The Redmi 14C 5G was officially launched in India as the successor to the Redmi 13C 5G, Xiaomi’s top-selling affordable 5G device in India. The latest launch has an upgraded 120Hz display, improved cameras, and a stunning design. The smartphone competes with another recently launched contender, the POCO M7 Pro 5G. Let’s find out which of these two is the better sub-Rs 15,000 smartphones in India.
The Redmi 14C 5G is the cheaper of the two by a lot, but it offers less RAM and storage than the POCO M7 Pro 5G. If you are restricted by budget, the Redmi 14C 5G is the right pick, but if you are willing to stretch your budget a bit for more RAM and storage, the POCO M7 Pro 5G is the obvious choice.
Redmi 14C 5G vs POCO M7 Pro 5G: Design
The Redmi 14C 5G comes in Stargaze Black, Starlight Blue, and Stardust Purple. The Starlight Blue variant flaunts a unique dual-tone back panel, giving it an aesthetic look. The smartphone also flaunts a premium Starlight Design with a glass back and circular camera module for a flagship hand feel. The smartphone is IP52 rated for dust and water resistance. It is 8.2mm thick and weighs 212g, depending on the variant.
The POCO M7 Pro has a dual-tone design with a frosted finish on a quarter of its back and a glittery pattern on the remaining part. The smartphone is available in Lunar Dust, Lavender Frost, and Olive Twilight colour options. It weighs 190g and is 7.9mm thick. It has advanced IP64 dust and water resistance. While the phone has a glossy finish, the material is plastic, which feels tacky compared to the Redmi offering.
The POCO M7 Pro 5G is lighter and thinner than the Redmi 14C 5G, with more advanced ingress protection for durability. However, the Redmi 14C’s glass build makes it feel more premium, and the difference in thickness or weight is not much of a deal breaker.
Redmi 14C 5G vs POCO M7 Pro 5G: Display
The Redmi 14C 5G features a 6.88-inch IPS LCD with HD+ screen resolution and a 120Hz refresh rate. The display offers 600 nits peak brightness, TUV Rheinland Low Blue Light, and flicker-free features.
The POCO M7 Pro 5G has a 6.67-inch GOLED display with FHD+ resolution and a 120Hz adaptive refresh rate. The smartphone flaunts an SGS Eye Care display with TUV Triple certification, HDR10+, 2,100nits peak brightness, 5,000,000:1 contrast ratio, and Gorilla Glass 5 protection.
As you can see, the POCO M7 Pro 5G wins in the display department. You get an OLED display vs an IPS LCD, FHD+ resolution vs HD+, much higher brightness, HDR10+ support, and Gorilla Glass 5 protection for durability. If you need a visually stunning display with commendable durability, the POCO M7 Pro 5G is the one to pick.
Redmi 14C 5G vs POCO M7 Pro 5G: Performance
The Redmi 14C 5G is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 4 Gen 2 mobile platform, which is built on a 4nm process with two Cortex-A73 cores clocked at 2.2GHz and six Cortex-A53 cores clocked at 2GHz. The processor is backed by an Adreno 613 GPU, LPDDR4X RAM with virtual RAM support, and UFS 2.2 storage.
The POCO M7 Pro features the MediaTek Dimensity 7025 Ultra SoC, a 6nm chipset with two Cortex A78 cores at 2.5GHz and six Cortex A55 cores at 2.0GHz. An IMG BXM-8-256 GPU backs the processor. The POCO smartphone also has LPDDR4X RAM and UFS 2.2 internal storage with similar virtual RAM expansion.
The POCO M7 Pro 5G, with better performance cores and a higher clock speed, might offer better performance. However, the 4nm fabrication for much better efficiency and a minuscule difference in clock speed tip the scale slightly in favour of the Redmi 14C 5G. This is because you get comparable performance but with an improved battery backup, which is a must in the budget segment.
That said, we haven’t compared both phones’ real-world and benchmark performance yet, so, stay tuned for that.
Redmi 14C 5G vs POCO M7 Pro 5G: Software
The Redmi 14C 5G boots the latest HyperOS based on Android 14 out of the box. The brand has assured two years of major Android updates and four years of security patch updates.
The POCO M7 Pro 5G also boots the latest HyperOS based on Android 14. It’s also confirmed to receive two OS updates and four years of security patch updates.
Both phones come with identical OS and security patch update policies. You can pick one or the other and enjoy the same software experience on both. So, in the software department, both smartphones are tied.
Redmi 14C 5G vs POCO M7 Pro 5G: Cameras
The Redmi 14C 5G has a dual rear camera system: a 50MP f/1.8 primary camera and a secondary 2MP auxiliary lens with an LED flash. The front camera is an 8MP selfie camera.
The POCO M7 Pro 5G also sports a dual camera setup. The setup includes a 50MP Sony LYT 600 primary camera with an f/1.5 aperture and OIS and a secondary 2MP macro camera with an f/2.4 aperture. For selfies, the smartphone features a 20MP snapper with an f/2.2 aperture.
The POCO M7 Pro 5G wins in the camera department with a better primary camera featuring OIS. It also flaunts the segment’s largest aperture and houses a higher-res selfie camera.
Redmi 14C 5G vs POCO M7 Pro 5G: Battery and Charging
The Redmi 14C 5G is powered by a 5,160mAh battery that supports 18W fast charging. Xiaomi is offering 33W fast charging in the box.
The POCO M7 Pro 5G has a smaller 5,110mAh battery that supports 45W HyperCharge fast charging technology. The brand is offering a 45W fast charger with the device.
The battery capacities of both smartphones are similar. However, the POCO M7 Pro 5G is the better option, thanks to its 45W fast charging support.
Redmi 14C 5G vs POCO M7 Pro 5G: Verdict
The Redmi 14C 5G is recommended for those looking for a great value-for-money affordable 5G smartphone. It is much cheaper than the POCO M7 Pro 5G and offers a more premium build quality, prominent display, efficient processor, and battery.
You should stretch your budget and get the POCO M7 Pro 5G only if you care about a slightly better IP rating, better cameras, and faster charging support.
