This new mid-range phone puts the Pixel 8a, Galaxy A55 to shame

Xiaomi’s Redmi Note series has long offered fantastic bang for the buck, offering a variety of features at a cheap price. Now, the company has launched the Redmi Note 14 series in China, and the Redmi Note 14 Pro Plus might be the best cheap Android phone of 2024.

Xiaomi’s top-end Redmi Note model stands out thanks to its durability. It features Gorilla Glass Victus 2 on the front as well as Gorilla Glass 7i on the back. It also offers both IP68 and IP69 ratings, so it should survive a drop in the toilet. 

The Redmi Note 14 Pro Plus also offers a 6,200mAh silicon-carbon battery, the biggest we’ve seen in a Redmi Note Pro Plus model. This battery is paired with 90W wired charging, complete with a bundled charger. Xiaomi says the battery is rated for 1,600 charging cycles before reaching 80% effective capacity.

The Note 14 Pro Plus also stands out from previous Redmi Note models thanks to a 50MP 2.5x telephoto camera (f/2.0) that supports 5x “lossless” zoom. This camera is joined by a 50MP f/1.6 main camera (Light-Hunter 800, 1/1.55-inch, one-micron pixel size), an 8MP ultrawide lens, and a 20MP selfie shooter.

Rounding out the package is a 6.67-inch 120Hz OLED screen (2,712 x 1,220, 3,000 nits peak brightness) and a mid-tier Snapdragon 7s Gen 3 chipset.

Xiaomi also announced a Redmi Note 14 Pro model, sitting just below the Pro Plus variant in the pecking order. This variant differs by offering an IP68 rating, a 5,500mAh battery, 45W wired charging, a Dimensity 7300 Ultra chip, and an inferior camera system. In the case of the latter, you can expect a 50MP LYT-600 main camera, an 8MP ultrawide lens, and a 2MP macro camera in lieu of a telephoto shooter. You’re still getting the same screen and Gorilla Glass Victus 2 protection, though.

Don’t care for all those bells and whistles and just want a wallet-friendly Android phone? Then you should keep an eye on the standard Redmi Note 14.

Xiaomi’s vanilla model ticks a few boxes for a budget phone in 2024. Expect a Dimensity 7025 Ultra chip, a 6.67-inch FHD+ OLED screen (2,100 nits peak brightness), and a 5,110mAh battery with 45W wired charging. As for durability, the Note 14 has an IP64 rating (not quite reaching full water resistance) and Gorilla Glass 5 screen protection.

The Redmi Note 14 isn’t going to make the list of best camera phones owing to its modest dual rear camera system. It features a 50MP main camera (1/1.96-inch, 0.8-micron pixel size) and a 2MP depth sensor. A 16MP camera handles selfies and video calls.

Redmi Note 14 series pricing and availability

The new Redmi phones are only available in China right now, but they typically land in global markets a couple of months later. We really hope the Note 14 Pro Plus is available outside China, as it looks like one of the best mid-range phones of 2024. In fact, the phone brings better durability, a much bigger battery, faster charging, and better camera zoom than rivals like the Google Pixel 8a and Samsung Galaxy A55. These phones will likely have a better update policy, but Xiaomi didn’t reveal update details.

The Redmi Note 14 Pro Plus starts at a recommended price of 1,999 yuan (~$285) for the base 12GB/256GB variant and goes up to 2,399 yuan (~$342) for the 16GB/512GB variant. 

Fancy the Redmi Note 14 Pro? Then it has a recommended price of 1,499 yuan (~$214) for the 8GB/128GB model. Meanwhile, the standard Redmi Note 14 starts at 1,199 yuan (~$171) for the 6GB/128GB model.