The Redmi 14C Is Now Here in the Philippines!

Comes with a design that feels so… reno-vating.

Smartphone designs change every now and then. For example, just a year ago, large square-like camera islands were the thing, now a year later, it’s all about that round camera island. We’re not sure why this is a trend, but it might have something to do with psychology. As in, the round camera island resembles that of a camera lens, and would make the phone appear to have powerful cameras to boot.

The Redmi 14C is no different. The colour scheme, especially the Starry Blue option, heavily reminds us of the Oppo Reno 12F. Think of it as like the even more budget-end version. Tecno used a similar styling too with the Spark 30 series. The Redmi 14C uses a glass back but with a plastic frame. There is also a high chance that the phone is not using pure glass but rather “glasstic”, a combination of glass and plastic that keeps the phone looking high-value while also saving costs for Xiaomi.

The phone, despite its suggestive design, is an entry-level phone in all aspects. It is equipped with a MediaTek Helio G81 chipset with 4GB LPDDR4X RAM and either 128 or 256GB eMMC 5.1 storage. Its display is also typical for its class, an HD+ (1640x720px) IPS LCD screen with 120Hz refresh rate, a great upgrade from the 90Hz of the Redmi 13C. Xiaomi opted to use a waterdrop notch here even though other phones of a similar calibre have moved on to using a dot.

Now, the phone does not have adaptive refresh rate, meaning its lowest refresh rate is 60Hz and the highest is 120Hz. It also appears to be software enhanced, as the G81 is mainly an “improved” version of the Helio G80. We would also rather not call it new but rather “refreshed”.

There are two functioning cameras here. One at the back and one at the front. The back camera is 50MP while the front is 13MP. There is an additional auxiliary camera at the back for aesthetics purposes.

The battery used here is a typical 5160mAh paired with 18W fast charging on USB-C. The cable and charger are included. And speaking of inclusions, the phone has a 3.5mm jack and a single speaker, not to mention, also a MicroSD Card Slot and dual-SIM. It’s funny when you think about it, that ultrabudget phones have more functionality than most flagships.

The phone runs Android 14 based on HyperOS. It comes in four colors: Midnight Black, Starry Blue, Dreamy Purple, and the leather-based Sage Green. The phone is available starting at PHP 4,999 (4/128) but you can get the highest-end for only PHP 6,999 (8/256).

You can buy the phone practically anywhere in the Philippines where Xiaomi concept stores and authorized retailers exist. You can also find it online if you prefer buying stuff online.

SPECS:

• 6.88″ HD+ (1640x720px) IPS LCD, 120Hz refresh rate
• MediaTek Helio G81 (TSMC 12nm)
• CAMERAS:
  • 50MP (Primary), f/1.8
  • 2MP (Auxiliary/Depth), f/2.4
  • FRONT: 13MP, f/2.0
• Xiaomi HyperOS based on Android 14
• 5160mAh, 18W fast charging
• USB-C, 3.5mm jack, MicroSD Card Slot, Single Speaker, Side-mounted fingerprint scanner
• 4G LTE, Dual-band Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 5.0, Dual SIM Slot
• Starry Blue, Dreamy Purple, Midnight Black, Sage Green (Leather)
• PRICE:
  • 4/128: PHP 4,999
  • 6/128: PHP 5,999
  • 8/256: PHP 6,999