Yes |
| USB | USB Type-C 2.0, OTG |
| Sensors | Under display fingerprint, accelerometer, gyro, compass Virtual proximity sensing |
| Battery | 5000 mAh 67W wired |
| Colors | Midnight Black, Aurora Purple, Ocean Blue |
| Expected Price | $209 (Rs 17,900 in India) approx. |
Conclusion
The Xiaomi Redmi Note 14S smartphone is a decent deal with few downsides. But the phone has an equal amount of plus points too. For example, the device comes with a decent display, camera, and battery support for day-to-day usage. But If you care about 5G connectivity, then look somewhere else. Besides this, it might not be the best choice for hardcore mobile gamers.
Lastly, the camera experience does have a few flaws in the lowlight photography. Overall, if your priorities are a great camera, 5G support, and 4K video recording then the Xiaomi Poco M7 Pro 5G would be a good balance of features and price. It’s just an alternative suggestion, and there are lots of budget phones available on the market. So, choose a device based on your requirements.
