Recently, I shared my unboxing and first impressions of the new realme 14 Pro+ 5G. Now that it is officially available in the market, it’s time to share my experience and insights on this phone to help you decide whether to buy it or not.
I have had the review unit since February 25 and have been using it for almost a month now. I have noticed a lot of things about this phone—both good and bad—so when I found out its pricing, I was surprised. By the way, this is a mid-range smartphone whose key selling points are its triple-camera system, powerful 5G chipset, massive battery with fast charging, and waterproofing features. So far, I haven’t been disappointed. Want to know why?
Cameras
One of the standout features of the realme 14 Pro+ 5G is its camera system. It boasts a triple Sony camera setup, including a 50MP Sony IMX896 main camera, a 50MP Sony IMX882 telephoto lens, and an 8MP Sony IMX355 ultra-wide lens. I’m honestly impressed with its camera performance—it’s incredibly fast and delivers high-quality images.
Having a telephoto lens is a significant advantage, especially since I enjoy capturing distant subjects and event coverage. The image quality is outstanding, offering sharp and detailed shots. Additionally, I appreciate its color reproduction, as the saturation and vibrance are well-balanced, particularly in portrait mode.
Speaking of portrait mode, this device also excels in portrait photography beyond zoom capabilities. The higher focal length enhances portrait shots, producing stunning images with a smooth bokeh effect and excellent subject-background separation. While I haven’t fully explored all the camera modes yet, I’m confident they offer a great experience, especially with features like Underwater Photography mode.
I had the chance to test this feature during the realme Clarity Camp in Daraitan, Tanay, Rizal. However, the river water appeared somewhat murky due to occasional rain showers that day. Still, this mode is best utilized in freshwater settings to minimize any risk of damage to the device.
Even in low-light scenarios, the results were impressive. The phone automatically adjusts the settings well, and its image processing is excellent. In fact, it boasts a MagicGlow triple flash that enhances night photography. It also includes unique filters that make your photos look dreamy and cinematic.
I haven’t tested it in extremely dark environments, but it’s evident that the lighting enhancements are significant. You can even control the flash temperature depending on the scenario, allowing for warm or cool-toned photos.
The 32MP selfie camera is also noteworthy, delivering excellent image quality and featuring eye auto-focus to ensure detailed facial shots.
We also tested its video recording capabilities, and the results were impressive. The phone can shoot up to 4K@30fps, and both the main and periscope cameras feature optical image stabilization. This means even at up to 18x zoom, the footage remains steady.
Display and Multimedia Experience
You’ll surely enjoy the large 6.83-inch 1.5K OLED display. Not only is it high-quality, but it also produces vibrant colors—more than enough for watching videos, browsing social media, and viewing content. The screen size has both advantages and disadvantages since it is quite large. However, if you prefer a bigger display on a smartphone, this is a good choice. That said, while the OLED panel is impressive, an AMOLED display would have provided deeper color reproduction.
Outdoors, the screen is bright enough, but I found the 1,200 nits max brightness slightly lacking. Under direct sunlight, especially in the afternoon, visibility can be a bit challenging. However, if you’re in the shade, the 1,200nits brightness is sufficient.
The 120Hz high refresh rate also makes the experience even smoother, especially for gaming, as long as the game supports a high refresh rate. I encountered no issues with its stability, and its 240Hz touch sampling rate ensures responsive gameplay.
Additionally, the under-display fingerprint scanner is highly responsive, as is the face unlock feature. I also noticed that even with slightly sweaty hands, the biometric sensors still recognize fingerprints accurately.
Audio & Haptics
The phone comes with dual stereo speakers, which I found to be decent. However, I feel the bass is somewhat lacking, making the sound slightly thin. It doesn’t have the most premium audio quality since the low frequencies or bass aren’t punchy enough. But if you don’t compare it to other devices, you’ll likely be satisfied with the sound quality.
Call audio quality is good, with a clear microphone that doesn’t sound cheap. Meanwhile, I had high expectations for its haptic feedback, but it’s only decent—not as premium as I hoped, though the vibration motor is fine.
Performance
The realme 14 Pro+ 5G delivers powerful performance thanks to the 4nm Qualcomm Snapdragon 7s Gen 3 octa-core 5G chipset with an Adreno 710 GPU. This chipset’s performance is very impressive, scoring 835,025 points in AnTuTu Benchmark and 14,276 points in PCMark Work 3.0, which are high for its price range.
For multitasking, I encountered no issues since it comes with 12GB RAM and features RAM Expansion technology that can allocate an additional 14GB of virtual RAM for smoother app switching. Additionally, it has a massive 512GB internal storage, providing ample space for photos, videos, games, and other files. However, note that its storage is not expandable—but 512GB should be more than enough.
Of course, I tested it for gaming, and I had no issues. Even in Genshin Impact, performance was smooth, and lighter games like Mobile Legends: Bang Bang, Call of Duty: Mobile, and Honor of Kings ran seamlessly.
By default, the game booster or game assistant is set to balanced mode, causing some performance throttling and minor frame drops in Mobile Legends. However, enabling GT Mode significantly improves performance, increasing frame rates from around 60-90fps to 110-120fps. This mode does consume more power, but if you’re a competitive gamer, it’s worth enabling.
The phone also features a Vapor Chamber cooling system to help dissipate heat for a better gaming experience, though it still warms up when playing games or using heavy apps like video editing software.
Software
Running on the latest realme UI 6.0 based on Android 15, the phone offers a seamless experience. Unlike my previous experiences with older realme UI versions, this one feels very smooth and lightweight—ideal for heavy users or multitaskers. I haven’t encountered any major bugs or issues, though there are still a lot of pre-installed bloatware apps that can be manually uninstalled.
It also includes several AI-assisted features, and the interface feels cleaner. I’m not sure about its long-term software support, but it’s likely to receive OS and security updates for years.
Battery Life & Charging
In terms of battery life, the realme 14 Pro+ 5G achieved the longest screen-on time score I’ve tested, reaching 19 hours and 56 minutes in the PCMark Battery benchmark. This is an outstanding result, thanks to its massive 6,000mAh battery.
In real-world usage, I can confirm its battery endurance. During the realme Clarity Camp, it lasted an entire day, even at maximum brightness outdoors.
Despite its large battery, charging is fast, as it supports 80W SUPERVOOC charging. In my daily charging routine, it reaches 100% in less than an hour. However, it lacks wireless or reverse charging.
Final Verdict
Considering the specs and features of this phone, who is it for? I recommend the realme 14 Pro+ 5G for users willing to spend PHP 27,999 for excellent imaging performance. It is an all-rounder mid-ranger ideal for adventurous young professionals who need a phone with ingress protection for travels and outdoor activities. With a powerful chipset, large memory, massive battery, and unique design, it offers great value at this price point. If you have a PHP 30K budget, I highly recommend this phone.
Pros
Impressive triple-camera system
Stunning portrait mode
6.83-inch 1.5K OLED display
Powerful performance
Excellent battery life
80W fast charging
Large memory
Optimized realme UI 6.0 on Android 15
Cons
No expandable storage
1,200nits max brightness
Stereo speakers lack strong bass
Haptic feedback feels average
No wireless or reverse charging
Some pre-installed bloatware apps
realme 14 Pro+ 5G Specifications
- Display: 6.83-inch OLED Quad-curved display, 1.5K resolution, 120Hz refresh rate, 1,200nits max brightness
- CPU: 2.6GHz 4nm Qualcomm Snapdragon 7s Gen 3 octa-core processor
- GPU: Adreno 710
- RAM: 12GB + 12GB RAM Expansion
- ROM: 512GB
- Rear Camera: 50MP Sony IMX896 main camera (OIS), 50MP Sony IMX882 telephoto camera (OIS), 8MP wideangle camera
- Front Camera: 32MP Selfie camera
- Battery: 6,000mAh, 80W SUPERVOOC (wired)
- Software: realme UI 6.0, Android 15
- Connectivity: 2.4GHz & 5GHz WiFi, 5G, 4G, Bluetooth 5.2, GPS, dual SIM (nano), NFC
- Sensors: Accelerometer, light, orientation, proximity, gyroscope, sound, magnetic
- Colors: Pearl White, Suede Grey
- Others: In-display fingerprint scanner, IR blaster, IP69, IP68, IP66, Hi-Res dual stereo speakers, Military-Grade Shock Resistance
Price and Availability
realme 14 Pro+ 5G – PHP 27,999 | TikTok Shop
The realme 14 Pro+ 5G is now available in realme physical stores nationwide and their official TikTok Shop for only PHP 27,999. For first-selling offers and other promos, you can learn more here.
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