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Oppo Find X8 Pro review: don’t call it an iPhone
5:37 pm | November 22, 2024

Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets Oppo Phones Phones | Tags: , | Comments: Off

Oppo Find X8 Pro: Two-minute review

The Oppo Find X8 Pro is built on truly excellent hardware. It sports a sleek premium design, a luxurious 6.78-inch display, and the best mobile camera system I’ve ever used. Its snappy performance and innovative UI animations also make it one of the smoothest-feeling phones on the market, and this combination of great hardware and slick software is reflected in the Find X8 Pro's high (but arguably competitive) retail price.

However, the Find X8 Pro has clearly taken one or two (or ten) design cues from the iPhone 16 Pro, and at several points during this review, I found myself asking how much originality counts for. In many ways, the Find X8 Pro blazes past its inspiration, with smoother software, more powerful cameras, and – to my eye – a more interesting design. But Oppo can only take so much credit for a phone so substantially built on another phone maker’s ideas.

Philosophizing aside, the Oppo Find X8 Pro is full to the brim with impressive tech. Its display is sharp, colorful, and immersive, and at 6.78 inches is about as large as I’d want a phone screen to get. The back of the phone is where the real magic happens, though – the quad-camera system on the Oppo Find X8 Pro is truly class-leading, with four 50MP snappers at various levels of optical magnification.

Internally, the phone is just as solid, with a MediaTek Dimensity 9400 chipset and 16GB of RAM. The Find X8 Pro handled everything I threw at it with aplomb. I felt like I was gliding through the ColorOS 15 Android wrapper in day-to-day tasks, and no game or app seemed to vex the system at all. This software experience is unfortunately marred by a large amount of bloatware.

Overall, whether the Find X8 Pro is for you comes down to how much you care about originality. People who want an iPhone will always get an iPhone, and because of that, I'm drawn to the idea that Oppo isn't so much chasing Apple customers as it is interpreting Apple features, which might even be a boost for those who prefer Android to iOS. However you feel about that debate, though, this is a great Android phone loaded with top-flight features; with a specs sheet like this, perhaps an identity crisis is forgivable.

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Oppo Find X8 Pro review: Price and availability

  • Costs £1,049, available in one configuration
  • Not available in the US

The Oppo Find X8 Pro costs £1,049 in the UK. It comes in two colors – Pearl White or Space Black – and ships with a non-configurable 512GB of storage and 16GB of RAM. As with all Oppo phones, it's very unlikely that the Find X8 Pro will launch in the US, though the upcoming OnePlus 13 could offer similar (if not identical) specs.

At this price, the Oppo Find X8 Pro is directly challenging premium flagships like the iPhone 16 Pro and Samsung Galaxy S24 Plus, both of which start at £999. Matching these established brands on price is a bold move from Oppo – Chinese manufacturers have traditionally sought to undercut Western competitors on price to compensate for weaker reputation. The Find X8 Pro is full of premium hardware, however, so the value is definitely there.

Oppo Find X8 Pro review: Specs

Oppo Find X8 Pro review: Design

The Oppo Find X8 Pro side-on against some bushes

(Image credit: Future / Jamie Richards)
  • Comes in two colors – Pearl White and Space Black
  • Rounded frame with new Quick Button – a shutter button for the camera app
  • Rounded quad-camera housing

The Oppo Find X8 Pro is a strikingly beautiful device. The unit I tested came in Pearl White, which casts a unique pearlescent pattern on each individual handset (there's also a muted Space Black option). It’s subtle in all but the most direct light, which for me strikes the perfect balance between understated and fascinating. Both color options are rated at both IP68 and IP69 for water resistance against both immersion and jets.

The Find X8 Pro is otherwise simple-looking, but keeps things feeling premium with well-chosen materials and attention to detail. The phone is weighty, at 215 grams, but doesn’t feel overly heavy. The camera housing on the Pearl White model is made of polished metal, rather than the glass found on premium OnePlus models, and I have to say, I’m a fan. It gives an industrial contrast to the artsy rear cover and everything on the rear panel a pleasant muted sheen.

The front panel hosts a 6.78-inch screen, curved slightly on each edge. The selfie camera is a reasonably inconspicuous punch-hole design that serves as the midpoint of the software-only Dynamic Cloud – which is, as it sounds, very similar in form and function to Apple’s Dynamic Island.

Ergonomically, the Find X8 finds a nice balance between the ultra-thin curved phones of five or so years ago and the blocky flagships of today. It feels great to hold, but is a little slippery. The phone also seems plenty durable, with weighty buttons and aluminum rails, and comes with a screen protector pre-installed.

On the topic of buttons, the new Quick Button can be found on the lower right-hand side of the frame. The Quick Button is a camera button in all but name, and currently only supports functions and shortcuts directly related to the camera. It’s a nice addition to have and sits flatter than the iPhone’s Camera Control, feeling overall less obtrusive as a result.

Design score: 4 / 5

Oppo Find X8 Pro review: Display

The Oppo Find X8 Pro against some buildings, with the display on and lockscreen visible

(Image credit: Future / Jamie Richards)
  • 1264 x 2780 resolution (19.8:9 aspect ratio)
  • 120Hz refresh rate
  • Ludicrous peak brightness of 4500 nits

The display on the Oppo Find X8 Pro is a sharp 1264 x 2780 panel with a 120Hz refresh rate that works in tandem with Oppo’s new animation technology to offer a truly fluid experience. At 6.78 inches, this is as large as I’d want a phone screen to be, and this size lends itself to dual senses of openness and immersion.

The display on the Find X8 Pro isn’t the highest resolution on the market, but it’s certainly enough to make images and video look razor-sharp. There’s plenty of color, and though I’ve definitely seen panels with richer contrast, the Find X8 is well beyond serviceable. The large size and overall sharpness of this panel lends itself well to all types of games, from the landscape shoot-em-up Call of Duty Mobile to charming vertical RPGs like Mousebusters.

The Find X8 Pro’s screen can reach a respectable 800 nits of brightness in typical use, with an absolute maximum of 4500 nits. That is ludicrously bright and far past the realm of actual usefulness. I found the phone to be reasonably bright in normal use, though colors can appear slightly blown out at the higher end of the brightness slider. I never found myself struggling to read the display outside, though the auto-brightness can sometimes make the screen a little too dim indoors.

Display score: 4 / 5

Oppo Find X8 Pro review: Software

The Oppo Find X8 home screen

(Image credit: Future / Jamie Richards)
  • Android 15 with ColorOS 15
  • Unacceptable amount of bloatware
  • Google Gemini-powered AI

ColorOS 15 is one of the smoothest experiences I’ve had with a smartphone operating system, neck-and-neck with OxygenOS 15 – which adds up, considering they’re basically the same thing. AI is provided courtesy of Google Gemini, with support for Circle to Search, writing tools, document summarization, voice memo transcription, and photo editing tools.

Oppo has imbued ColorOS with some of the highest quality animations I've ever seen on a mobile OS. This translates into exceptionally smooth navigation, and in combination with Oppo’s other fantastic UI animations, depth of field effects, and other visual tricks, gives the operating system a playful sense of elasticity and responsiveness I’ve seen nowhere else in the smartphone market, bar maybe the iPhone.

That leads us to an unavoidable fact about ColorOS 15 – the liberal inspiration it's taken from iOS. Everything from the default wallpapers to the way the date and time sit on the lock screen to the layout of the settings app feels like an echo of the iPhone. The Dynamic Cloud, while useful, is barely distinct from the iPhone's Dynamic Island, and the Quick Settings tab is almost a one-for-one recreation of the iOS 18 control center. Oppo is clearly well-versed in making fantastic software that runs like it's being chased, but it’d be nice to see more of the company’s own personality come through.

Another unfortunate mark on an otherwise exceptionally fast software experience is the absolutely unacceptable amount of bloatware the phone ships with; a ridiculous inclusion on a device of this price that regrettably tarnished my first impressions of the phone. I also couldn't get Google Wallet to enable contactless payments – unrelated, but important.

Software score: 3 / 5

Oppo Find X8 Pro review: Cameras

The Oppo Find X8 Pro's camera housing

(Image credit: Future / Jamie Richards)
  • 50MP wide camera
  • 50MP ultra-wide camera
  • 50MP telephoto with 3x optical zoom
  • 50MP telephoto with 6x optical zoom

The camera system on the Oppo Find X8 Pro is absolutely superb. This is a robust, flexible, and staggeringly powerful camera setup that excels in most situations, particularly with its optical zoom and night photography. While there are a wealth of modes, features, and shooting options built into the Find X8’s camera app, the phone is truly brilliant at offering a fast and reliable point and shoot experience – I never had to consciously consider choosing night mode, or portrait mode, as the default photo tab worked so well. The new Quick Button – a shutter button in all but name – elevates this phone to something closer to a traditional digital camera, and the hardware is certainly there.

Each of the four cameras affixed to the Oppo Find X8 Pro has a 50MP sensor, ensuring consistent quality across its wide optical zoom range. You get an ultra-wide camera, main wide camera, 3x telephoto, and 6x telephoto. All of these cameras feel like powerful tools rather than tacked-on gimmicks, and despite my noted disdain for ultra-wide snappers I must say that this is the best one I’ve come across. Zooming in to the telephoto cameras feels like a natural extension of the main camera, and some excellent software trickery means the transition between lenses when zooming in and out is rarely noticeable.

The Find X8 Pro's optical zoom range of 6x is close to class-leading at this point, now that Samsung no longer fits its phones with 10x lenses. The Find X8 also offers a ludicrous digital zoom range of 120x, which is impressive up to about 40x and then serviceable up to 60x. Past that point, you’re relying on post-processing or an optional AI Telephoto Zoom mode to fill in the gaps and sharpen the blurry original image. The AI zoom isn't great at details, but can guess the outline of shapes and text with decent accuracy.

The camera system’s post-processing is very active overall – some people will prefer a less edited look, but I think it adds a nice amount of color depth, contrast, and sharpness, which directly opposes the brightened style favored by the iPhone and Galaxy flagships. As for video, the phone shoots in 4k at 60fps with the ability to shoot in slow-motion at up to 480fps in 720p.

And, of course, there’s a new way to control the camera system on the Find X8 Pro. The Quick Button appears in the same position and does some of the same things as the iPhone’s Camera Control – it’s seemingly a haptic-sensitive button that supports swiping touch gestures. The Quick Button only does a few things, though – a double press opens the camera app, wherein a single press takes a photo, a long press either takes a burst of photos or a video, and swiping back and forth in landscape mode zooms in and out.

Sure, this isn’t as deep a feature set as Apple’s version, but I still found the Quick Button to be massively effective in reducing the time from thought to photo. The only complaints I have are that the scroll-to-zoom can be a little ‘sticky’ sometimes or occasionally just not work, and that there’s no half-press-to-focus function (Oppo missed an open goal with that one).

Camera score: 4.5 / 5

Oppo Find X8 Pro Camera Samples

Image 1 of 5

The Eiffel Tower, at night, illuminated

(Image credit: Future / Jamie Richards)
Image 2 of 5

Epping Forest

(Image credit: Future / Jamie Richards)
Image 3 of 5

Offices along the Seine

(Image credit: Future / Jamie Richards)
Image 4 of 5

A Parisian street

(Image credit: Future / Jamie Richards)
Image 5 of 5

The Moon

(Image credit: Future / Jamie Richards)

Oppo Find X8 Pro review: Performance

The Oppo Find X8 Pro running Call of Duty Mobile

(Image credit: Future / Jamie Richards)
  • MediaTek Dimensity 9400
  • GPU: Immortalis G-925
  • 16GB of RAM

Day-to-day, the Find X8 Pro performs admirably, powered by the MediaTek Dimensity 9400 chipset. I encountered no slowdown at all in general usage, and found I could swiftly switch between apps and games with no fuss from the hardware.

The phone also performs well across its array of AI tools, with reasonably fast load times and no real lag or slowdown. The Quick Button lives up to its name in accessing the camera app, which opens near-enough instantly from anywhere in the OS.

The Find X8 Pro comes equipped with 16GB of RAM, a generous allotment that means the phone has plenty of headroom for multitasking and AI. The phone's combination of strong internal specs and a large display also makes it a capable gaming machine, and I had no issues booting up games like Atom RPG or Call of Duty Mobile for sessions on the go, with little noticeable warming.

To put it simply, the Oppo Find X8 Pro just feels efficient. I didn’t notice anything putting more strain on the battery, and the phone seems happy to sustain a variety of concurrent processes. The phone excels in shaving milliseconds off of the hundred-a-day tasks: switching apps, opening files, installing software, and so on. This all adds up and makes using the Oppo Find X8 a fluid and satisfying experience.

Oppo Find X8 Pro review: Battery

The USB-C port of the Oppo Find X8 Pro

(Image credit: Future / Jamie Richards)
  • 5,910mAh battery
  • 80W wired charging
  • 50W wireless charging

The Oppo Find X8 Pro sports an all-day battery life, with power to spare. The 5,910mAh silicon-carbon battery gives the Find X8 Pro exceptional longevity. It handles busy days of mixed use with no issue, and doesn’t seem to drain too drastically during gaming sessions or when playing back longer videos.

The real magic comes when it’s time to plug in the Find X8 Pro to recharge – the phone doesn't only come with a charger, which is itself a major win in today’s market, but an 80W charger using Oppo’s own SuperVOOC technology. What that means in practice is blisteringly fast charging speeds and more flexibility for battery top-ups. I almost never saw the Oppo Find X8 Pro run out of battery, as even a cursory 5-minute charge could net me an extra 10% or so of battery life. The phone also supports 50W wireless charging, and reverse wireless charging.

When I tested the charging speed of the Oppo Find X8 Pro, I found that the phone reached 50% charge in about 20 minutes and 100% in around 45 minutes. I started the test, as despite my best efforts I couldn't get the phone to completely run out in a reasonable amount of time.

Standby times are also exceptional, and the phone will do everything in its power to prevent this with warnings at 20%, 10%, 5%, and 2%, before launching into Super Power Saving mode at 1%, limiting your usage to just six apps.

Battery score: 5 / 5

Should you buy the Oppo Find X8 Pro?

Buy it if...

You want the best cameras

The Oppo Find X8 Pro has a simply fantastic camera system that rivals any of our present choices for the best camera phones. The new Quick Button adds even more control.

You want a truly premium design

The Find X8 Pro makes some bold choices with its design, but ultimately feels as luxurious as it does aesthetically fresh. It hits a home run with its ergonomics and is clearly built to last.

You want a beautiful display

The Find X8 Pro comes equipped with a beautiful and immersive 6.78-inch display that rarely looks anything less than great. It's large enough to be a serious contender for watching TV shows and movies on, too.

You want impressive battery life

The Oppo Find X8 Pro lasts a full day of mixed use with energy to spare, with a huge 5,910mAh cell that simply refuses to run all the way down. Charging is absolutely rapid, too.

Don't buy it if...

You're on a budget

The Find X8 Pro offers a lot of high-quality hardware, but you'll certainly pay for it. Chinese phone makers can no longer be relied on to undercut Western brands at the top end of their lineups, and Oppo has proved no different.

You value originality

The Oppo Find X8 Pro does some things better than the iPhone 16 Pro, but it's fairly obvious that the phone was designed with some serious Apple inspiration. If you're someone who likes to reward originality, you might want to look elsewhere.

Oppo Find X8 Pro review: Also consider

iPhone 16 Pro Max

The real thing, as it were. Those who want an iPhone probably won't be swayed by the Find X8 Pro, but nevertheless it's worth considering paying a little extra to scratch the Apple itch if it's one you find yourself stuck with.

Read our iPhone 16 Pro Max review

Samsung Galaxy S24 Plus

The Samsung Galaxy S24 Plus takes the premium design, exceptional cameras, and powerful AI tools of the base-model S24 and puts them into a larger frame, with a bigger display and even better battery life. If you want a large Android phone from a more recognizable brand, this is one to consider.

Read our Samsung Galaxy S24 Plus review

iPhone 16

If you're more intrigued by the Find X8 Pro's Quick Button than anything else, it could be worth taking a look at the iPhone 16. Sure, it's got a humbler specs sheet than Oppo's new flagship, but the Camera Control is far more powerful than the Find X8 Pro's shutter button. It helps that it's a fair bit cheaper, too.

Read our iPhone 16 review

How I tested the Oppo Find X8 Pro

My testing of the Oppo Find X8 Pro included several specifically chosen test scenarios as well as more general day-to-day usage over the course of about one week. The model tested came in the Pearl White color option and came with 512GB of storage.

I used the Oppo Find X8 Pro as my everyday smartphone for about a week to test it, using it to chat with friends and family, scroll through websites and social media, watch videos, listen to music, and play games. I went out to test all four of the phone’s cameras in a variety of conditions. I then considered the performance and value proposition of the Find X8 Pro using my knowledge of the smartphone market and journalistic training.

For more on our smartphone test process, be sure to check out our guide to how we test phones for review.

Lenovo ThinkStation P3 Ultra Workstation review
5:29 pm | November 16, 2024

Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets Pro | Tags: , , , | Comments: Off

Lenovo is a well-known brand in the world of professional business computing. They make phenomenal computers of all shapes, sizes, budgets, and performance. The ThinkStation P3 Ultra targets design, engineering, and video editing professionals who need high-powered machines capable of some serious computing power.

The ThinkStation P3 Ultra is on the higher end of Lenovo Workstations, and can be spec'd up to a 14th Gen i9, Windows 11 Pro for Business, NVIDIA RTX A5500, up to 128 GB RAM, up to 4TB of storage, and even an M.2 RAID. This can be a pretty hefty computer with a pretty hefty price tag. But how does it compare to the best workstations we've reviewed? We put the ThinkStation P3 Ultra to the test. 

Lenovo ThinkStation P3 Ultra: Price and Availability

Since there are so many upgrades available to the ThinkStation P3 Ultra, there are even more possible price tags thanks to the different possible combinations of these upgrades. However, what is easy to state is that the starting price for all base features is $934.45 at the time of writing this article, and the price, of course, climbs from there. The highest-end model can reach nearly $5,000. Compared to similar PCs, there is some competitive pricing for some of the features.

The Lenovo ThinkStation P3 Ultra is available in multiple regions, such as the US and the UK. For more information on whether this computer is available for you, the best place to start looking is on Lenovo's website. However, it is available on multiple other retailers as well.

Lenovo ThinkStation P3 Ultra

(Image credit: Collin Probst // Future)

Lenovo ThinkStation P3 Ultra: Unboxing and First Impressions

Unboxing the Lenovo ThinkStation P3 Ultra was about like unboxing any other Lenovo computer. The box is simple and contains the workstation, a power cable, an adapter for Wi-Fi, and setup guides. Right away, I could tell this machine meant power, partly due to the abundance of DisplayPorts in the back and partially because it looked beefy, like every square millimeter of space packed with power on the inside. The compact nature was immediately noticeable, yet it does not feel compact when using it; instead, it feels quite expansive, powerful, and like a supercar at the start of an open highway.

Lenovo ThinkStation P3 Ultra

(Image credit: Collin Probst // Future)

Lenovo ThinkStation P3 Ultra: Design and Build Quality

As expected for a high-end workstation, the Lenovo ThinkStation P3 Ultra has excellent build quality. It seems durable -- though I don't feel any desire to push this to the limit due to the cost of this machine -- it feels like it cools pretty easily, the machine is relatively quiet even when under heavy loads, and it has easy to access ports, without any being hidden, or in dumb spots, as some compact units choose to do to save space. However, one thing that I did notice that I did not love was the absence of Thunderbolt ports at the back of the unit. There are two in the front, which is helpful, especially for large file transfers, but none in the back. 

As someone who loves and gets to utilize some of the best Thunderbolt Docks on the market, I am pretty bummed none of mine will reach full potential unless the Thunderbolt cable is plugged into the front of the unit. Additionally, if I had a Thunderbolt or even a USB-C display I wanted to use, I would have to also run a DisplayPort cable up to my monitor of choice. But, especially with the newest Apple Computers releasing Thunderbolt 5, having the Thunderbolt 4 ports on the front of the machine will help with data transfer, and that's probably why they are there in the first place.

Lenovo ThinkStation P3 Ultra

(Image credit: Collin Probst // Future)

Lenovo ThinkStation P3 Ultra: In use

Specs

CPU: Intel 13th-gen Core (up to i9) or Xeon
GPU: NVIDIA RTX A2000 to A5000 options
RAM: Up to 64GB DDR5 ECC memory
Storage: Up to 4TB SSD
Ports: USB-C, USB-A, Ethernet, HDMI, DisplayPort, Thunderbolt
OS: Windows 11 Pro

The Lenovo ThinkStation P3 Ultra is not the computer you would get to run a few Chrome (or any other browser) Tabs. It's different from one you would use for essential business or admin work. This is the kind of machine you get when you have advanced 3D rendering jobs, CAD projects, or even video editing that need to be done. During my testing, I pushed the RAM and GPU by exporting four lines of 4k footage through DaVinci Resolve, and it sliced through it like butter. I also used this to finish some CAD projects I had started for some 3D printing projects I am working on (for more, see our round-up of the best 3D printers). I found the workstation was able to render incredibly fast, and it sliced the .stl so I could send it to my 3D printer super quick, too.

I will be the first to admit I am a heavy and intense computer user, but at the same time, I am nowhere near the most powerful user there is. I wouldn't need this kind of power in my day-to-day, but it is very nice to have. This powerhouse would be helpful for professional video editors, those who use CAD for 3D renderings, and even some intense coders or programmers.

For the raw power that this computer can output, even when under heavy load, it remains pretty quiet. And, when it's not maxing out its cores, it's pretty quiet and could sit out on your desk without needing to be tucked away due to loud fans.

Lenovo ThinkStation P3 Ultra

(Image credit: Collin Probst // Future)

Lenovo ThinkStation P3 Ultra: Final verdict

Overall, The ThinkStation P3 Ultra from Lenovo is an excellent choice for those who prioritize power and want a compact form factor. Granted, there are some limitations in ports when it comes to Thunderbolt placement and lack of HDMI, but even with that being the case, this computer is still highly versatile and incredibly powerful for those who need a powerful compact desktop.


For portable powerhouses, we tested the best mobile workstations and the best Lenovo ThinkPad laptops

Exynos 1580 unveiled with Cortex-A720 cores, double the GPU hardware
2:15 pm | October 24, 2024

Author: admin | Category: Mobile phones news | Tags: | Comments: Off

The Exynos 1480 was a cool mid-range chip – literally, its sustained performance was great. But it was only ever used in one phone, Samsung’s own Galaxy A55, which is a bit of a shame. Here’s what comes next – the Exynos 1580, likely to be used in the upcoming Galaxy A56. This chip is a major upgrade over its predecessor – it’s built on a new node, with ARMv9 CPU cores and double the GPU hardware. Specifically, the chip is fabbed on Samsung’s third-generation 4nm EUV FinFET process. The CPU of the Exynos 1580 moves to a three-cluster design with one prime Cortex-A720 core (2.9GHz),...

Qualcomm announces Snapdragon 8 Elite chip with Oryon CPU, 40% faster GPU
10:00 pm | October 21, 2024

Author: admin | Category: Mobile phones news | Tags: | Comments: Off

Following a lengthy leak campaign, the Snapdragon 8 Elite is official as the latest flagship chipset poised to power the next generation of Android flagships. As you might have guessed, Qualcomm is going for a unified naming scheme with its ARM-based X Elite laptop chips. Like the Snapdragon laptop chips, 8 Elite brings an Oryon CPU with a custom eight-core structure consisting of 2x prime cores clocked at 4.32 GHz and 6x performance units working at up to 3.53 GHz. That’s paired with an industry-leading 24MB L2 cache and support for 5,300MHz LPDDR5X RAM. The new chip is fabbed on...

Qualcomm announces Snapdragon 8 Elite chip with Oryon CPU, 40% faster GPU
10:00 pm |

Author: admin | Category: Mobile phones news | Tags: | Comments: Off

Following a lengthy leak campaign, the Snapdragon 8 Elite is official as the latest flagship chipset poised to power the next generation of Android flagships. As you might have guessed, Qualcomm is going for a unified naming scheme with its ARM-based X Elite laptop chips. Like the Snapdragon laptop chips, 8 Elite brings an Oryon CPU with a custom eight-core structure consisting of 2x prime cores clocked at 4.32 GHz and 6x performance units working at up to 3.53 GHz. That’s paired with an industry-leading 24MB L2 cache and support for 5,300MHz LPDDR5X RAM. The new chip is fabbed on...

Xiaomi 14T review: considered compromises
3:29 pm | October 1, 2024

Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets Phones Xiaomi Phones | Tags: , , , | 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

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