The mid-range smartphone market is very competitive, with many manufacturers offering better phones than ever before at reasonable prices. In Europe, as well as in other regions, realme has recently launched their 14 series, which includes the 14 Pro, and the 14 Pro+. These smartphones pack new hardware, slightly larger displays, an IP69 rating for dust and water resistance, and some surprising changes to the camera system. If you want to learn more about the Realme 14 Pro and what it has to offer, read this in-depth review:
Realme 14 Pro comes in a yellow cardboard cox
When you open the box, you immediately see another small yellow box. Take it out, and you find the smartphone covered in a thin protective foil. Unboxing everything reveals the following items: the Realme 14 Pro, its USB cable, a protective case, a SIM ejection tool, the quick start guide, and other leaflets. Realme has decided to no longer bundle a charger in the European Union and other regions, which is unfortunate. However, markets like India do get a charger included with their smartphone.
You don't get a charger in the box
Unboxing the Realme 14 Pro doesn’t take long, and users will appreciate having a protective case bundled with their smartphone. Unfortunately, not all regions get chargers in the standard packaging, and in markets like the European Union, users need to buy one separately.
The color options for Realme 14 Pro
While both color versions of the Realme 14 Pro have a display size of 6.77 inches, their dimensions and weights differ. The Pearl White version is slightly thinner, measuring 162.75 × 74.92 × 7.55 mm (6.41 × 2.95 × 0.30 inches) and weighs 179 grams (6.31 ounces). In contrast, the Suede Grey model is a bit thicker at 7.79 mm (0.31 inches) and weighs 181.5 grams (6.4 ounces). On the back of the Realme 14 Pro, you see a large camera ring with what appears to be three camera lenses. Unfortunately, one of them is fake. I don’t like this approach as it feels like cheating.
The camera ring is large and appears to include three lenses
There’s also a selfie camera on the front, with a dedicated punch hole on the top side of the display. If you look at the pictures I’ve taken, you’ll notice that the corners of the Realme 14 Pro are rounded, making it more comfortable to hold.
The selfie camera has a punch hole on the top side of the display
The buttons are placed on the right side of the device. You get the usual Power button and the Volume rocker. Even if the smartphone is large and tall, the position of these buttons makes it easy to press them while holding the device with one hand. The Realme 14 Pro's left edge does not have buttons.
The buttons are on the right edge
The SIM tray, the USB charging port, a speaker, and a microphone are located on the bottom of the device.
The SIM tray is on the bottom of the Realme 14 Pro
On the top edge, you find an infrared blaster and a secondary microphone. The second speaker, which is barely visible, is placed above the screen.
The top edge of the Realme 14 Pro
One of the Realme 14 Pro's standout features is its IP69-rated dust and water resistance, which is rare in smartphones at its price point. It also offers enhanced strength and drop protection, passing the TÜV Rheinland Rugged Smartphone Certification and the Military Grade Shock-Resistance Test.
Design-wise, the Realme 14 Pro isn’t standing out in today’s crowded budget smartphone market. It doesn’t look bad, but it isn’t beautiful either. Even though it is a large device, it doesn’t feel too heavy and is one of the thinnest in its price range. Its standout feature is its IP69 rating for dust and water resistance, which will be appreciated by users looking for a more rugged smartphone.
Details about the hardware inside the Realme 14 Pro
The 6.77-inch display uses an OLED panel with a dynamic refresh rate of up to 120 Hz. Its resolution is 2392 x 1080, and the typical brightness is 800 nits, with a maximum of 1400 nits. The selfie camera on the top side of the display can also be used for face unlock, while the optical fingerprint scanner is on the bottom. Unfortunately, the display isn’t protected by Corning Gorilla Glass like the one on the previous model, the Realme 13 Pro. This is available only on the more expensive Realme 14 Pro+.
The display features an OLED panel and also houses the fingerprint sensor
While the camera system on the back is prominent and looks just as large as the one on previous models, the Realme 14 Pro comes with a downgraded camera system. You don’t get three lenses on the back of the smartphone like it appears, but two: a wide 50 Megapixel Sony IMX882 camera with optical image stabilization, which can record video in 4K and 30 frames per second (fps), and a 2 Megapixel monochrome camera, used to enhance the results you get from the main camera.
The selfie camera features a 16-megapixel sensor, an 85-degree field of view, and an f/2.4 aperture. It can record in 1080p at 30 frames per second without optical image stabilisation. Spec-wise, the camera system represents a downgrade over the older Realme 12 Pro and even the Realme 13 Pro, which is bound to disappoint some users.
On the back of the phone, you get two real camera lenses
Realme 14 Pro has a battery with a capacity of 6000 mAh, which charges at a speed of 45 Watts. As I mentioned before, you don’t get a charger in markets like the European Union, and you have to purchase one separately. If you have a SUPERVOOC charger, the battery is supposed to charge from 1% to 50% in 36 minutes. Unfortunately, the charging speed has also been downgraded when compared to the 67 Watts offered by the Realme 12 Pro.
Details about the battery on the Realme 14 Pro
Connectivity-wise, the Realme 14 Pro offers 5G mobile connections, GPS, Bluetooth 5.4, NFC, and Wi-Fi 6. I find it odd that we don’t get Wi-Fi 6E since the MediaTek 7300 chipset is compatible with such networks. The smartphone also features dual speakers and dual-mic noise cancellation. It can use two nano SIM cards and provides eSIM support.
Regarding specifications, the Realme 14 Pro is a decent mid-range Android smartphone. Its chipset should provide an enjoyable experience for everyday use and casual gaming. Unfortunately, this new model also features slower charging and a downgraded camera system compared to the Realme 12 Pro we reviewed last year. For more details about the smartphone’s key features and hardware specifications, check out its official webpage: Realme 14 Pro.
Now that you have a solid understanding of this smartphone’s design and hardware, let’s explore its real-life performance, the quality of its camera system, and its benchmark results. Click or tap on the next page to keep reading this review.
The back of the Realme 14 Pro feels smooth
Although the display lacks official HDR video certification, it provides a satisfying visual experience. It remains bright and clear, even in outdoor settings, and can stream HDR content from YouTube. However, without official HDR support, accessing HDR movies on Netflix and other streaming platforms may not be possible. Nevertheless, video content, as well as mobile games, look good on the Realme 14 Pro.
The display is bright and colorful
Remember that this smartphone isn’t designed for high-performance gaming, so you won’t be able to play demanding games with high-quality graphical settings. If you’re okay with lowering the visual settings, you can expect decent 30 fps performance. The smartphone's efficient cooling system will keep it from heating up too much. However, because of its size and the positioning of the camera ring, holding the Realme 14 Pro in your hands in landscape orientation isn’t very comfortable.
Gaming works reasonably well
The speaker setup offers a good audio conversation and call experience. However, the sound quality isn't great when listening to music or watching videos. The bass is underwhelming, and background instruments are not as clearly defined as they are on more premium smartphones.
The speakers aren't great for listening to music
Call quality is good, though. I enjoyed good signal strength, and my voice was heard clearly and loudly by the people I spoke to. However, the speaker at the top side of the screen can sometimes get quite loud, and people around you will hear what the person you’re calling is saying.
Voice calls are loud and clear
The fingerprint reader is fast and accurate. While face recognition works well during the day, it isn’t as precise at night, so you may prefer to use the fingerprint reader.
Battery life is a strength of the Realme 14 Pro. This phone has no issues lasting a full day of use, even when used more intensively. For most people, however, this smartphone should last between a day and a half and two days of normal use on a single charge.
Realme says this smartphone's battery can charge from 1% to 50% in 36 minutes. If you have a 45-watt SUPERVOOC charger, the battery should fill up in around 57-60 minutes, according to other websites that have reviewed the Realme 14 Pro. I didn’t have such a charger, so I used a Samsung 45-watt charger instead, which uses a different charging technology. With it, the battery charged fully in 71 minutes, reaching 51% in just 30 minutes.
The charging speed for Realme 14 Pro
The overall user experience provided by the Realme 14 Pro is positive. Users will appreciate that this smartphone is lighter and thinner than its direct competitors, features a good quality OLED display that performs well even when outdoors, offers good battery life, and delivers a satisfying performance. Although its sound system could be improved, most users will likely be okay with it. Next, let’s explore the software included with the Realme 14 Pro and examine its artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities.
Realme 14 Pro comes with realme UI 6.0 and Android 15
Realme has also introduced a Smart sidebar, similar to the one available on Samsung's Galaxy devices. This sidebar is customizable, enabling you to add various apps and shortcuts. It also adapts contextually, loading different tuning options based on the apps you are using. The picture below shows how it looks while browsing YouTube.
The Smart sidebar can be useful
When gaming, the side panel includes useful gaming tools which allow you to monitor and improve gaming performance.
When gaming, you can see the fps in real time and activate other gaming features
The operating system on the Realme 14 Pro works well and feels fast and responsive. However, it tends to be bloated with too many preinstalled apps, and you also encounter unwanted ads occasionally, including on the lock screen.
Realme 14 Pro comes with many preinstalled apps
Software support has improved over previous models, and the company has promised five years of security updates, which is excellent for a device in this price range.
Users will likely appreciate that the Realme 14 Pro has the latest Android version preinstalled, allowing them to enjoy the best features this ecosystem offers. However, realme UI 6.0 tends to come with many preinstalled apps and includes a significant amount of ads, which detract from the overall quality of the user experience.
Circle to Search works great on the Realme 14 Pro
Another AI-based app available on the Realme 14 Pro is Gemini. However, you don’t have access to Gemini Advanced, not even for a month or two, and you must pay for a plan right from the outset. This is to be expected from a smartphone that is not in the flagship category. You can still use the free Gemini models, which work reasonably well, similar to what you get on any other Android smartphone.
Gemini is also available
Realme also has a few AI-based tools, which aren’t exactly AI. They’re mostly marketing. One good example is AI Smart Loop, which allows you to select content on the screen or take screenshots and then drag them into other apps where you want to use them. This isn’t exactly artificial intelligence; it is only a well-designed algorithm that can make you more productive when using your smartphone.
AI Smart Loop is useful
The Realme 14 Pro benefits from AI-based features that make users more productive. However, I wouldn’t mention this as a focus area for this smartphone. This isn’t necessarily bad, as most smartphone manufacturers tend to overpromise these days when it comes to artificial intelligence. The reality is that AI is mostly marketing and not as good as manufacturers would have you believe. Therefore, I find it refreshing that realme doesn’t make too much of a fuss about their smartphones being powered by AI.
Pictures look good when taken in good lighting conditions
At night or in similar low light conditions, the Realme 14 Pro captures decent photos. It manages to shoot relatively bright stills and the level of detail is good enough for such conditions. While some unavoidable noise is visible, you can reduce it further by using the dedicated night mode in the Camera app. On the other hand, that may make edges look a bit too soft.
Night shots are okay too
The camera does a decent job of recognizing edges for portraits. However, it can sometimes miss fine details, especially in dim light. The front camera takes clear selfies and brightens your face, though it struggles a bit when taking pictures of people wearing glasses.
The selfie camera is decent
Realme 14 Pro can be submerged up to two meters underwater for up to 48 hours, allowing you to record videos and take pictures with the camera’s Underwater mode. It’s winter here, in Bucharest, so I didn’t have a place to test this feature and see how well it works. You can access this mode in the More section of the Camera app, where you find plenty of other useful modes, like Time-lapse, Dual-view video, a Pro mode for taking pictures, or a Doc Scanner that’s both practical and useful when you need to scan something and transform it into a digital format.
Some of the modes available in the Camera app
If you want to see some pictures I’ve taken with the Realme 14 Pro, click this link to access a gallery containing dozens of samples.
Check out my gallery with pictures taken with the Realme 14 Pro
Regarding video quality, the selfie camera is limited to 1080p at 30 fps and there’s not much to say about it. It’s decent but not amazing. On the other hand, the rear camera can record up to 4K at 30 fps, which is much better, although standard for today’s smartphones. It does a decent job both in daylight and at night, but the camera’s OIS doesn’t seem to be amongst the best out there. Another issue is that the Steady Mode, which provides the best stabilization, is not available when recording videos in 4K resolution. It only works with 1080p videos at 60 fps.
Steady Mode works only in 1080p at 60 fps
Luckily, I prefer capturing videos with a higher 60 fps framerate (even if resolution is limited to 1080p), as they look much smoother. Here’s a sample video I recorded with this smartphone at 1080p and 60 fps, so that you get a better idea of its quality:
Recording videos in 4K produces fairly good results if you stay still (as the lack of OIS becomes apparent when moving) and avoid zooming in and out during the recording. The transitions are not handled well, which significantly affects the image quality. Otherwise, most users will be satisfied with the results, even for night recordings, like the one below, captured in 4K at 30 fps:
While the lack of an ultrawide lens may limit the smartphone’s capacity to capture groups of people or landscapes, the Realme 14 Pro’s primary camera delivers a largely positive experience. Although it’s not a flagship-level camera, it takes quality photos both during the day and at night. When considering video recording, the quality the Realme 14 Pro provides is satisfactory for a smartphone in its price range. It might not impress everyone, but it won’t disappoint them either. If you’re fine with recording videos in 1080p, you’ll likely be satisfied with the results.
Realme 14 Pro scores in Geekbench 6
Continuing, I turned to PCMark for Android to benchmark this smartphone’s performance when running productivity apps and browsing the web. The Realme 14 Pro achieved a Work 3.0 performance score of 13929 points, which is more than enough for using your smartphone productively. This result is similar to what you get from one of its direct competitors, the Xiaomi Poco X7 Pro. When evaluating battery life, PCMark measured an endurance of 17 hours and 39 minutes, which is one hour more than you would get from the older Realme 12 Pro and three hours more than what Xiaomi Poco X7 Pro has to offer.
Realme 14 Pro scores in PCMark
I also ran the Geekbench AI benchmark to evaluate the AI processing capabilities of the Realme 14 Pro. In the screenshot below, you can see the scores it received, which aren’t exactly high. As expected from an affordable smartphone, the Realme 14 Pro can run AI-based apps and tools, but it won’t deliver excellent performance like flagship smartphones.
Realme 14 Pro scores in Geekbench AI
While this smartphone is not designed for gaming, its intended audience is likely to play games on it. So I ran the 3DMark benchmark to see how it fares. In the Wild Life test, the Realme 14 Pro scored 3159 points and an average frame rate of 18.92 fps. In the Sling Shot test, it had a score of 6585 points. This shows that while the Realme 14 Pro can be used to play more demanding games, you must lower the visual quality settings to benefit from good performance.
Realme 14 Pro scores in 3DMark
For the last benchmark, I used SpeedTest to determine the speed of internet connectivity over Wi-Fi on the Realme 14 Pro. I ran this test several times and was surprised that the maximum download speed I achieved was only 368 Mbps. This is half the speed I get on other smartphones connected to the same Wi-Fi and half the speed I experienced on the older Realme 12 Pro. What a disappointing result!
Wi-Fi is surprisingly slow on the Realme 14 Pro
The benchmarks I ran confirm my mixed user experience with the Realme 14 Pro. On the positive side, this smartphone features mid-range hardware that provides sufficient performance for productivity, mobile gaming, and AI-based tasks. Its major strength is battery life; however, a surprising weakness is the speed of its Wi-Fi connectivity, which is significantly worse than what I measured on its predecessor, the Realme 12 Pro.
Realme 14 Pro: Who is it good for?
This smartphone is an excellent choice if you:- Want an affordable smartphone with generous battery capacity
- Are looking for a device with improved water, dust, and shock resistance
- Want to take pictures underwater
Pros and cons
These are the things I like most about the Realme 14 Pro:- Affordable pricing
- Excellent battery life
- Good quality OLED display
- IP69-certified resistance to dust and water
- It’s lighter than most competitors in its price range
- Can be used to take pictures underwater
- Five years of security updates
- Downgraded camera system compared to previous models
- A bloated software experience
- Slow Wi-Fi connectivity
- In some regions like the EU, users don’t get a charger
Verdict
Evaluating the Realme 14 Pro is not easy. If you assess it on its own, without considering its predecessors or competition, this smartphone is a competent mid-range choice likely to satisfy many users. Compared to its forerunners, the Realme 14 Pro features slightly better hardware and an IP69 rating for improved durability, but downgrades the camera system and omits the charger from its packaging. If you're contemplating purchasing it at its launch price, you might find a better deal with one of its precursors (the Realme 13 Pro or the Realme 12 Pro). However, if you can wait a few months, its retail price is likely to drop, making it a more attractive option for those in search of a midrange smartphone with solid hardware and the latest version of Android.Unboxing the Realme 14 Pro
Realme has a tradition of creating simple product packaging, using yellow as the dominant color. The Realme 14 Pro is no exception to this rule. On the top cover, you get to see the product name and an AI logo in the top right corner. On the back of the box, you find a bit of information about the device, including details on the main camera, its battery, the chipset powering this smartphone, and its IP69 dust and water resistance rating.Design and build quality
The Realme 14 Pro comes in Pearl White (left) and Suede Grey (right). Unfortunately, both are quite dull and fail to stand out. This is particularly noticeable when comparing the 14 Pro to its predecessors. I loved the colors of the Realme 12 Pro that we reviewed last year and the materials used for the back cover. This year’s model appears more conservative than earlier versions. Even the Realme 13 Pro featured more vibrant colors that attracted a younger audience.Hardware specifications
The Realme 14 Pro features relatively powerful mid-range hardware. The smartphone is equipped with an octa-core MediaTek 7300 Energy 5G chipset and comes in various RAM and storage configurations: 8 or 12 GB of RAM, while storage options include 128 GB, 256 GB, or 512 GB. Unfortunately, there is no microSD card slot to expand the storage capacity. Therefore, if you take many pictures and regularly record videos, choose one of the versions with more storage space.The smartphone experience on the Realme 14 Pro
When using the Realme 14 Pro, I appreciated the curves along its frame, which make it feel slimmer than it really is. Its thinner profile compared to similarly sized devices is a positive aspect, allowing for more comfortable handling, which is important when purchasing a smartphone of this size. Another feature I immediately liked is that the Suede Gray color option I’m testing has a vegan leather back, which feels smooth to the touch.The software experience: realme UI 6.0 and bundled apps
The Realme 14 Pro ships with realme UI 6.0, based on Android 15. Therefore, users can benefit from all the latest Android features like detailed widget previews, Theft Detection Lock, or the improved Circle to Search.Artificial intelligence (AI) tools and features
Realme has also jumped on the AI bandwagon and provides several AI-powered features. However, you primarily get access to tools developed by Google and integrated into Android 15. My favorite feature remains Circle to Search, which is useful and now offers more capabilities than in its earlier versions.The camera experience on the Realme 14 Pro
The Realme 14 Pro camera setup is built upon a main 50-megapixel wide lens with OIS (Optical Image Stabilization). Unfortunately, this smartphone has no ultrawide and no zoom lens. Even so, it does a good job capturing photos in many different situations. The main camera manages to capture bright and colorful photos, especially in daylight. The detail is good, the colors are vivid, and the photos come out clear and with nice contrast. The results may sometimes look too bright, or a tad too saturated. However, the picture quality is generally good. Even when you zoom in, images are fairly sharp, with little noise.Performance in benchmarks
I’ve shared how the Realme 14 Pro looks and what using it is like from a hardware and software perspective. Now, it’s time to run a couple of benchmarks to get a better idea of its performance. The first benchmark I used is Geekbench. The Realme 14 Pro scored 1014 points for Single-Core processing (8% higher than the Realme 12 Pro) and 2867 points for Multi-Core processing (8.5% higher than the Realme 12 Pro).
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