The budget smartphone market in Nepal is highly competitive right now, with new phones launching almost every two weeks. Today, I’m reviewing the Redmi 14C, which stands out with its bold rear design. I’ve been using the phone for a month, and here’s everything you need to know about its design, display, performance, camera, and battery life. Let’s start the Redmi 14 C Full review.
Table of Contents
Redmi 14 C Full Review: Detailed View, Pros and Cons
Design
Budget smartphones aren’t as dull as they used to be, and the Redmi 14C is a perfect example. The back of the phone looks quite premium, featuring a circular camera module shaped like an Oreo and a sleek vegan leather finish on my Sage Green variant. It looks impressive, though I think the Dreamy Purple version might be even more eye-catching for those who like vibrant colors.
However, the front of the phone isn’t as exciting. It has a waterdrop notch at the top and a thicker chin at the bottom. While this is common in budget phones, brands like Tecno have recently stepped up their game by offering more modern hole-punch displays in this price range.
Display
The Redmi 14C comes with a large 6.88-inch IPS LCD, offering HD+ resolution and a 120Hz refresh rate. It’s impressive to see a budget phone with a 120Hz refresh rate, especially when even some high-end phones from Apple are still stuck at 60Hz in 2024! The phone has two refresh rate options: by default, it adjusts automatically up to 120Hz, but in my testing, it only reaches 90Hz on that setting. To experience the full 120Hz, manually select the “Up to 120Hz” option.
That said, don’t expect buttery smooth scrolling. The 120Hz effect is mostly noticeable in system settings, while most social media apps only run at 60Hz. This isn’t a deal-breaker for a budget phone, but a 90Hz refresh rate on social media apps would’ve been a nice touch. As for the display quality, it’s decent for the price. It works well for scrolling through TikTok, watching reels, or streaming movies. The phone lacks stereo speakers, but the mono speaker on the bottom is sufficient for media use. Sunlight visibility is okay, with a peak brightness of 600 nits in High Brightness Mode.
Performance
Let’s move on to the performance of the Redmi 14C. The phone is powered by the MediaTek Helio G81 Ultra chipset, which is built on a 12nm process and has a similar architecture to the Helio G85. As a result, its performance is quite comparable. For everyday tasks like making calls, texting, browsing social media, and watching videos, the phone performs well for its price.
The phone starts with 4GB of RAM, but I would suggest opting for at least 6GB of RAM since apps in 2024 are becoming more demanding. With 4GB, multitasking can sometimes feel a bit slow. When it comes to gaming, the phone is best suited for lighter games like Candy Crush, Subway Surfers, and Temple Run. For more intense games like PUBG, the phone can only handle them casually at 30 frames per second. Keep in mind, that this is a budget phone, so this level of performance is to be expected.
OS and UI
The Redmi 14C runs on HyperOS, which is based on Android 14. It offers some customization options like lock screen changes, icons, and other tweaks. However, not all features are included. For example, it lacks the 3D lock-screen wallpaper, a feature missing even on the Redmi Note 13 Pro 4G, which I reviewed earlier. Only the higher-end models like the Redmi Note 13 Pro Plus have this feature.
The phone also comes with some pre-installed apps and ads. While you can uninstall most of the apps, getting rid of the ads requires a few extra steps. To stop the ads, you’ll need to go into the settings of apps like Security and Music and turn off the option for receiving recommendations. This will help reduce the annoying ads.
Camera
The Redmi 14C comes equipped with a dual-camera setup featuring a prominent 50-megapixel main camera, which is similar to its predecessor, the Redmi 13C. While the previous model used a secondary lens for extreme close-ups, this additional camera now appears largely functionless. Despite this limitation, the main camera delivers impressive performance for a budget smartphone. The 50-megapixel sensor captures photos that are surprisingly detailed and sharp, with well-balanced colors that maintain good visibility even in challenging lighting conditions like low light and high contrast scenarios.
When it comes to video recording, the phone can capture footage at 1080p resolution with 30 frames per second. The camera’s performance isn’t without minor drawbacks – the autofocus can be somewhat sluggish in finding the right focus, and exposure doesn’t always adjust instantly. Nevertheless, considering the device’s affordable price point, the overall image and video quality remains commendably decent.
A noteworthy improvement is the front-facing camera, which has been upgraded to a 13-megapixel sensor. This selfie camera performs remarkably well, effectively handling bright backgrounds without causing over-exposure. It successfully captures clear and balanced self-portraits, adding another attractive feature to this budget-friendly smartphone’s imaging capabilities.
Battery and Charging
The Redmi 14C comes equipped with a standard 5160mAh battery, typical for phones in its price range. This battery capacity translates to approximately a day and a half of use for people with moderate smartphone habits.
Impressively, Redmi includes a 33W charger in the package, even though the phone itself only supports 18W fast charging. This means if you happen to own another Redmi device that can utilize the full 33W charging speed, you’ll have an extra versatile charger that doesn’t go to waste.
For users who aren’t heavy smartphone consumers, this battery setup offers reliable, consistent power throughout their daily activities, ensuring they won’t need to hunt for a charging point too frequently.
Pros and Cons
| Pros | Cons |
| Design is premium | Display can be optimized |
| Decent Camera | Bloatware and ads |
| Decent Performance | |
| Lasting Battery |
Verdict
The Redmi 14C is a solid smartphone for budget-conscious buyers. Its standout features include an attractive design that looks more expensive than its price tag suggests, and enough performance to handle everyday tasks smoothly. The camera performance is reliable for basic photography needs.
The phone runs on HyperOS, which offers plenty of features, though users might find the pre-installed app recommendations and advertisements annoying. Fortunately, these can be easily turned off to create a cleaner interface. Battery life is a strong point, and the included 33W charger is a nice bonus, even though the phone technically supports slower 18W charging. While the device is generally impressive, if we’re being critical, the traditional notch design could be improved with a more modern hole-punch display.
In essence, the Redmi 14C represents good value for money, with only minor drawbacks that don’t significantly detract from its overall appeal.
