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Xiaomi Mix Flip review: Great to use, hard to find

7:12 pm | November 27, 2024

Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets Phones Xiaomi Phones | Comments: Off

Xiaomi Mix Flip: Two-minute review

You might not realize it, but Xiaomi's gotten pretty good at making foldables. Although not every entry has launched internationally, the company is now on its fourth generation of Mix Fold. Despite playing in this space since 2021, one thing Xiaomi has never attempted is a clamshell. Until now.

The Xiaomi Mix Flip made its international debut alongside the Xiaomi 14T and Xiaomi 14T Pro, with relatively modest fanfare, but that doesn't detract from what looks to be a capable competitor to the Motorola Razrs and Galaxy Z Flips of the world, not to mention an impressive first foray into what is a new form factor for the company.

The Mix Flip nails the fundamentals, with an expansive 4.01-inch cover display and a killer main display that work beautifully in concert. Performance is top-tier, however, the phone's form factor hinders prolonged performance, from a thermal perspective.

Xiaomi Mix Flip review outer screen otter lock screen — (Image credit: Future | Alex Walker-Todd)

A large battery ensures all-day use, in spite of those demanding screens, while fast 67W wired charging can refill the phone in less than an hour. The company wasn't able to squeeze in wireless charging, or IP68 certified protection against dust or water, for that matter.

Xiaomi's famed image processing holds up what is, underneath, modest camera hardware. Add in Leica's involvement and you've got arguably the best clamshell camera phone currently on the market, though there is room to improve, in terms of detail and clarity.

As I've seen with other Xiaomi phones, it's Xiaomi's software that lets the Mix Flip down. HyperOS is leaner than its predecessor, MIUI, but the end result still plays host to occasionally confusing and restrictive user experience paradigms, paired with app bloat and too many baked-in ads. A shame, especially for a phone at this price.

Offering only one storage and memory configuration might seem restrictive, but Xiaomi chose wisely from a value perspective (12GB RAM + 512GB storage), relative to the likes of Samsung and Motorola. That said, unlike those big-name rivals, and despite an international launch, you won't be able to get your hands on the Mix Flip natively in the US and Australia.

Xiaomi Mix Flip review: Price and availability

Xiaomi Mix Flip review front angled — (Image credit: Future | Alex Walker-Todd)

Priced at £1,099 / €1,300
On sale from September 26, 2024
Limited international availability compared to rivals

The Mix Flip went on sale internationally on September 26, alongside the aforementioned Xiaomi 14T series. That was a couple of months after its initial debut in China.

Despite launching at a higher starting price compared to its most prominent rivals – the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6 and Motorola Razr Plus 2024/Razr 50 Ultra – the Mix Flip with 12GB RAM / 512GB storage might be a better value than Samsung's latest clamshell.

Although you can pick up a Z Flip 6 for around £50 less in the UK, at £1,049 you get half the storage, in comparison to the Mix Flip. And, if you're looking at like for like, the 512GB Flip 6 actually clocks in at £50 more than Xiaomi's offering, which likely isn't a coincidence on Xiaomi's part.

Motorola's latest entry is £100 more affordable, but that can be explained, in part, by its use of a modest Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 chipset and its shorter OS update roadmap.

Despite being a global release, Xiaomi's smartphone presence doesn't extend to markets like the US or Australia. That means it remains out of reach for those in such regions looking for alternatives to the likes of Motorola or Samsung.

Value score: 4 / 5

Xiaomi Mix Flip review: Specs

Xiaomi Mix Flip review: Design

Xiaomi Mix Flip review back angled handheld — (Image credit: Future | Alex Walker-Todd)

Side-mounted fingerprint sensor
Functional hinge between 45° and 120°
No IP-certified dust or water resistance

Xiaomi didn't simply translate the existing design language already established by its long-running Mix Fold line, when deciding on a look for its first clamshell foldable. Instead, the Mix Flip has an aesthetic all its own.

It's distinct from its most obvious rivals, with pillowed glass and a body that – although thicker than Moto's or Sammy's latest clamshells – still makes for a pleasingly slim and comfortable handset to wield in the pocket or hand.

That lightly textured glass on the back works in contrast to the polished metal frame and glossy outer screen of the Mix Flip, to great effect. Its incredibly neat 'dual-link' hinge, meanwhile, reveals an additional microphone when the phone is closed; highlighting a design optimized for functionality, without having to fully open up. I had a blast taking calls and making contactless payments, without ever having to open up the Mix Flip.

Xiaomi Mix Flip review side half open handheld — Hinge feel: good, volume rocker placement: less so (Image credit: Future | Alex Walker-Todd)

Speaking of opening, the Mix Flip's all-important hinge offers up a really nice feel when folding or unfolding, while its construction also allows for easy placement anywhere between 45° and 120°; ideal for watching content without a stand or taking snaps without a tripod.

That said, after testing the phone for a few weeks, I did notice the most subtle lateral shift in the hinge when grabbing the phone out of my pocket. Although a near-imperceptible wiggle that could only be felt and not obviously observed, it isn't something I've run into since the early clamshell days of the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3. I've seen no talk of this defect elsewhere, so it's likely unique to my review unit, but I'd be remiss if I didn't mention it.

A couple of other notable quirks include the phone's middling button placement, which leaves the volume rocker awkwardly high up the phone's right edge when unfolded, as well as a side-mounted fingerprint sensor, though it admittedly works quickly and was reliable during my review.

Xiaomi Mix Flip review top angled closed — (Image credit: Future | Alex Walker-Todd)

Unlike notable competitors, Xiaomi hasn't sought certification for ingress protection (IP) against dust or water with the Mix Flip, so while it boasts the company's tough Shield Glass (also branded as Dragon Crystal Glass) across its outer display (the main screen relies on UTG or ultra-thin glass, in order to remain flexible) and comes bundled with a color-matched case, the phone doesn't appear to sport any additional protection, beyond some pleasingly-tight tolerances, when it comes to keeping dust or water out of that all-important hinge.

On the subject of color, Chinese buyers have the choice of four finishes, including a fabric-backed variant and silver model, while the Mix Flip's international dressings fall to only a black option or a purple number (pictured), with textured glass that suffers from less grip but offers a nice contrast to the glossy glass of the outer display.

Design score: 4 / 5

Xiaomi Mix Flip review: Display

Xiaomi Mix Flip review front angled handheld — (Image credit: Future | Alex Walker-Todd)

Consistent viewing experience across inner and outer screens
Sharper display than rivals
AOD support on both screens

Despite being a new form factor for Xiaomi, it's clear that the Mix Flip isn't your basic first-gen foldable, by any means. That's perhaps most evident with the near edge-to-edge outer display, which wraps around the phone's dual main cameras: more Moto Razr than Galaxy Z Flip in its execution.

As is often the case with Xiaomi's high-end handsets, you're treated to a killer viewing experience, but here the company has also ensured that it's consistent across both the internal and outer screen, which isn't always the case with this form factor, based on other devices I've reviewed.

Xiaomi Mix Flip review outer screen floral lock screen — (Image credit: Future | Alex Walker-Todd)

Whether you're looking at the near-square 4.01-inch outer screen or the expansive 6.86-inch 21.4:9 main display, you're treated to a pleasingly crisp 460ppi (pixels per inch) and the same adaptive 1 to 120Hz refresh rate, made possible by the use of LTPO AMOLED tech.

Xiaomi teamed up with fellow Chinese electronics giant TCL to develop the C8 Plus displays used by the Mix Flip, and they deliver solid viewing angles, and great color depth and contrast.

Xiaomi Mix Flip review outer screen always on — The AOD is available across both screens (Image credit: Future | Alex Walker-Todd)

They offer consistently superb visibility, with a quoted panel-wide max brightness of 1,600nits and a peak brightness of 3,000nits (the Z Flip 6 peaks at 2,600nits), while the main display also has 2,160Hz PWM (Pulse Width Modulation) dimming, to help prevent eye strain in low light (the outer screen relies on more conventional DC dimming).

To top it off, the phone's display settings serve up heaps of control over things like color balance, app-specific dark mode behavior, and access to the always-on display, which functions across both screens, making the Mix Flip a great nightstand clock too.

Display score: 5 / 5

Xiaomi Mix Flip review: Software

Xiaomi Mix Flip review front straight — (Image credit: Future | Alex Walker-Todd)

4 years of OS & 5 years security updates
Launches with HyperOS 1.0 atop Android 14
To many ads within Xiaomi apps and experiences

At the time of writing, Chinese Mix Flips are already making the move to HyperOS 2.0, but it'll be a little while longer for international units, which come running HyperOS 1.0 atop Android 14, out the box.

With Xiaomi's shift from MIUI to HyperOS – which coincided with the launch of the Xiaomi 14 series near the beginning of 2024 – the company had the chance to rework the approach taken by its mobile user experience.

While there's no denying that HyperOS takes up significantly less of your device's storage relative to the previous MIUI, the experience feels decidedly familiar and is fast falling foul of bad user design practices that are either too rigid to be helpful, or prioritize monetization over quality. That's particularly damaging on a phone that costs four figures.

Examples include the absence of access to native Android features – like Automatic Brightness and Extra Dim – within the phone's quick settings, without the use of third-party apps that resurface such controls. More egregious, though, are the growing number of ads within native Xiaomi experiences.

Xiaomi Mix Flip review Game Bird ads — I wish Game Bird would fly away (Image credit: Future | Alex Walker-Todd)

App Mall, the Theme Store and Game Center all repeatedly fired unwanted notifications to purchasable assets or apps that I had no interest in, while the useful Game Turbo overlay (which grants quick access to performance management controls when gaming) has now been capped by the addition of Game Bird, which serves up game trailers for poor quality, ad-riddled mobile games; the sort you often see as in-app ads or online.

It's not all naming and shaming, though. Tons of native customization, supported by an active Theme Store, filled with user-made submissions, makes for endless and effortless personalization. iPhone users, in particular, will appreciate the way HyperOS lays out its home screen apps, notifications and quick settings.

Xiaomi Mix Flip review outer screen home screen — (Image credit: Future | Alex Walker-Todd)

You'd think the unique aspect ratio of the Mix Flip's outer display might have posed a challenge for the HyperOS team, but the implementation they actually came up with is pretty brilliant.

While about a sixth of the panel is occupied by the phone's main cameras, the rest of the display is divided up into two sections. When unlocked, the small portion next to the cameras plays host to a dedicated widget, which you can swipe through to view the weather, various clock styles, recent apps used and more.

Xiaomi Mix Flip review outer screen Spotify — Apps are nicely formatted on the Mix Flip's outer screen (Image credit: Future | Alex Walker-Todd)

Not unlike Oppo's Find N3 Flip, the remainder of the display works out to about a 16:9 aspect ratio, meaning apps scale far more naturally, compared to the squat, square screen real estate offered up by most of the other best foldable clamshell phones.

As such, the outer screen experience is really nice and natural to use, with great continuity, if you want to switch to the main screen mid-app, by opening the phone up. Typing is understandably cramped but not impossible and Xiaomi cites support for over 100 apps, which in testing included key experiences like Instagram, Spotify, YouTube, TikTok and Google Maps.

Xiaomi Mix Flip review side half open YouTube — Barely any apps offer additional functionality when the phone is half open (Image credit: Future | Alex Walker-Todd)

If you want to color outside the lines with that cover display, however, there's very little the Mix Flip lets you do. Unlike Motorola's Razrs – which let you try most apps out on the cover display, even if they don't format well, the Mix Flip is more locked down.

There's a one-click tool to enable this feature, but it only works on the Chinese variant of the Mix Flip, while some have managed to rename APK files to trick the Mix Flip into thinking it's running an already-whitelisted app, but neither solution is exactly accessible to international users.

Xiaomi Mix Flip review AI Expansion screenshots — AI Expand uses on-device processing, which is more secure but takes longer and is less reliable than cloud-based processing (Image credit: Future | Alex Walker-Todd)

HyperOS also heralds the introduction of AI into Xiaomi's user experience in a meaningful way. The phone's on-device photo editing tool set – including AI Expand (which lets you crop outwards on an photo, filling in the gaps created around the edges) – is one of my favorite additions.

The Mix Flip's AI repertoire also includes object removal, speech-to-text transcription when using the native Recorder app, translation, formatting and summarization within the Notes app, and Google's own Circle to Search functionality.

Performance is on-par with the status quo, in terms of feature diversity and reliability. All the Mix Flip's AI functionality works as advertised, but seldom will a feature deliver a 100% accurate result first try. Something Xiaomi is, no doubt, working to improve across its devices, by improving the quality of its on-device and cloud-based AI models.

Software score: 3.5 / 5

Xiaomi Mix Flip review: Camera

50MP main and 2x external cameras
32MP front-facing camera
Up to 8K at 24fps video recording

Xiaomi is responsible for some of the best camera phones on the market, but the clamshell form factor poses some unique challenges to maintaining a compact design while still including large camera sensors able to deliver a noteworthy photographic experience.

The company's expertise and image processing are what grant the Mix Flip probably the best cameras of any clamshell foldable I've seen, even if they remain hamstrung by the same limitations as this phone's rivals.

The two cameras on the phone's exterior each clock in at 50MP a piece, then use pixel binning to spit out 12.5MP stills, as well as 8K video recording at 24fps.

Xiaomi Mix Flip camera samples

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Xiaomi Mix Flip camera sample manual low light main — (Image credit: Future | Alex Walker-Todd)

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Xiaomi Mix Flip camera sample cat in a box main — (Image credit: Future | Alex Walker-Todd)

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1x zoom

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2x zoom

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4x zoom

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20x zoom

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Xiaomi Mix Flip camera sample hallway — (Image credit: Future | Alex Walker-Todd)

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Xiaomi Mix Flip camera sample 2x portrait mode off — (Image credit: Future | Alex Walker-Todd)

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Xiaomi Mix Flip camera sample 2x portrait mode on — (Image credit: Future | Alex Walker-Todd)

Portrait mode at 2x

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Xiaomi Mix Flip camera sample 1x portrait mode off — (Image credit: Future | Alex Walker-Todd)

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Xiaomi Mix Flip camera sample 1x portrait mode on — (Image credit: Future | Alex Walker-Todd)

Portrait mode at 1x

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Xiaomi Mix Flip camera sample flowers artificial light 2x — (Image credit: Future | Alex Walker-Todd)

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Xiaomi Mix Flip camera sample icy leaf macro main — (Image credit: Future | Alex Walker-Todd)

Macro shooting at 1x

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Xiaomi Mix Flip camera sample icy leaf macro 2x — (Image credit: Future | Alex Walker-Todd)

Macro shooting at 2x

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Selfie (front camera)

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Portrait mode selfie (front camera) w/ Beautification (on by default)

The Mix Flip is fronted by Xiaomi's Light Fusion 800 sensor (a tweaked OV50E sensor, called the OVX8000). Measuring 0.64-inches, it's a fraction bigger than the main sensor on the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6. This sensor crops up in Poco F6 Pro too: a phone that costs half as much and doesn't place much emphasis on photography.

In spite of what looks like middling camera hardware, the Mix Flip delivers a pretty well-rounded photographic experience. Color and contrast are the system's best assets; with punchy shots that – unlike the latest iPhones and Pixels – don't suffer from heavy-handed HDR processing that tries to eliminate shadows and flatten everything.

Xiaomi's long-standing partnership with Leica persists on the Mix Flip, with the familiar ability to shoot in Leica Vibrant (my preference) or Leica authentic digital film stocks, along with a set of Leica-approved filters that can be applied at or after capture. Still, the sensors' limitations make me question whether the Mix Flip is worthy of toting the Leica name.

Xiaomi Mix Flip review outer screen camera viewfinder closed — (Image credit: Future | Alex Walker-Todd)

A lack of detail and sharpness are what hold the Mix Flip's cameras back from the true top snappers of the moment, but even so, you can still take great shots with this phone. That's made all the better by the ability to snap selfies with the external cameras, using the outer screen as a viewfinder.

The form factor also allows the phone to stand up hands- and tripod-free and, like the Galaxy Z Flip series, the phone can also be held half open when shooting video, like an old-school camcorder, which genuinely with grip and stability.

Camera score: 4 / 5

Xiaomi Mix Flip review: Performance

Xiaomi Mix Flip review Game Turbo — (Image credit: Future | Alex Walker-Todd)

4nm Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset
12GB LPDDR5X RAM + Memory Extension up to 8GB
Sole 512GB UFS 4.0 storage option

Like the cameras, the unique convenience of the Mix Flip's form factor is a double-edged sword when it comes to performance.

The Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset, paired to 12GB of RAM, delivers true flagship-class performance, which ensures split-screen or floating window multitasking is fast and fuss-free, and app load times are consistently brief.

Benchmarks place the Mix Flip on par with the brand's current best, the Xiaomi 14 Ultra, while high-end games, like Zenless Zone Zero default to 'high' graphical settings.

That said, I wouldn't readily recommend the Mix Flip as a go-to gaming phone. While it can run the latest mobile games with high frame rates and excellent graphical fidelity, the cramped innards makes cooling tricky and sustained performance (like long gaming sessions) are the fastest way to see the phone throttle back to keep heat under control.

Xiaomi Mix Flip review Settings — (Image credit: Future | Alex Walker-Todd)

In everyday use, however, you're unlikely to run into any sort of major performance ceilings for quite some time, with the chip helped by a heap of fast and power efficient LPDDR5X RAM.

Although not expandable, 512GB of internal storage is more than likely to satiate most users. In China, Xiaomi offers versions of the Mix Flip with 16GB of RAM and up to 1TB of storage, however, I don't think international audiences will be too cut up about the single variant on offer.

Performance score: 4.5 / 5

Xiaomi Mix Flip review: Battery

Xiaomi Mix Flip review USB and charger — (Image credit: Future | Alex Walker-Todd)

4,780mAh battery
67W wired charging
No wireless charging

Despite all of this talk of size limitations, one piece of hardware that Xiaomi hasn't gone small on is the phone's battery. In the clamshell foldable market, the Mix Flip's capacious 4,780mAh cell is second only to the fractionally-larger 4,800mAh battery inside the Honor Magic Flip V, which released earlier in 2024.

As for real-world use, screen-on time is respectable enough to get most users through a day, at around 6.5 to 7 hours. While I was expecting it to last a little longer, considering the size of the battery, the more demanding display setup is likely what balances longevity against rivals with smaller power packs, like the 4,000mAh offering inside the Z Flip 6.

Thankfully, Xiaomi has paired it with characteristically snappy 67W wired charging, and using the in-box power adapter, I was able to refill the Mix Flip to full under an hour (55 minutes), with two-thirds of the battery topped back up after just 30 minutes.

The only other caveat is that the Mix Flip forgoes wireless charging of any kind; a small hit to the phone's convenience.

Battery score: 4 / 5

Should you buy the Xiaomi Mix Flip?

Buy it if...

You want a clamshell foldable with killer displays
The outer screen is intuitive and attractive, while the main display is well sized for enjoying media, without compromsing this foldable's portability.

You want the best cameras on a clamshell foldable
While Xiaomi makes better camera phones, in the clamshell foldable space, the Mix Flip's Leica-bolstered snappers are among the best.

Don't buy it if...

You're accident prone
Foldables are more fragile than standard candy bar phones, but the absence of any certified water or dust protection means you need to be extra careful around water with the Mix Flip.

You need a fast-charging foldable
If you're in the market for a foldable like the Mix Flip, convenience is likely important to you. As such, all-day battery and respectably quick fast-charging are notable inclusions here.

Xiaomi Mix Flip review: Also consider

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6
It should come as no surprise that Samsung's latest Z Flip is the one to beat. A similar price and performance are balanced by fractionally weaker cameras, but superior software support and wider global availability.

Motorla Razr Plus 2024 / Razr 50 Ultra
Another good-looking clamshell foldable, the latest and greatest Razr offers a more flexible outer screen experience, cleaner software, a lower asking price and wider global availability. It comes with weaker performance and cameras, though.

How I tested the Xiaomi Mix Flip

Xiaomi Mix Flip review open and closed — (Image credit: Future | Alex Walker-Todd)

Review test period = Three weeks
Testing included = Everyday usage, web browsing, social media browsing, video streaming, gaming, photography
Tools used = Geekbench 6, Geekbench ML, native Android stats

I lived with the Xiaomi Mix Flip as my main device, using it in the day to day for the duration of the review period for everything from social media and gaming, to contactless payments and navigation, when out and about.

I made sure to trial all of the HyperOS and Mix Flip-specific features, and used it in scenarios comparable to situations in which I've put previous clamshell foldables, like Z Flips and Razrs.

I used a standard run of industry-used benchmarking apps to help assess CPU and GPU performance, while also timing battery drain under specific use cases (an hour of HDR video streaming at 50% brightness, for example), along with Android's native screen-on time metrics and timed recharge testing at 15-minute intervals, until full, using the provided 67W in-box charger.

As a reviewer with 13 years experience, and having reviewed previous Xiaomi phones as well as numerous foldables, I felt confident assessing and scoring the Xiaomi Mix Flip, relative to other clamshell foldables on the market, and in the context of the wider smartphone market.

Read more about how we test

First tested November 2024

Xiaomi 14T review: considered compromises

3:29 pm | October 1, 2024

Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets Phones Xiaomi Phones | Tags: Google Pixel, GPU, RAM, US | Comments: Off

Xiaomi 14T: Two-minute review

The Xiaomi 14T offers the design language and beautiful display of a current ultra-premium smartphone in a more affordable package, giving users a simply stunning screen and reliable performance for around half the price of a typical flagship. The compromises, notably in the camera department, are clear, but the 14T's display, battery life, and performance show Xiaomi isn’t just skimping, but making considered choices to deliver excellence in key areas.

The gorgeous 6.67-inch AMOLED display is the star of the show here. Photo and video content looks amazing on this panel, which packs a punch in terms of both contrast and detail. The tall, high-resolution screen makes the lightweight 14T a reliable and portable gaming machine – I found it could sustain demanding games like Call Of Duty: Mobile and Race The Sun with no drops in performance and without overly depleting the battery.

In day-to-day use, performance is snappy across the OS, though the phone can stutter a touch when switching between apps. The impressively large 5000mAh battery keeps the 14T going all day with regular use, and easily into the next with lighter usage; I found it genuinely difficult to run the phone down to 0% over the course of a normal day.

A price tag like this necessarily implies compromises, and Xiaomi has made clear concessions in two areas. The telephoto and ultra-wide cameras, while nice to have, do not live up to the main camera’s standard. And the phone’s premium aesthetics don’t preclude concerns about durability – the front panel picked up a good amount of scratches in the course of normal use during my testing.

Overall, however, Xiaomi has produced a solid mid-range flagship with the 14T. This is a big, responsive, feature-rich phone, and a reminder that the gap between standard and premium smartphones is narrowing.

Xiaomi 14T review: Price and availability

Not available in the US
Starts at £549

The Xiaomi 14T starts at £549. As with most Xiaomi phones, it’s very unlikely that the 14T will be released in the US. It comes with 256GB or 512GB of storage and 12GB of RAM.

As a mid-range flagship, the Xiaomi 14T sits next to rivals like the Samsung Galaxy S24 FE, which starts at £649, and the Google Pixel 8a, which starts at £499. The 14T’s starting price of £549 feels appropriate when you factor in the specs sheet and Xiaomi’s weaker brand recognition in Western markets.

Here's a Xiaomi 14T price guide for the UK and EU.

Xiaomi 14T review: Specs

Xiaomi 14T review: Design

The Xiaomi 14T rear panel — (Image credit: Future / Jamie Richards)

All-aluminum chassis
Four-ring camera housing
Comes in four colors: Titan Gray, Titan Black, Titan Blue, and Lemon Green

The Xiaomi 14T has a blocky aluminum-alloy construction, with squared edges that round ever so slightly into the back panel. It’s lightweight, with just enough heft to allay any feelings of cheapness, and the rounded corners and matte finish on the rear panel make the 14T comfortable to hold in either landscape or portrait for extended periods of use.

Xiaomi calls the specific material used a “metallic aluminum alloy”, which comes in three colors: Titan Gray, Titan Black, and Titan Blue. Xiaomi also offers a variant of the 14T in Lemon Green: the company says this variant uses vegan leather made from 50% bio-based materials, including lemon fiber, with 100% recycled PET in its construction. The unit I tested was the standard Titan Blue model, but I commend Xiaomi for offering a more environmentally conscious option.

The 6.67-inch display and 20:9 aspect ratio from last year’s 13T and 13T Pro are unchanged – this remains an undeniably large phone. The Xiaomi 14T generally feels great to hold, but I can see reachability being an issue for those with smaller hands – you can enable a slightly fiddly gesture to access one-handed mode.

A volume rocker and textured power button are built into the right side of the phone, with a USB-C port and dual-SIM tray along the bottom. A speaker on the bottom edge and the earpiece cutout along the top bezel of the display form a stereo pair for audio, which is serviceable for videos but a bit tinny for music.

As with its predecessor, the Xiaomi 14T features a large camera bump. In contrast to the 13T’s futuristic black camera module, the 14T’s camera housing seems to be made of the same aluminum-alloy as the rest of the phone, and this gives the 14T a refreshingly industrial aesthetic.

The camera bump houses three cameras and a flash that gets its own lens-like ringed frame – initially, this seemed like an effort to make the device seem more premium than it actually is, but with time I’ve come to appreciate the visual symmetry this choice provides.

Design score: 4 / 5

Xiaomi 14T review: Display

The Xiaomi 14T with its display on against a leafy background — (Image credit: Future / Jamie Richards)

6.67-inch AMOLED
144hz adaptive refresh rate
4,000 nits peak brightness

The 6.67-inch display on the Xiaomi 14T is its best feature and true selling point. It seems to be the same display as on the Xiaomi 13T Pro, but that’s no issue with a phone of this price: as we found in our 13T Pro review, this is a gorgeous AMOLED panel that is consistently bright, sharp, and contrasty in a range of environments. Videos, photos, games, and anything else you can put on this screen all look fantastic. The 20:9 aspect ratio means the punch-hole selfie camera sits right on the edge of 16:9 video content, a considerate piece of design.

With a resolution of 2712 x 1220 and an adaptive refresh rate of up to 144Hz, the 14T’s display is fluid and detailed. The display reaches a peak brightness of 4,000 nits, which is probably unnecessarily bright, but it means you certainly won’t have any issues using it outdoors.

The tall aspect ratio and high resolution make the Xiaomi 14T’s display great for gaming, too – that extra space on either side gives your thumbs a place to sit without obscuring much of the screen’s center. Web browsing, social media, and other day-to-day activities are smooth, with several color profiles and in-depth display settings allowing users to calibrate the look of the 14T’s display to their liking.

An under-display fingerprint scanner offers biometric security for unlocking the phone and creating passkeys.

One area where the display appears to fall down, unfortunately, is durability. I noticed a few clusters of scratches on the front panel in my week or so of regular use. These aren’t noticeable in the vast majority of situations, but it does leave me wondering how well the 14T will hold up over time.

Display score: 4 / 5

Xiaomi 14T review: Software

The Xiaomi 14T open on the home screen — (Image credit: Future / Jamie Richards)

Android 14 with HyperOS
Google Gemini out of the box

The Xiaomi 14T ships with Android 14, styled as the company’s proprietary HyperOS user experience. It’s a responsive and uncomplicated implementation of Android that comes with some great customization options.

HyperOS is a slick Android wrapper that keeps the amount of extras to an acceptable level. Some of the inbuilt apps are compatible with Xiaomi’s account system but they’re far from essential – Xiaomi’s App Mall and Mi Browser sit alongside the Google Play Store and Chrome on the home page, and it's likely most users will head straight for Google’s platforms. The Xiaomi 14T also comes with Google Gemini pre-installed, accessible via a half-second press of the power button, though I didn’t find much use for these AI features during testing.

There is some pre-installed bloatware, which robs the 14T of some of its premium sheen, but for the most part these can be easily dispatched or consigned to the app drawer. As a deployment of Android 14, HyperOS is smooth and rich in customization features, and Xiaomi’s own animated wallpapers and overall aesthetic choices add a sense of flair and excitement to using the 14T.

Software score: 4 / 5

Xiaomi 14T review: Cameras

The Xiaomi 14T camera module, with four rings set out in a square pattern — (Image credit: Future / Jamie Richards)

50MP main camera
50MP telephoto with 4x optical zoom
12MP ultra-wide

Xiaomi has put photography at the forefront of the marketing push for the 14T and 14T Pro, but I found the cameras to be a mixed bag. The main camera takes great photos – pleasantly colorful and decently detailed with especially great results in bright conditions – but zooming in with the telephoto camera or out with the ultra-wide lens produces results of varying quality.

As with last year’s model, Xiaomi partnered with Leica to develop the 14T’s camera module. The main 50MP wide camera produces vibrant, contrasty photos even in overcast conditions, but can struggle with finer details. The telephoto camera gives the 14T a 4x optical zoom and 20x digital zoom, controlled by an intuitive scroll wheel. Colors and contrast feel contiguous across the main and telephoto cameras.

However, taking photos at higher zoom levels seems to trigger an aggressive post-processing routine, which returns an overly smoothed and brightened image. The camera app’s settings don’t seem to have any options to curb this processing, meaning long-range photos are more limited in their detail than images taken at lower zoom levels and subsequently cropped in on. The ultra-wide camera is also just okay, offering a useful 0.6x magnification but producing a much warmer and less detailed picture.

The camera app is brimming with settings and options that give you a satisfying amount of control over the final image. Leica lends its name to two toggleable ‘styles', Leica Authentic and Leica Vibrant, which respectively produce a more grounded or more colorful image; I preferred the contrast and saturation of Leica Vibrant. There’s also a HDR option (on Auto by default), a range of tasteful filters, and a Pro mode stacked with controls. An impressive night mode delivers photos that feel both visible and realistic.

As for video, the 14T can record 1080p footage at 60fps or 4K at 30fps. Videos capture a lot of detail, but come out a little over-sharpened. There’s a Movie mode that applies a depth-of-field effect to people in the frame, similar to Apple’s Cinematic Mode, and a Director mode with a camcorder-style interface. I noticed the 14T getting a little warm when using the camera for an extended period of time, but not uncomfortably so.

Some of the 14T’s photography limitations are explained by its pricing, but even within this price range there are higher-resolution sensors and more reliable image processing pipelines. Still, the 14T is very much capable of producing great photos, and the control the software offers allows for some real creativity.

Cameras score: 3.5 / 5

Camera samples

Image 1 of 5

A bush with red berries against blue sky — (Image credit: Future / Jamie Richards)

Image 2 of 5

A utility shed with graffiti on it — (Image credit: Future / Jamie Richards)

Image 3 of 5

A costumed figure proceeding as part of a carnival — (Image credit: Future / Jamie Richards)

Image 4 of 5

Two apartment towers against blue sky — (Image credit: Future / Jamie Richards)

Image 5 of 5

The Canary Wharf skyline against clouds — (Image credit: Future / Jamie Richards)

Xiaomi 14T review: Performance

The Xiaomi 14T open to the home screen of Call of Duty: Mobile — (Image credit: Future / Jamie Richards)

MediaTek Dimensity 8300-Ultra chipset
GPU: Arm Mali-G615 MC6
12GB of RAM

In typical use, the Xiaomi 14T is snappy and responsive, handling web browsing, social media, and system apps with ease. The MediaTek Dimensity 8300-Ultra chipset that powers the 14T comprises an octa-core CPU and dual-core GPU, enabling the 14T to power through demanding games like Call of Duty Mobile and PUBG with ease.

In fact, it’s kind of surprising that Xiaomi has pushed the 14T as a camera phone when it’s clearly so good for gaming. This reliably strong performance works in tandem with the unit’s relative light weight and excellent display to offer a portable, powerful mobile gaming platform. This feels like the 14T’s secret power, and I’m confused as to why the company has made next to no noise about this aspect of the phone, instead focusing almost exclusively on photography.

The phone can get a bit warm during extended gaming sessions, but not unbearably so, and battery life takes a noticeable hit when driving multiple demanding apps. I did experience the occasional stutter when switching between apps, too. However, the 14T’s performance remains impressive overall, especially considering its price bracket.

Performance score: 4 / 5

Xiaomi 14T review: Battery

The USB-C port on the bottom of the Xiaomi 14T — (Image credit: Future / Jamie Richards)

5,000mAh battery
All-day battery life
67W wired charging, no wireless charging

As seems to be the case for Xiaomi phones, the 14T can easily sustain a day of use on a single charge. It’s equipped with an impressively massive 5,000mAh lithium-polymer battery, and it shows. I actually struggled to drain the battery in the course of a normal day, and standby times are truly impressive.

The Xiaomi 14T supports 67W wired charging, which is certainly fast, but far from on a par with the 120W speeds the 14 Pro can handle. Somewhat annoyingly, the base 14T misses out on the 14T Pro’s 50W wireless charging upgrade, and in fact doesn’t support wireless charging at all. That’s not a huge concern given the fast wired charging speeds and reliably long battery life, but it’s a little disappointing nonetheless.

You get a USB-A to USB-C cable in the box, but not a wall plug. I tested the phone’s charging speed with a Huawei 40W power adapter and found it charged reasonably quickly. I’ll update this review when I’m able to test the 14T’s maximum charging speed.

Battery score: 3.5 / 5

Should you buy the Xiaomi 14T?

Buy if...

You’re a mobile gamer

The Xiaomi 14T has all the components of a great gaming phone – its high-resolution display, long battery life and reliably fast performance make it ideal for modern titles.

You want a long and reliable battery life

With an immense capacity of 5,000mAh, the Xiaomi 14T confidently boasts all-day battery life. It’s something of a challenge to bring the battery from 100% down to 0% in the span of a normal day.

You want premium aesthetics

The Xiaomi 14T's visage is reminiscent of its more premium contemporaries – the aluminum-alloy construction and moderate curves make this phone both beautiful and ergonomic.

You want a cost-effective all-rounder

The Xiaomi 14T is a strong reminder that mid-range handsets are inching ever closer to pro standards, and while I wouldn’t call it cheap, it’s certainly more wallet-friendly than a premium flagship.

Don't buy if...

You need something rugged

The Xiaomi 14T may have a premium look, but it’s clearly not built to the same durability standards as some of its peers. The display, while beautiful, picks up scratches easily.

You want the very best cameras

The Xiaomi 14T’s 50MP main camera takes reliably great photos, but the 50MP telephoto and 12MP ultra-wide cameras leave something to be desired. It’s a shame, too, because the phone comes with a comprehensive array of camera settings and photography controls.

Xiaomi 14T review: also consider

Samsung Galaxy S24 FE

The latest phone in Samsung’s long-running line of cheaper FE flagships, the S24 FE features a 6.7-inch 120hz display and Samsung’s iconic triple camera system.

Read our hands-on Samsung Galaxy S24 SE review

Google Pixel 8a

The cheapest Pixel handset is a great value buy, with Google’s own Tensor G3 chipset and a massive 4,492mAh battery.

Read our Google Pixel 8a review

iPhone 16

Taking one or two steps up the price ladder, we find Apple’s latest flagship. The iPhone 16 is a clear choice for photographers with its new Camera Control button.

Read our iPhone 16 review

How I tested the Xiaomi 14T

Review period: One week
Testing included: Everyday use: social media, web browsing, photography and video recording, gaming, calls and messages, music playback, and charging tests

My testing of the Xiaomi 14T included a number of specific usage tests as well as everyday use over the course of about one week. The model reviewed had 512GB of storage and 12GB of RAM in the Titan Blue color option.

I put the Xiaomi 14T through its paces with games like PUBG, Call of Duty: Mobile, and Race the Sun, streamed video with YouTube and music with Spotify, and scrolled through Instagram and Google Chrome. I went out to take photos with all three cameras in a variety of conditions. I then applied my knowledge of smartphone specs and journalistic training to assess the qualities and overall value proposition of the Xiaomi 14T.

For more on our smartphone testing process, check out our guide to how we test.

First reviewed September 2024

Xiaomi 14T Pro review: one small step for value, one giant leap for quality

5:20 pm | September 27, 2024

Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets Phones Xiaomi Phones | Tags: AI, Australia, Mortal Kombat, US | Comments: Off

Xiaomi 14T Pro: two-minute review

The era of AI phones has well and truly arrived, and the Xiaomi 14T Pro proves that mid-range phones don't have to miss out on all the fun. As with previous generations of T Pro models, Xiaomi hasn't skimped on the hardware included in this latest edition, meaning the door is more open than ever for accessible, and affordable, AI exploration.

Unlike many of the latest phones, however, Xiaomi hasn't put all its focus into AI, and it's for the better. Straight out of the box, you can see some of the new thought that's gone into the 14T Pro's design, with the phone sporting a clean aluminum frame and what Xiaomi describes as a "3D curved back". These changes, partnered with a traditionally large (if now a tad less obvious) camera bump, give the 14T Pro a superbly premium feel and weightiness in the hand.

Get it loaded up and frankly, AI is the last thing you'll be thinking about. Xiaomi's HyperOS is smoother than ever, and the continued priority given to the phone's display and processing capabilities means you'd easily be fooled into thinking you're handling a much more pricey device than it is.

Xiaomi 14T Pro in Titan Gray on post in grass field — Xiaomi's new 14T Pro in Titan Grey features an improved design, with a glass back and color matched camera bump. (Image credit: Future // Rob Dunne)

Xiaomi's ventures into AI are much more measured than we've seen from the likes of Google and Samsung, and, in fairness, what you're given here is a pretty good starting point if you're looking to AI-ify your day-to-day life. While Xiaomi has, of course, added Android-wide features such as Circle to Search and Gemini to the 14T Pro, it has taken positive, if potentially cautious, steps in its own direction in terms of what's offered uniquely on its devices. Rest assured, though, that the Xiaomi 14T Pro is a more than capable scalpal with which to enter the AI world.

Whether your focus is on AI or some of the other more necessary advancements Xiaomi has made in recent years – I'm looking at you, wireless charging – then you're unlikely to be disappointed with the Xiaomi 14T Pro. In fact, as ever, you'll likely find yourself seriously impressed with just how much can be packed into a device whose price tag doesn't even come close to those of its flagship competition.

Xiaomi does, however, continue to limit the markets in which it operates (by choice or otherwise), which does a disservice to the Xiaomi 14T Pro. Lacking availability in America leaves a market gap that the likes of Samsung or OnePlus can quite happily fill, and while the price of the 14T Pro is impressively cheap for a phone of this quality, there are plenty more premium options out there for, in some cases, only a fraction more money.

Xiaomi 14T Pro review: price and availability

Starts at £650 for 256GB and 12GB RAM
Unavailable in the US or Australia
No rise in price from the previous model

As a value proposition, the Xiaomi 14T Pro stands strong. No price rise from its predecessor, but a host of increase-worthy upgrades such as an aluminum alloy frame and wireless charging mean you're now getting even more bang for your buck than you'd once have expected, which is something we rarely see from mobile phone manufacturers nowadays.

Here's how much the Xiaomi 14T Pro costs in each of its available regions:

Despite being an extremely high-value phone, the 14T Pro's availability in other regions is frustratingly limited. Since Xiaomi's US presence became muted in the wake of the controversy surrounding Huawei, there's never been a direct route through which to buy a Xiaomi phone in the US. This alone is seriously annoying given how well the 14T Pro fares against similarly priced competition from the likes of OnePlus and Samsung. Maybe next time, US readers.

Value score: 4 / 5

Xiaomi 14T Pro review: specifications

The Xiaomi 14T Pro boasts some impressive specs given its price tag. Take a look at the full breakdown below:

Xiaomi 14T Pro review: design

Xiaomi 14T Pro in Titan Grey — (Image credit: Future // Rob Dunne)

New aluminum frame with 3D-curved back
Smaller camera bump than previous models
Some fingerprint issues

The Xiaomi 14T Pro takes a notable step up in terms of design versus its predecessor, but that doesn't make it flawless. Coming in three colors – Titan Grey, Titan Blue, and Titan Black – you'd almost expect the phone to be built from titanium, right? Well, despite pre-launch rumors hinting at such an upgrade, there is, in fact, no titanium on the Xiaomi 14T Pro, which, while disappointing, isn't necessarily a bad thing.

All three colors look positively premium, and with the aluminum alloy frame and 3D-curved back, the phone possesses a flagship-like feel in the hand, much like the Google Pixel 8, which isn't bad company to be in whatsoever. One thing I did find in testing, however, was that while the back of the phone is indeed lovely, it was an absolute fingerprint magnet. I mainly used the phone in the case that comes with it, but my Titan Gray test model became covered in fingerprints the moment it left that case, which is somewhat of an annoyance when frankly the phone is otherwise rather pleasing to the eye.

Xiaomi 14T Pro side angle view in a field — The camera bump on the Xiaomi 14T Pro has seen serious improvements versus the 13T Pro. (Image credit: Future // Rob Dunne)

The biggest improvement in terms of design comes to the phone's camera bump. The best Xiaomi phones are known for their cameras, mainly due to the brand's partnership with Leica (which we'll come to later), but also due to the sheer size of their camera bumps. In reality, the Xiaomi 14T Pro is no different; the bump covers over 50% of the width of the phone and, by rough maths, over a third of the length, from its position in the top left of the back panel. Despite this, the bump is a huge upgrade from prior models, with this year's cameras not only protruding less far from the rear of the phone, but also being housed in a color-matched bump.

Gone are the days of a large, garish black block on the back of your device. Instead, you get a lovely, Lego brick-esque square in a color that matches your back panel seamlessly. What's more, the reduced depth and increased width of the bump means you experience very little wobble should you choose to use your phone without a bump-eliminating case or any case at all, which is a nice (if a tad niche) benefit.

Design score: 4 / 5

Xiaomi 14T Pro review: display

Xiaomi 14T Pro displaying TechRadar homepage on wooden surface — (Image credit: Future // Rob Dunne)

Bounds of brightness with viewing angles to match
Great responsiveness thanks to adaptive 144Hz capabilities

The 14T Pro continues the Xiaomi trend of putting superb displays on phones you wouldn't expect. The display resolution sits between FHD and QHD at 1220 x 2712 pixels, a resolution unique to Xiaomi, Xiaomi Redmi, and Xiaomi Poco devices.

It's near impossible to find fault with a display like this; CrystalRes AMOLED technology and adaptive refresh rates up to 144Hz meant, more often than not, I had a seriously smooth and vibrant experience. Whether gaming, streaming, or simply scrolling Instagram, the adaptability of the phone's display meant I rarely saw any choppiness that impacted my experience, and I mostly enjoyed 120Hz of seriously pleasant viewing. What's more, if you want to save battery, there's always the option to lock the display to a maximum of 60Hz. That is, if the app you are using doesn't automatically limit your refresh rate, should you choose to simply use the default refresh rate settings.

One limitation I found of the 14T Pro's unique display composition was the compensation some apps made to accommodate it. Most often this came in the form of black bars on either side of applications in landscape mode, which is a frustrating, but not fatal, flaw, especially if you're trying to see the full benefit of the now 93.3% screen-to-body ratio when streaming, for example.

Despite this, the display's 4,000 nit peak brightness and lack of glare make for a very consistent viewing experience at almost any angle. With phones such as the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra, manufacturers boast about readability, but this seems to have gone especially under the radar with the Xiaomi 14T Pro, despite it being continuously impressive and something that day-to-day use benefits from tremendously during brighter days.

Display score: 4.5 / 5

Xiaomi 14T Pro review: software

Xiaomi 14T Pro on wooden surface — (Image credit: Future // Rob Dunne)

HyperOS with Android 14
Steady but well-thought-out steps into the world of AI

Every phone right now seems to be throwing all its eggs in the AI basket, but Xiaomi seems to be taking a more measured approach to its AI rollout. Despite this, there are still some fundamental qualms I have with Xiaomi's approach that tarnish the near-premium experience the rest of the phone provides. While the days of being greeted by tens of preinstalled apps on Xiaomi devices are long gone, it seems that Xiaomi isn't quite ready to give up on them entirely.

On loading up the phone, you're not only greeted by the array of on-device tools and features, which I'll get to in a second, but you're also met with apps such as AliExpress, TikTok, WPS Office, and LinkedIn. Plus, in the same app folder, you're bombarded with a host of recommended apps and games that aren't yet installed but could be downloaded from the Mi Store via a shortcut, which overall seems a tad messy and unnecessary in an otherwise impressively clean layout.

Pre-installed qualms aside, there's very little to take offense to about Xiaomi's HyperOS or the tools that come installed with the Xiaomi 14T Pro. Instead, this is where we start to see Xiaomi's slow and steady approach to introducing AI come into its own. First and foremost, your digital assistant comes preset to Google Gemini rather than Google Assistant, and, while it wasn't available during our review, Circle to Search will also be rolling out to these devices.

Xiaomi 14T Pro home screen on wooden surface — Xiaomi's HyperOS offers a superbly clean experience, including what it calls Super Wallpapers such as the Mars example above, which spins as you flick between pages. (Image credit: Future // Rob Dunne)

Outside of what Google adds to the device, Xiaomi's app offerings have become evermore positive since the launch of HyperOS. The biggest benefactor for mobile users of the HyperOS upgrade was the Gallery, which not only saw a number of small feature improvements to improve efficiency and add easy access to auto-generated folders and media types, but also gave prominence to Xiaomi's Best Take feature, which can analyze multiple similar photos and tell you which of the shots is, you guessed it, the best.

The general theme of HyperOS was always to improve the interconnectivity of Xiaomi devices, which essentially boiled down to making everything look clean, work efficiently, and interact seamlessly with each other, no matter what device you were using. The downside of having the nicest user experience on Android, however, is that HyperOS hides some of its best features in the depths so as to not look overly messy – which is made more baffling by the array of apps you're shown on receiving the device.

One of the best examples of this is Xiaomi's AI Subtitles feature, which you can use to translate conversations either in-person using the microphone, or even to translate films and TV shows by configuring it to translate system audio. Pretty cool right? The issue is, to find this feature, which worked impressively well in testing, you need to go into the depths of the settings menu, apply for beta access (as it is yet to be fully released), and then add a shortcut to your home screen.

Xiaomi's control centre featuring on the Xiaomi 14T Pro — Xiaomi's Control Center was one of the biggest benefactors of HyperOS, gaining this new, clean layout with an array of customizable options. (Image credit: Future // Rob Dunne)

Xiaomi is, however, remaining steady with its AI releases, and we're expecting AI Recorder and some AI Film features to arrive in the near future. One thing's for sure, though: this is the most polished HyperOS we've seen since launch and the Xiaomi 14T Pro is, arguably, the perfect example of this software given just how smoothly you can access everything, from settings in the updated Control Center to your favorite photos via improved image searching.

If the slow, steady, and simple approach does one thing very well for HyperOS and the Xiaomi 14T Pro in particular, it's the extent to which simplicity is combined with effectiveness throughout its apps and interfaces. Whether you're using the Control Center to control your music or the redesigned weather app to check the forecast, there is little to no excess in terms of what you're shown, and yet you can quickly access anything you might need. When partnered with the Xiaomi 14T Pro's hardware, this gives you a seriously impressive mobile experience.

Software score: 4 / 5

Xiaomi 14T Pro review: cameras

Xiaomi 14T Pro camera layout on grey phone — (Image credit: Future // Rob Dunne)

Leica partnership continues to impress with standard shooting
Some strange variations in light capture and vibrance

If there's one thing the Xiaomi 14T Pro is supposed to excel at, it's photography, but right now I'm constantly flitting between loving it and hating it. Since Xiaomi brought its Leica-partnered camera systems to its T series with the 13T and 13T Pro, it has probably set the bar for mid-range photography. With these latest phones, however, it seems to play jump-rope with this bar a little too much, with some features seriously pushing the mark, and some falling annoyingly beneath.

Take, for example, close-up photographs. There's no denying that the results I was able to achieve were extremely positive, especially when you consider that the Xiaomi 14 Ultra, aka the best camera phone from the brand, offers similar close-up performance. However, I often found myself resorting to standard camera modes rather than the usually more effective portrait mode to take the best shots, as I was having difficulty getting the right levels of focus and exposure otherwise. This isn't a major issue, but if one mode can get into focus in less than half the time that another can and produce equal – if not better – results, why wouldn't I use that?

Xiaomi's partnership with Leica brings into focus several features that supposedly enhance your shooting capabilities. The first of these you'll likely encounter is the shooting styles: Leica Authentic, and Leica Vibrant. Shooting with the 50MP wide lens is the best opportunity to see the variations in style in action, as the results can be starkly different. Something that became immediately apparent using the Xiaomi 14T Pro was that, whether you chose Authentic or Vibrant, you were guaranteed an immense amount of color. In either mode, shooting in wide made each color almost excessively saturated, with greens of grass making England seem much more beautiful than it was in reality, and, in fairness, making a much more visually appealing scene out of something that was otherwise rather grey. All in all, superb photos, but not necessarily the most honest to the colors in the scene.

Berries in field — In our tests, our best results came in close-quarters shooting scenarios, with impressive colours and crisp focus. (Image credit: Future // Rob Dunne)

Something this color-frenzy does help with, however, is the 14T Pro's night photography. This was something that Xiaomi put immense focus on in the build-up to launch, and, with its AI processing systems helping along the way, is an element they've pulled off impressively. There's little to complain about on the night photography front: great colors, impressive light collection, and all-around enjoyable results.

If there's one thing that continues to irk me about Xiaomi's camera systems, it's the interface. Xiaomi continues to assume that you'll instantly understand everything about its cameras, and when I say everything, there's a lot! Take shooting video, for example. You have a standard video mode, and film mode. Within these, you've then got options for Xiaomi's Master Cinema mode, which is given zero explanation anywhere in the camera app itself and requires a Google to work out what it is, as well as options for functionalities such as Motion Tracking Focus and Steady Video. Other settings can also be found in the Camera settings area and the same goes for photos and other modes, too.

When you take into consideration the likely increase in AI functions coming to Xiaomi phones in the next few years, I hope this design gets a rethink. Some of Xiaomi's AI-related photo tools are already hidden in the icons menu of Gallery, and others are annoyingly poorly marked in the editor windows, which isn't an issue once you find everything, but it could take you a while to do just that.

The bottom line is this: Xiaomi's cameras continue to elevate what we expect from phones at this price. While, yes, there are definitely some areas that frustrate – most notably some strange instances of smoothing and occasional extreme amounts of light being pulled in – there's no denying that the results you get are often some of the most stunning among mid-range competitors. In the same way, although there are annoying limitations in terms of camera layout, there's no denying the Leica partnership has played a key role in driving overall quality forward. The 14T Pro, then, is a great all-round camera phone.

Cameras score: 4 / 5

Camera samples

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wide shot of a forest in a gloomy time of the day — (Image credit: Future // Rob Dunne)

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path among dark clouds — (Image credit: Future // Rob Dunne)

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A path winds between bushes and grasses of different vibrant greens — (Image credit: Future // Rob Dunne)

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Wide angle camera shot of a field of differing green and yellow grasses and bushes — (Image credit: Future // Rob Dunne)

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Close up shot of red flowers on a branch in a field of yellow long grasses — (Image credit: Future // Rob Dunne)

Xiaomi 14T Pro review: performance

Xiaomi 14 Pro playing Mortal Kombat at a desk — (Image credit: Future // Rob Dunne)

Dimensity 9300+ chipset benchmarks seriously well
Impressive performance in intense gaming scenarios, if a tad hot

As it doesn't come from Snapdragon or Apple, the Xiaomi 14T Pro's Dimensity 9300+ chipset could be easily overlooked, but, if our testing is anything to go by, there's a seriously impressive bit of kit powering this phone, and I struggled to find any scenarios that put this in any doubt.

In our benchmark testing, the Dimensity 9300+ scored only just under the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra in single-core testing, and above the S24 Ultra in multi-core, so I wasn't joking when I said it could hold its own. Whether it's the focus on simplicity and efficiency behind HyperOS, sheer performing power, or, most likely, a combination of both, I struggled to create any scenario that caused a genuine performance impact, so you don't need to worry about killing the 14T Pro off with Chrome tabs or your daily Wordle.

The sheer amount of RAM available on the Xiaomi 14T Pro could also play a big part in these benchmark scores, with the device having up to 12GB physical LPDDR5X RAM onboard, plus the option to extend this by up to a further 12GB using the device's internal memory. For the majority of the testing period, I ran the 14T Pro with 6GB of Memory Extension as Xiaomi calls it, meaning it totaled 18GB of available RAM at any time with the model I was reviewing, but, in all honesty, that's probably as much as anyone would need, so having a further 6GB of extension available is just an added bonus.

In gaming scenarios, most notably with the likes of Call of Duty Mobile and Mortal Kombat, I saw very little in terms of performance drops or impact post-session, with the phone able to comfortably play these more graphically intense titles at maximum settings without impacting my ability to smoothly demolish my foes. One thing to note, however, is that the phone was playing games while running at between 38 and 40 degrees Celsius – or 100 to 104 degrees Fahrenheit, if that's your preferred unit of measure. Not exceptionally hot, but hot enough that even with a case on you could tell there was some serious work happening under the hood. Either way, the lack of any performance drops no matter the circumstance puts the Xiaomi 14T Pro in strong company in terms of performance.

Performance score: 4.5 / 5

Xiaomi 14T Pro review: battery

Xiaomi 14T Pro 3D-curved back with logo

(Image credit: Future // Rob Dunne)

120W wired HyperCharge continues to impress
Wireless charging finally available with 50W wireless HyperCharge

For me, perhaps the best upgrade available on the Xiaomi 14T Pro is the arrival of wireless charging. What for many phones has seemed like a reasonably standard feature for several years now has long been missing from Xiaomi's mid-range phones, but now it has arrived with truly Xiaomi-worthy power capabilities.

With 50W wireless charging, the Xiaomi 14T Pro instantly puts the cat among the pigeons in terms of wireless capabilities across both Android and Apple devices. The Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra, for example, only offers 15W wireless charging, also for a 5000mAh battery, so this is a serious step in the charging game for Xiaomi, whose flagship phones were, frankly, already among the best available from a charging perspective.

The Xiaomi 14T Pro continues to offer Xiaomi's 120W HyperCharge when wired, meaning you can get a full charge in around 20 minutes, though Xiaomi is yet to confirm any official charge times. Partner this with a 50W wireless charging alternative, and a 5000mAh battery, and you needn't worry about regularly charging the 14T Pro.

Regular day-to-day use saw me comfortably get multiple days' worth of runtime from the 14T Pro, while more intense use from gaming saw a battery drain of roughly 10% per hour, which, when you consider the strain of maximum graphics settings and online gameplay, is seriously impressive. Nice work, Xiaomi.

Battery score: 4.5 / 5

Should you buy the Xiaomi 14T Pro?

Buy if...

You love a beautiful display
While the resolution is a tad strange, there's no denying that the display on the Xiaomi 14T Pro is one of the most enjoyable to use for day-to-day mobile tasks, gaming, and, streaming.

You never want to worry about charging again
Xiaomi's offering of both 120W wired charging and 50W wireless charging on a phone with a 5,000mAh battery and some serious efficiency features means you'll never be left wanting for battery life.

You want serious gaming performance
In our tests, the Xiaomi 14T Pro handled even some of the most intense games with ease, and without completely wiping out your battery after one round.

Don't buy if...

You want an infinite array of AI capabilities
While a whole host of AI capabilities are available from Xiaomi, with more to come too, it's still behind some competitors in terms of the variety and amount of AI-oriented features available.

Xiaomi 14T Pro review: also consider

Honor Magic 6 Pro

A pricier but more premium alternative. The Honor Magic 6 Pro offers an equally, if not slightly more, premium experience in the same regions as the Xiaomi 14T Pro.

Samsung Galaxy S24 FE

If you don't quite fancy escaping the safety of Samsung in terms of Android, the newly released Samsung Galaxy S24 FE offers a toned down and affordable version of Samsung's flagship device that will be sure to suit.View Deal

How I tested the Xiaomi 14T Pro

I spent around 10 days with the Xiaomi 14T Pro prior to its launch, using the device as my day-to-day machine. During this time, I tested every feature, and was able to conduct benchmarking tests and more technical testing surrounding temperatures, refresh rates, and battery drains.

Day-to-day use of the phone saw me test features such as calling, texting, gaming, Android Auto, and playing music via Bluetooth-connected devices and the built-in speakers. I also performed work-based tasks like searching the web, and using Google tools such as Sheets, Docs, Drive, and Photos. Finally, I used the phone to take pictures, videos, and selfies, while editing these with both the in-built editing tools and Google's editing tools.

My CPU and GPU benchmarking tests were carried out using Geekbench, while temperature and refresh rate tests were conducted using the developer tools built into the Xiaomi 14T Pro. My battery tests were completed using a standardized process for all TechRadar phone reviews.

You can find out more about how we test devices such as the Xiaomi 14T Pro in our dedicated how we test guide.

First reviewed September 2024

Xiaomi 14 Ultra review: the king of the camera phones

11:00 am | August 5, 2024

Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets Phones Xiaomi Phones | Tags: GPU, OS, Qualcomm Snapdragon, US | Comments: Off

Xiaomi 14 Ultra: Two-minute review

The past few years have seen the temperature quickly rise in the camera phone market. For many months in 2023, the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra ruled the roost, until the Xiaomi 13 Ultra, with its Leica-powered camera technology, came along to shake things up. The latter phone was usurped by the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra earlier this year, but now Xiaomi is back with the Xiaomi 14 Ultra, a handset that proves Xiaomi's commitment to producing the best camera phone.

With four rear cameras and a front camera, the Xiaomi 14 Ultra has everything you need, from super telephoto to ultra-wide.

Images are captured on a new 1-inch sensor that delivers a truly step-less variable aperture with intermediate stops between f/1.6 and f/4.0. This guarantees incredible results in low light and produces a level of detail that has never before been possible on a smartphone. The phone's sensor handles highlights equally well, with detail maintained even when you'd expect it to be blown out.

The quality continues with the phone's design. A high-strength aluminum frame and Xiaomi Shield Glass provide all the strength and protection required to stand up to day-to-day wear. The softness of nano-tech vegan leather on the rear helps to give a nice tactile experience, too.

The Xiaomi 14 Ultra's 6.73-inch LTPO AMOLED display with Xiaomi Shield Glass continues this thread of quality, offering a 3200 x 1440 pixel resolution and a 120Hz refresh rate that's fantastic for watching videos and gaming.

One of my only gripes with this phone's design is that the weight of the rear camera notch makes it impossible to hold and operate with one hand. Annoyingly, the Xiaomi 14 Ultra kept tipping out of the top of my hand.

The performance of the Xiaomi 14 Ultra is another one of its strengths. The phone's Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset is an impressive CPU with very few limitations, and enables apps to keep running with very little downtime.

All in all, then, the Xiaomi 14 Ultra is a fantastic phone. Whether it's worth the money will depend on how much you intend to use your phone for camera and video work. Considering some of the best beginner DSLRs can be picked up for a similar price, potential customers will need to weigh up whether they want their phone and camera in one package. If the answer is 'yes', then the Xiaomi 14 Ultra is hard to beat.

Xiaomi 14 Ultra review: Price and availability

Priced from £1,299
Released in the UK February 2024
Not available in US

The Xiaomi 14 Ultra is available in the UK for a price of £1,299. This will give you storage of 16GB + 512GB, with no other options to choose from. This incredible camera phone is yet to be released in the US or Australia.

One of the 14 Ultra's direct rivals is the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra 512GB, which is currently retailing in the UK for £1,349 so Xiaomi's price is a little cheaper. A 25GB version of the S24 Ultra can be picked up for £1,249, which means the Xiaomi 14 Ultra sits squarely in the middle in terms of price.

This phone is very much for photography enthusiasts. If you don't need the next best camera phone but rather need a great everyday phone, then check out one of our best phones of 2024.

Value score: 4 / 5

Xiaomi 14 Ultra review: Specs

Xiaomi 14 Ultra review: Design

High-strength aluminium frame
Xiaomi Shield Glass
Nano-tech vegan leather

The Xiaomi 14 Ultra is beautifully designed and engineered with some of the best materials seen on any flagship phone at the moment. The case is dominated by a sizable circular notch that protrudes out of the back. Inside are four amazing Leica cameras alongside a flash, with everything protected by strengthened glass.

There's no denying that it looks great but I have a couple of problems with it. The first is that I was scared of breaking it. The 7 or 8 mm protrusion means that every time you put your phone down, you're in danger of scratching the glass. This is not something you want to be concerned about, especially when the cameras are the main selling point of the phone.

The second problem I have with it is that it makes the top half of the phone significantly heavier than the bottom half. This wouldn't be a problem, save for the fact that it's almost impossible to hold the phone in one hand and type with that same hand. Every time I tried, the phone just flopped out of the top of my hand. Not great at all. I appreciate they will have wanted to keep the overall weight down but some extra weight towards the bottom would have helped to counter the issue.

Aside from the problematic notch, the overall design is actually incredibly nice. It's beautiful to look at and masterfully engineered. The phone is made from a brand-new 6M42 high-strength aluminium frame, Xiaomi Shield Glass, and next-generation Xiaomi nano-tech vegan leather.

It sounds impressive, and believe me, it is. I tried bending the phone, and it didn't budge a bit. The material choices not only keep everything safe but also increase durability. The strength represents a doubling of rigidity compared to the Xiaomi 13 Pro.

The back of the device is covered in a new material developed by Xiaomi called nano-tech vegan leather. It is resistant to both wear and dirt, increasing overall durability. At the end of my tests, which took around a month, there were no visible marks on it at all. Now, I think if you took a fingernail to it, you'd quickly scratch it but that's the payoff with a textured surface like this.

The power button and volume rocker are located on the right-hand side of the phone and are nicely positioned for easy access. The power button has a textured finish, which is a nice touch and helps users identify it without looking.

The device lacks a range of different colours to customise the user experience. Xiaomi has instead opted to only ship it in either black or white.

Design score: 4 / 5

Xiaomi 14 Ultra review: Display

6.73-inch LTPO AMOLED with Xiaomi Shield Glass
3200 x 1440 px resolution (20:9 aspect ratio)
120Hz Refresh rate

The Xiaomi 14 Ultra boasts a gorgeous 6.73-inch LTPO AMOLED, which absolutely looks the part. The display is almost edge to edge, with pixels running right up to the point when the glass starts to curve off towards the aluminium edges. This is achieved by stacking multiple layers and thereby introducing the required flexibility at the edges. It works really well, and it blends seamlessly into the frame.

The display has 522 PPI and a 3200 x 1440 pixel resolution, which works out at a 20:9 aspect ratio. This is noticeably larger than the 2670 x 1200 resolution on the Xiaomi 14. I would love to have seen the resolution pushed up to 4K, especially for a phone that is labelled 'Ultra'.

The inclusion of an LTPO panel with a variable refresh rate significantly improves light efficiency and power consumption. The technology allows for refresh rates of anything between 1 and 120 Hz. The top end is perfect for gamers needing the quickest refresh speeds. It performs really well and delivers buttery smooth graphics, whatever you're using the phone for.

At 3,000 peak nits, the 14 Ultra delivers higher brightness even than the iPhone 15's Super Retina XDR OLED panel. At this brightness, the display is still visible in the brightest of environments.

All of this next-level technology is protected by Xiaomi Shield Glass. Xiaomi developed technology results in an interlocking structure through high-temperature sintering. This provides not only the necessary transparency but also superior strength and drop resistance. I had no concerns and was glad to see the glass survive a few knocks.

Display score: 4.5 / 5

Xiaomi 14 Ultra review: Software

HyperOS out of the box
Runs on top of Android 14
4 years of OS + 5 years of security updates

As with all of the Xiaomi 14 Series, the 14 Ultra takes on HyperOS. This is Xioami's new interface, which looks very much the same as its old OS, MIUI. To be fair, they have rebuilt it from the ground up, resulting in significantly more fluid and responsive transitions. These changes are most welcome, as MIUI was beginning to struggle on recent new phone releases.

The adoption of HyperOS is not all uneventful, though. One of the primary benefits is that it helps integrate the 14 Ultra into the wider Xiaomi ecosystem, including wearables, tablets, and now even their debut car.

The user experience is very different from almost all other Android phones, with Xiaomi ditching the long-established app drawer. This isn't particularly a problem, though, and if anything, it helps to simplify what can oftentimes be an over cluttered interface. One of the other big changes is that Xiaomi has followed swipe-down gestures found on iOS devices, with the top left and right corners delivering different results. I love that usability on my iPhone and it's great to see other phone manufacturers taking note.

As is the case with almost all Android phones, the 14 Ultra and its HyperOS include a lot of apps that could be considered bloatware. Unfortunately, this is not just the case for third-party apps; it has seeped into Xiaomi's homegrown apps too. I like to get rid of as many of these straight after setting up a new phone but Xiaomi doesn't allow for some to be removed, which is frustrating.

Before you think this is all going to be a big HyperOS bashing, there are some things that I love about it. One of the most significant ones is its gallery app, which integrates natively with Google Photos. This helps to keep your photos backed up without requiring much human intervention.

If you're interested in digging deep into everything that HyperOS offers, then Xiaomi has a dedicated page for all things HyperOS.

Software score: 4 / 5

Xiaomi 14 Ultra review: Cameras

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Main 50MP f/1.63-f/4.0 23mm focal length
Floating telephoto 50MP f/1.8 75mm focal length
Periscope 50MP f/2.5 120mm focal length
Ultra-wide 50MP f/1.8 12mm focal length
Front 32MP f/2.0 90° FOV

The Xiaomi 14 Ultra is pretty impressive in most areas but here's where it gets really special. Quite simply, this is the best camera on any phone, ever. Let's take a look at why.

It all begins with an all-new Leica 1-inch sensor for the main camera. The 2023 model already had a very capable 1-inch sensor but the newer one provides a truly stepless variable aperture with intermediate stops between F1.63 and F4.0. Leica continues to dominate this area of the market and the results are stunning, with fantastic low-light performance and unrivalled image quality.

Above all, I was most impressed by the sensor's ability to handle such a wide dynamic range. Rather than blowing out highlights, it was able to sensitively control them and retain the necessary detail. It was the same story with the darker areas. Noise is also kept to a minimum in low-light areas.

Images were noticeably crisper and more vibrant compared to the Galaxy S24 Ultra, which I was using for comparison shots. The latter were much flatter, which might be preferable to photographers wanting more colour grading control in post. The Xiaomi defaults to a Leica Vibrant profile but this can be swapped out for Leica Authentic. This seemed equally vibrant in my estimations.

Moving from inside to outside, the main camera system is located in a circular notch that protrudes out from the rear. This provides four different lenses, ranging from a 120mm periscope down to a 12mm ultra-wide. In between, there is a 75mm telephoto and a 23mm main.

All of these produce outstanding results but I was most impressed by the bokeh that all four lenses were able to generate. All of this is thanks to the next-level engineering that Leica has put into their lenses. The Bokeh is clean, predictable, and all generated in-camera.

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The telephoto and periscope cameras provide an almost unbelievable level of zoom, something that is rarely seen in mobile phone cameras. Having become accustomed to digital zooms that reduce detail and introduce noise, it's a breath of fresh air to be able to access such long focal lengths at the press of a button.

Pro mode on the rear camera makes it possible to change all the settings that you would expect to find on any DSLR, including aperture, ISO, shutter speed, and white balance. Providing this level of fine control could have led to an overwhelming interface but Xiaomi has done a fantastic job of making settings and dials incredibly user-friendly and intuitive.

The front selfie camera offers a lower but still impressive 32MP and is fixed at f/2.0. There is little to distinguish between the rear and front cameras, which is testament to what Leica and Xiaomi have achieved. Images from the front camera are as sharp as a pin and auto-focus is bang on every time.

Video quality is equally good, with 4K resolution possible up to 120 fps. Being able to slow footage down up to 4 times gives an impressive amount of flexibility when video editing in post. It is possible to increase the resolution to 8K but that does result in a drop in frame rate to 30 fps. Even though the Xiaomi 14 Ultra is primarily targeted at stills photographers, there is still plenty to attract amateur or indie videographers.

Camera score: 5 / 5

Xiaomi 14 Ultra review: Performance

Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 Mobile Platform
GPU: Qualcomm® Adreno™ GPU
8GB of LPDDR5X RAM

The 14 Ultra follows in the footsteps of the Xiaomi 14 with the inclusion of Qualcomm's flagship mobile silicon Snapdragon 8 Gen 3. This is an identical CPU to what is found in almost every flagship phone of 2024 including the Galaxy S24 Ultra, the Find X7 Ultra, and the Magic6 Pro.

The CPU is boosted by a Qualcomm® Adreno™ GPU to help with graphics processing. As a result, this is one of the most powerful phones on the market. Everything about this phone is quick, from the fingerprint scanner to app loading and switching.

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HyperOS manages performance like a pro, with power profiles that keep all your favourite apps under control. There is a dedicated 'performance mode' but I never came across a need for it.

With its 120 Hz display and powerful processors, the 14 Ultra is also sure to appeal to gamers. I didn't experience any performance drop outs and loading bars were few and far between. Game Turbo helps increase performance with the ability to prioritise networking latency, touch response input, and, of course, boost performance at the expense of power consumption.

Performance score: 4.5 / 5

Xiaomi 14 Ultra review: Battery

5000mAh (typ) battery
90W HyperCharge
80W wireless HyperCharge

The battery of the 14 Ultra is slightly beefier than the Xiaomi 14, with a 5000mAh chosen instead of the 4,610mAh. Wireless charging is also possible up to 80W, rather than only 50W. Wired charging still tops out at 90W but that was to be expected.

Advertised charging speeds are 33 minutes for wired and 46 minutes for wireless. I wasn't able to test the latter but the wired charging time is relatively accurate. Such quick charging times are incredible and will help ensure you're never out of juice for long. To get these speeds, you'll need to make sure 'boost charging speed' is activated in the phone's settings menu.

The phone offers four different battery modes, including performance, balanced, battery saver, and ultra battery saver. You can expect to enjoy two or even three days of average use from the battery. If you are regularly gaming or streaming videos, then this will naturally reduce in time.

There's also a really nice 'Battery check-up' feature that will not only tell you what can be done to increase battery life but also how much time you'll gain for each individual item. I found this incredibly helpful, especially when I had a low battery but couldn't get to a charging point.

Battery score: 4.5 / 5

Should you buy the Xiaomi 14 Ultra?

Buy it if...

You want an incredible camera
The Leica-developed quad camera system is second to none at the moment, even outperforming Samsung's Galaxy S24 Ultra. It's 1-inch sensor is capable of handling low light and wide dynamic range like a pro.

You like premium build quality
High-strength aluminium frame, Xiaomi Shield Glass, and nano-tech vegan leather all contribute to a strong and gorgeous looking phone.

You like Xiaomi's latest OS, HyperOS
The Xiaomi 14 Ultra's hardware and software offer near-endless degrees of customisation and functionality. If you are happy putting in the time to fine-tune the settings, then you can benefit from a truly personal experience.

Don't buy it if...

You want a well-balanced phone
The quad camera Leica notch on the rear of the phone is so heavy that it makes it very difficult to hold the phone and operate it with one hand. This is a significant design issue.

You like a lightweight set of apps
As is the case with most Android phones, HyperOS comes with a fair amount of bloatware across both third-party and first party apps. Unfortunately some of these are considered essential and therefore can't be uninstalled.

You want an affordable phone
At £1,299, this is one of the most expensive phones around. If you're not interested in phone camera photography then there are a lot of other better and cheaper alternatives out there.

Xiaomi 14 Ultra review: Also consider

The Xiaomi 14 Ultra has some clear strengths, but also some clearly-defined shortcomings. If you've got this far and think something else might be more your thing, why not consider one of these alternatives.

Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max
If you want the absolute best phone but the Xiaomi 14 Ultra isn't what you're looking for, then check out Apple's biggest and best iPhone.

Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra
The only camera to rival the Xiaomi 14 Ultra in the camera category is the Galaxy S25 Ultra. Alongside great optics, it also has great battery life, top-notch performance, and new AI features.

How I tested the Xiaomi 14 Ultra

Review test period: four weeks
Testing included: everyday use including web browsing, social media, photography, video calling, gaming, streaming video, music playback

I used the Xiaomi Ultra 14 as my primary phone for a number of weeks and was therefore able to get fully to grips with all of its features. My use extended to a number of apps and included web browsing and gaming.

With the camera being the standout feature, I also took it out on several trips, putting the cameras through their paces to see how they stacked up. I took a Galaxy S24 Ultra out on these trips, enabling me to make side-by-side comparisons of identical photos.

During my tests, I also paid careful attention to how the phone felt to use. Considering how much time we spend handling our phones, this is a vital part of any phone review. Using the phone for a variety of different tasks and scenarios has enabled me to build up a fuller picture of a typical user experience.

Xiaomi 14 Ultra deals

Xiaomi 14 review: Bigger on the inside

7:15 pm | April 19, 2024

Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets Phones Xiaomi Phones | Tags: Australia, Google Pixel, OIS, US | Comments: Off

Xiaomi 14: Two-minute review

The Xiaomi 14 is unquestionably in the running to be one of this year's top compact flagships, even if it is a little larger than the iPhone 15 and Samsung Galaxy S24. The phone boasts Qualcomm's best and brightest Snapdrgon 8 Gen 3 chip, a camera system that's been developed in collaboration with Leica, and a sizable battery with impressively fast 90W charging.

Xiaomi was actually first to market with an 8 Gen 3-powered phone, with the Xiaomi 14 series first debuting in China back in October 2023. As of February 2024, the company confirmed that both the Xiaomi 14 and Xiaomi 14 Ultra would be going global (the Xiaomi 14 Pro isn't getting an international release, but that's not as much of a loss as you might think), with the phones touching down in late February and mid-March, respectively.

There's more than a passing resemblance between this phone and the Xiaomi 13 – both phones have a prominent square main camera bump, and they have near-identical dimensions, with the new phone's fractional weight increase a result of the larger rear camera system and bigger battery. Xiaomi's fit and finish is up there, but the mirror-polish straight-sided design is decidedly more iPhone 14, than iPhone 15, which won't be to everyone's taste.

The 6.36-inch display has received a gamut of nice upgrades – there's a resolution bump between generations, while the move to an LTPO panel facilitates a true 1Hz to 120Hz variable refresh rate for greater power efficiency. It's a significantly brighter panel too, also trumping the figures promised by Apple and Samsung's latest.

This marks the fifth generation of flagship phones (if you include the company's mid-year 'S' refreshes) on which Xiaomi has collaborated with optical specialists Leica. For the most part, the user experience offered up by the camera remains much the same as last year's – including the ability to shoot in Leica Vivid or Classic color profiles, but the underlying hardware has been upgraded significantly, with a larger 50MP main sensor sporting a wider aperture, and backed up by two additional 50MP sensors (an ultra-wide and a 3.2x telephoto), which collectively deliver better light, detail, dynamic range, and color reproduction than previously.

Xiaomi 14 review back angled upside down — (Image credit: Future | Alex Walker-Todd)

Even without flicking the 'high performance mode' toggle on, the Xiaomi 14 benchmarks among the top tier of the current Android pile, which translates to excellent real-world performance, whether multi-tasking or gaming. For all the raw grunt and software optimization the 14 clearly serves up though, the refreshed HyperOS user experience still falls foul of the same convolutions found in the previous MIUI; quirks that newcomers to the brand, and even some veteran Xiaomi users, would likely scratch their heads at when trying to perform certain actions or find particular features.

With this being 2024, there are also a raft of AI features that debut on the Xiaomi 14 series – from AI-generated portraits to semantic search in the gallery app – however, at the time of writing these features remain in beta, with access to them requiring approval from the Xiaomi Community admins, meaning most users won't be able to enjoy these new features and enhancements out of the box until later in the year.

Battery life is a highlight: for all that the Xiaomi 14 delivers, the increased capacity year-on-year also means the phone offer impressive longevity, surpassing the likes of the Samsung Galaxy S24 in terms of screen-on time, and leaving mainstream rivals in the dust when it comes to a full recharge, which takes a matter of minutes, rather than hours.

It's true that Xiaomi's new flagship starts at a higher asking price than both Apple's and Samsung's comparable models, the iPhone 15 and the Galaxy S24, but it also comes with twice the storage, meaning in like-for-like comparisons (using UK pricing for the 256GB model in each case), it's actually the best-value compact flagship of the bunch. One caveat is that despite having been given an 'international' launch, the Xiaomi 14 – like all of the company's phones – remains unavailable in the US and Australia, with third-party retailers or import being the only real way to get ahold of Xiaomi handsets in those countries.

Xiaomi 14 review: Price and availability

Priced from £849 / €999
Released October 2023 – China only, February 25, 2024 – internationally
Limited to no availability in US and Australia

Every time Qualcomm announces a new flagship mobile chipset, I'm always curious to see which phone maker will be first to market with a phone toting said cutting-edge silicon. In the case of the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, it was Xiaomi, with the Xiaomi 14 and 14 Pro first debuting in China back in October 2023. However – as with previous generations of Xiaomi flagship – international audiences would have to wait.

It wasn't until a dedicated event in Barcelona in February 2024, ahead of MWC 2024 that we'd have a clear picture of the 14 series' international rollout. This event also served as a release announcement, with the phone being made available on February 25 across various markets, including the UK and Europe.

The Xiaomi 14 Pro didn't make it beyond China, but the gap between the 14 and 14 Pro in terms of specs and features is far smaller than it was with the previous 13 series, making the Pro's absence from the international stage far less of an issue this generation, especially with the Xiaomi 14 Ultra also available.

Despite throwing around words like 'international' and 'global' at the phone's February announcement though, Xiaomi's presence in the US and Australia only extends to smart home and lifestyle products, with its smartphones remaining distinctly absent. This means that, outside of importing or purchasing from fringe third-party retailers, you won't readily be able to pick up the Xiaomi 14 locally, and that's before taking into account whether it supports the carrier bands for local networks.

As for pricing, while a starting price in the UK of £849 places it well above the baseline price of key rivals like the iPhone 15 ($799 / £799 / AU$1,499) and Samsung Galaxy S24 ($799 / £799 / AU$1,399), those phones both come with just half the amount of storage (128GB).

In like-for-like comparisons against the £849 (equivalent to $1,070 / AU$1,640) 256GB base Xiaomi 14, both Apple's and Samsung's 256GB rivals actually cost more, at £899 and £859 respectively.

Value score: 5 / 5

Xiaomi 14 review: Specs

Xiaomi 14 review: Design

Xiaomi 14 review buttons — (Image credit: Future | Alex Walker-Todd)

Color choice affects finish
Squared, polished aluminum alloy frame
IP68-certified against dust and water

Fans of the Xiaomi 13 will appreciate what the company has done with the design of its successor – or rather what it hasn't done. The overall look of the two phones is much the same, although the 14 sports a hardier build, with tougher Gorilla Glass Victus and IP68-certified dust and water resistance, but elsewhere the dimensions to weight have remained consistent (a larger main camera system and battery have added a couple of grams).

Versus those aforementioned mainstream rivals, Xiaomi's latest is a little thicker and heavier by comparison, but is still small and comfortable enough to be considered a 'compact' flagship, and while the iPhone 15 series has embraced more rounded sides this generation, the Xiaomi 14 retains the iPhone 14 Pro line's straight-sided, mirror-polished aluminum surround, for better or worse, depending on your taste (I like the look but hate the fingerprints).

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Xiaomi 14 review Cloud de Paris design closeup — (Image credit: Future | Alex Walker-Todd)

The Clous de Paris guilloché detailing around the Xiaomi 14's camera

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Xiaomi 14 review Jade Green closeup — (Image credit: Future | Alex Walker-Todd)

A close-up on the Xiaomi 14's Jade Green glass back

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Xiaomi 14 review back straight — (Image credit: Future | Alex Walker-Todd)

The Jade Green variant featured in this review is the most head-turning colorway on the international stage, with the white model featuring a tasteful silver frame and the black option serving up textured – instead of polished – color-matched rear glass, which better repels fingerprints at the expense of a little grip. The only color that appeared in China but is missing from the global gamut of colorways is 'Snow Mountain Pink.'

Despite its similarities to the last model, Xiaomi has added interest around that new larger rear camera, with what it's dubbed a Clous de Paris (that's a hobnail pattern to you and me) to add a little interest. While it's not the only phone maker that has turned to classic analogue watch styling for design inspiration, this particular adornment is one I wouldn't every expect to find on a phone, and it serves as an aesthetic through-line with the recently-release Xiaomi Watch S3, too.

Design score: 4 / 5

Xiaomi 14 review: Display

Xiaomi 14 review front straight — (Image credit: Future | Alex Walker-Todd)

6.36-inch Xiaomi 'CrystalRes' C8 LTPO AMOLED
1Hz to 120Hz variable refresh rate
High-brightness mode: 1,400 nits (3,000 nits peak)

The flat 6.36-inch 'CrystalRes' C8 AMOLED fronting the Xiaomi 14 is a new panel of company's own design (manufactured by TCL), offering across-the-board upgrades over the same-sized screen on the Xiaomi 13, while also keeping it competitive against 2024 competitors.

First and foremost, it's sharper than the display on its predecessor, pushing past Full HD+ to a 1200 x 2670 resolution at the same size, upping pixel density from 414ppi to 460ppi, and making it as pin-sharp as the iPhone 15's Super Retina XDR OLED panel. It's also brighter – a lot brighter – with a peak of 3,000 nits (the Xiaomi 13 peaked at 1,900 nits) supports the Dolby Vision and HDR10+ standards. There's also a quoted full-panel high-brightness mode of 1,400 nits (up from the 13's 1,200 nits), which in real-world use ensures the screen is still comfortably visible against a bright sky. I just wish every phone adopted the reduced reflectivity of the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra's display.

Regardless, the hits don't stop, with the move to an LTPO panel greatly improving power efficiency, as the refresh rate can now scale far more dynamically, depending on what you're doing on your phone. For context, the Xiaomi 13 could only switch between 60Hz, 90Hz, and 120Hz, so its successor's ability to rove anywhere between 1Hz and 120Hz is a welcome upgrade.

Xiaomi 14 review home screen closeup — (Image credit: Future | Alex Walker-Todd)

The screen serves up pleasing visuals across photos, video streaming, and gaming, and Xiaomi includes a wealth of controls for tinkering with the display experience. By default the phone is set to 'Original Color Pro', but there are additional color profile presets like 'Vivid' and 'Saturated' alongside the ability to force the display to operate in the DCI-P3 gamut or sRGB, and that's before you touch the independent sliders covering things like RGB values, hue, saturation, contrast, and gamma.

There are arguably too many display control on offer as, alongside the above, you can also tweak color temperature, toggle adaptive color temperature adjustment, which adjusts the color temperature relative to ambient lighting, toggle DC dimming for more comfortable low-light viewing, choose between multiple reading modes, add texture and color temperature controls to a grayscale viewing experience, and even have AI step in to upscale videos, enhance photos in your gallery, add HDR viewing to SDR content, and add frames to certain video content for smooth playback.

Display score: 4.5 / 5

Xiaomi 14 review: Software

Xiaomi 14 review Quick Settings — (Image credit: Future | Alex Walker-Todd)

First phone to debut HyperOS out of the box
Runs on top of Android 14
4 years of OS + 5 years of security updates

MIUI is out and HyperOS is in, with the Xiaomi 14 series being the first of the company's phones to debut this revitalized user experience out of the box. If you watched the phone's launch, you'd be forgiven for assuming that HyperOS is something totally new, but in real-world use you'll be hard-pressed to spot any major differences with MIUI at a glance.

Xiaomi says that HyperOS follows a new 'Alive' design philosophy, boasting real-time rendering on certain graphical elements, alongside a color palette "based on natural hues" and while it's unquestionably more consistently fluid and responsive, the general look and feel still feels decidedly MIUI.

Nevertheless, that performance uptick across load times and animations might have something to do with the fact that despite its similarities to MIUI, Xiaomi has rebuilt HyperOS almost entirely. Not only does it take up almost a third less space on-device than its predecessor, it has new underpinnings to enable greater cross-platform interconnectivity with the company's wider product ecosystem, from its wearables and tablets, to its newfound push into automotive – even its debut car, the Xiaomi SU7, comes running its own build of HyperOS.

Back to the Xiaomi 14 though, and as before the user experience is feature-packed and serves up a decidedly different form than a lot of other smartphones out there. By default, there's no apps drawer, notifications and quick settings live behind swipe-down gestures from the top left and right corners of the screen, respectively (very iOS), swiping down on your home screen summons a device-wide search, while swiping up reveals Content Center, featuring links to news and YouTube video. There's a lot going on.

Xiaomi 14 review Security app — The Security app on the Xiaomi 14 does a lot more than just keep your device secure. (Image credit: Future | Alex Walker-Todd)

Provided that you're willing to put in some time to learn, HyperOS serves up a lot of flexibility and practically endless personalization too, although it's easy to get lost in disparate controls and settings screens. There's also a degree of bloat out of the box, with various third-party apps – like Booking.com – which can be uninstalled but ideally wouldn't be there to begin with. As for first-party apps, plenty of those could be considered bloat too, with multiple ways to perform seemingly the same action. The App Vault, Cleaner, Game Center and Security apps, for example, all help boost memory performance. Why do users need four different ways to access this feature, Xiaomi?

There are, of course, welcome additions too, like Game Turbo, which handles notification suppression, as well as relevant device controls (over things like brightness), when gaming and even includes a voice changer. Meanwhile HyperOS' Gallery app offers Google Photos integration native, which is a rare and handy bonus.

Xiaomi 14 review Sidebar — (Image credit: Future | Alex Walker-Todd)

Of course, this wouldn't be a 2024 flagship phone without some AI functionality thrown in, and Xiaomi has promised everything from generative fill when expanding the canvas of images to AI portraits, AI-generative subtitles, semantic search in the Gallery app, and more. Notice I said Xiaomi has 'promised' this suite of AI features, as at launch they remain in beta, meaning you have to sign up to be given access to unfinished iteration of what is one of the Xiaomi 14's headline upgrades.

There's good news, though – I did sign up for the beta once I'd mostly done testing the phone, and the AI features I tried worked as advertised and seemed stable (although wait times on processing for the AI Portrait feature surpassed an hour). So far Xiaomi has, unlike Samsung, made no mention of charging for the use of any AI functionality, although that's a policy that likely won't last forever.

To round things out, HyperOS on the Xiaomi 14 runs atop Android 14, with the company promising four years of update support and five years of security update support. That's behind market leaders like Apple, Google and Samsung, but should prove more than ample for the average smartphone user in 2024, ensuring that the Xiaomi 14 will continue to gain new features and remain secure for the duration of your time with it.

Software score: 3.5 / 5

Xiaomi 14 review: Cameras

Xiaomi 14 review camera closeup — (Image credit: Future | Alex Walker-Todd)

50MP f/1.6 Xiaomi Light Fusion 900 main sensor with OIS
50MP f/2.2 ISOCELL JN1 ultra-wide with 112-degree FoV
50MP (32MP effective) f/2.0 ISOCELL JN1 3.2x telephoto with OIS
32MP f/2.0 front camera with 89.6-degree FoV

While the camera system on the Xiaomi 14 isn't without its flaws, it looks to have the edge over compact rivals like the latest iPhone and Galaxy, with an across-the-board sensor upgrade compared to the Xiaomi 13, and ongoing input from optical specialists Leica.

You'll find an impressive-looking trio of 50MP sensors on the back, fronted by the new custom Xiaomi 'Light Fusion 900' (a tuned OmniVision OVX9000 sensor, with input from both Xiaomi and Leica), along with ISOCELL JN1 sensors for the ultra-wide and telephoto, collectively offering a focal range from 14mm to 75mm (although the telephoto's effective resolution is actually cited at 32MP and appears to kick in at 2.5x, which would suggest a shorter max optical range than Xiaomi claims).

AI Portrait... one of the most ambitious and unsettling AI features I've encountered on a phone to date

Leica's involvement, meanwhile, extends to branded 'Summilux' lenses, the 'Leica Vibrant' and 'Leica Authentic' color profiles the phone can shoot in, and the 'master lens system' of digital focal presets built into portrait mode.

Beyond that, the camera UI seems simple enough at first blush, but like the rest of HyperOS is absolutely jam-packed with features. The breadth of features on offer will be welcomed by those happy to spend the time required to learn of the nuances of the user experience, but will likely prove overwhelming for those who just want to tweak basic settings.

Stills shooting is primarily managed via Photo mode, or Pro mode if you want more control, while for video recording, Video and Movie mode are both on hand. More experimental modes include Short Film, which serves as a template complete with filters in which to capture footage; Director Mode, which lets you connect multiple cameras and even monitors wirelessly to orchestrate a multi-cam recording; plus Long Exposure, Supermoon, and more.

Xiaomi 14 camera samples

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Xiaomi 14 camera sample 0.6x Barcelona cathedral — (Image credit: Future | Alex Walker-Todd)

0.6x zoom (ultra-wide sensor)

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Xiaomi 14 camera sample 1x Barcelona cathedral — (Image credit: Future | Alex Walker-Todd)

1x zoom (main sensor)

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Xiaomi 14 camera sample 2x Barcelona cathedral — (Image credit: Future | Alex Walker-Todd)

2x zoom (main sensor)

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Xiaomi 14 camera sample 3.2x Barcelona cathedral — (Image credit: Future | Alex Walker-Todd)

3.2x zoom (telephoto sensor)

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Xiaomi 14 camera sample 60x Barcelona cathedral — (Image credit: Future | Alex Walker-Todd)

60x zoom (i.e. maximum lossy zoom range)

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Xiaomi 14 camera sample 0.6x city — (Image credit: Future | Alex Walker-Todd)

0.6x zoom (ultra-wide sensor)

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Xiaomi 14 camera sample 1x city — (Image credit: Future | Alex Walker-Todd)

1x zoom (main sensor)

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Xiaomi 14 camera sample 2x city — (Image credit: Future | Alex Walker-Todd)

2x zoom (main sensor)

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Xiaomi 14 camera sample 3.2x city — (Image credit: Future | Alex Walker-Todd)

3.2x zoom (telephoto sensor)

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Xiaomi 14 camera sample 60x city — (Image credit: Future | Alex Walker-Todd)

60x zoom (i.e. maximum lossy zoom range)

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Xiaomi 14 camera sample iPhone 15 Galaxy S24 comparison zoom range city — (Image credit: Future | Alex Walker-Todd)

Zoom range comparison: Apple iPhone 15 (top), Xiaomi 14 (center), Samsung Galaxy S24 (bottom)

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Xiaomi 14 camera sample selfie — (Image credit: Future | Alex Walker-Todd)

Front camera

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Xiaomi 14 camera sample iPhone 15 Galaxy S24 selfie comparison Sub10Xiaomi 14 camera sample iPhone 15 Galaxy S24 selfie comparison — (Image credit: Future | Alex Walker-Todd)

Front camera comparison: Apple iPhone 15 (left), Xiaomi 14 (center), Samsung Galaxy S24 (right)

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Xiaomi 14 camera sample Brie — (Image credit: Future | Alex Walker-Todd)

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Xiaomi 14 camera sample Brie AI Expansion — (Image credit: Future | Alex Walker-Todd)

AI Expanded by 150%

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Xiaomi 14 camera sample Cheddar — (Image credit: Future | Alex Walker-Todd)

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Artificial lighting

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Artificial lighting

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Xiaomi 14 camera sample low light blue neon — (Image credit: Future | Alex Walker-Todd)

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Xiaomi 14 camera sample low light orange neon — (Image credit: Future | Alex Walker-Todd)

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Xiaomi 14 camera sample low light group selfie — (Image credit: Future | Alex Walker-Todd)

Front camera

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Low light

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Night mode

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Xiaomi 14 camera sample Pixel 8 Pro low light comparison — (Image credit: Future | Alex Walker-Todd)

Low light comparison: Xiaomi 14 (left), Google Pixel 8 Pro (right)

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Xiaomi 14 camera sample Pixel 8 Pro Night Mode comparison — (Image credit: Future | Alex Walker-Todd)

Night Mode comparison: Xiaomi 14 (left), Google Pixel 8 Pro (right)

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Xiaomi 14 camera sample low light building — (Image credit: Future | Alex Walker-Todd)

In side-by-side tests with the usual suspects (the iPhone 15 and the Samsung Galaxy S24), Xiaomi's distinct photographic look shone through. Leica Vivid (which all the Xiaomi 14 camera samples featured in this review were captured in) served up consistently brighter and and more vibrant results than rivals, with good detail captured across its entire (optical) focal range.

There's a pleasing consistency in terms of color, contrast and detail between shots captured with the ultra-wide and that new primary sensor, while telephoto shots adopt a bolder look, with stronger contrast that still equates to pleasing images, although with an unpredictability that the 14's competitors don't suffer from.

In more challenging scenarios, while the 14's macro capture offers good center-frame detail, chromatic aberrations, or color fringing, around the edge of subjects isn't always welcome, while low-light environments did result in exposure hunting from time to time. On the flip side, taking Night Mode shots results in great final images, with this phone only really falling short of category leaders like the Google Pixel 8 Pro.

The phone's stabilization is shown off to great effect in video footage (beyond the impressive capture controls mentioned earlier), while selfies also shine against similar photos from competitors, provided that you're comfortable with Xiaomi's heavier-handed beauty settings as standard – skin tones are accurately represented, but smoothing and blemish-removal algorithms are also clearly enabled by default. Interestingly, you'd assume that the 32MP front-facing sensor would pixel-bin down to 8MP final images, but the Xiaomi 14 unapologetically captures front-facing shots at the sensor's native resolution, and does so with aplomb.

AI camera features

Xiaomi 14 AI Expansion screenshots — *Using AI Expansion on the Xiaomi 14* (Image credit: Future | Alex Walker-Todd)

There are also all of the aforementioned (beta) AI imaging abilities that debut on the Xiaomi 14 (practically all of which are accessed from the native Gallery app after capture). AI Expansion lets you punch out of a shot by up to 200% and have the phone's on-device AI processing try to generate new background content that's consistent with the original image. Each generative fill takes around 15 seconds to complete (with tests at 150%) and the results are hit-and-miss – but the fact that they hit as often as they do is what's surprising.

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Original image...

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...enlarged by 150% using AI Expand on the Xiaomi 14

Then there's AI Portrait, which is undoubtedly one of the most ambitious – and unsettling – AI features I've encountered on a phone. Once you snap around 30 selfies (or at least shots of the same subject with their face visible) and submit them to the AI Portrait creation wizard, it'll use off-device processing to construct an AI-generated simulacrum that – with the help of a written prompt – can be placed into all manner of scenes.

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Xiaomi 14 AI Portrait generation screenshots setup — (Image credit: Future | Alex Walker-Todd)

The processing time to create my (beta) AI Portrait avatar took over an hour...

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Xiaomi 14 AI Portrait generation screenshots results — (Image credit: Future | Alex Walker-Todd)

...but, once done, individual results with the completed avatar took only minutes to generate.

The developmental nature of the AI features coming (as at the time of review, they're still in beta, remember) to the Xiaomi 14 was made clear when the creation time for my AI avatar was cited at over an hour, but once I had it, prompts took around a minute to generate results, once again with varying degrees of success. The feature automatically served up prompts like 'beach resort' and 'northern islands' of its own accord but did a respectable job coming up with convincing images based on my prompt of 'in a kayak' too, as you can see above.

As for how useful this feature is, it's easy to imagine novel scenarios in which your AI Portrait could feature – hilariously implausible holiday snaps on Instagram, for example – but as with any AI-generated imagery, there remain unanswered and ungoverned ethical quandaries surrounding a technology that is evidently already in peoples' hands and will continue to improve in time.

With regards to Xiaomi's specific AI policies, the phone details which devices use solely on-device processing and which rely on the cloud, while the company's AI white paper goes into greater detail around training data-sets and the like. That said, unlike Samsung's Galaxy AI image tools, there's no obvious watermarking to help people discern which images have and haven't been created or altered by Xiaomi's AI, which is something the company should address in a future update, and on future products with AI-enhanced features.

Camera score: 4.5 / 5

Xiaomi 14 review: Performance

Xiaomi 14 review gaming Genshin Impact — Genshin Impact on the Xiaomi 14 (Image credit: Future | Alex Walker-Todd)

Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 SoC
12GB of LPDDR5X RAM on all models
Impressive thermal performance for a compact phone

Although the Xiaomi 14 has the distinction of being first to market with Qualcomm's latest and greatest flagship mobile silicon in the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, its staggered release meant that by the time it made it to international audiences, rivals with that same cutting-edge chipset were already on store shelves. Even so, this remains one of the most capable phones currently on the market.

HyperOS – like MIUI before it – is pretty hands-on with performance management, with overarching power profiles that limit just how much apps and services can ask of the CPU/GPU/NPU; but even without switching 'performance mode' on, in artificial benchmarks the Xiaomi 14 holds its own against many of the other best Android phones right now – including the Samsung Galaxy S24 and Asus Zenfone 11 Ultra – while other flagships like the Pixel 8 Pro score far weaker across compute and graphical tests.

Real-world use shows that, between the processor and the optimizations HyperOS brings over MIUI, the Xiaomi 14 has more than enough clout to handle demanding everyday use, with the AI features being among the few instances where you'll still find yourself staring at a loading bar for a moment or two.

Xiaomi 14 review Game Turbo — (Image credit: Future | Alex Walker-Todd)

Gaming is a dream on the Xiaomi 14 too, as not only does the phone offer a great visual experience by being on the larger side (within the compact flagship space), but the engineering team has done solid work with the thermal management in spite of the phone's relatively small proportions. Even with Genshin Impact's graphical settings at 'overclocked' (namely by forcing 60fps gameplay) the Xiaomi 14 never got more than a little warm, even after 30 minutes of continuous playtime.

There are also the added benefits of Game Turbo, which can prioritize networking latency, touch response input and, of course, boost performance at the expense of power consumption.

Performance score: 5 / 5

Xiaomi 14 review: Battery

Xiaomi 14 review USB-C — (Image credit: Future | Alex Walker-Todd)

Larger 4,610mAh battery than predecessor
Up to 90W wired and 50W wireless charging
8.5 hours of screen-on time per charge (using Balanced power profile)

Charging speeds and battery capacity have both received a generous generational upgrade, with the standard Xiaomi 14 now matching the Xiaomi 14 Ultra's impressive 90W fast wired charging and up to 50W wireless charging. This means a pleasingly-rapid full recharge is possible in just 40 minutes, while my tests found the phone consistently passed the 50%-charge mark after just 15 minutes. That's in stark contrast to the likes of the iPhone 15, whose 20W wired charging means a full recharge takes over two hours (based on our tests).

The phone doesn't give you its quickest speeds right out the box (although it's still quick to charge); as well as the (included) 90W 'HyperCharge' power adapter, you also have to enable the 'boost charging speed' toggle in the phone's settings menu. This ensures that maximum 90W speeds are made available, with the phone charging on a logarithmic curve – i.e., the lower your Xiaomi's 14's battery percentage is to start with, the faster it'll charge, slowing as it approaches 100%. This ensures that fast charging is most effective when you realize your battery is low and you only have limited time to charge it, while still protecting battery health over the lifetime of the phone.

As for longevity, the Xiaomi 14 puts in a superb effort – especially for a compact smartphone, doling out 8.5 hours of screen-on time in testing. That equates to up to two day's use; particularly if you're willing to toy with the aforementioned power profiles: Performance, Balanced, Battery Saver and Ultra Battery Saver – which limits apps access and background processes to maximize battery life. This is among the best longevity for its size right now, only falling short of the ever-enduring iPhone 15 (which in our tests mustered over 11 hours of screen-on time), however, the Xiaomi is probably the best compact flagship, when you collectively consider battery life and charging performance.

Battery score: 5 / 5

Should you buy the Xiaomi 14?

Buy it if...

You want a compact powerhouse
The Xiaomi 14 outpaces the big-name compact phones currently on the market in terms of both value and hardware prowess, so long as you're okay with the slightly shorter update support roadmap, compared to Apple and Samsung's rivals.

You like trying new things
The Xiaomi 14's hardware and software offer near-endless degrees of customization and functionality. HyperOS takes a very different approach to most Android-based smartphone user experiences, but if you put in the time it demands it's an incredibly rich offering.

Battery life and fast charging are high priorities
The Xiaomi 14 probably strikes the best balance of battery longevity and fast charging on the market right now, especially for a phone of its size.

Don't buy it if...

You want the stylish smartphone
Sure, aesthetics are subjective, and while the Xiaomi 14 isn't bad looking, it's squared design feels dated and unexciting. That's not to say it isn't well built and durable, however.

You like a clean easy-to-use OS experience
HyperOS might be far better optimized than MIUI ever was, but many of its predecessor's worst traits persist. The Xiaomi 14 has features upon features, and layers upon layers of menus, and while the breadth of functionality makes it a powerful and versatile phone, not everyone will want to spend time learning its seemingly convoluted way of doing things.

You want AI functionality, right now!
At launch Xiaomi promised a wealth of AI features destined for the Xiaomi 14 series, and while you can get your hands on some of them with a little tinkering, they're still in beta at the time of writing, and not easily accessible if you don't know how to unlock them.

Xiaomi 14 review: Also consider

The Xiaomi 14 has some clear strengths, but also some clearly-defined shortcomings. If you've got this far and think something else might be more your thing, why not consider one of these alternatives.

Apple iPhone 15
The iPhone 15 doesn't exactly need an introduction, but if you like elements of Xiaomi's HyperOS or just want a slimmer, smaller but equally-capable compact flagship, this might be your next phone.

Samsung Galaxy S24
Samsung and Google are arguably the biggest phone makers shouting about AI features right now, and the standard S24 condenses the company's suite of Galaxy AI functions into its most compact flagship form. A slim design, decent cameras and a killer display don't go amiss either.

How I tested the Xiaomi 14

Xiaomi 14 review back angled — (Image credit: Future | Alex Walker-Todd)

Review test period: six weeks
Testing included: everyday use including web browsing, social media, photography, video calling, gaming, streaming video, music playback
Tools used: Geekbench 6, Geekbench ML, GFXBench, native Android stats, Xiaomi 90W charger

Xiaomi was able to provide me with a sample of the Xiaomi 14 just ahead of its international launch, giving me plenty of time to get to grips with the hardware, software, generational upgrades and so on. With the abundance of time available, I've throughly tested the phone while using it as my daily driver over a course of weeks, taking it to social events for camera testing, using it for navigation in my car, gaming around the house and other general smartphone use, from smart home control to social media and web browsing.

It took longer to gain access to some features – namely its promised AI functionality – which I was only able to do once I signed in with my Xiaomi account to the brand's forums and registered for beta access, which then had to be approved, but after that I felt like I was fully able to experience what the Xiaomi 14 promised.

Benchmarking apps is never the be-all-and-end-all, but the results do at least provide an empirical indication of performance that some find useful as a comparison tool. As the user has control over the power state the phone operates in, these benchmarks were carried out in both Balanced and Performance modes, although numerous scores out-paced rivals with the need for Performance mode.

Having reviewed smartphones for well over a decade, including numerous Xiaomi phones, as well as devices from the company's key competition, I felt more than comfortable reviewing this latest Xiaomi flagship, in order to balance its strengths and weaknesses against the market in which it competes.

Xiaomi 14 deals

Xiaomi 13T Pro review: a unique taste of flagship values

7:08 pm | April 17, 2024

Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets Phones Xiaomi Phones | Tags: Dolby Vision, US | Comments: Off

Xiaomi 13T Pro: Two-minute review

Given that Xiaomi's T-series phones are normally considered 'mid-range' devices, you'd be forgiven for thinking that the Xiaomi 13T Pro's capabilities would be limited, its hardware poor, and its experience lacking, however, this is frankly no longer the case. The 13T Pro will, for many, provide the flagship experience you'd expect from devices sometimes twice the price, but will not only set you back significantly less, it will also, surprisingly, surpass them in many areas of day-to-day use.

Straight away, the visuals of the Xiaomi 13T Pro bear a striking resemblance to more premium competition; featuring a glass or vegan leather rear panel – both of which are more appetizing to look at than most – even if you disregard the enormity of the camera bump also present on the device.

Xiaomi chose to tailor the 13T Pro towards efficiency and performance improvements, and these couldn't have worked much better. The MediaTek Dimensity 9200 Plus ensures the Xiaomi 13T Pro sets the benchmark for what supposedly mid-range phones can achieve when pushed. Providing not only impressively smooth performance during gaming but also minimal battery drain; the performance of the 13T Pro is one of the most notable among phones in this price bracket.

This performance tailoring hasn't left the 13T Pro slacking in other areas, however, as Xiaomi's partnership with Leica proves. The Xiaomi 13T Pro boasts an impressive and authentic camera, featuring great detail and customizability to ensure a reliable experience in day-to-day usage. This does, however, mask some issues surrounding the night and selfie capabilities, which seem to have been somewhat left behind.

Rounding off its performance tailoring nicely is the 13T Pro's almost expected battery superiority; with a 5,000mAh battery, 120W wired fast charging, and numerous battery performance-based improvements over predecessors. Despite these initial wins for the 13T Pro though, it is let down by a surprising lack of wireless charging, even if the immense speeds of its wired charging do a good enough job of making up for this.

If you're able to take the Xiaomi 13T Pro's quirks as exactly that, and instead focus on the impressive performance across the majority of the device, it's easy enough to learn to love this phone and appreciate what can be possible in the mid-range market.

Xiaomi 13T Pro review: Price and availability

Unavailable in the US
256GB variant unavailable in the UK
Price impressively undercuts competitors

One of the biggest limitations of the Xiaomi 13T Pro – and the Xiaomi brand as a whole – is the availability of the device. Unfortunately, Xiaomi – alongside most other Chinese brands – is not sold in the US (when it comes to the company's smartphones at least). Alongside this, Xiaomi phones are not sold via any mainstream seller in Australia either (despite numerous attempts), limiting international availability to other countries across APAC, LATAM and EMEA, including the UK. That said, even there the cheaper 256GB + 12GB RAM model remains out of reach.

If you're not in a primary region for the 13T Pro but still curious about pricing, the 512GB model would cost approximately $880 / AU$1,350, based on the UK model's £699 asking price.

Value score: 3.5 / 5

Xiaomi 13T Pro review: Specifications

Xiaomi 13T Pro review: Design

Xiaomi 13T Pro rear panel vegan leather alpine blue — (Image credit: Future // Rob Dunne)

Comfortable, if slightly long in the hand
Limited color choices, with one standout
Large rear camera bump

Standing out from the mid-range crowd comes in no better form than some of the design choices of the Xiaomi 13T Pro. The device opts for a 20:9 aspect ratio, with semi-rounded edges and a curved rear panel, giving the Xiaomi 13T Pro a comfortable, if slightly long, feel in the hand. With the phone using a 6.67-inch display at this ratio, you may find it occasionally problematic to use the phone one-handed if you need to reach the topmost areas of the display, and it may not be as easily pocketed as some other devices. Most noticeably, however, the curved rear panel does a superb job of making the phone look, and feel, thinner than it is, making the phone appear a much closer comparison visually to its more premium rivals.

Xiaomi 13T Pro side profile

(Image credit: Future // Rob)

Coming in three colors, the Xiaomi 13T Pro doesn't offer extensive variety in this department, however, both the black and the green glass paneled options are pleasant to look at and, in the case of the green, a nice switch from traditional colors. The standout option amongst the three available colors, however, is Alpine blue. Coming exclusively in Xiaomi's BioComfort vegan leather, the Alpine Blue variant is a fresh, and fabulous, take on how to make a premium device. The vegan leather not only looks superb on the device, but also provides added comfort over its glass counterparts, as well as significantly reduces the risk of those pesky finger marks, stains, and scratches that are almost inevitable with glass-backed phones.

As with most well-equipped phones in the current market, one of the biggest design talking points of the Xiaomi 13T Pro is the rear camera bump. The device comes with a triple camera setup made by Leica, and on this occasion, with big camera possibilities comes an even bigger camera bump. Although it's well-designed, and definitely not too big an eyesore, the camera bump does pose the phone some issues if you choose to use it without a case, as given its position on the left-hand side of the rear of the phone, as well as its protrusion from the rest of the device, the phone can become rather wobbly on flat surfaces, although this is fixed if you choose to use the free clear case you receive with the device.

Design score: 4 / 5

Xiaomi 13T Pro review: Display

Xiaomi 13T Pro lock screen — (Image credit: Future // Rob Dunne)

6.67-inch AMOLED panel
Up to 144Hz refresh rate
HDR10+ and Dolby Vision support

The display on the Xiaomi 13T Pro is one of its most impressive attributes. The phone uses a 6.67-inch AMOLED panel at up to a 144Hz (with refresh rate intervals at 30, 60, 90, 120 and 144Hz), and supports both Dolby Vision and HDR10+ standards to create one of the most pleasant and visually appealing displays on a smartphone at this price. The display is capable of reaching a peak brightness of 2,600nits and offers rich color reproduction, meaning it doesn't struggle when it comes to creating superb visuals. That high nit count meant I never struggled with using the device in a full gamut of conditions; the screen even has a sunlight mode to help in especially bright environments. However, in day-to-day use, the visibility and viewing angles available on the phone proved sensational.

The 13T Pro's adaptive refresh rate is enabled by default, but you can also customize this in the settings to lock the screen at 60Hz if this is what you prefer, although I can't imagine many people will want to. When it comes to the capabilities of the adaptive refresh rate, the display copes impressively well with some of the more arduous mobile games currently available.

In testing, we enjoyed high refresh rates and crisp, detailed, and vibrant graphics; making it difficult to not applaud how enjoyable gaming on the Pro is, even without some of the device's additional gaming-oriented options activated. When using the Xiaomi 13T Pro across social media, browsing, and general usage, the phone sits comfortably at between 1Hz and 120Hz, to optimize power consumption, while still providing an impressively smooth experience.

The phone comes with three preloaded color profiles that dictate how visuals appear on-screen: Vivid, Saturated and Original. If you prefer to tinker with more precision though – whether that be for color accuracy or simply personal preference – you can also adjust a number of more advanced settings within the phone's deeper display control menu.

Display score: 4.5 / 5

Xiaomi 13T Pro review: Software

Xiaomi 13T Pro home screen — (Image credit: Future // Rob Dunne)

Upgradeable to Xiaomi's latest HyperOS atop Android 14
Small but appreciated generational user experience improvements
Four major Android updates promised from launch

Despite releasing on the company's MIUI 14 atop Android 13, at the time of review, Xiaomi had already upgraded the 13T Pro to its new and improved HyperOS user experience; creating responsive, minimalist environment atop the latest Android 14. Small tweaks across areas such as the main font, app icons and user menus give the Xiaomi 13T Pro a pleasing aesthetic, and improvements in performance over the previous MIUI 14 make sure that you aren't left with intractions that aren't as smooth as the redesign itself.

Personalization is improved but still somewhat fenced-in on the Xiaomi 13T Pro, with improved lock screen options that near-enough mirror the experience on the likes of the iPhone 15. Once past the lock screen, practically all of the visual and interaction tweaks you're likely make will pass through the preinstalled Themes app, which offers an array of different elements to make your device your own; even if the personalization process itself isn't necessarily the best.

One key downside of previous iterations of Xiaomi's user experience has bloatware and the inability to remove many of Xiaomi's own preloaded apps, but with the Xiaomi 13T Pro we see a small but appreciated change to this trend. There are now only eight first-party apps that you are unable to uninstall, which is frankly nothing compared to what we've been inundated with on prior generations.

Like many devices in its weight class, the Xiaomi 13T Pro was promised four major Android updates over the course of its lifespan, which while behind market leaders, should more than long enough based on the average user's upgrade frequency. Add to that improved OS performance and battery management and the Xiaomi 13T Pro is more than likely to last you while remaining a more than capable smartphone at the end of its life.

Software score: 4 / 5

Xiaomi 13T Pro review: Cameras

Xiaomi 13T Pro camera bump — (Image credit: Future // Rob Dunne)

Camera system tuned in partnership with Leica
Triple rear camera and 20MP selfie snapper
Vast array of more advanced shooting modes

Xiaomi's partnership with Leica on the Xiaomi 13T Pro has resulted in a top-notch camera experience. The 13T Pro runs a triple rear sensor setup, featuring a 50MP main camera, 50MP telephoto camera, and a 12MP ultra-wide camera, whilst the display plays host to a 20MP selfie camera; all in all, a very solid start. The rear cameras can shoot in one of two visual styles, these being 'Leica Authentic' and 'Leica Vibrant,' both of which offer pleasing results under different conditions. Vibrant, as you'd expect, serves up more vivid, contrasting color in scenes, whilst Authentic leverages a more reserved, muted, true-to-life palette, just as we've seen from previous Leica-partnered phones.

Finding a balance between advanced photography controls and satisfying the everyday user is a challenging task, but one which the Xiaomi 13T Pro tackles with aplomb. Yes, there are a large number of menus and options, some of which might never see the light of day under standard usage, but equally, the features you need most are laid out simply and efficiently for quick access in a variety of scenarios. Thanks to both the Pro's large screen and some clever UI placement options, selecting relevant shooting settings is simple enough, even when using the Xiaomi 13T Pro's 'Pro Mode,' which opens up even greater control over conventional photography variables like ISO, exposure and white balance.

Camera samples

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Xiaomi 13T camera sample of a church at dusk — (Image credit: Future // Rob Dunne)

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Xiaomi 13T Pro image sample night shot of bridge — (Image credit: Future // Rob Dunne)

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Xiaomi 13T Pro camera sample of petrol station night shot — (Image credit: Future // Rob Dunne)

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Xiaomi 13T Pro camera sample close up shot of tree — (Image credit: Future // Rob Dunne)

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Xiaomi 13T Pro camera sample — (Image credit: Future // Rob Dunne)

The results we saw from the main camera system were impressive, finding a pleasant and effective blend of detail and color accuracy; especially for a device at this price point. The 13T Pro has three optical zoom levels – 0.6x, 1x, and 2x – and was impressive at retaining details and color science consistency throughout. I was positively surprised by the 13T Pro's video shooting from the rear camera, with an impressive level of image stabilization, however, it struggled when trying to zoom during filming, with some notable stuttering and clear color changes when moving from optical to digital zoom ranges; an understandable stumbling block for a phone not necessarily striving to push photographic boundaries. 10-bit LOG video capture is a novel inclusion too, that adds greater post-capture versatility to footage for those looking for an affordable but capable phone for videography.

Other shortcomings noticed during testing included an unnatural level of lighting correction when shooting in dimly lit scenarios, leading to color inaccuracies and limited detail. Detail issues also persisted when using the selfie camera, though this is one area which hasn't received much in the way of generational attention; understandable, if annoying. Overall, however, an the 13T Pro serves up an impressive array of photographic capabilities and provides results that any casual mobile photographer or videographer would no doubt be happy with.

Cameras score: 3.5 / 5

Xiaomi 13T Pro review: Performance

Xiaomi 13T Pro with Mortal Kombat gameplay — (Image credit: Future // Rob Dunne)

MediaTek Dimensity 9200 Plus chipset
Up to 1TB UFS 4.0 storage
Up to 16GB LPDDR5X RAM

For many, an Android device not running an ever-reliable Qualcomm Snapdragon chip might be a reason to worry, but the Dimensity 9200 Plus SoC powering the Xiaomi 13T Pro does nothing short of an impressive job at letting this phone go toe to toe with even some flagship competition. The intention of the 13T Pro's Plus-branded chip was to improve efficiency and performance over the standard 9200, with a focus on improved gaming performance and battery efficiency in day-to-day use, both of which the Xiaomi 13T Pro appears to excel at with reasonable ease.

While gaming, the phone was not only able to comfortably hold a consistent and high frame rate across the likes of Call of Duty Mobile, Genshin Impact, and Grid Autosport, but it was also able to retain an impressive amount of battery during longer gaming stints both thanks to the hardware – such as the improved Immortalis-G715 GPU – and the integrated performance optimizing software.

During testing, I did note some warmth across the device for the duration of my gaming stint, but nothing that was too uncomfortable or unexpected for the fidelity of games being played, and at no point did thermal throttling impact on competitive performance to any discernible degree.

The Xiaomi 13T Pro also stands as one of the first Xiaomi devices to dip its toe into the waters of AI. With its upgrade to HyperOS adding support for such functionality as an AI eraser tool and background editor – to help add to the already impressive camera capabilities mentioned earlier. What's more, that's only the start, with Xiaomi delivering even more AI enhancement on the Xiaomi 14 series. That said, to what extent of these will reach back to the 13T Pro remains unknown for now.

Performance score: 4.5 / 5

Xiaomi 13T Pro review: Battery

Xiaomi 13T Pro charging port — (Image credit: Future // Rob Dunne)

5,000mAh battery
120W wired charging
No wireless charging

One of the most impressive areas of the Xiaomi 13T Pro – on paper at least – is its battery and charging capabilities. The phone boasts a large 5,000mAh battery, with rapid 120W wired charging – when using the power adapter provided. Xiaomi's Surge Battery Management system is also onboard to help improve battery safety and elongate the lifespan of the device over prolonged use too.

Whilst I was unable to replicate Xiaomi's charging estimate of only 19 minutes to 100% when using 120W wired charging (paired with 'boost mode') during testing, the phone was still impressively quick to charge to 100% and was comfortably able to give me over 12 hours of active screen time before beginning to creep closer to needing a charge.

Somewhat strangely, the Xiaomi 13T Pro – whilst powerful in its wired charging solutions – lacks any form of wireless charging; which presumably is a side-effect of the T-series more affordable standing in Xiaomi's extensive smartphone portfolio. Even so, the impressive wired charging speeds possible meant the inability to rest the phone on a wireless charging pad rarely felt like an issue.

Battery score: 3.5 / 5

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Xiaomi 13T Pro review: Also consider

How I tested the Xiaomi 13T Pro

Review period: one month
Testing included: everyday use, such as web browsing, photography, gaming, calling and messaging, music playback, as well as some benchmarking tests.
Tools used: Geekbench 6, Geekbench ML, GFXBench, native device stats, Xiaomi 120W charger

True testing of the Xiaomi 13T Pro took place over the course of about a month, with the writing of the review occurring over an extended period afterwards. The Xiaomi 13T Pro reviewed here was a 512GB storage, 12GB RAM, Alpine Blue (with Xiaomi's BioComfort vegan leather) model. The Xiaomi 13T Pro was put through a variety of tests, not limited to daily usage, gaming, photography, streaming of music and video, and, as ever, benchmarking.

Having worked with phones for years – originally on shop floors and later by writing about them on TechRadar (including buying advice surrounding phones in this category) – I felt comfortable reviewing the 13T Pro, safe in the knowledge I had the expertise and context to do it justice.

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First reviewed April 2024