I've been eagerly awaiting this phone for quite some time since its launch. Yes, indeed, this is the first phone with an 8th Gen 3 chipset set to be launched soon. I'm talking about the Xiaomi 14 Pro,
and let me tell you, some things about this phone are incredibly surprising, pleasantly surprising, because when we were testing it, the quality of the photos, its performance, and the warmth it emitted were so noticeable. We'll discuss those aspects, but overall, this is an outstanding and highly durable phone. Yes, right at the start of the blog, I'm letting you know that after reading it, you'll understand what kind of phone this is. Let's get started!
Design & build quality
"When it comes to the design and build of the phone, it's slim in size, not too thick, with a thickness of 8.49mm, but it's heavier, weighing around 223gms to 230gms, depending on whether it has a metal or titanium frame. The one I have seems to have a titanium frame, and it's very glossy with noticeable fingerprint marks on the frame. It has a boxy style with rounded edges and comes with IP68 ratings. The back is made of glass and has a matte effect,
minimizing fingerprint marks. However, the camera bump is quite prominent due to the bulky sensors. It features dual speakers, dual-mic noise cancellation, and supports dual nano-SIM.Additionally, on the right side, there's a power button with volume up and down keys above it, and an under-display fingerprint scanner that's fast and responsive. This phone also has z linear haptics, providing exceptional feedback when using the volume keys or interacting with the screen."
Display
"The immediate attention goes to its display—it's a 6.7-inch OLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate and a 12-bit full HD Plus resolution.
It's remarkably bright, boasting an impressive 3000nits, which indicates that fewer LEDs will be required in households as the nit count increases. By the way, this display is quite sharp and bright. In fact, it's referred to as an 'all-around liquid display' because it's curved on all sides. However, the curvature is not too extreme, allowing for a slightly curved display experience, and it minimizes color shifts often seen in heavily curved displays on the sides. This phone features symmetrical bezels, and it comes with Xiaomi's Shuamic glass for frontal protection.The 120Hz display automatically adjusts between 10Hz to 120Hz, and the fingerprint scanner is quite fast and well-positioned. It's an optical scanner, not an ultrasonic one."
Software & O.s
"This phone runs on Android 14 with HyperO.S, which has been heavily highlighted. However, in terms of user experience, it feels quite similar to MIUI. When we explored the phone, the app drawer, icons, settings, app openings, notification panel, and multitasking all gave the same familiar feeling. There wasn't anything particularly new except for a different animation when changing the lock screen wallpaper and a slightly different transition for the always-on display.In HyperO.S, a few AI-driven features were introduced, claiming to optimize battery and categorize apps for better optimization. However, in my usage, I didn't feel any significant new additions. HyperO.S seems more like a name change rather than an addition of extra features. It's based on Android 14, and it's anticipated to be based on Android 14 when it arrives in India."
Performance
For performance, it's equipped with the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 processor.
It features a Cortex X4 prime core running at 3.3GHz, alongside Cortex A720 cores paired with an Adreno A750 GPU, all on a 4nm architecture (not 3nm as expected). The Antutu scores were around 2 million, surpassing all barriers, with CPU throttling scores also being acceptable at approximately 72%, although the max heat reached 51 degrees Celsius, marking a significant heat issue. In my career, I haven't encountered a phone that heats up this much. Two possible reasons could be: it's a Chinese variant, and it might lack proper optimization. The Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 shouldn't generate such heat, but it's possible the phone lacks optimization. When it arrives in India, there's a chance it might be better optimized.
Camera
This camera right now is quite impressive. It's a variable aperture camera with a triple camera setup at the back, consisting of a 50+50+50 setup.
Yes, there's a 50MP telephoto macro lens, a 50MP ultra-wide lens, and a 50MP primary sensor. The primary sensor, called the Light Fusion 900, supports variable aperture from f1.4 to f4.0 within 10 stops, allowing for various shots. For instance, shooting at f1.4 gives a more creamy bokeh effect, while at f4.0, everything appears clearer, even the background. We've taken many photos and the skin tones and details, even upon zooming in, are impressive. There's some inconsistency in colors at times, but the HDR performance, especially compared to the
Xiaomi 13 Pro, has significantly improved.In terms of videography, all the cameras support shooting in 4k60fps, including the tele-macro lens, which is arguably the best macro sensor on any phone. The selfie camera is a 32MP sensor,
and we've stored numerous photos and videos in their original quality on Google Drive. This phone's camera is undoubtedly one of the best out there. However, the Indian variant might have slight differences due to tuning for Indian conditions. So, there might be further improvements. Let's wait and see.
Battery
In the battery, you get a 4880mAh battery, and they also provided a 120W adapter in the box, which takes 25 minutes for a full charge,
which is great. You also get 50W wireless charging, definitely with a glass back, so they've included this feature as well, which is good. We didn't test the battery backup; it's a Chinese variant, but the phone gets very hot and the battery drains quickly, which we noticed. Let's see how well Xiaomi optimizes it when it arrives in India.
Conclusion
Xiaomi 14 Pro's arrival in India and its pricing are yet to be confirmed. Generally, when phones are launched above ₹50,000, most people tend to prefer Apple or Samsung, followed by OnePlus and Vivo's X series. These phones have higher sales, whereas phones like the Xiaomi 14 Pro might not be as commonly seen in real life despite their impressive hardware. This series seems promising, but its reception might vary. If you liked the review, do share it, and I'll catch you in the next review. Bye for now!