OPINION : As highlighted by the inundation of budget - pore Xiaomi plunge this calendar week , as well as late launch from Honor , it ’s exonerated that Formosan manufacturer have the budget smartphone market place in jolly of a headlock – and that ’s great tidings for consumer .
That derive mainly in the form ofXiaomi ’s Poco X7andRedmi distinction 14collections in early 2025 , offering surprisingly competitive smartphones from just £ 179 , with the top - end Redmi Note 14 Pro Plus capping out at just £ 399 , but permit ’s dive a little deeper into these recent releases to see what all the fuss is about .
Xiaomi’s Redmi Note 14 collection offers serious bang for your buck
The Redmi Note 14 is the cheapest phone that Xiaomi presently sells in the UK , coming in at £ 179 , though the price does n’t seem to contemplate the hardware on offer .
Despite its sub-£180 cost tag , the smartphone comes with features including IP54 debris and splash resistance , a 108MP master camera , a 6.67 - inch FHD+ AMOLED display with a 120Hz refresh charge per unit , and a 5500mAh stamp battery with 33W fast charging .
liken to theMotorola Moto G55 5 thousand , which costs a little more at £ 199 , Xiaomi ’s alternative offers a higher - res primary television camera , better junk and water electric resistance , a much good screen and a larger barrage , volunteer telling bang for your buck . The only stop is that it does n’t offer 5 G connectivity like the Moto does .
Moving up the range of mountains a little , there ’s the Redmi Note 14 Pro 5 G , which comes in at £ 299 . As with the entryway - level model , the Pro impress with newspaper headline glasses including a 200MP chief camera , full IP68 dust and water opposition , a 1.5 K AMOLED screen and MediaTek Dimensity 7300 - Ultra power – spectacles you ’d unremarkably gestate to see in a phone closer to the £ 500 mug , if not a little more .
Again , compared to something like the £ 319Nothing Phone ( 2a ) , you ’re fuck off a gamy - Re screen , a massive upgrade on the main photographic camera , a faster processor and faster 45W charging , all for £ 20 less – and it ’s a similar write up with other speech sound in the £ 299-£349 range .
There ’s also the Redmi Note 14 Pro Plus , descend in at £ 399 with the same core group glasses as the Note 14 Pro 5 thousand along with a more premium deoxyephedrine or vegan leather close , improved AI smart , a slimly faster chipset and massively advance 120W HyperCharge capabilities .
The Poco X7 Pro has budget-friendly gaming covered
Those are great all - rounder , but Xiaomi ’s budget smartphone collection give into niches like gambling with the Poco X7 serial publication , and the Poco X7 Pro in finicky .
I ’ve already waxed lyrical abouthow impressed I am with the Poco X7 Pro ’s note value suggestion , but it essentially follows the trend set by the Redmi range , albeit with a particular focus on battery spirit and performance .
For just £ 10 more than the Redmi Note 14 Pro 5 G , you could secure a smartphone with a Dimensity 8400 - Ultra chipset – the first smartphone to do so internationally .
It may not be the top - end Dimensity 9400 , but it ’s not too far off either , with grade of performance that should beat much every other phone in the budget mart , particularly when paired with Xiaomi ’s Wildboost Optimisation technical school and the same LiquidCool 4.0 tech as theXiaomi 14 T Pro .
There ’s also elements like IP68 debris and water resistance , a 6.67 - inch 1.5 K AMOLED cover with a peak smartness of 3200nits , and a humongous 6000mAh electric battery to power the experience .
Honor’s also in on the budget-friendly fun
As observe , it ’s not just Xiaomi that has much of the low-priced smartphone competitor feel a little turn nervous ; Honor has recently expel the Honor Magic 7 Lite , its new £ 399 smartphone , and it ’s likewise impressive compared to a mess of the competition .
Main highlights admit a 6.78 - column inch 120Hz AMOLED screen with a near - identical resolution and eminent peak brightness than the Xiaomi alternatives at a whopping 4000nits , a television camera organization headed up by an OIS - enabled 108MP f/1.8 lens , and an incredible 6600mAh battery despite weighing in at just 189 g.
It fall behind the Redmi Note 14 Pro Plus in areas like charging , execution and AI capabilities but compare to other popular mid - rangers like the £ 439Samsung Galaxy A55 5 G , you ’re catch a gamey - Re chief tv camera , a larger , brighter , a more pixel - slow exhibit , boosted storage , and a much more capacious battery to boot .
Bad for manufacturers, great for us
This is n’t great news for manufacturers like Samsung and Motorola striving for dominance in the budget smartphone market but it ’s great newsworthiness for those of us on the hunt for a bargain smartphone .
increase contention from Xiaomi will likely draw the competing trade name to kick upstairs their own budget options to get along better , and that ’ll hopefully render into even more up to smartphones at even more affordable Leontyne Price – and until that point , you ’ve got slew of fantastic note value Xiaomi and Honor phones to choose from .
