Xiaomi, for the last year or so, has been on a hyper-premiumisation spree, and the Redmi Note 14 Pro+ is the embodiment of that — more so than Xiaomi’s flagship models. This is the most Redmi Note smartphone they have made, and appropriately it’s also priced upwards of Rs 30,000. In the week I have tested the phone, it, to me, emits Mi 10 vibes, which was the first uber-premium smartphone Xiaomi launched back in 2020. Apart from the chipset, which also in its own way is a very capable piece of silicon — this phone screams flagship vibes without actually costing as much. This is the big story here — the Redmi Note is no longer a sub-20k proposition, but what you get retains its original mantra of extreme value for money, albeit at a higher price point.A Design That Oozes SophisticationThe first thing is, of course, the design of this phone, which feels stylish and plush. The fit and finish of the aluminium frame are of a different level to what we have seen on a Redmi smartphone. In fact, I’d go one step further — this phone feels more premium than phones like the Realme GT7 Pro, which is a device that uses the Snapdragon 8 Elite and is considered to be a flagship-grade phone. Heck, I’d say the build quality is a grade better than the Vivo X200 and the iQOO 13 as well. This is a quintessential curved glass device which, honestly, I’m not a fan of, but the premium nature of what Xiaomi has done is undeniable.The 1.5K AMOLED display seamlessly and fluidly curves into the aluminium frame, forming a singular slab which is an expensive cocktail of glass and metal. This makes it a very ergonomic device, and the posterior of the device is also patterned in a unique way, punctuated with a massive camera island, which gets a triple-camera array with one of the main cameras getting impressive 50-MP sensors alongside an 8-MP ultra-wide sensor. The camera island also incorporates the flash module. While it is massive, it is a very nicely designed camera hump with polished metal rails, which just gives out that jewel-like sparkle.Premium Build With Rugged DurabilityAnd the cherry on top is that this is an IP68 water- and dust-resistant phone with Gorilla Glass 7i on the back and Victus 2 on the front. By modern standards, I’d say this isn’t the heaviest phone around at 210 grams and 8.75mm. The display on its own is an exceptionally good one as well, which, honestly, is nothing new for Xiaomi, but again they have levelled up another notch, meaning it gets a screen that’s better than many Vivo or iQOO flagship phones. This display incorporates an in-display fingerprint scanner and a heart rate detection feature.The 6.67-inch panel on its own is cutting edge, with a screen-to-body ratio of almost 94 per cent, a 1.5K resolution, 100 per cent DCI-P3 colour gamut, and 240Hz touch sampling which further doubles when you’re playing games — and you would do so a lot because the chipset is capable, the battery life is outrageously exceptional, and the display is gorgeous, with powerful Dolby Atmos Spatial Audio-capable speakers.Battery That Goes the DistanceAnd yes, the battery life is stunning thanks to its 6,200mAh silicon carbide battery, which is the most advanced technology in town. This is why the phone has expanded like Fred Flintstone’s stomach. This battery can last two days on a single charge if you’re not using it for gaming or watching a lot of videos. But the thing is, the phone is so nice that many people will want to do those things, and even if that’s the case, this phone will last users easily through a day on a single charge. And if you’re worried about how fast this phone charges, it’s rapid — 90W charging gets done within 45 minutes. The good news is that the charging brick and cable come in the box.Cameras: Setting A New BenchmarkThe cameras are, I have to say, the best on a phone in the sub-Rs 40,000 segment. Xiaomi is using the Light Fusion 800 sensor with an F/1.6 aperture. It is a fairly large sensor, and it takes awesome photos when it is given good lighting and is remarkably capable during dark situations as well. Xiaomi has knocked the portrait mode out of the park with rich details, excellent edge detection, and good colour accuracy. The photos generally from the phone’s cameras are saturated and Instagram-ready, which isn’t a problem for me, but some super-creative folks may prefer a more neutral tone. The telephoto camera is also very impressive with 2.5x optical zoom, which also helps with street photography and portraits — you can get even closer with 5x zoom, which crops into the sensor, but I didn’t find much loss in detail during the day, though things can get grainy in the dark. The 8-MP ultra-wide camera is decent for landscape shots when there is good lighting, but using it in low light is not ideal. There is a 20-MP front camera as well, which is one of the best in the business for selfies.Video has taken a leap for the segment. Maximum resolution is nothing out of the ordinary at 4K 30 FPS, but the quality of the result is quite cinematic in good lighting. I must say, I made a bunch of tech reels for my own Instagram account from this phone’s camera — I didn’t need the iPhone. The dual microphones also contained wind noise quite well on a recent trip to Shenzhen, though when the volume is pumped up at high decibel levels, audio does start clipping.Software And FeaturesSoftware is the usual Xiaomi fare with HyperOS based on Android 14 — though there is a promise of a couple of years of software updates. The phone also comes with up to 12GB RAM and 512GB storage, which is important because this phone is loaded with Google’s Gemini generative AI models, and it has all the usual bells and whistles for AI, like the eraser and circle-to-search features, and the Gemini app.Performance: Smooth as SilkLast but not least is the performance of this phone — the Snapdragon 7S Gen 3 is a star coupled with up to 12GB RAM, which makes things super smooth in day-to-day use. The phone feels fluid in daily use, and it can also run really graphically rich games with minimal frame rate issues or problems with thermal efficiency. I rarely witnessed the phone throttle, and the software also feels quite smooth.The VerdictOn the whole, this is a fantastic phone for the price — though I have three minor quibbles: firstly, I would’ve preferred this phone to be on Android 15; secondly, there is the issue of some of the bloatware included as part of the preloaded apps, some of which I removed immediately after setting up the phone; and last but not least, I am not a big fan of the 0809 X-axis linear motor, which feels not as well-tuned as some of the other phones in this price point. But honestly, these are very small issues, and the big story here is that the Xiaomi Redmi Note 14 Pro+ is the new king of sub-Rs 40,000 Android phones, and it will be hard to dethrone it.

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