Xiaomi 14T Pro Review: A Mobile Tech & Hardware Marvel

Price and Availability

The Xiaomi 14T Pro comes in three configurations. There’s the 256GB+12GB version for £649, the 512GB+12GB model for £699, or the top-end 1TB+12GB unit for £799. These prices are all in British Sterling as, unfortunately, Xiaomi devices still aren’t widely available in the US. However, if you live in Europe or the UK, you can pick one up via the official Xiaomi website, and until October 31, you’ll get a free Xiaomi Pad 6 for good measure. There are three colorways to choose from: Titan Grey, Titan Black, and Titan Blue. We’ve got the Titan Grey model, and while it’s a little muted, I’m still a fan of the silvery matte finish.

Specs

• Battery: 5,000mAh
• Display: 6.67-inch 144Hz AMOLED (1220 x 2712 pixels)
• CPU: Mediatek Dimensity 9300+
• RAM: 12GB
• Storage: 256GB / 512GB / 1TB
• Front Camera: 32MP
• Back Cameras: 50MP main, 50MP telephoto, 12MP ultrawide
• Weight: 209g
• Dimensions: 160.4 x 75.1 x 8.39mm
• Colors: Titan Gray, Titan Blue, Titan Black

Features and Software

The Xiaomi 14T Pro runs on the brand’s own HyperOS Android 14 skin. While it’s not the best OS in the game - Apple still takes the cake in that regard with iOS - it’s much easier to use and get your head around than the Miui operating system Xiaomi put out to pasture last year. The phone is relatively light on bloatware out of the box, too, so you don’t have to spend your first hour with the phone deleting countless apps. There are still a few to get rid of, including my nemesis, the Booking.com app, but I’ve seen more egregious examples of bloatware. As it’s 2024, a year that’ll go down in history as the dawn of smartphone AI, the 14T Pro promises a host of Xiaomi AI-powered features and the new Google Gemini app, with Circle to Search with Google coming at a later date. This review is the first time I’ve properly gone hands-on with Gemini, and even for an AI skeptic like me, I can’t deny that it’s a useful tool.

Design

As soon as I took the 14T Pro out of its box, I was impressed by how much of a looker this thing is. From the lovely rounded corners to the discrete grip texture of the power button, I was instantly a big fan. Then I realized something else. It looks just like an iPhone.

Cameras

Xiaomi always goes hard on its cameras, and the 14T Pro is no different. This device boasts a pretty serious photography setup, with a 50MP main camera, 50MP telephoto, and 12MP ultrawide, all co-engineered with Leica, the famous German camera brand, and spanning across five focal lengths. Honestly, this setup feels a little wasted on me, as I’m not the most eager snapper, but if you are, there’s plenty here to take advantage of in terms of both hardware and software.