Hot on the heels of the Poco X7 range released earlier this week, Xiaomi has also announced the Xiaomi Redmi Note 14 collection, comprised of a whopping five budget-friendly smartphones.
Two of the most capable in the range are the Redmi Note 14 Pro 5G and the top-end Redmi Note 14 Pro Plus 5G – but what’s the difference between these two impressively capable mid-range smartphones?
While we’re yet to review the two new mid-rangers, here’s how they compare on paper to help you decide which is best for your needs.
Price and availability
The Redmi Note 14 Pro 5G is the more affordable of the two smartphones, starting at £299 in the UK.
The Redmi Note 14 Pro Plus 5G, on the other hand, starts at £399, an additional £100 compared to the Pro. That might sound like quite the jump in price, but it’s still a great price for a phone packed with such impressive tech – more on that in a bit.
Both are available to buy right now following release, both via Xiaomi itself and third-party retailers like Amazon.
The Redmi Note 14 Pro 5G & 14 Pro Plus 5G have completely different designs
You might assume that with the same branding, the Redmi Note 14 Pro 5G and 14 Pro Plus 5G look nearly identical. It’s what we see with the Pixel 9 and Pixel 9 Pro, iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro, and more – but that’s not the case here.
The Redmi Note 14 Pro 5G sports a rather unique design on its rear, combining both matte and glossy finishes in an asymmetrical square style. That not only helps it stand out visually, but it provides quite the unique feel in the hand.
The Redmi Note 14 Pro Plus 5G, on the other hand, looks way more understated than any other member of the Note 14 range, sporting a large squircle camera housing on the rear and more toned-down finishes, ranging from a matte finish to a vegan leather finish depending on the colour you go for.
There is a catch, however; the Redmi Note 14 Pro 5G has a plastic back, while the Pro Plus offers a glass rear on two of its three colour options, making the Pro Plus feel all the more premium in the hand, even if it doesn’t look quite as exciting.
Snapdragon vs Dimensity: The smartphones have different chipsets
Another key difference between the Redmi Note 14 Pro 5G and 14 Pro Plus 5G is the chipset found within. The Redmi Note 14 Pro 5G sports MediaTek’s Dimensity 7300 Ultra, while the Pro+ model comes with Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 7s Gen 3.
The Redmi Note 14 Pro Plus 5G also caps out at 16GB in place of the Pro 5G’s 12GB, though this top-end variant isn’t available in all regions. In regions where it isn’t present, including the UK, the Pro Plus 5G matches the Pro 5G’s 12GB offering.
The Redmi Note 14 Pro Plus 5G has faster charging
There’s also a difference between the two smartphones when it comes to charging speeds.
Despite both smartphones sporting the same 5110mAh battery, the Redmi Note 14 Pro Plus 5G borrow’s Xiaomi’s flagship HyperCharge tech to deliver impressive 120W fast charging capabilities – though the charger doesn’t come in the box in the UK.
According to Xiaomi, this enables the high-end Redmi to reach a full charge in just 22 minutes, with a staggering 1600 charge cycles and up to 80% of its original capacity retained. For context, the iPhone 16 is only rated to 1000 charge cycles, so it’s great to see such longevity from a mid-ranger – especially where fast charging is concerned.
The Redmi Note 14 Pro 5G, on the other hand, caps out with 45W fast charging. That’s still relatively speedy for a mid-ranger, but it won’t compete with the rapid charging from the Pro Plus.
The Redmi Note 14 Pro Plus 5G has more AI smarts
There’s also a difference between the two Redmi smartphones when it comes to their respective AI offerings. The Redmi Note 14 Pro 5G offers support for the same AI Beautify, AI Erase Pro, and AI Image Expansion tech as the Xiaomi 14T Pro, along with support for the ever-handy Circle to Search.
The Redmi Note 14 Pro Plus 5G kicks things up a notch, however, offering everything the Pro model does along with AI Interpreter, AI Notes, AI Recorder, AI Subtitles, and AI Film, allowing the phone to perform tasks like reformatting your notes, transcribing recordings, and more.
It’s worth noting that both AI Erase Pro and AI Image Expansion require cloud services to operate, but all other AI features should function without an active internet connection.
Early thoughts
The Redmi Note 14 Pro Plus 5G seems to be the more capable of the two smartphones, offering rapid 120W HyperCharge support, boosted AI capabilities, and a more premium build of aluminium and either glass or vegan leather – but it costs £100 more than the Redmi Note 14 Pro 5G at £399.
The question is, then, is fast charging and the other grades worth the extra £100?
For some, it may well be, but considering you’ll be getting the same 6.67-inch 1.5K AMOLED screen, 200MP camera, and eSIM capabilities regardless of the model you go for, you could save a pretty penny by going with the Note 14 Pro 5G – but we’ll say for sure once we’ve fully reviewed both models.
