Xiaomi Redmi 14C (2409BRN2CA) Price, Review And Specifications.

 

 

Xiaomi Redmi 14C (2409BRN2CA) Quick Specs:

Display: 6.88" HD+ (1640×720)  120hz IPS-LCD Notched Display.

Software: Android 14 OS, HyperOS Skin.

CPU: MediaTek Helio G81 Ultra (12nm).

RAM: 4GB/6GB/8GGB (And up to 4GB of Virtual RAM).

Storage: 128GB/256GB (expandable up to 1TB).

Rear Camera: Triple-lens (50MP+2MP+0.8MP).

Front Camera: Single-lens (13MP).

Security: Side-mounted fingerprint reader, Face Unlock.

Port: USB Type-C.

Network: 4G.

Speaker: Single.

Battery: 5,160mAh.

Charging Speed: 18W.

Starting Price:

₦160,000, KSh 12,699, GHc 1,767, EGP 6,225, R 2,499, €99.9, £124, $111.

Xiaomi has extended the implementation of big circular camera module, which it started on the Redmi A3 (and subsequent A3 models) to the new Redmi 14C (2409BRN2CA). In fact, the Redmi 14C looks exactly like the Redmi A3 Pro and it also shares almost everything with the slightly less expensive phone.

But when compared to its predecessor, i.e., Xiaomi Redmi 13C, the Redmi 14C is distinguished by is its circular camera module and its bigger size.

Still, all other physical features remain as those of the earlier model. For instance, the Redmi 14C has a notched display, flat sides, and mono speaker as the earlier phone. The positions ports and buttons are also exactly like the ones on the earlier phone. The rear camera set-up also remain the same but the front-facing camera has been upgraded.

Under the hood, there are few upgrades too . The Redmi 14C is pre-installed with latest software and it's powered by a recent CPU. However, the CPU has the same processing power as the one inside the earlier phone. As a result, the performances of the two phones are similar. In addition to its new CPU and recent software, the Redmi 14C also has a higher screen refresh rate and it is equipped with a slightly bigger battery.

However, except for those ones, all other attributes of the Redmi 14C remain as those of the earlier model. For instance, the new phone has the same amount of RAM and inbuilt storage as the earlier model. It also features the same charging speed.

For me, the Xiaomi Redmi 14C is a better upgrade over the Redmi 13C. Considering the latest phone's bigger display, higher screen refresh rate, bigger battery, and upgraded front-facing camera.
And when compared to the competition, the selling points of the Xiaomi Redmin14C are also its impressive front camera, bigger battery and bigger display. Otherwise all other features of the phone are like those of the competition.

Price And Design Colour:

Xiaomi Redmi 14C is available in four colour options Midnight Black, Starry Blue, Dreamy Purple, and Sage Green. And the current price of the phone is about 160,000 Naira

The Competing phones:
First on the list is the Tecno Spark 30C. The Tecno phone has the same CPU, amount of RAM, and inbuilt storage space as the Redmi 14C. It is also running on the same Android version. The Tecno phone also features the same fast charging and high screen refresh rate as the Redmi 14C.
Even, the Tecno phone has its own selling points. The first one is its design. The Spark 30C wears a more appealing looks and sports a hole-punch display. It's also equipped with stereo speakers and the phone includes some fancy features such as Infrared port (which often associated with Redmi phones) and Landscape display. The latter enables the Tecno phone's screen to display 'Always ON' digital clock while charging.

However, the Achilles' heel of the Spark 30C is lack of assurance of future OS updates. Also despite having the same high screen refresh rate as the one on the Redmi, the display of the Spark 30C is hair smaller and its higher refresh rate feels less smoother. The Tecno phone also has a lower megapixel front camera. And selfies taken with the phone are not as impressive, or as true to life, as the ones taken with the 14C. The Spark 30C also lacks Depth sensing camera that's present on the 14C. However, as a result of the same megapixel main rear sensor, photos taken with the Tecno phone look like the ones from the Redmi phone. It should also be noted that the Spark 30C is equipped with standard battery (while the one that comes with the 14C is slightly bigger), though as i said, the charging speed remain the same.

Though the Samsung Galaxy A06 is powered by a slightly different CPU, but the CPU packs the same processing power as the one inside the Redmi 14C. The Samsung phone also features the same amount of RAM and Android versions as the Redmi phone. And the phone also comes with an assurance of major software updates. The A06 also has a mono speaker.
However, the display of the Samsung is slightly smaller and lacks high refresh rate. Its base version also comes with half of inbuilt storage of the 14C. Also like the Tecno phone, the A06 features standard battery and has a lower megapixel front camera. And selfies taken with the phone slightly fall short of the Redmi 14C's. Again, as a result of the same main rear sensor, photos taken with the Galaxy A06 looks like the ones from the Redmi phone. By the way, Galaxy A06 supports a faster charging speed than both of the Redmi and Tecno phone.

In addition to the Spark 30C and Galaxy A06, there's also the Infinix Hot 50i. Unfortunately, this Infinix phone shares almost everything with the Tecno phone. In short, except for its square-shaped camera bump, better rear camera sensor and lack of Infrared port, the Hot 50i would have been the same phone as the Spark 30C.

 

Design; Big And Sleek:

Though like the Redmi 13C, the Redmi 14C sports a notched display, flat sides, and a flat rear panel, but the phone comes with a circular camera module.

In details, the Xiaomi has replaced the two camera rings (and square-shaped flat module) on the back of the earlier Redmi 13C, with a huge circular camera bump. And the circular bump occupies the entire upper part of the new phone's back cover. Inside the circular bump are triple rear camera and an LED Flash.

And it's the circular camera module that gives the new phone a more appealing and premium looks than its predecessor.

Another thing (in addition to the camera module) that's distinguishes the Redmi 14C from the earlier phone is its bigger size.

Because, when compared to the 6.74-inch Redmi 13C, the Redmi 14C comes in a more bigger body and sports a more bigger display of 6.88-inch; same as the less expensive A3 Pro (which shares a lot with the 14C). 

Yet, the Redmi 14C preserves the good build quality of the Redmi 13C. Though, there's still no IP rating. Even the Corning Glass protection on the earlier phone's display is missing on the Redmi 14C. Also as a result of its slightly bigger battery and bigger body, the new phone weigh a little more than its predecessor. But it preserves the earlier phone's lesser thickness.

Meanwhile, the buttons and ports still retain their initial positions. The volume keys and power button (which also serves as a fingerprint reader) are still on the right side. The 3-in-1 SIM tray (which can take two 4G nanoSIM cards and one microSD card) is on the left side. On the bottom side of the phone is a microphone, a USB Type-C port and a speaker. The only thing on the top side of the Redmi 14C is 3.5mm audio jack.
By the way, the Redmi 14C comes in leather and glossy finish options. Though the glossy finish options are more appealing and look sleeker (than the leather finish options), but they collects smudges and fingerprints easily.

Decent Camera:
Though, like the Redmi 13C, the Redmi 14C has triple rear camera, but the 2MP Macro lens on the earlier phone has been replaced with a Depth sensing lens (of the same megapixel though). Nonetheless, the 50MP Main sensor and 0.8MP AI sensor (which assists the main sensor in taking better-looking photos) still remain the same. But turning to the front, the 8MP selfie lens on the earlier phone has been upgraded to a 13MP lens. By the way, as i said, the Redmi 14C is the only one among the competing phones that offers such higher megapixel selfie lens.
Generally, photos taken with both of the front and rear cameras of the Redmi 14C resemble the ones taken with the competition. That is, they are not remarkably detailed and you need good lighting conditions to get optimum results. Still, 14C delivers slightly better-looking photos.

Though, at a glance, photos taken by the Redmi 14C main sensor look like the ones from the competition. On a closer looks, however, the photos are a little more detailed and clearer. Dynamic range also looks better. Subject separation of Portrait shots also look impressive. And when it comes to colour rendition. Colours are moderately saturated, vibrant and life-like. In short, among the competition, it's only the Galaxy A06 that outshines the 14C a little. And it's only in term of more balance colours. Otherwise, the photos from the 14C are slightly more detailed.

Turning to the front camera. Selfies taken with the Redmi 14C retain the impressive colour rendition of the rear shots. The colours are vibrant and life-like too. Skin tone also look good. Like i mentioned earlier, selfies from the Galaxy A06 slightly fall shorts of the ones from this phone, not only in term of colour rendition but also when it comes to clarity. Which i think it's as a result of the Redmi phone's higher megapixel selfie lens. Also the selfies are more detailed than the ones taken by the other competing phones.

With its both of its front and rear cameras, the Redmi 14C can shoot videos up to 1080p at 30fps (frame per second). And there's no video stabilization. By the way, among the competing phones, it's only the Tecno Spark 30C (or Infinix Hot 50i) that can shoot videos up to 2K at 30fps.

A Big and Nice-looking 120Hz Display:
In addition to its camera, the second highlight of the Redmi 14C is its display. As i said, the Redmi Xiaomi 14C sports a huge 6.88-inch IPS-LCD display. Apart from the fact that this is bigger than the 6.74-inch of the Redmi 13C , it is also the biggest among the competition. Also compared to 90Hz (or high) screen refresh rate of the earlier phone, the latest display features a higher screen refresh rate of 120Hz. Which brings about a smoother gaming, page scrolling, and swiping. However, in spite of its higher screen refresh rate and bigger size, the display of the 14C still has a 720p resolution like the one on its predecessor. But the horizontal pixels have changed from 1600 to 1640. The aspect ratio has also changed from 20:9 to 20.6:9. Nonetheless, it can be deduced from the given specs that the 14C display retain the 260ppi pixel density (or sharpness) of its predecessor.
By the way, all the competing phones also features 720p screen resolutions. And they (except for the Galaxy A06) also support 120Hz high screen refresh rate

And on its picture quality, the display of the Redmi 14C looks nice. Although, being a 720p display, it's not impressively clear and sharp, but the level clarity is decent.  Colour reproduction is also decent. Colours are vivid and moderately saturated. The display is also noticeably bright. With manual slider, the screen brightness can go up to 450nit. Which is good enough for normal lighting conditions. Under direct sunlight, Auto brightness kicks in. And it can go up to 640nits. And among the competition, it's only this display that reaches that peak brightness. As a result, it's a little more viewable under direct sunlight. The Galaxy A06 screen peak brightness is also close to that of the Redmi 14C. Colour reproduction also looks almost the same.

Recent CPU, Recent OS, Latest Custom UI:
While the earlier Redmi 13C came with MIUI, the Redmi 14C is pre-installed with recently introduced HyperOS custom UI. The HyperOS is more refined and more optimized than the MIUI.

The phone is running the custom UI on top of Android 14 OS. As usual, Xiaomi promises up to two years of OS updates for the Redmi 14C.
Furthermore, the Redmi 14C is powered by a recently introduced CPU. In details, the Helio G85 CPU that's inside the earlier phone has been replaced with a newly introduced Helio G81 Ultra CPU. Still, the Helio G81 Ultra, like the Helio G85, is also an entry-level processor from MediaTek. Even, the new CPU is just a modified version of the Helio G85. Because both of them are technically the same. In short, there are only two small differences between them. The Helio G81 supports Bluetooth 5.4 (compared to 5.0 of the earlier CPU). However, the new CPU has a slightly lower GPU clock speed of 950MHz, compared to 1000MHz of the Helio G85. And it should be noted that the competition phones (safe for the Galaxy A06 that comes with Helio G85) also feature Helio G81.

By the way, our Redmi 14C comes with 4GB of RAM and 128GB of internal storage. There's also 6GB of RAM and 8GB of RAM variants.

And in addition to the 128GB storage option, there's also a 256GB internal storage option. Nonetheless, whichever storage option you choose, you can still expand it, via microSD card, up to 1TB (One Terabyte).
Meanwhile, as i mentioned earlier, the Helio G81 Ultra is an entry-level gaming processor. This means the CPU is designed to handle regular tasks and moderate gaming. In real life situation, the Redmi 14C handles day-to-day tasks like quick multitasking, internet browsing, and video streaming without issue. Notwithstanding, if you're the type of person who likes to open multiple apps and jump in-between them quickly, i'd say you should go for the 6GB of RAM version of the phone; to ensure consistent and smooth performance.
Though the Redmi 14C is not a gaming phone, yet due to its CPU's gaming potentiality, the phone managed to play most of the demanding games fairly. But many of the games had to be played at medium Graphics and low Frame rate settings. To reduce lagging or stuttering.

Slightly Bigger Battery, Same Fast Charging:
In addition to its decent camera and bigger display, another selling point of the Redmi 14C is its slightly bigger battery. While its predecessor and the competition are fitted with standard 5,000mAh batteries. The Redmi 14C packs a slightly bigger 5,160mAh battery. This is a commendable move by Xiaomi, considering the unusual big display of the 14C.

However, the phone features an 18W quick charging like the competition (safe for the Galaxy A06 phone that features 25W fast charging). Surprisingly, and while the earlier Redmi 13C came with 10W charger (despite supporting an 18W fast charging), the Redmi 14C has a much higher 33W fast charger inside its box (despite supporting the same 18W charging). And with the 33W charger, it will take you about two hours to fully charge the Xiaomi Redmi 14C from zero percent.

Xiaomi Redmi 14C (2409BRN2CA) Full Specs:

GENERAL

Maker: Xiaomi.

Name: Redmi 14C (2409BRN2CA).

Year Announced: August, 2024.

Dimensions: 171.88x77.8x.2mm.

Build Resistance: N/a.

Weight: 204/207g/211g.   

Colour: Sage Green, Midnight Black, Dreamy Purple & Starry Blue.

DISPLAY
Screen Type:  IPS-LCD Capacitive Touchscreen.

Size and Resolution: 6.88-inch, HD+, 1640-by-720 pixels, 120Hz high refresh rate.

Aspect ratio & Pixel Densities: 20.6:9, 260PPI.

Protection: N/a.

PORTS:

3.5mm Audio Jack: Yes.

USB Type-C Port: Yes.

PERFORMANCE

Chipset: MediaTek Helio G81 Ultra, 12nm Octa-Core Processor, 2.0GHz.

GPU: Mali-G52 MC2.

RAM: 4GB/6GB/8GB (up to 4GB Extra through RAM extension).

Operating System: Android 14, HyperOS UI.

STORAGE

Internal Storage: 128GB/256GB.

Micro-SD card slot: Yes, up to 1TB (OneTerabyte).

SIM AND NETWORK

SIM: Nano, Dual SIM slots.

Network:  GSM, WCDMA, HSPA+, LTE.

CAMERA

Rear camera: Triple-lens; (50MP f/1.8+2MP f/2.2+0.8MP) With LED-Flash.

Front camera: Single-lens, 13MP (f/2.0) Single Front Flash.

VIDEO RECORDING:

Rear Cameras: 720p, 1080p @ 30 fps.

Front Camera: 720p, 1080p, @ 30 fps.

CONNECTIVITY:

Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 5.4, HotSpots, USB-OTG, NFC (Depends on region).

BIOMETRIC, SENSORS & LOCATION: 

Security: Face Unlock, Side-mounted fingerprint reader.

Sensors: Ambient light sensor, G-sensor, Accelerometer, Electronic compass And IR blaster.

Others: GPS, Location (Geo, Glonass), Beidou, Galileo, Compass.

BATTERY

Battery Capacity: 5,160mAh.

Wired Fast Charging: Yes (18W).

Reverse (Wired) Charging: N/a

Wireless-Charging: N/a.