Redmi is first to bring the Snapdragon 7s Gen 3 to Europe

Redmi’s Note 14 Pro Plus 5G arrives in Europe, bringing Qualcomm’s latest midrange chipset in tow.

The Redmi Note 14 Pro Plus 5G launches in lavender purple, frost blue, and midnight black. 

Image: Redmi

Today, Xiaomi's subsidiary Redmi has launched its affordable Note 14 series in Europe, marking the Western debut of the Snapdragon 7s Gen 3 chipset. After its initial release in August 2024, the Snapdragon 7s Gen 3 had to take a backseat as the more powerful Snapdragon 8 Elite chip captured attention, even making its Western debut in the OnePlus 13 just two months later. However, the Snapdragon 7s Gen 3 is now starting to get the recognition it deserves.

The Note 14 series consists of five models, ranging from the 4G-only Note 14 to the Note 14 Pro Plus 5G, which is the only phone in the series to feature the Snapdragon chip. The Snapdragon 7s Gen 3, an entry-level processor in Qualcomm's 7 series, is built on a 4nm process and introduces Arm's v9 CPU architecture. It features a 2.5GHz Cortex-A720 core at its core. The other four models in the series are powered by various MediaTek chipsets.

The Snapdragon 7s Gen 3 powers the Note 14 Pro Plus 5G. Image: Redmi
Priced from £399/€499.90 (around $500), the Pro Plus is positioned as a direct competitor to Google’s $499 Pixel 8A, but it surpasses the Pixel in several key hardware aspects. It offers enhanced IP68 water resistance, up to 12GB of RAM and 512GB of storage, and a larger, brighter OLED display that’s protected by Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2. However, the main trade-off comes on the software side, particularly since Google has guaranteed Android updates for the Pixel 8A until 2031.

The other models in the Note 14 series feature a gradual decline in specifications and connectivity. The Note 14 Pro 5G shares the Pro Plus's display, 200MP camera, and IP68 rating, but it switches to the more affordable MediaTek 7300-Ultra chipset and has slower charging speeds. The regular Note 14 Pro offers similar features, except it lacks 5G support and drops to an IP64 rating. The Note 14 and Note 14 5G have more modest specs overall, though the 4G model’s IP54 water resistance is still impressive for a phone priced at less than half the cost of the Pixel 8A.