INTRODUCTION

    Smartphones being used as cameras is nothing new, as a matter of fact I still remember using the 3.15MP camera of the Nokia N93 model almost 2 decades ago for that exact purpose. Yes, back then that 3.15MP camera with its Carl Zeiss lens and 3x optical zoom was something new to all of us which is why it managed to stand its ground for many years to come. Fast forward to today however and smartphones with 48/50MP cameras are a thing making some of today's smartphones ideal even for semi-professional photography on the go. The Xiaomi 14T is the latest member of the Xiaomi 14 line of smartphones released in last September and that's what I'll be testing today.

    Xiaomi Corporation was founded in April 2010 and listed on the Main Board of the Hong Kong Stock Exchange on July 9, 2018 (1810.HK). Xiaomi is a consumer electronics and smart manufacturing company with smartphones and smart hardware connected by an IoT platform at its core. Xiaomi is one of the world’s leading smartphone companies. In September 2024, the MAU reached approximately 685.8 million globally. The company has also established the world’s leading consumer AIoT (AI+IoT) platform, reached approximately 861.4 million smart devices connected to its platform (excluding smartphones, laptops and tablets) as of September 30, 2024. In October 2023, Xiaomi upgraded its strategy to “Human × Car × Home” smart ecosystem, seamlessly merges personal devices, smart home products, and cars. Xiaomi always centers on humanity and is committed to providing comprehensive, better connected experiences. Xiaomi products are present in more than 100 countries and regions around the world. In August 2024, Xiaomi was included in the Fortune Global 500 list for the sixth year in a row. Xiaomi is a constituent of the Hang Seng Index, Hang Seng China Enterprises Index, Hang Seng TECH Index and Hang Seng China 50 Index.

    The strongest selling point of the Xiaomi 14T is without doubt its 50MP main camera based on SONY's IMX906 image sensor (1/1.56" sensor with f/1.7 aperture) which Xiaomi paired with Leica's Summilix optical lens (15/23/50/100mm focal lengths). This "marriage" allows the Xiaomi 14T to record up to 4K@24/30/60fps video (1080p@30/60fps and 720p@30fps and slow motion 120/240/960fps video are also supported) with HDR10+ (10-bit Rec. 2020). Other features include a 32MP (f/2.0 aperture with 25mm focal length) selfie camera that also supports HDR+ and can record 4K@30fps video (1080p@30/60fps & 720p@30fps also supported), 6.67-inch AMOLED screen (1220x2712p, 144Hz, 12-bit color depth, 4000 peak nits, 5000000:1 contrast ratio, 480Hz sampling rate, Dolby Vision and HDR10+ support, 446ppi density) protected with Corning Gorilla Glass 5, Mediatek Dimensity 8300 Ultra (4nm) Octa-core CPU (Cortex-A715 @ 3.35GHz, three Cortex-A715 @ 3.20GHz &  four Cortex-A510 @ 2.20GHz) with Arm Mali G615-MC6 graphics, up to 512GB UFS 4.0 and 16GB quad-channel LPDDR5X RAM (my sample arrived with 256GB/12GB), standalone security chip for storing of sensitive data IP68 certified dust and water resistant enclosure, stereo speakers with Dolby Atmos support (24-bit/192kHz Hi-Res & Hi-Res Wireless audio sound), Wi-Fi 6E with 2T2R Antenna, Bluetooth 5.4, NFC and IR and a lithium polymer battery pack with HyperCharge 67W and PD3.0 support. Finally, Xiaomi currently makes the 14T available in 4 colors (Titan Gray, Titan Blue, Titan Black and Lemon Green) which should easily cover the majority of the market and as of February 2025 it runs on their HyperOS 2 (Android 15).

SPECIFICATIONS AND FEATURES

PACKAGING AND CONTENTS

The Xiaomi 14T arrived inside a white box that has the product name on top and the Leica logo.

At the rear we find the bundle contents and well, just like the Poco C75 the Xiaomi 14T also doesn't come with a charger in the box.

So, along with the Xiaomi 14T inside the box you'll also find a silicon case, USB-C cable, safety information paper and the quick start guide and warranty card.

THE XIAOMI 14T

Measuring 160.5mm in length, 75.1mm in width and 7.80mm in thickness the Xiaomi 14T stands between medium and large.

Here you can see how it compares to the larger Poco C75.

The 32MP selfie camera is as usual located on the top rear of the smartphone (the protection film goes around it).

At the far lower end of the Xiaomi 14T we find the under-display fingerprint scanner, dual-sided SIM slot, USB-C port and the microphone and speaker holes.

Typically, the volume up/down and power on/off/Gemini AI assistant buttons are located on the left side.

An activity LED and two holes (at least one is for the 2nd speaker) are located at the top end of the Xiaomi 14T.

The rear of the smartphone is made from textured plastic (the Xiaomi 14T has a die-cast aluminum frame) and here we see the 3 Leica lens of the primary 50MP camera.

The bundled silicon case is nothing special and well, since I prefer full cases for maximum protection it's not something I'd use.

XIAOMI HYPEROS

Just like with the Poco C75 since the HyperOS by Xiaomi used in the 14T is based on Android 14 their main tabs are almost identical.

The drop down menu however is far more populated this time over.

Even though for the most part I used the Xiaomi 14T using the HyperOS (Android 14) a few days before I uploaded my review HyperOS 2.0 became available (Android 15).

By default, the Xiaomi 14T has at least 13 apps which I ended up removing prior to starting my tests.

MAIN CAMERA

The Xiaomi 14T can shoot in 3 different modes, regularly, with HDR and with Leica Authentic or Vibrant (can’t use both HDR and Leica) and 3 different angles (wide, telephoto and ultra-wide).

Unfortunately, since GDPR laws are a thing here I couldn’t get many shots with the Xiaomi 14T in public, but you can easily see what kind of image detail and color accuracy you are getting (same applies for video recording). The 2X and 4X optical modes are also good with the latter however falling short for me (especially during night shots).

Again, night shots are very good (surprising detailed), yes not nearly as good as during the day but the same applies to every smartphone and camera out there (same thing applies for the selfie camera).

TESTING METHODOLOGY

    Since some of you requested more benchmarks, I have decided to use the following apps to review the performance of smartphones, GeekBench 6, GeekBench AI, 3D Mark, GFXBench, Passmark and AI Benchmark. All tests will be repeated a total of 6 times and the average numbers will be then recorded in the charts. Unfortunately, due to certain brand policies it seems that some of these can't be run on every smartphone out there so whenever that's the case those results will obviously not be included in the review.

    For all of you wondering just how smartphones do regarding mobile data (4G/5G and above) I will be using the SpeedTest app from the same location (roof) and with the same SIM card (Vodafone) for all models. This may not be an 100% accurate test (many variables), but it should be a good indicator of mobile data performance.

    Finally, since some of you requested it I’ll be using an 65W fast charger with the smartphones I test to see just how fast they can go to 80% and 100% (could use an even higher wattage charger but for most people 65W is the way to go).

TEST RESULTS - GEEKBENCH 6 / GEEKBENCH AI / PASSMARK / AI BENCHMARK

TEST RESULTS – 3D MARK / GFX BENCH / SPEEDTEST / BATTERY CHARGE

CONCLUSION

    The 50MP camera with the IMX906 image sensor and the Leica optics is obviously why people would choose the Xiaomi 14T and well, I get it. Image quality is borderline excellent during the day and even though night shoots will not take you by surprise results are still very good. As for the selfie camera I must admit I didn’t use it almost at all simply because it’s nothing special compared to the 50MP one (good, just good).  What stole the show for me however wasn’t the 50MP camera but the performance of the Mediatek Dimensity 8300 Ultra CPU (and it's not even the latest model by Mediatek) which left every other phone I’ve tested in the dust, especially in A.I loads (so if that’s a thing for you the Xiaomi 14T is a great choice). The AMOLED screen of the Xiaomi 14T does a very good job overall and has two screen modes, automatic and manual in both of which 144Hz is not used unless supported by a specific app (for the most part you’ll see 60/120Hz rates). I am not really a gamer when it comes to smartphones but for regular use (calls, taking pictures and browsing) the 5000mAh li-poly battery of the Xiaomi 14T lasted for well over 15 hours which is not a bad number today (but yes, there are better models out there in that regard). As for charging by using an 65W charger like I do the Xiaomi 14T needed 46 minutes for up to 80% and 83 minutes total for 100% (remember, nowadays manufacturers recommend only going up to 80% so that the battery can last longer). As for Android 15 (HyperOS 2.0) if anything I got slightly worse results in some of the tests compared to Android 14 and well, I have no idea as to the why that is (A15 could be heavier).

    The Xiaomi 14T already counts almost half a year in the global market and currently retails for USD492.57 inside the USA (Amazon.com – 512GB/12GB version) and for 510.58Euros inside the EU (Amazon.de – 256GB/12GB version). At the end of the day the Xiaomi 14T may not be perfect (selfie camera and battery life are my two concerns with it, especially if you’re playing games) but its performance and 50MP camera make it  indeed a flagship smartphone killer and for that it gets the Platinum Award.

PROS

- Very Good Build Quality
- Mediatek Dimensity 8300 Ultra CPU (AI Performance)
- 6.67” AMOLED 144Hz Screen (HDR10+ With Dolby Vision)
- 8/12/16GB LPDDR5X RAM
- 256/512GB UFS 4.0
- 32MP Front / 50MP Rear Camera (4x Optical Zoom / Leica Optics / Beauty Mode / HDR+ / 4K Recording)
- 5000mAh Battery
- IP68 Certified Enclosure
- Available Colors (Titan Black / Titan Grey / Titan Blue / Lemon Green)

CONS

- HyperOS (Bloatware)
- Battery Life (Good, Not Great)
- Selfie Camera (Could Be Much Better)