The realme number series has made a major shift in priorities, beginning with the realme 14 5G.
From its photography-centric roots, the series is now moving to gaming for the realme 14 5G — as suggested by its aggressive mecha design.
realme has also included a few standout features like an enormous battery, a vibrant screen, and others that we’ll dive into in our realme 14 5G review. Let’s start.
realme 14 5G Specs
- Android 15, realme UI 6.0
- Dual SIM, Dual Standby
- 6.67-inch FHD+ AMOLED display, 2400 x 1080 pixel resolution, ~395ppi
- 120Hz refresh rate
- 2000-nit peak brightness
- 2.3GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 6 Gen 4 octa-core processor
- Adreno 710 GPU
- 12GB RAM
- 256GB internal storage, expandable via microSD
- 16-megapixel front camera
- 50-megapixel (f/1.8, PDAF, OIS) + 2-megapixel (depth sensor) rear cameras, LED flash
- Under-display fingerprint scanner, Face unlock
- IP68/69 dust and water resistant
- Stereo speakers
- HSPA+, 4G LTE, 5G
- WiFi 6, dual-band
- Bluetooth 5.2
- GPS, GLONASS, GALILEO, QZSS, BDS
- USB-C
- Dimensions: 163.1 x 75.7 x 8mm
- Weight: 196g
- Colors: Mecha Silver, Storm Titanium, and Warrior Pink
- 6,000mAh non-removable battery, 45W wired charging, Bypass charging support
Design and Build Quality
For the whole appeal, you should get the hero color of the realme 14 5G. The Mecha Silver has this futuristic design with distinct lines and orange accents that are also prominent on the lock/power button.
If it’s not your cup of tea, the Storm Titanium and Warrior Pink offer a cleaner and more elegant look.
The glass-like rear panel is slightly prone to fingerprint marks and smudges. You can use the stylish free case to keep it clean, albeit it sadly conceals the interesting design on the back panel.
More than looks, the realme 14 5G also has extensive durability features. It has IP66, IP68, and IP69 certifications for protection against high-pressure water, continuous water immersion, dust and high-temperature water.
No official drop resistance certification, but that’s fine. The clear case should be enough to withstand minor drops and accidents.
realme boasts about the device’s large 6,000mAh battery, while retaining a slim profile at 8mm, which is really impressive.
Together with its flat frame, the realme 14 5G is really comfortable to hold, even after extensive use. It’s fairly light, too.
Taking a tour, we have a 6.67-inch FHD+ AMOLED screen with a punch-hole for the 16-megapixel selfie camera. The bezels are thicker than other OLED phones, but it is not a dealbreaker.
The top has the secondary microphone and a small vent for the stereo speaker.
We have the primary loudspeaker at the bottom, the microphone, a USB-C port, and a hybrid SIM tray that can house either a second nano SIM or a microSD card for storage expansion.
Left side is clean, while the right has the tactile and clicky volume controls and lock/power button.
The realme 14 5G’s eye-catching design, as well as sleek and durable build prove that big-battery phones are ready to go mainstream.
Display and Audio
realme used a 6.67-inch FHD+ AMOLED display for the realme 14 5G. It has a 2400 x 1080 pixel resolution, ~395ppi, 120Hz refresh rate, 2000-nit peak brightness, 1500Hz instantaneous touch sampling, and 6,00,000:1 contrast ratio.
Display quality is fine for the price. We got nice colors and contrast, ample screen brightness for outdoor use, and smoothness for the user interface. The lack of HDR and Dolby Vision support is disappointing, but we’ll cut them some slack.
There’s also a good pair of stereo speakers that provide audio. The volume is more than enough for solo listening, has decent treble, and acceptable bass to provide a decently full sound. Stereo separation is good, too.
Hardware and Performance
The realme 14 5G is powered by a 2.3GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 6 Gen 3 processor, with 12GB of RAM, 256GB of expandable storage, and an Adreno 710 GPU. It also has a 6050mm2 vapor chamber cooling realme claims is 169% bigger and can drop CPU temps by 20°C.
realme 14 5G Benchmark Scores
Day-to-day performance has been satisfactory. The interface was very responsive, from unlocking the device to opening apps. Instagram and TikTok were seamless when we were doomscrolling, taking pictures was quick, and doing minor photo edits was not an issue.
Now, it’s time to see if this gaming-centric phone is actually good at running games.
Genshin Impact ran fine under Medium graphics at 60 frames per second (fps). PUBG Mobile was very smooth under Balanced graphics at Extreme frames, as well as Call of Duty Mobile using Very High graphics with Max frames, and Farlight84 under Ultra graphics at High frames.
Mobile Legends: Bang Bang had no problems with Ultra settings, as well as Asphalt Legends: Unite under 60fps (despite the warning that I should stick to 30).
Bottom line is that the realme 14 5G can definitely game and lives up to its promise. Not the best mobile gaming experience out there, but good enough for its asking price.
| Game | Graphics Settings |
| Call of Duty: Mobile | • Graphics Quality: Very High • Frame Rate: Max |
| Farlight84 | • Graphics Quality: Ultra • Frame Rate: High |
| PUBG Mobile | • Graphics Quality: Balanced • Frame Rate: Extreme |
| Genshin Impact | • Render Resolution: Medium • Visual Effects: Medium • FPS: 60 |
| Mobile Legends: Bang Bang | • Graphics Quality: Ultra • Frame Rate: Ultra • HD Mode: On |
| Asphalt Legends Unite | • Visual Quality: High Quality • Frame Rate: 60 |
Software and User Interface
The realme 14 5G ships with Android 15-based realme UI 6.0 interface. realme hasn’t confirmed the update policy for the device. Chances are, it will get at least two major Android upgrades, just like its predecessor.
Made for gaming, realme’s GT Boost game window is rich with features that improve the gaming experience. AI Motion Control gives you extra controls by tilting the device left, right, forward, and backward. The gestures are accurate and don’t get triggered accidentally unless you’re deliberately trying to.
Touch Optimization settings are also here for competitive shooter players. The window also lets you block notifications, run network optimization, take screenshots and recordings, enable the breathing light on the back, and more.
The Victory Halo Light can be configured via the Pulse Light section in the settings. Sadly, though, it’s not RGB. The single white light color can be scheduled, with the light styles (Breathing and Twinkle) adjustable.
It lights up when you receive calls, for notifications, alarm, music (with music sync), battery charging, playing games, or keep it on all the time if you want to show off and don’t care about battery life.
AI Smart Loop 2.0 lets you drag and drop texts and media from one app to any app inside the spinning loop. Meanwhile, AI Screen Recognition will quickly extract important information from the screen with a quick 2-finger press.
We also have AI Recording Summary and Circle to Search. What we miss are AI document features like text generator, summarization, and proofreading, which are more useful than the ones present here.
On the upside, we got the complete set of AI features we wanted to see in the Gallery. We have AI Clear Face, Unblur, Remove Reflections (when shooting behind windows or glass), and AI Erase.
The in-display fingerprint scanner is not the fastest, but quick enough to cause no problems. Face unlock was seamless, even in low light.
realme offers extensive RAM management in the settings. It shows you which apps use the most memory, currently in use, and how much you can borrow from the storage (4GB, 8GB, and 14GB).
We spotted a few bloatware apps. They can be removed, but doing so one by one can be annoying. The built-in clean-up app is handy for freeing up storage.
realme UI is nice, tidy, and intuitive. I just wish a 3-year update policy is guaranteed.
Cameras
The realme 14 5G may have changed its priorities, but it still managed to have a decent set of cameras. We have a 50-megapixel main camera with optical image stabilization, a 2-megapixel depth sensor, and a 16-megapixel selfie snapper. Sadly, no ultra-wide or telephoto lens.
There’s a feature-rich camera app. The underwater mode reconfigures the physical buttons to trigger photo shutter, video recording, or exit by holding the power button. A buzzing sound will play to disperse water from the speakers.
AI Snap mode is here, so you don’t miss spontaneous moments. For video recording, you can shoot 720p and 1080p video at 30fps/60fps or 4K video but only at 30fps. Oh, and for those who like watermarks, there are a bunch of them in here.
Daylight shots from the main camera are usable but could be better. We occasionally get overexposed images, sharpness is lacking, and visible noise is present. Additionally, the white balance is off at times.
Low-light shots are decent, but nothing to brag about either. Details are almost too blurry at times, and the exposure issues persist.
The 2-megapixel depth sensor does a good job for the portrait mode, creating a clean, shallow depth-of-field effect. The 2x mode snaps 52mm photos with a crop from the main sensor. As is, details are already pretty horrible at 1x, so manage your expectations.
The 16-megapixel selfie camera seems to take better photos than the main one. Details look clearer even in low-light, colors and skin tones are nice, and the dynamic range manages to hold its ground at extremely challenging lighting scenarios.
While you can get usable photos out of the realme 14 5G, it’s clear that photography is not its priority anymore.
Battery and Charging
Performance is a big deal for the realme 14 5G. That’s it’s equipped with a large 6,000mAh battery and 45W wired charging. It got above-average scores in our tests.
In PCMark’s battery loop test, it lasted for 18 hours and 1 minute — much higher than the average score of 13 hours and 30 minutes that other phones in this segment got. As for our 1080p YouTube Video Loop test, it lasted for 17 hours and 45 minutes, about an hour longer than the average score of 16 hours and 54 minutes for other smartphones.
The 45W SUPERVOOC adapter is decent for the price. A full charge takes about 1 hour and 15 minutes. See full charging test results below:
- 15mins: 0-18%
- 30mins: 38%
- 45mins: 56%
- 1hr: 75%
- 1hr 15mins: FULL
Verdict
realme’s move to shift focus on gaming instead of photography really paid off — at least for gamers.
The realme 14 5G’s capable and efficient processor provides reliable performance on both gaming and basic, day-to-day tasks. Pair that with a lengthy battery life, fast charging, and a large display with stereo speakers, and you get a great playing experience.
As a cherry on top, its silicon-carbon battery ensured that, despite its large density, the overall frame of the device stayed thin and light. Of course, let’s not forget about that eye-catching mecha design.
Unfortunately, putting the photography prowess on the back burner was very evident. There’s no ultra-wide nor telephoto lens, and even the single usable camera only outputs so-so image quality.
Overall, the realme 14 5G is a great device for what it’s made for. The price is just a bit too much, so get it at a discount if you can.
realme 14 5G pricing and availability in the Philippines
The realme 14 5G has an SRP of Php17,999 in the Philippines. It’s now available in physical stores nationwide, retailers, and online via Shopee, Lazada, and TikTok Shop.
Pros
- Sleek and distinct mecha design, durable build
- Solid day-to-day, gaming performance
- Full sound from the stereo speakers
- Big battery with fast charging
Cons
- So-so camera quality
- No HDR, Dolby Vision support