This Color-Changing Phone Is Surprisingly Advanced For Its Price

At a tech fest where most brands were busy showcasing high-end devices, Realme came to the MWC 2025 showfloor with a surprising mid-range phone this year. The Chinese label introduced the Realme 14 Pro+, a sleek phone that turned heads with a unique color-changing rear panel. 

It's not a situational gimmick, thankfully. As the surroundings get cold, the marble-inspired pale surface starts showing mineral-like blue streaks. It's quite a sight to witness, but there's more to this phone than meets the eye. Carrying an asking price worth EUR 529.99 (approximately $600), the Realme 14 Pro+ promised quite a compelling package. 

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One of the sturdiest phones out there, at least going by its ingress protection label, the Realme phone also puts high-resolution camera sensors on a mid-tier phone, including a rare (for the price point) periscope-style folded lens zoom camera. The brand, however, packed a few more surprises. 

On the more practical side of things, the Realme 14 Pro+ offers a massive battery that can be topped up nearly twice as fast as the priciest Apple or Samsung phones out there. Rounding off the list of niceties is a pixel-dense 120Hz OLED screen with a sloping glass look on all sides. 

Color-changing materials are not exactly a new concept for smartphones. Infinix showcased an E Ink tech earlier this year at MWC, while Tecno pulled off something similar with its Camon 19 Pro. Vivo has also made phones that change color. But so far, all implementations have relied on light exposure. 

On the Realme 14 Pro+, what we have is a temperature-sensitive material. It relies on a thermochromic process, instead of the photochromic material we have seen so far. The color change is temporary, but the shift is subtle and stunning to witness. 

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Realme says they drew inspiration from oceanic life forms such as octopus and jellyfish, owing to their ability to change skin color. "We thought, since the phone can handle water so well, why not make it feel a bit like an underwater creature that responds to its environment?" Senior Global PR Manager at Realme, Dongyao Nie, told SlashGear.

Nie added that the color change depends on the external temperature, and not necessarily exposure to water. The shell-like texture has a pearl-inspired shiny finish on top. The material is actually made out of organic seashell powder and a special fusion fiber that is derived from 95% eco-friendly and biologically sourced material.

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The color-changing trick is pulled off using a thermochromic pigment, which triggers a chemical reaction as soon as the temperature falls below 60 degrees Fahrenheit. Notably, the seashell pattern on each cold-sensitive color-changing panel is unique, which means no two phones will look identical.

Imaging hardware is another part of the phone that took me by surprise. Realme has fitted the phone with a 50-megapixel main snapper, an 8-megapixel ultra-wide camera, and a periscope-style 50-megapixel telephoto camera with 3x native and 6x hybrid zoom

6x and 30x zoom sample. (Credit: Nadeem Sarwar/SlashGear)

The standout element is the telephoto camera, which does a sufficiently good job of accurately depicting surface details even in long-range shots. By default, the camera tends to go with a higher ISO for zoom shots and highlights can occasionally get overblown. With a bit of exposure adjustment and steady hands, photos clicked at up to 10x zoom turn out fairly sharp and saturated.

Portrait sample at 2x (Credit: Nadeem Sarwar/SlashGear)

The two large sensors capture sharp pictures with saturated colors and admirable depth estimation. It can produce some rich macro shots, though the ultrawide snaps struggle with dynamic range and shadows.

LED flash light styling sample. (Credit:Nadeem Sarwar/SlashGear)

It does, however, struggle with focus locking and frame stabilization. I also love the tri-color LED flash lights that let you adjust the light intensity as well as the color profile for capturing artistic shots.

When I first unboxed the phone, I was less intrigued by the color-changing rear shell and was more impressed by the solid build quality. The Realme 14 Pro+ feels every bit as premium as a top-tier Android phone. The side rails are metallic, and the golden polish looks pretty nice. 

Over at the front, you are greeted by uniform bezels that are even slimmer than what you would find on far pricier phones such as the Google Pixel 9. The aesthetics are further lifted by a quad-curved glass that delivers a gorgeous sloping finish across all edges. 

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But more than looks, Realme also ensured that the phone can survive the elements with IP69-tier ingress protection against dust and water exposure. Realme's Nie tells me that the phone can survive immersion for up to an hour at a maximum depth of 1.5 meters while remaining fully functional. Nie also notes that the phone has received industry-standard clearance for military-grade shock-proofing and drop resistance. 

Nadeem Sarwar/SlashGear

To go with that resilient build, the company also developed an underwater shooting mode for the Realme 14 Pro+. "You can use the phone naked [without a case] for underwater shooting," Nie tells me. I tried a couple of short clips in my nearby aquarium, and the phone came out unscathed.

Though I am not a fan of the pre-installed Android skin, this phone surprised me in more ways than one. Sheer fluidity of UI experiences, especially gaming, is one of those highlight scenarios. Powering the device is Qualcomm's Snapdragon 7s Gen 3, an octa-core processor based on the 4nm process. Despite technically slotting in the mid-tier segment, the silicon output is uncharacteristically smooth, and there are plenty of bells and whistles that will please mobile gaming enthusiasts, too. 

The Realme 14 Pro+ was able to handle titles such as PUBG's mobile version with HDR visuals and delivered a smooth 60fps experience. What surprised me the most was the fantastic stability. After running 3DMark's intensive stress test, the phone delivered an impressive stability of over 95% that I have rarely seen on budget phones. 

Another surprise was the thermal stability. Even after back-to-back stress tests in benchmarks and games, the phone remained surprisingly cool. The large 6,000 millimeters-square vapor chamber cooling system appears to be doing a great job at handling the performance load.

I also love the fact that Realme's phone also focuses on practical perks, too. Of particular mention is the massive 6,000mAh battery, one of the biggest you can find on a phone out there. For comparison, Samsung's top-end Galaxy S25 Ultra features a smaller 5,000mAh battery, even though it is taller and thicker than the Realme phone. This battery easily lasts a full day of usage, and then some more. 

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On weekends, when I indulged in my reckless losing streak in Call of Duty: Mobile or slow grind in Diablo: Immortal, I ended the day with nearly 30% juice still left in the tank. On weekdays, even without making concessions, the phone was able to handle my full suite of workplace and social media engagements with ease. 

On a few occasions, it lasted two full days with a bit of power-saving thrown into the mix. Another underrated feature is that the Realme 14 Pro+ supports 80W wired fast charging, nearly thrice as fast as the iPhone 16 Pro, and twice as fast as Samsung's current-gen Galaxy S25 series flagships.

On a regular day, the SuperVOOC adapter I had juiced up an empty tank halfway through in just about 20 minutes. A full charge takes less than an hour, which is quite astounding and only surpassed by a rare few — and pricier — devices such as the OnePlus 13. Overall, this one's a fantastic value, if you can grab one.