Redmi 14C: Xiaomi’s sub-brand Redmi has just launched the Redmi 14C, yet another device from the world of budget smartphones – the company is best known for the budget devices, and it has done a great job with this latest addition to the C-series.
Design and Display
Design The Redmi 14C has a refreshingly new design language that you wouldn’t expect from it’s budget status.
In its place we get rid of the thick bezels of the previous generation, which look a little dated, in favor of a more modern look with a waterdrop notch and thinner borders.
The 6.71-inch HD+ screen outputs color reproduction quite decent for everyday use, however, its 720p resolution is easily noticeable when you play any sort of media.
On the back, the phone uses a textured plastic material which does the job of reducing fingerprints well, while also being grippy enough.
Comes in Forest Green, Midnight Black and Glacier Blue, and has light reflecting patterns that gives it a little something to look at without going OTT.
It gives the best of convenience and accuracy by putting the fingerprint sensor on the power button.
Performance
The Redmi 14C is driven by the MediaTek Helio G85 processor teamed with 4GB or 6GB of RAM under the hood.
It runs typical daily tasks smoothly with few delays, although heavy multitasking sometimes pushes it to the brink.
It also adds a uniquely value set including LPDDR4X RAM and UFS 2.2 storage (both rare at this price point) into the mix to ensure that apps load noticeably faster than competitors.
Gaming performance is passable for casual games but heavy games run on lowered effects for comfortable framerates.
The phone’s thermal performance manages heat well when you’ve worked the phone hard for several minutes, preventing the hot spots that a few budget handsets suffer.
Camera Capabilities
The camera system is built around a 50MP main sensor which takes impressively detailed shots in daylight with good dynamic range for a phone at this price.
The 2MP macro lens that accompanies it feels more like something added to a spec sheet rather than a useful tool, but fans of getting up close to things may find some use in well-lit environments.
Selfies that come from the 8MP front camera are decent enough too, especially if you utilise the beautification features that are built into the camera application.
On the video side, recording is capped at 1080p/30fps, which includes electronic stabilization that does its job fine with stationary and slow subjects.
Battery Life and Charging
Battery life is one of the Redmi 14C’s greater strengths, and the 5,000mAh cell offers a good two days of moderate usage.
The included 18W charger zeros out the battery from zero to 100% in about 2 hours and 15 minutes – not too shabby but slow enough to make you reserve it for your overnight charging ritual.
Software Experience
Running the show is Android 13-based MIUI 14, offering handy features like Second Space for privacy, a more flexible theming system, and an overhauled notification system.
Xiaomi has also pledged two years of security updates, but we can expect OS upgrades to be limited to a single generation.
Pros:
Great battery performance that lasts all day and then some
Decent and good results from the main cam for this price slab
Gets the job done processing power
Premium design that looks more expensive than it is
Good responsive fingerprint sensor and face unlock choices
You also getting an LPDDR4X RAM and UFS 2.2 storage, which help to improve the overall responsiveness of the phone.
3.5mm headphone port and expandable storage to 1TB
Redmi 14C: Cons:
The HD+ quality will be visible in the media consumption
Secondary macro camera barely has any use in reality
Some ads in built-in apps
Gaming performance may not be enough for some demanding games
With plastic build tends to pick up small scratches over time
No ultrawide camera option
A single, bottom-firing speaker doesn’t provide much in the way of stereo separation
The Redmi 14C is Xiaomi’s way of saying it won’t be raising the bar in the budget segment.
It’s not going to compete with midrange anyway, and it wasn’t supposed to. Instead, it delivers an overall decent experience for first-time smartphone users or those searching for a dependable backup.
In focusing on key factors such as battery life, camera quality, and day-to-day performance, the Redmi 14C takes care of the basic needs of a frugal customer without really sacrificing anything that would turn people off.
For a category where there are always going to be cuts, I think Xiaomi has made good decisions here and has a very appealing package for the amount of money they’re asking.
