Over All Rating 4/5
Price Starts From ₹29,999/-
PROS 👍
- Innovative Design
- IP69 rated
- Massive 6,000mAh battery
- Triple rear camera setup
CONS 👎
- Bloatware
- Camera Inconsistencies
The Realme 14 Pro Plus is the latest addition to Realme’s popular number series, a lineup that has progressively blurred the lines between mid-range and flagship smartphones. The device aims to deliver a premium experience at an affordable price point. Positioned as a standout in the competitive mid-range market, is this the best device in the market? Let’s find out.
Detailed Review of Realme 14 Pro Plus
Design and Build
The Realme 14 Pro Plus immediately catches the eye with its innovative design. The Pearl White variant we use is the show’s star, featuring a colour-changing back panel that shifts from white to a vibrant blue when temperatures drop below 16°C. While a bit gimmicky, this thermochromic feature adds a unique flair that sets it apart from its peers. Other colour options are available, but none match Pearl White’s wow factor.
Beyond aesthetics, the phone feels premium and ergonomic. It sports a quad-curved design, with the display and back panel curving gently towards the edges. At just 8mm thick and 194 grams, it’s impressively slim and lightweight for a device packing a massive 6,000mAh battery. The curved edges make it comfortable to hold, enhancing the user experience.
Durability is a key highlight. The Realme 14 Pro Plus comes with IP69 ratings, offering protection against dust, water jets, and submersion up to 1.5 meters for 30 minutes. It also meets military-grade shock resistance standards, ensuring it can handle drops and rough use. Although we didn’t dare to drop the phone, the in-hand feel of the device gives us confidence that it can withstand the drop. The front is safeguarded by Corning Gorilla Glass 7i, adding scratch and crack resistance.
The 6.83-inch AMOLED display has impressive colours and contrast. It even has a 120Hz refresh rate and 1.5K resolution (2800 x 1272 pixels). Though the screen is visible in direct sunlight, with a peak brightness of 1500 nits, it is slightly less visible than other smartphones in the market.
Realme 14 Pro Plus Performance
Powering the Realme 14 Pro Plus is the Qualcomm Snapdragon 7s Gen 3 chipset, built on a 4nm process. This octa-core processor includes a prime Cortex-A720 core at 2.5GHz, three performance cores at 2.4GHz, and four efficiency cores at 1.8GHz, paired with an Adreno 710 GPU. The phone offers up to 12GB of RAM and 512GB of UFS 3.1 storage.
The phone performs smoothly for everyday tasks, browsing, social media, and multitasking, with the 120Hz display ensuring fluid navigation. Casual gaming, like Call of Duty or BGMI, runs well at stable frame rates, aided by an efficient cooling system that prevents overheating during long sessions. However, it’s not the most powerful option in its segment. Competitors like the OnePlus Nord 4 or the discounted Realme GT 6T, with Snapdragon 7+ Gen 3 chips, outpace it in raw performance, especially for demanding games or heavy multitasking.
Running on Realme UI 6.0 based on Android 15, the software experience is functional but flawed. It includes useful features, but bloatware is noticeable, and the updated policy of two years of OS updates and three years of security patches lags behind some rivals. For most users, though, the performance is more than adequate for daily use.
Realme 14 Pro Plus Camera
The Realme 14 Pro Plus sports a triple rear camera setup, a major selling point. It features a 50MP Sony IMX896 main sensor with optical image stabilization (OIS), a 50MP periscope telephoto lens with 3x optical zoom, and an 8MP ultrawide lens. A 32MP front camera handles selfies.
The primary sensor shines in various lighting conditions, delivering detailed, vibrant shots with good dynamic range. The periscope telephoto lens, a rarity in this price range, offers 3x optical zoom and up to 120x digital zoom. Optical zoom shots are sharp, but quality drops beyond 10x digital zoom. The 8MP ultrawide lens, however, disappoints with softer images and less detail compared to the main sensor, especially in low light where noise creeps in.
In dim conditions, the primary camera performs admirably thanks to OIS, though the ultrawide struggles. The selfie camera is solid in daylight but falters in darker settings. While the camera system is versatile, particularly with the telephoto lens, colour accuracy can be inconsistent, and processing speed occasionally lags.
Battery
Battery life is a standout feature of the Realme 14 Pro Plus, thanks to its massive 6,000mAh capacity. This is a significant leap over its predecessors, delivering exceptional endurance. Heavy gaming, streaming, and browsing users can expect a full day with 10-20% battery remaining, while lighter users might stretch it to nearly two days. The efficient chipset and AMOLED display contribute to this longevity.
We did an intensive 30-minute test using a 4K video playback at maximum brightness. The battery percentage declined by only 7%, indicating impressive efficiency and longevity.
With 80W fast charging, the battery goes from 0 to 100% in about 50 minutes, which is impressive for such a large capacity.
Verdict
The Realme 14 Pro Plus is an attractive mid-range smartphone featuring a unique colour-changing back and strong IP ratings, making it stylish and durable. It offers a 6.83-inch AMOLED display and a robust 6,000mAh battery with 80W charging, which is ideal for media enthusiasts. It also has a camera system that includes a periscope telephoto lens. However, it does have some drawbacks, such as the decent but not top-tier Snapdragon 7s Gen 3 chipset, bloatware and underwhelming ultrawide camera. It’s a solid choice for those prioritizing style, durability, and battery life. However, alternatives like the Redmi Note 14 Pro+ or the OnePlus Nord 4 may be better for those seeking improved performance or a cleaner software experience, providing excellent value for most users.
Key Specification
| Display: | 6.83-inch OLED |
| Camera: | 50MP + 50MP +8MP |
| RAM: | 12GB |
| Processor: | Qualcomm Snapdragon 7s Gen 3 |
| Battery: | 6000mAh |
| OS: | Android 15 |