realme 14 Pro+ Review: Does It Deliver on All Fronts?

realme’s number series has always been about cameras. Remember the realme 9 Pro+? It brought the IMX766 sensor with OIS to the segment first (I owned one, so yeah, personal experience talking). But then realme kind of lost steam with the 10 Pro+ and 11 Pro+.

Fast forward, the realme 12 Pro+ was like a comeback tour—a periscope camera but with a higher price tag. And that momentum kept going through the 13 Pro+ and now, the 14 Pro+. Three years since the 9 Pro+, and here we are.

So, what’s here with the 14 Pro+? Good camera hardware? Yes. But that’s not the only thing that’s new. There’s the battery—a 6,000 mAh beast in a phone that’s 7.9 mm thin. Witchcraft? Probably.

A 6,000 mAh battery sounds great, but how does it hold up in real-world use? Are the cameras up to the mark? And what exactly does the realme 14 Pro+ bring over the 13 Pro+? Let’s dissect everything in this review.

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realme 14 Pro+ Review: Specifications

Here are the specifications of the realme 14 Pro+:

• Display: 6.83” LTPS OLED, 120 Hz, 1500 Nits peak, 1272 x 2800 pixels, 450 PPI, Corning Gorilla Glass 7i
• SoC: Snapdragon 7s Gen 3 chip (1x 2.5 GHz, 3x 2.4 GHz, 4x 1.8 GHz, Adreno 710)
• RAM: 8/12 GB LPDDR4X RAM
• Storage: 128/256 GB UFS 3.1 
• Cameras: 
  • Main: 50 MP Sony IMX898, 1/1.56-inch, f/1.8, 24mm, OIS, PDAF, 4K30/1080p60 Ultra Steady
  • Ultra-wide: 8 MP Sony IMX355, 1/4.0-inch, f/2.2, 16mm, 112-degree FOV, 1080p30
  • Telephoto: 50 MP Sony IMX882 1/1.95-inch, f/2.65, 73mm, OIS, PDAF 3X optical, 4K30
  • Front: 32 MP GalaxyCore GC32E2, 1/3.15-inch, f/2.0, 21mm, FF, 4K30
• Speakers: Stereo
• Battery and charging: 6,000 mAh, 80W SUPERVOOC 
• IP rating: IP68 + IP69
• NFC: No
• Biometrics: Under display optical fingerprint scanner, 2D face unlock
• Weight: 194g/196g

realme 14 Pro+ Review: Unboxing

First, let’s talk about the unboxing experience of the realme 14 Pro+. Opening the box, the first thing you’ll see is an insert. Inside it, there’s an opaque black case, a SIM ejector tool, and the usual paperwork. 

Below that, you’ll find the realme 14 Pro+ itself. Digging further, there’s an 80W charger (Type-A; should’ve been Type-C at this point) and a Type-A to Type-C USB cable for charging. And that’s pretty much it—simple and straightforward.

realme 14 Pro+ Review: Design & Build

Let’s talk about the realme 14 Pro+’s design—arguably its most unique aspect. realme calls it the world’s first color-sensitive, color-changing phone (Pearl White). While it’s a cool trick (pun intended) that the phone changes color below 16°C, it feels more like a gimmick than a practical selling point. 

Given India’s mostly tropical and humid climate, you probably won’t see this feature in action too often. Plus, the thermochromic fiber used for this effect will naturally degrade over time with regular use—so don’t expect the color-changing feature to last forever.

The Pearl White variant stands out with a unique texture on the back that’s different for every phone, making it a good choice if you’re after exclusivity. And yes, the phone is IP68/69-rated, so it can handle freshwater dips. 

Other colors include Bikaner Purple, which looks really good, Jaipur Pink, and Suede Grey. The last one uses vegan leather with an added sleeve layer for durability. The Pearl White and Bikaner Purple weigh 194g and measure 7.9mm thick, while Suede Grey is slightly heavier at 196g and thicker at 8.29mm.

The phone is slim and ergonomic, with a curved frame that’s comfortable to hold. However, the glossy frame on the Pearl White variant is prone to scratches, so a case is recommended. 

There’s a pre-installed screen protector, so you can start using the device right away. The buttons are well placed and have a nice tactile feedback when you press them. 

On the top, you’ll find a secondary loudspeaker and microphone, while the bottom houses another mic, a dual nano-SIM tray, USB 2.0 port, and the main loudspeaker. The volume rockers and power button are on the left. 

Overall, the realme 14 Pro+ looks great, but it’s not without its quirks.

realme 14 Pro+ Review: Display

The realme 14 Pro+ boasts a large 6.83-inch OLED quad-curve display with a 42° curvature, slim 1.6mm bezels, and a 93.8% screen-to-body ratio. It looks and feels surprisingly good thanks to its slim bezels and soft corners, making it comfortable to hold. 

The resolution is 2800 x 1272 (1.5K) with 450 PPI, offering a sharp content watching experience. The display covers 100% of the DCI-P3 color gamut, has excellent contrast, and a peak brightness of 1500 Nits. And yes, it’s highly visible even under direct sunlight. 

In case your are wondering, it also features Gorilla Glass 7i for protection and a centered punch-hole for the camera. The 3840 Hz PWM dimming helps reduce eye strain during prolonged use, a nice touch.

While the display looks great with vibrant colors and a natural color profile, the refresh rate isn’t entirely flawless. There’s some minor lag when scrolling, which could be improved. Despite this, the 1.5K resolution ensures sharp and crisp visuals, making it one of the better displays in its segment.

realme 14 Pro+ Review: Speakers and Haptics

The realme 14 Pro+ features a stereo speaker setup that’s decent but not outstanding. While they get the job done, the loudness could have been better.

On the other hand, the haptics are excellent—tactile and well-integrated. Typing feels satisfying, with responsive vibration feedback that adds to the overall experience.

realme 14 Pro+ Review: Software

The realme 14 Pro+ runs on Android 15 based on realme UI 6.0, providing a visually appealing experience with many customization options. You get the Flux themes (some of the animated texts are not available though), a customizable lock screen, and app organization features, though some animated themes are currently missing.

The UI runs well overall, but there are a few hiccups, such as micro-jitters, occasional lag, and issues with RAM management. The auto mode doesn’t properly support 120 Hz scrolling in certain apps, like Twitter and WhatsApp, but switching to 120 Hz mode fixes this (mostly).

In terms of bloatware, there’s some pre-installed junk, including the new “AppHub” that can automatically install apps, though it can be disabled through the settings. Additionally, you will encounter ads in global search, but these can also be disabled. And then there’s the usual bloatware, all of which can be uninstalled or disabled.

On a more positive note, the software brings useful AI features like Circle to Search, Gemini, and the AI Eraser in the gallery app. The touch sensitivity features like Touch Adaptation and Waterproof Pouch Mode are practical additions. However, features like Air Gestures feel more like gimmicks and don’t work as well as expected.

The “AI” Smart Loop and the AI Screen Recognition features are also here. I have a complaint with the AI Smart Loop, though; it tends to activate even when I’m just trying to pause a reel on Instagram, which is very frustrating. Hence, I had it turned off most of the time.

Also, it’s nice to see realme shipping Android 15 given how some competitors are still shipping their mid-range devices with Android 14. The software update policy promises 2 years of OS updates and 3 years of security updates, but the overall experience, while decent, could benefit from smoother performance in future updates.

realme 14 Pro+ Review: Biometrics and Connectivity

The fingerprint scanner is optical, fast, and secure, though it would have been better placed a bit higher for easier access. Other than that, it works great, and the 2D face unlock? You know it, I know it.

When it comes to connectivity, the device handles it well with dual SIM support, both capable of 5G. It supports Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.2, but Bluetooth 5.4 could have been a better choice. There’s no NFC support, and the USB Type-C port is 2.0. 

It also lacks an IR blaster but does include Wi-Fi calling and VoLTE support. One downside is that VoNR didn’t work during testing. Also, the realme 14 Pro+ supports a wide range of Bluetooth codecs including SBC, AAC, LDAC, LHDC, AptX HD, AptX, AptX Adaptive, and AptX TWS+.

realme 14 Pro+ Review: Performance

The realme 14 Pro+ features the Snapdragon 7s Gen 3 chipset with 1x 2.5GHz, 3x 2.4GHz, and 4x 1.8GHz cores. This is paired with 8/12 GB of LPDDR4X RAM and 128/256 GB of UFS 3.1 storage. 

As you can probably already tell, this phone isn’t exactly screaming performance. It does provide a decent performance for the price but isn’t geared for heavy gaming or demanding applications. 

Synthetic Benchmarks

The realme 14 Pro+ scored 822,546 in the AnTuTu V10 benchmark, and its AnTuTu Storage score of 109,921 suggests solid read and write speeds. In the Geekbench 6 CPU test, it achieved a single-core score of 1,179 and a multi-core score of 3,214. 

Geekbench 6 CPU OpenCL and Vulkan scores were 3360 and 3958, respectively. And in 3DMark Wild Life Extreme, the device scored 1,077. The Stress Test yielded a best loop score of 1,080 and a lowest loop score of 1,074, with a stability of 99.4%.

The CPU throttling test showed that the phone retains 82% of its maximum performance during sustained loads, which is acceptable but leaves room for improvement.

Comparisons

Here’s a comparison against the realme 13 Pro+ (predecessor), vivo T3 Ultra (competitor), and the realme GT 6T.

Benchmark	realme 14 Pro+ (7s Gen 3)	realme 13 Pro+ (7s Gen 2)	vivo T3 Ultra (Dimensity 9200+)	realme GT 6T (7+ Gen 3)
Antutu V10	822,546	677,898	1,147,555	1,503,559
Antutu Storage	109,921	81,783	98,147	147,776
Geekbench 6 CPU (Single-core)	1,179	865	703	1,841
Geekbench 6 CPU (Multi-core)	3,214	2,720	4,177	4,673
3DMark Wild Life Extreme	1,077	806	3,681	2,737
CPU Throttling	82%	76%	63%	57%

Gaming Experience 

When it comes to gaming, the realme 14 Pro+ does a decent job. For casual gaming, it performs well, with games like BGMI running smoothly. You won’t experience major lag, which is great for a smoother experience. BGMI currently runs at 60 FPS but realme has promised to bring support for 90 FPS soon.

When it comes to more demanding titles like Genshin Impact, the game runs, but you can notice some drops in frame rate, especially at High settings. On the High settings, I got an average FPS of around 50, which is decent but don’t expect a buttery smooth experience. Have a look at the stats below.

Overall, though, the device does a decent job at maintaining a steady frame rate without major thermal issues, even after longer gaming sessions. The maximum temperature reached around 40°C, which is within acceptable limits.

But the realme 14 Pro+ does show its limits with more intense games like CarX Street, and while the BGMI 90 FPS update is promised for the future, it’s not here yet. So, if you’re a hardcore gamer, you might want to manage expectations, but for everyday gaming, it’s capable.

realme 14 Pro+ Review: Cameras

Main Camera 

The realme 14 Pro+ comes equipped with a triple-camera setup. The primary sensor is the IMX898—a 24mm lens with an f/1.8 aperture and OIS. While the sensor is largely the same as the LYT701 from its predecessor, the realme 13 Pro+, the daylight shots are good with nice details. 

However, the images could use more vibrant color processing, particularly in browns and greens, which sometimes appear flat. HDR is decent but needs improvement for both daylight and low-light scenarios. 

Noise reduction could also be better. With the Night mode, you can get a maximum exposure of 5 seconds (cannot be adjusted manually). Other than that, the main camera does a good job.

Ultra-wide 

The 8 MP ultra-wide camera, with its 112-degree field of view and f/2.2 aperture, is decent for daylight photography. Details in the center are sharp, but edges soften noticeably. 

Low-light performance is underwhelming, making this lens less versatile for darker environments. Moreover, chromatic aberration is evident when shooting against bright light, which impacts overall image quality.

Macro 

Macro photography isn’t the realme 14 Pro+’s strong suit, as there’s no dedicated macro sensor or telemacro. The device uses the main lens in auto-macro mode, but the results are overly sharpened and lack finesse. 

Periscope 

A telephoto camera offering 3X optical zoom stands out as a highlight, delivering sharp details and good HDR performance. It’s rare to see a periscope camera in this price range. You can zoom in for portraits or even to get a better composition.

However, the level of sharpness sometimes feels excessive (particularly with 6X), and the color profile slightly deviates from the main lens—although not significantly. There’s also 120X zoom, which is enhanced by AI, although the results are not something to write home about.

Portraits 

Portraits, both from the rear and selfie cameras, are impressive. Edge detection is solid (mostly), and skin tones look natural. That said, backlit scenarios can occasionally create haze, affecting overall clarity. 

Selfies

Selfies are handled by a 32 MP sensor, which is versatile thanks to its 0.8X to 1X zoom options (21mm and 25mm equivalent). The 25mm setting is great for single-person shots. 

Special Modes

Creative modes like AI Snap freeze moving subjects effectively but are limited to 1X and 3X zoom levels. 

The Live Photo mode captures 1.5 seconds before and after pressing the shutter, creating a short 1080p video clip, which can be saved as a video or GIF if desired. The quality of the photos takes a hit when Live Photo is enabled.

Triple Torch

The triple LED flash at the back allows adjustments to warmth, offering cooler or warmer tones. You can even adjust the brightness of the torch. However, it feels more gimmicky than functional—it doesn’t deliver the soft focus one would expect. So, I would recommend you to avoid using it unless you absolutely need it.

Videos 

When it comes to video recording, the main camera and telephoto lens support up to 4K30, while the ultra-wide is limited to 1080p30. The overall video quality in 4K30 is decent but stabilization is inconsistent. This gets even more prominent when recording using the 3X lens. 

The Ultra Steady mode at 1080p60 does a better job for smoother outputs but it’s limited to the main lens. Selfie videos in 4K30 are good with great detail and exposure although it can struggle with stabilization and the background exposure. Other video features include a “film mode” with manual controls and a 21:9 aspect ratio, though it’s limited to 1080p30. 

In short, the realme 14 Pro+ offers a good camera experience with a few standout features. However, it struggles with consistency in some areas, which can hopefully be fixed via an OTA update. The portraits on the realme 14 Pro+ are excellent and if you are looking for a device that does it, then this is the one to go for.

realme 14 Pro+ Review: Battery Life and Charging

The battery on the realme 14 Pro+ has been quite impressive. It packs a 6000 mAh silicon-carbon battery, which is based on lithium-ion technology, into a 7.99mm thin body. This is remarkable, as such a thin design with a large battery is rare.

In terms of usage, I was getting around 8-9 hours of screen time with moderate usage, and about 6 hours with heavy usage, which is quite good. I primarily use my phone in light mode, so those using dark mode might experience slightly better battery life.

The realme 14 Pro+ also supports 80W fast charging, and the charger is included in the box. Charging times are decent, with about 1 hour to fully charge and 25-30 minutes for a 50% charge, close to the brand’s 24-minute claim. Still, for a 6000 mAh battery, the charging speeds are solid. 

Review Verdict: Should You Buy the realme 14 Pro+?