Professional’s Ranking
Professionals
- Storming efficiency
- First rate cameras
- Very competitively priced
- Tremendous speedy charging
Cons
- Cluttered software program with incomplete AI
- Pretty boring design
- No charger included
Our Verdict
Xiaomi has as soon as once more proven itself to be a grasp of smartphone {hardware} at a massively aggressive worth, with some vital enhancements over the 13T Professional. Software program continues to be its Achilles heel, nonetheless, with a cluttered UI and recent AI options that don’t appear fairly prepared for prime time.
Worth When Reviewed
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Worth When Reviewed
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With Google going full-on flagship with its Pixel 9 worth bump, it’s fallen to the likes of the Samsung Galaxy S24 FE and the Nothing Cellphone (2) to fill the gray space between mid-range and flagship smartphones. Now the Xiaomi 14T Professional is right here to supply a barely more energizing proposition.
With a flagship-level Mediatek Dimensity 9300+ processor, an impressively specced 6.67-inch 144Hz OLED show, a potent Leica-branded triple digicam system, and speedy 120W charging assist, the Xiaomi 14T Professional appears to supply numerous cellphone in your cash.
Certainly, with a £649 UK retail worth that carries over from the Xiaomi 13T Professional, this guarantees to offer the type of smartphone discount that’s been all too uncommon of late.
Xiaomi has made some welcome advances since its earlier T-Professional mannequin, although a few all-too-familiar gripes rear their head alongside some all-new ones. Let’s take a more in-depth look.
Design & Construct
- Bland however practical design
- IP68 rated
- IR blaster on prime
The very first thing to notice about Xiaomi’s T-range is that it’s by no means been a souped-up model of the previous non-T line-up. Fairly, it supplies a broadly flagship-flavoured expertise with some good concessions in an effort to hit a cheaper price level. A bit of like how Google does telephones such because the Pixel 8a however extra highly effective.
When it comes to design, the Xiaomi 14T Professional is a bigger, bulkier, and barely much less premium-feeling cellphone than the superb Xiaomi 14. It broadly sticks to the identical structure, with a flat steel rim and a big sq. digicam module, however with a much less refined end.
Jon Mundy / Foundry
It makes use of a extra utilitarian matte glass again in no-nonsense shades of Titanium Black (like my take a look at mannequin), Titanium Gray, and Titanium Blue. Stated glass again now includes a pleasing subtle glitter impact, which is manner higher than the Xiaomi 13T Professional’s extremely reflective end.
That’s in regards to the extent of any showiness on show right here, although. The digicam module, with its 4 rings, appears lots like an electrical hob.
That is fairly an enormous cellphone, with a thickness of 8.4mm and a weight of 209g, however it stays firmly in manageable territory. It’s additionally constructed extraordinarily properly, with a stable really feel and a flagship-level IP68 ranking, that means it’s as water and dirt resistant as virtually another cellphone available on the market.
I’m pleased to notice that the display screen bezel, whereas removed from skinny, is sort of even all the way in which round, which makes the cellphone seem extra premium than the Galaxy S23 FE from the entrance.
Jon Mundy / Foundry
One welcome focal point is the facility button, which carries a pleasant textured end to assist differentiate it from the sleek, elongated quantity rocker. There’s no room for a 3.5mm headphone jack or a microSD card slot on any of these thick edges, however that’s to be anticipated.
What with this being a Xiaomi cellphone, you get the quirky bonus of an IR blaster on the highest edge. Utilizing the preinstalled Mi Distant app, this lets you take management of your Hello-Fi or your TV out of your cellphone, which is a genuinely helpful provision if you happen to stay in a home filled with tech.
Jon Mundy / Foundry
Display screen & Audio system
- Glorious 6.67in 1220 x 2712 show
- 144Hz peak refresh charge
- Robust twin audio system
Xiaomi has caught with precisely the identical show as final 12 months’s mannequin, and also you gained’t catch me grumbling about that. It’s the identical robust 6.67in AMOLED with a stand-out 144Hz decision and a sharper-than-usual 1220 x 2712 decision.
That 144Hz refresh charge is a tad gimmicky if I’m being sincere. Even with the variety of telephones I exploit in the midst of my job, I might wrestle to select a 144Hz display screen over a 120Hz with out fidgeting with each side-by-side.
the Xiaomi 14T Professional display screen has a stage of smoothness (not less than when you drive 144Hz to be lively on a regular basis) that you just solely have a tendency to seek out in gaming telephones
Jon Mundy / Foundry
I’d even make the case that 120Hz could be preferable on battery life grounds. The actual fact stays, although, that the Xiaomi 14T Professional display screen has a stage of smoothness (not less than when you drive 144Hz to be lively on a regular basis) that you just solely have a tendency to seek out in gaming telephones, in addition to Motorola’s higher-end efforts.
It’s value shouting out that decision, which finds a pleasant candy spot between FHD+ and QHD’s pixel overkill. Textual content and pictures look that little bit sharper right here than on, say, the Nothing Cellphone (2) display screen.
Brightness is stable, if far in need of fashionable flagship commonplace. I measured a prime brightness of round 580 nits with auto brightness off and the Daylight mode booster on. It’s good and color correct too, with a median Delta E of 1.08 (1 being the perfect) within the default Authentic color PRO color scheme.
Jon Mundy / Foundry
Xiaomi’s in-display fingerprint sensors generally is a little temperamental, however whereas the Xiaomi 14T Professional’s definitely isn’t essentially the most dependable I’ve used, it proved nearly constant sufficient in day after day utilization.
Like its predecessor, the Xiaomi 14T Professional options stereo audio system, they usually do an inexpensive job. They lack the depth and nuance of a real flagship just like the iPhone 16 Professional or the Pixel 9 Professional (each promoting for tons of extra), however the highs keep crisp even at pretty excessive volumes.
Specs & Efficiency
- MediaTek Dimensity 9300+ chipset
- Very good all-round efficiency
- Inner storage from 256GB to 1TB
Xiaomi takes an fascinating strategy to efficiency with its T-series. Fairly than take the standard Snapdragon route, it usually goes with a prime chip from Qualcomm rival MediaTek, which tends to work out cheaper.
Fortunately, MediaTek’s chips have come on leaps and bounds lately, and the MediaTek Dimensity 9300+ powering the Xiaomi 14T Professional is one other stonker.
Our Geekbench 6 benchmark exams recommend a CPU that’s on par with Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 telephones just like the Xiaomi 14 and the Samsung Galaxy S24, each of which carry a a lot larger RRP. Suffice to say, it positively stomps the Pixel 9 with its sluggish Tensor G4 chip.
The day-to-day expertise of working this cellphone drives residence the sensation that it is a genuinely flagship-level performer
Jon Mundy / Foundry
GPU outcomes are more durable to come back by, as Xiaomi typically appears to dam the standard benchmark exams forward of launch. Anecdotally, I used to be in a position to run Genshin Influence on maxed out settings – that’s Highest/60fps – and nonetheless keep very fluid efficiency.
It’s helped alongside by 12GB of RAM. There’s a 16GB choice on the market too in sure areas, which looks as if overkill however can’t harm both.
Xiaomi 14T Professional benchmarks
The day-to-day expertise of working this cellphone drives residence the sensation that it is a genuinely flagship-level performer. Even with the 144Hz show compelled on on a regular basis, I didn’t choose up a lot as a stutter whereas whizzing round between apps and residential screens.
Equally, the unlock course of is nigh-on instantaneous, as is utilising the digicam shortcut from the lock display screen. I’ve been utilizing Google’s Pixel 9 Professional and Apple’s iPhone 15 Professional in amongst my Xiaomi 14T Professional testing, and there’s been no tangible drop off within the typically snappy feeling I get with these costlier telephones. Fairly the alternative if you happen to’re speaking in regards to the Pixel 9 Professional, the truth is.
There’s a beneficiant unfold of storage choices too, ranging from 256GB and topping out at 1TB. You don’t get any microSD enlargement choices, however that’s fairly regular in right now’s flagship telephones.
Connectivity is bang updated too, with assist for Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 5.4, alongside the anticipated NFC and 5G.
Cameras
- Robust 50Mp primary and achieved 50Mp telephoto
- Glorious 32Mp selfie digicam
- 12Mp ultrawide simply OK
- AI enhancing instruments a blended bag
Xiaomi actually stepped issues up with the 13T Professional’s digicam set-up final 12 months, and the Xiaomi 14T Professional subtly builds on that strategy.
The essential specs are related, with a 50Mp primary digicam, a 50Mp 2x telephoto, and a 12Mp ultra-wide. Nonetheless, the principle digicam is barely totally different to earlier than, with a 1/1.31in sensor. That’s fractionally smaller than final 12 months’s, however don’t take that as a foul signal.
Jon Mundy / Foundry
Certainly, this seems to be precisely the identical Mild Fusion 900 sensor that Xiaomi used within the glorious Xiaomi 14, paired with the identical massive f/1.6 aperture. Along with a Summilux optical lens, Xiaomi reckons that it pulls in 32% extra mild than the Xiaomi 13T Professional.
Leica’s involvement right here most clearly manifests itself the very first time you hearth up the digicam app, if you’re supplied the selection of two primary types: Leica Genuine and Leica Vibrant. This gives two appreciably totally different appears – the primary extra pure and ‘as seen’, the latter with extra pop and color, with out sending issues too gaudy.
It’s the identical because the flagship 14 and 14 Extremely on this respect and largely a matter of style, and I really discovered my choice switching from shot to shot, so it’s lucky you may flick between them with a contact of a digital button within the Digital camera app. Try the distinction under.
Common picture high quality is nice right here, although I did discover that the Xiaomi 14T Professional missed its publicity a few instances. We’re solely speaking a handful of pictures out of virtually 100, however there was positively the odd underexposed shot in Genuine mode, or the odd occasional overly shiny space on Vibrant.
Subsequent pictures would are likely to appropriate this, however it’s reliability that counts with any point-and-shoot digicam. The 14T Professional isn’t unhealthy on this regard, however it isn’t the most effective both.
Night time pictures are first rate, however betray the cellphone’s less-than-flagship standing. I recognize how they protect the inky shade of darker scenes, however it undoubtedly struggles to tug out element in addition to pricier telephones just like the Pixel 9 Professional and the iPhone 15 Professional – notably in very darkish conditions.
14T Professional’s telephoto acquits itself very properly for the cash, sustaining first rate element ranges even as much as 5x by stable hybrid zoom methods
The telephoto digicam appears a lot the identical as final 12 months’s, which is to say it’s a reasonably achieved 50Mp 2x snapper. In contrast aspect by aspect with the Pixel 9 Professional and the iPhone 15 Professional, I famous hints of overexposure and comparatively restricted dynamic vary within the Xiaomi 14T Professional, reflecting the truth that this isn’t fairly the flagship cellphone it aspires to be.
Usually talking, nonetheless, the 14T Professional’s telephoto acquits itself very properly for the cash, sustaining first rate element ranges even as much as 5x by stable hybrid zoom methods.
Xiaomi doesn’t seem to have achieved a lot with the 14T Professional’s ultra-wide digicam, not less than from a {hardware} perspective. It’s one other 12MP f/2.2 sensor that seems completely OK outcomes, although once more they fall properly in need of the most effective within the enterprise.
Xiaomi has upgraded the selfie digicam on the 14T Professional, regardless that that was one of many extra spectacular sensors on the 13T Professional. Right here you’re getting a 32MP entrance digicam very like the Xiaomi 14, and it produces robust element, pretty sharp topic separation, and first rate pores and skin tones.
In video phrases the 14T Professional as soon as once more helps as much as 8K at 30fps in Normal mode, which is a powerful spec in something lower than a prime finish cellphone. There’s additionally a MasterCinema mode that data in 10-bit Rec. 2020 with better HDR, which tops out at 4K/30fps.
Jon Mundy / Foundry
Xiaomi’s AI Picture Modifying suite allows you to do issues like step by step implement a transparent sky utilizing a slider, which works impressively properly. You may also add varied bokeh results, once more with a slider to regulate the severity of the impact.
The AI beautifying methods are slightly bizarre although. Utilizing AI to bulk up your shoulders, fill out your chin, or ‘optimise pores and skin radiance’ with an HD portrait felt considerably odd to me, although I’m certain there’s an viewers for it someplace on the earth.
In every case, these AI instruments require an preliminary load-up time, with the flexibility to pop into the menu and set up the AI Editor plug-in up entrance. These are additional steps that talk to a wider sense that AI hasn’t been absolutely built-in into Xiaomi’s set-up simply but. I’ll go into that extra slightly later.
Battery Life & Charging
- 5000mAh battery
- A lot improved battery life
- 120W wired charging, although no charger in field
- 50W wi-fi charging most welcome
Final 12 months’s Xiaomi 13T Professional didn’t have horrible battery life by any means, however it was positively certainly one of its weaker areas. Fortunately, it seems Xiaomi has taken steps to enhance it this time round.
It packs the identical 5000mAh battery, however whether or not it’s a extra environment friendly chip or optimisation from Xiaomi – almost certainly it’s a mixture of the 2 – I bought way more encouraging outcomes this time. In our typical PCMark Work 3.0 battery take a look at, the 14T Professional lasted 12 hours and 32 minutes, which is greater than 4 hours longer than the Xiaomi 13T Professional.
That determine sees it path behind the Pixel 9 and the Nothing Cellphone (2), however beats the Galaxy S24 and attracts stage with the Xiaomi 14. Provided that this was attained with the display screen set to 144Hz, that’s not a foul consequence.
Xiaomi all the time supplies a few of the greatest charging speeds in any given space of the smartphone market, and the Xiaomi 14T Professional as soon as once more helps a blistering 120W wired commonplace
Jon Mundy / Foundry
In common day after day use, I used to be typically in a position to get by a 16 hour day of average utilization, with round 4 hours of display screen on time, and be left with round 50% left. Once more, that is stable stuff.
Xiaomi all the time supplies a few of the greatest charging speeds in any given space of the smartphone market, and the Xiaomi 14T Professional as soon as once more helps a blistering 120W wired commonplace. The catch with this 12 months’s mannequin is that you just don’t get a charger within the field.
That is achieved with the standard claims of lowering waste, which is undoubtedly true, however it additionally serves to move a doubtlessly vital value onto the consumer. Add within the worth of an official Xiaomi 120W charger at £39.99, and you could possibly take it as representing a stealthy worth bump over the 13T Professional.
Fortuitously I had simply such a 120W Xiaomi charger handy. Having deactivated the charging restriction within the settings menu (aimed toward preserving battery life), I used to be in a position to get the 14T Professional from empty to 65% in quarter-hour, and to 100% in round 26 minutes. That’s manner quicker than something from Samsung, Apple, or Google.
One other huge addition that makes up for the shortage of a charger within the field is that Xiaomi has lastly applied wi-fi charging to the combination. It’ll go as much as 50W, too, when you’ve got the suitable £49.99 Xiaomi charger.
Software program & AI
- HyperOS continues to frustrate
- Constructed on Android 14
- AI options up within the air
For the reason that launch of the 13T Professional final 12 months, Xiaomi has drawn a line below its divisive MIUI customized Android interface. The Xiaomi 14T Professional, just like the Xiaomi 14 telephones, runs on its new HyperOS.
Whereas it feels sharper and snappier than ever right here – comfortably residing as much as the Xiaomi 14T Professional’s succesful processor and 144Hz show – it continues to frustrate. I’d like to say that HyperOS heralds in a very new strategy to cellular interface design on Xiaomi’s half, with a cleaner, extra fashionable look and fewer bloatware. But it surely appears and feels very like MIUI earlier than it.
It runs on prime of Android 14, however you wouldn’t understand it. Virtually none of Google’s clear, fashionable UI, as seen on the Pixel 9 and Pixel 8a, works its manner by right here. The notification and management centre is an overstuffed affair, and one which splits in two, iOS-style.
Jon Mundy / Foundry
There’s no app tray (although this may be added) and the icons and menus vary between charmless and flat out ugly. You possibly can basically alter the look of those with Xiaomi’s Themes retailer, however numerous these are fairly tacky-looking, whereas numerous them additionally require fee.
It felt like HyperOS was continually attempting to push Xiaomi’s Wallpaper Carousel on me with its random, sometimes weird lock display screen skins. After one night time out, I discovered that I should have by chance accepted certainly one of these prompts, and located myself Googling the best way to deactivate it once more.
Xiaomi’s Settings menu stays a warren of complicated placement and infuriating lifeless ends. I’ve by no means used a Settings search system greater than Xiaomi’s, whereas my heavy use of the ‘Want different settings?’ suggestion on the backside of those menus means that sure issues simply aren’t the place you (or not less than I) anticipate them to be.
Like each different producer, Xiaomi is heralding AI with its newest flagship(ish) cellphone however it’s not precisely a rosy scenario
Jon Mundy / Foundry
As soon as once more, there are a great deal of undesirable preinstalled apps right here. Xiaomi has a bunch of its personal core apps in fact. However you additionally get third get together efforts like Opera (making that three net browsers proper off the bat), Reserving.com, LinkedIn, Amazon Music (along with YouTube Music), WPS Workplace, and AliExpress. It’s all only a bit a lot to deal with from a recent set up.
Like each different producer, Xiaomi is heralding AI with its newest flagship(ish) cellphone however it’s not precisely a rosy scenario. A lot of that’s Google’s work, with Gemini preinstalled because the default assistant app, like on the Pixel 9. Google’s Circle to Search will apparently be made accessible on the cellphone from 6 October.
Jon Mundy / Foundry
Xiaomi additionally talked about a spread of its personal AI instruments in its press supplies, resembling AI Interpreter, AI Notes, AI Recorder, and AI Subtitles. Nonetheless, Xiaomi has since advised me that the cellular model of AI Interpreter is presently unavailable, whereas AI Interpreter and different AI options will probably be accessible by way of an replace on the day of the announcement. So, too late for me to check.
Solely AI Subtitles was really accessible to me forward of launch, and even then solely in obvious beta kind. Xiaomi is promising an OTA replace at some undetermined level sooner or later.
Having negotiated the glitchy technique of getting AI Subtitles working, it basically reads, interprets and subtitles presently taking part in audio and movies, each by way of a floating window on prime of the content material and an underlying app. It largely works as marketed, although the splurge of translated textual content from a French language video proved jerky and inconceivable to observe in actual time, with sentences increasing and contracting in a way that made my eyes go humorous.
Having completed the video, Xiaomi’s AI good abstract proved extra legible, giving me the principle speaking factors from a number of contributors. Nonetheless, its record of ‘Motion gadgets’ felt fully off the mark, forcing a productiveness angle the place there was none. It’s value reiterating that this isn’t completed software program proper now, and Xiaomi has not positioned a date on when the completed model will probably be prepared.
Worth & Availability
The Xiaomi 14T Professional begins at £649/€649 for 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage, identical to the Xiaomi 13T Professional earlier than it. My assessment mannequin is the 12GB/1TB choice which I don’t have a determine for on the time of writing.
You’ll have the ability to purchase it from the official Xiaomi Mi retailer in addition to, presumably, retailers like Amazon. As typical, it gained’t be formally accessible within the USA.
It’s a really aggressive worth for a cellphone that performs in addition to the Xiaomi 14T Professional, and there’s actually nothing else available on the market fairly this spectacular from a {hardware} perspective in late 2024.
With Google’s worth bump, the Pixel 9 is now £150 costlier. The Nothing Cellphone (2) is probably the closest competitor with its fractionally cheaper £629 RRP, however focuses on snazzy design and sharp software program over the 14T Professional’s uncooked spec assault.
Must you purchase the Xiaomi 14T Professional?
With the Xiaomi 14T Professional, Xiaomi has supplied a really properly specced almost-flagship cellphone with aggressive efficiency and a very good 144Hz OLED show. Its digicam set-up, whereas not fairly flagship commonplace, is able to fairly nice issues, whereas the design makes up for a scarcity of frills with stable construct high quality and a good invoice of supplies.
There have been notable enhancements over the Xiaomi 13T Professional too, most clearly within the provision of wi-fi charging – 50W no much less -, a extra sensible end, and much more dependable battery life.
It’s not fairly a house run, nonetheless. HyperOS continues to trigger friction, whereas Xiaomi’s AI implementation appears considerably half-baked on the time of writing. In the meantime, the omission of a charger within the field is way from uncommon, however it does doubtlessly signify a stealthy worth bump if you happen to don’t have already got certainly one of Xiaomi’s speedy 120W bricks.
As soon as once more, Xiaomi’s {hardware} is impeccable and its worth proposition compelling, however it nonetheless gained’t be the perfect cellphone for everybody.
Specs
- Android 14
- 6.67in, 1220 x 2712, OLED, 144Hz, flat show
- In-display fingerprint sensor
- Mediatek Dimensity 9300+
- 12/16GB RAM
- 256GB/512GB/1TB storage
- 50Mp, f/1.7 primary digicam
- 12Mp, f/2.2 ultra-wide digicam
- 50Mp, f/1.9 telephoto digicam
- As much as 8K @ 30fps rear video
- 32Mp front-facing digicam
- Stereo audio system
- Twin-SIM
- Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6/7
- Bluetooth 5.4
- 5000mAh battery
- 120W charging
- 160.4 x 75.1 x 8.4mm
- 209g
- Launch colors: Titanium Black, Titanium Gray, Titanium Blue