Simon Hill
Xiaomi’s 15 flagship range won’t arrive in most of the world until early 2025. In the meantime, we get a midyear update to the 14 range in the shape of the 14T and 14T Pro, though neither bears much relation to the Xiaomi 14 or 14 Ultra. The Chinese manufacturer overtook Apple in August to become the world’s second-biggest smartphone brand by sales, and its expansive (if slightly confusing) range is no doubt part of the reason.
The T range packs some high-end features from Xiaomi’s flagships, but there are usually a few omissions to bring the price down. You may struggle to spot the difference between the 14T and 14T Pro because these phones are practically twins, but there are some subtle refinements to justify the 14T Pro’s higher price. Both come with Google services and are available in the UK and across Europe, but will not officially go on sale in the US.
Nice but Dull
At first glance, you will struggle to tell the 14T and 14T Pro apart. These are ultrasize phones with 6.67-inch screens. They have relatively thick, flat frames, textured power buttons underneath the volume rocker, and quad camera lenses (one is actually the flash) in stepped, square modules on the back. Pick them up, and you immediately feel the weight of the heavier, more metallic Pro, with its subtly curved back (the 14T is flat on the back).
The only other design difference that jumps out is the colors. Both come in blue, black, or gray, but only the 14T comes in Lemon Green. Why are fun colors always reserved for cheaper phones? The 14T Pro feels nicer and reminds me of an old HTC phone (in a good way), but there isn’t much to separate them.
Photograph: Simon Hill
The 6.67-inch display is the highlight of the 14T and 14T Pro and is the same in both. It is sharp at 2,712 x 1,220 pixels, gets bright enough to see outdoors and to display HDR details at up to 4,000 nits, and supports a variable refresh rate of up to 144 Hz for smooth action. It also hosts a responsive fingerprint sensor at the bottom.
Stereo speakers that get plenty loud round out the design, and both phones score an IP68 rating, meaning they can survive a dunk. I prefer the feel of the 14T Pro, but these are big, chunky phones, so they might not suit everyone. While they look classy, the designs are a bit boring.
Classy Camera
Photograph: Simon Hill
One of the main reasons to opt for a Xiaomi phone is the camera hardware, and this is also where the 14T Pro shows its superiority. The Pro has a 50-MP main camera with the same 1-inch image sensor as the excellent 14 Ultra and a large aperture (f/1.6). It is paired with a 50-MP telephoto shooter, offering up to 5x optical zoom. There is also a decent 12-MP ultrawide camera.