Xiaomi 14T review
The Xiaomi 14T is a feature-packed phone that boasts a sleek design, impressive display, and solid performance. The phone's flat and squared-off design gives it a premium look, and the vegan leather or matte plastic back options provide a comfortable grip. Despite the lack of a charger in the box, the device still offers full IP68-rated dust and water resistance. The 6.67-inch OLED display is identical to last year's model, with a 1220p resolution, 144Hz refresh rate, and Gorilla Glass 5 protection. While it may not be an upgrade, the display remains sharp and vibrant, with excellent color accuracy and HDR support. The phone also features stereo speakers with Dolby Atmos support, producing clear highs and good bass. Under the hood, the Xiaomi 14T is powered by a Mediatek Dimensity 8300 Ultra chipset, which provides a smooth user experience and decent gaming performance. While it may not be the most powerful chip available, it's sufficient for everyday use. The phone also features an under-display fingerprint scanner, fast storage (up to 512GB UFS 4.0), and Android 14 with Xiaomi's Hyper OS on top. Camera-wise, the Xiaomi 14T boasts a quad-camera setup, including a 50MP main camera, 50MP two-time telephoto zoom, and 13MP ultra-wide camera. While not revolutionary, the cameras produce excellent results in daylight and low-light conditions, with good detail and contrast. The phone can also record 4K video with all its cameras. However, battery life is a letdown, with an active use score of around 11 hours, which is lower than last year's model and some competitors. Charging is still relatively fast at 67W, but the lack of a charger in the box is a drawback. Overall, the Xiaomi 14T is a solid upper-midrange phone that offers great performance, cameras, and display, making it a worthwhile recommendation.
Build Quality and Design
The Xiaomi 14T may be the lesser phone in the duo, but next to the 14T Pro, it looks equally premium compared to last year's model. The design has been tweaked, and while the Xiaomi 13T was curvy, the new model is all flat and squared off. This change gives the phone a more mature and sophisticated look. One of the standout features of the 14T is its build quality. The plastic frame is the same color as the back panel, creating a unified look that doesn't feel plasticky. You can get the phone with either a vegan leather backing or a plastic back with a matte finish that sparkles in the light. This attention to detail elevates the overall feel of the device. The 14T also boasts full IP68-rated dust and water resistance, just like last year's model. The display is protected by Gorilla Glass 5, which adds an extra layer of durability. While the display itself matches last year's specs, the max brightness has been updated with a sunlight mode that allows for nearly 850 nits of brightness in manual mode. Overall, the Xiaomi 14T's design and build quality are solid upgrades from its predecessor. The phone feels premium in hand, and the attention to detail is commendable. While some may find the flat design less appealing than the curvy 13T, there's no denying that this is a well-crafted device that deserves consideration in the upper mid-range market.
Battery Life
The Xiaomi 14T boasts a robust feature set, but its battery life is a letdown. Despite packing a generous 5,000mAh power pack, the phone's active use score is lower than expected, clocking in at around 11 hours and 30 minutes. This is less impressive compared to last year's model and several competitors. While the Xiaomi 14T supports 67W fast charging, which can get the battery from 0-72% in just half an hour and a full charge in 49 minutes, the lack of an included charger is an inconvenience. The phone's thermal management is decent during prolonged stress tests, but it didn't perform exceptionally well. One would expect a device with such impressive specs to have better battery life. Unfortunately, this isn't the case with the Xiaomi 14T. This could be a concern for users who rely heavily on their phones throughout the day and need a device that can keep up with their demands. Despite its robust feature set and great camera quality, the Xiaomi 14T's battery life is a major letdown. If this is a top priority for you when choosing your next phone, it might be worth considering other options in the upper mid-range market.
Display
The Xiaomi 14T boasts an impressive display that matches last year's model in terms of quality. The 6.67-inch OLED screen offers a crisp 1220p resolution, 144Hz refresh rate, and Gorilla Glass 5 protection. With a pixel density of 446 PPI, the display is sharp enough to deliver vibrant colors and detailed visuals. One notable upgrade from last year's model is the ability to achieve higher maximum brightness. The new sunlight mode allows users to manually set the screen to nearly 850 nits, making it easier to use outdoors. In auto mode, the screen reaches an impressive over 1350 nits, outshining last year's model. When it comes to refresh rates, the display smoothly transitions between 144Hz for compatible apps and games, 120Hz for general interface usage, and 60Hz when idling to conserve battery life. The stereo speakers with Dolby Atmos support are also worth mentioning, delivering good loudness and sound quality with well-presented highs and decent bass. The under-display fingerprint scanner is fast and accurate, making it easy to unlock the device. New animations and vibrations make the biometric authentication process feel snappier than before. While the display may not be revolutionary, it's a solid improvement from last year's model. The Xiaomi 14T's screen is certainly capable of delivering stunning visuals and handling demanding tasks with ease. If you're in the market for an upper-mid-range device with a great display, the Xiaomi 14T should definitely be on your shortlist. * Screen size: 6.67 inches * Resolution: 1220p (1080x2400 pixels) * Refresh rate: Up to 144Hz (120Hz for interface, 60Hz for idle mode) * Protection: Gorilla Glass 5 Overall, the Xiaomi 14T's display is a highlight of the device, offering excellent quality and features that make it suitable for everyday use.
Camera
The Xiaomi 14T boasts an impressive camera setup, with a 50MP main cam, a 50MP two-time telephoto zoom, and a 13MP ultra-wide camera. The camera hardware and chipset are similar to last year's Xiaomi 13T, and the photo quality is equally impressive. In daylight conditions, shots from the main cam have excellent detail and vibrant colors, with wide dynamic range and pleasing contrast. Photos of people also look great, with plenty of detail and a natural balance between highlights and shadows. The colors tend to come out a bit warm, but overall, the results are solid. The two-time telephoto zoom camera takes excellent photos in daylight conditions, looking much sharper and more detailed than what you'd get from a two-time digital zoom. The colors and contrast are in line with the main cam, and the dynamic range is great. There's also a toggle for four-time zoom, which uses a digital crop on top of the telephoto output - these photos are clean and almost as sharp as the two-time photos. In low light conditions, the telephoto camera produces nice-looking photos that are adequately sharp and detailed with a wide dynamic range. However, there is quite a bit of added sharpening, and the warmish colors are back. The ultra-wide camera takes decent photos in daylight conditions, but the dynamic range and detail are limited compared to the main cam. In low light, the ultra-wide does okay, producing softer photos with more limited dynamic range than the main cam. The new 32MP front-facing camera produces selfies that are a bit better than the previous generation, but still somewhat unimpressive. There's good detail and contrast, but the sharpness isn't amazing, and the colors are muted. Overall, the Xiaomi 14T's camera is a highlight of the phone, producing excellent photos in daylight conditions and decent results in low light. The two-time telephoto zoom camera takes exceptional photos, and the ultra-wide camera does its job well.
Price and Value
The Xiaomi 14T is a feature-packed phone that offers a lot for its price. As an upper mid-ranger, it sits comfortably between the flagship and budget segments, offering a balance of performance, camera quality, and features. One of the standout aspects of the 14T is its display. The 6.67-inch OLED screen boasts a 1220p resolution, 144Hz refresh rate, and Gorilla Glass 5 protection. It's a great panel that offers plenty of sharpness and color accuracy, making it perfect for gaming and media consumption. The phone's camera setup is also impressive, with a 50MP main camera, a 50MP telephoto lens, and a 13MP ultra-wide camera. The cameras produce excellent results in daylight conditions, with good detail and vibrant colors. Low-light performance is also commendable, although it doesn't quite match the flagship standard. However, where the Xiaomi 14T falls short is battery life. Despite its large 5,000mAh battery, it only managed an active use score of around 11 hours in our tests. This is a bit disappointing, especially considering some other upper mid-rangers have better battery life. In terms of pricing and value, the Xiaomi 14T offers excellent value for money. Its price point is competitive with other phones in its class, making it a great option for those looking for a solid all-around performer. While it may not be perfect, the 14T's strengths make it a worthwhile purchase for anyone seeking an upper mid-ranger. Overall, the Xiaomi 14T is a well-rounded phone that offers a lot of bang for your buck. If you're in the market for an upper mid-ranger with a great display and camera, this might be the perfect choice for you.
Performance
The Xiaomi 14T boasts a MediaTek Dimensity 8300 Ultra chipset, which is an upgrade from the 8200 Ultra in last year's model. This new processor features more powerful CPU cores and a new GPU, making it well-suited for smooth performance and gaming. In benchmarks, the 14T scores don't surpass previous models but are slightly better, placing it on par with other current flagship killers. The phone's power is sufficient for both everyday use and demanding tasks like gaming, with thermal management handling stress tests decently. Although there was some thermal throttling, the device never became excessively hot. The 14T's performance is solid, making it a capable upper mid-ranger. However, its battery life falls short of expectations, despite having a 5,000 mAh battery. It managed an active use score of approximately 11 and 1/2 hours, which is lower than last year's model and many competitors. One of the highlights of the chipset is its support for fast charging. With a compatible adapter, the phone can be charged from 0 to 72% in half an hour and achieve a full charge in 49 minutes. However, it's worth noting that no charger is included with the device. The Dimensity 8300 Ultra's performance is more than adequate for most users' needs, making the Xiaomi 14T a reliable choice in its segment. While it may not blow away the competition, it holds its own and should be considered by those looking for an upper mid-ranger with solid specs. Overall, the phone's performance is a significant strength, even if other aspects of the device could use some improvement.
Pros
1. The phone has a premium design with a flat and squared-off look that's on par with last year's model.
2. The display is excellent, featuring a 6.67-inch OLED screen with a 1220p resolution, 144Hz refresh rate, and Gorilla Glass 5 protection.
3. The camera setup is solid, with a 50MP main cam, 50MP two-time telephoto zoom, and 13MP ultra-wide camera that produces excellent photos in various lighting conditions.
4. The phone has fast and accurate under-display fingerprint scanner and decent thermal management.
5. The charging speed is also impressive, with the battery going from 0 to 72% in half an hour.
Cons
1. The battery life is a letdown, earning an active use score of about 11.5 hours which is lower than last year's model and many competitors.
2. There's no charger included in the box, making it inconvenient for users who don't have a compatible adapter.
3. While the camera quality is good, the front-facing camera produces somewhat unimpressive selfies with muted colors and average sharpness.