realme 14 Pro+ 5G GBAtemp review
Hardware
Product Information:
- Official Store: https://www.realme.com/in/realme-14-pro-plus-5g
realme’s 14 series line of smartphones recently launched, with the realme 14 Pro+ 5G being the top-of-the-line model. It first launched in India and will gradually roll out to other markets. It has some interesting features and the competitive pricing makes it a contender for mobile gaming on a budget. Let’s take a closer look!
realme 14 Pro+ 5G contents and specs
The realme 14 Pro+ 5G model under review is the 12+512GB Pearl White variant which retails for INR 34,999 (or around EUR 390) on the official realme store. It comes packed with the following items:
- realme 14 Pro+ 5G smartphone
- Handset
- 80W Charger
- USB data cable
- SIM Ejector Tool
- Quick Guide
- Protective Case
Specs of the device are as follows:
Note: The chipset is actually the Snapdragon 7s Gen 3 one.
A unique, eye-catching smartphone design
At just 7.99mm thick, the realme 14 Pro+ 5G looks sleek and premium. It is also comfortable to use thanks to the curved front and back panel, and its relative lightweight at around 194g. But what really makes this phone stand out is the unique cold-sensitive color-changing back panel of the Pearl White variant. It can change colour based on the ambient temperature thanks to the embedded cold-sensitive thermochromic fiber.
At temperatures below 16°C, the phone’s back cover shifts from white to blue, adopting patterns reminiscent of seashells. The lower the temperature, the faster is the colour change; but this relies on relatively low ambient temperatures and you’ll have to use it without a protective case to appreciate the feature. Nevertheless, it is a unique touch and, due to the manufacturing process, the back cover pattern of each phone is different.
Otherwise, the design and button placement is ergonomic. I’m fond of the circular camera array, giving the phone more of a camera look. But personal preferences might vary. Despite its competitive pricing, it looks and feels like a quality device.
Daily-driver material on a budget
realme’s latest flagship smartphone is an easy daily driver contender. The 6.83” 1.5K OLED display panel, with up to 120Hz refresh rate, delivers crisp and vibrant visuals while controls are fluid. The thin 1.6mm bezels and a screen-to-body ratio of 93.8% make for an immersive viewing experience. This is supplemented by the dual stereo speakers that provide a decent soundscape, although they aren’t the best sounding out there.
With their latest model, realme is touting its camera prowess. The 14 Pro+ 5G packs a 50MP Sony IMX882 Periscope Camera, a 50MP Sony IMX896 OIS Camera and a 8MP Ultra-Wide Camera. These capture decent images, especially in well-lit environments. The company also markets a 120x periscope zoom, although this feels more gimmicky than practical. The same can be said of some of its AI features but the triple camera array is well usable on its own.
I’m also not fond of the bloatware that comes preinstalled with the realme UI 6.0, which is based on Android 15. It functions similar to other Android devices but bloatware is never welcome and should be optional to the user, rather than forced from the get-go.
As the high-end model of the realme 14 series, this phone packs a reliable in-display fingerprint sensor, Corning Gorilla Glass 7i protection and IP69 rating. These give some premium-like features on a budget as well as some peace of mind.
The realme 14 Pro+ 5G sports a 6,000 mAh battery which easily lasts over a day with moderate use. It also supports 80W charging which can juice the phone up relatively quickly. It does however lack wireless charging support and doesn’t have NFC support, which is likely a decision to keep costs low. But overall, the realme 14 Pro+ 5G offers a decent daily driver package at a budget price while still offering features of its more premium counterparts.
Gaming on the realme 14 Pro+ 5G
Powered by the Snapdragon 7s Gen 3, the realme 14 Pro+ is capable but not spectacular in terms of gaming. GeekBench 6 positions it in the mid-range based on CPU benchmarks while GPU benchmarks position it amongst the lower tier. You should thus base your expectations accordingly.
Android games should run fine on the device. I played Pascal’s Wager and Dead Cells at a stable 60fps. The realme UI has a handy gaming sidebar that lets you monitor performance. However, I found that the screen isn’t optimized for all games, with some menu buttons around corners that aren't accessible. This might require better optimization from the developer side but it’s an issue I consistently came across in games and emulators.
Regarding emulation, Dreamcast games like Crazy Taxi 2 and Dead or Alive 2 run at 60 fps. For Gamecube Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes at 3x resolution runs at 30-45fps while Twilight Princess runs at 25-30fps and some audio crackles occasionally. The Gamecube performance and audio issues can be remedied by lowering resolution, so it’s a compromise you have to contend with.
PS2 games can run at 2x resolution but not optimally. Ratchet & Clank runs variably between 40-60fps while the performance is more stable at around 50fps at 1x resolution. In both cases, there are some drops in performance and audio fidelity. Shadow of the Colossus struggles more even at 1x, running between 20-30fps and has noticeable audio lags. As such, this device isn’t the best for PS2 games out of the box, but you could tinker with the emulation setting to get better results.
That said, emulating Switch games was surprisingly decent, although the performance can be title dependent. I played Cult of the Lamb at 30fps, Cuphead at 60fps and Untitled Goose Game at 60fps. The latter had some flickering visual assets but the experience was better than I expected.
The realme 14 Pro+ 5G’s 6,000 mAh battery offers sufficient playtime and the cooling system does an effective job at preventing the device from getting excessively hot. Extended sessions do lead to some noticeable warmth but nothing unbearable.
realme 14 Pro+ 5G: a mid-range contender with some quirks
The realme 14 Pro+ 5G brings some innovative features to the mid-range segment, particularly in design front. However, it’s not without its flaws—the gaming performance is solid but not top-tier, and the speaker quality is subpar. If you prioritize a smartphone with a premium design that won’t break the bank, it’s a valid option; provided that it is available in your market. But if you’re looking for a gaming powerhouse or a photography champ, you might want to explore other alternatives.
Verdict
- Unique colour-changing back panel design of Pearl White variant
- Vibrant OLED display with up to 120Hz refresh rate
- Decent price:performance ratio
- Colour-changing Pearl White back panel only visible at low temperatures
- Pre-installed bloatware
- Snapdragon 7s Gen 3 chip struggles with demanding emulation
- Available in limited markets
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