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).