Xiaomi 14 Pro review

HyperOS as a game changer? With its Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, the Xiaomi 14 Pro, which is also equipped with the new HyperOS, aims to score with a lot of performance and also bring some excitement to some camera fans with the new, extremely light-sensitive Leica Summilux lens and variable aperture. Find out in our review, whether a purchase of the Xiaomi smartphone is worthwhile.

Marcus Herbrich, 👁 Daniel Schmidt (translated by Mark Riege), Published 12/31/2023 🇩🇪

Not only does the Xiaomi 14 Pro use the currently best SoC in an Android smartphone with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, but it also offers some interesting changes in the camera system compared to the 13 Pro. The Sony IMX989 in the 1-inch format is replaced by a new, significantly smaller image sensor called “Light Hunter 900″ in the 1/1.31 inch format – probably from Omnivision. The lens of the 50-MP main camera uses a variable aperture, allowing you to use an aperture up to f/4.0 giving more depth to the depicted objects. In contrast to that of the Xiaomi 13 Ultra, the aperture of the 14 Pro can now be opened in several steps.

The Xiaomi 14 Pro is currently only available in China, and it is still unclear whether a global version for the European market will follow. The import prices start from 790 Euros (~$839) for the base version with 12 GB RAM and 256 GB flash storage. The top model in the Titanium Special Edition with 16 GB of RAM and 1 TB storage costs around 960 Euros (~$1,060).

Display

6.73 inch 20:9, 3200 x 1440 pixel 521 PPI, Capacitive touchscreen, AMOLED, glossy: yes, HDR, 120 Hz

Storage

256 GB UFS 4.0 Flash, 256 GB

, 236 GB free

Connections

1 USB 3.1 Gen2, USB-C Power Delivery (PD), 1 HDMI, 1 DisplayPort, Audio Connections: USB Type-C, 1 Fingerprint Reader, NFC, Brightness Sensor, Sensors: Accelerometer, proximity, gyro, compass, barometer, color spectrum, Miracast, OTG

Networking

Wi-Fi 7 (a/b/g/n=Wi-Fi 4/ac=Wi-Fi 5/ax=Wi-Fi 6/ Wi-Fi 6E 6 GHz be=Wi-Fi 7), Bluetooth 5.4, 5G: n1/n3/n5/n7/n8/n28a/n38/n40/ n41/ n48/n66/n77/n78/n79; 4G: FDD: B1/B3/B4/B5/B7/B8/B18/B19/B26/B28a /B66, TDD: B34/B38/B39/B40/B41/B42/B48; 3G: B1/B4/B5/B6/B8/B19; 2G: B3/B5/B8, Dual SIM, LTE, 5G, GPS

Size

height x width x depth (in mm): 8.49 x 161.4 x 75.3 (=0.33 x 6.35 x 2.96 in)

Battery

4880 mAh Lithium-Polymer

Charging

wireless charging, fast charging / Quickcharge

Operating System

Android 14

Camera

Primary Camera: 50 MPix (1/1.31”, 1.2µm) + 50 MP (3.2x optical zoom, f/2.0, 75mm) + 50 MP (f/2.2, 14mm), camera2 API: Level 3
Secondary Camera: 32 MPix (f/2.0)

Additional features

Speakers: Stereo, Keyboard: OnScreen, USB cable, charger, case, info matrial, HyperOS 1.0, 12 Months Warranty, Widevine L1, fanless, waterproof

Weight

223 g (= 7.87 oz / 0.49 pounds), Power Supply: 152 g (= 5.36 oz / 0.34 pounds)

Note: The manufacturer may use components from different suppliers including display panels, drives or memory sticks with similar specifications.

Rating

Date

Model

Weight

Drive

Size

Resolution

Best Price

89.4 %12/2023

Xiaomi 14 Pro
SD 8 Gen 3, Adreno 750223 g256 GB UFS 4.0 Flash6.73″3200×144090.3 %03/2023

Samsung Galaxy S23+
SD 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy, Adreno 740195 g256 GB UFS 4.0 Flash6.60″2340×108089 %12/2023

Google Pixel 8 Pro
Tensor G3, Mali-G715 MP7213 g128 GB UFS 3.1 Flash6.70″2992×134489 %09/2023

Sony Xperia 5 V
SD 8 Gen 2, Adreno 740182 g128 GB UFS 3.1 Flash6.10″2520×108089.2 %03/2023

Xiaomi 13 Pro
SD 8 Gen 2, Adreno 740229 g256 GB UFS 4.0 Flash6.73″3200×1440

Color choices of the Xiaomi 14 ProOne of the most interesting changes of the Xiaomi 14 Pro compared to the predecessor concerns the protective glass that is used. Xiaomi foregoes Gorilla Glas from Corning and chooses its own in-house material instead. The protective glass called Xiaomi Ceramic Glass is supposed to provide a particularly high protection from falls. According to the manufacturer, it offers a 20% higher protection against breaking than the Ceramic Shield of the Apple iPhone 15 Pro. In terms of protection, the current flagship from the Chinese manufacturer also offers a water and dustproof case with an IP68 certification.

The case is available in three matte colors as well as a matte Titanium Special Edition with a Titanium frame. The quality of the workmanship is at a very high level in the 14 Pro. The form factor of the Xiaomi smartphone is almost identical to that of the 13 Pro, but the manufacturer was able to slightly improve the display-to-surface ratio by using slightly slimmer bezels around the OLED panel.

The display of the Xiaomi 14 Pro now offers an “all around liquid” design. This means that the panel is rounded on all four corners and edges, bending downward with even curves, which feels very ergonomic when using swiping gestures.

Google Pixel 8 Pro Xiaomi 13 Pro Xiaomi 14 Pro Samsung Galaxy S23+ Sony Xperia 5 V DIN A6 ❌

162.6 mm / 6.4 inch
76.5 mm / 3.01 inch

8.8 mm / 0.3465 inch

213 g0.4696 lbs162.9 mm / 6.41 inch
74.6 mm / 2.94 inch

8.38 mm / 0.3299 inch

229 g0.505 lbs161.4 mm / 6.35 inch
75.3 mm / 2.96 inch

8.49 mm / 0.3343 inch

223 g0.4916 lbs157.8 mm / 6.21 inch
76.2 mm / 3 inch

7.6 mm / 0.2992 inch

195 g0.4299 lbs154 mm / 6.06 inch
68 mm / 2.68 inch

8.6 mm / 0.3386 inch

182 g0.4012 lbs148 mm / 5.83 inch
105 mm / 4.13 inch

1 mm / 0.03937 inch

1.5 g0.00331 lbs

The current flagship from the Chinese manufacturer offers very good equipment overall with Bluetooth 5.4, Miracast, and NFC, even though it still isn’t the best of the best for the 14 Pro, since there is no IR blaster or ultrawide-band chip.

In contrast to the predecessor, the Xiaomi 14 Pro now finally includes a fast USB connection that according to the specs, runs at USB 3.2 (Gen. 2) speeds and supports USB OTG and wired display output. However, in our copy test using a connected M2.SSD drive (Samsung 980 Pro), the transfer speed of the USB port, which should really be very fast, is at a slow 311 MB/s. There is neither an optional storage expansion, nor an audio port.

The Xiaomi HyperOS kernel, which is a hybrid of Linux and the Vela system that was developed in-house, is used for the first time in a smartphone. Those who had hoped to get a completely new operating system based on Android with HyperOS might be disappointed, seeing the many similarities in the visuals and menu structures compared to the MIUI user interface. However, in everyday operation HyperOS is still a very well-optimized user interface with a refreshed look of the earlier MIUI – but a new start in software looks different, even if there are several optimizations and implementations under the hood, such as the security and data privacy protections.

Xiaomi plans to provide its 14 Pro with four years of software updates, and there are even supposed to be security patches for a year longer – although it is unknown how many updates there will be every quarter. During the time of our testing, the operating system is based on Android 14 and the security patch level of November 2023.

Our test unit on loan from Trading Shenzhen already has the new Xiaomi.eu surface preinstalled, including access to the Play Store and the German language. However, as it comes from the manufacturer, the Chinese version supports neither Google applications nor an extensive selection of languages. So users need to install the apk files themselves here and be content with the English language.

While connected to the WLAN at home, the Xiaomi smartphone offers the best of the best with the current WiFi 7 standard. Using our Asus ROG Rapture GT-AXE11000 reference router, the test unit not only shows very high but also relatively constant transfer rates, and we measure almost 1,900 Mbit/s at the top.

In addition to the fast WLAN, the Xiaomi 14 Pro uses the 5G standard, although it only offers 16 LTE bands. The Chinese version generally only offers a reduced frequency band coverage, without supporting access to the LTE Band 20. Those who need more 4G frequencies or quad GSM have to wait for a global version.

iperf3 receive AXE11000

1717 (min: 1627) MBit/s ∼100%

iperf3 transmit AXE11000

1783 (min: 911) MBit/s ∼99%

iperf3 transmit AXE11000 6GHz

1728 (min: 1374) MBit/s ∼93%

iperf3 receive AXE11000 6GHz

1731 (min: 1657) MBit/s ∼100%

iperf3 receive AXE11000

1623 (min: 1491) MBit/s ∼95%

iperf3 transmit AXE11000

1810 (min: 1724) MBit/s ∼100%

iperf3 transmit AXE11000 6GHz

1804 (min: 902) MBit/s ∼97%

iperf3 receive AXE11000 6GHz

1534 (min: 1403) MBit/s ∼89%

iperf3 receive AXE11000

897 (min: 870) MBit/s ∼52%

iperf3 transmit AXE11000

892 (min: 333) MBit/s ∼49%

iperf3 transmit AXE11000 6GHz

1468 (min: 1069) MBit/s ∼79%

iperf3 receive AXE11000 6GHz

1467 (min: 1304) MBit/s ∼85%

iperf3 receive AXE11000

838 (min: 818) MBit/s ∼49%

iperf3 transmit AXE11000

958 (min: 934) MBit/s ∼53%

iperf3 receive AXE11000

809 (min: 780) MBit/s ∼47%

iperf3 transmit AXE11000

993 (min: 972) MBit/s ∼55%

iperf3 transmit AXE11000 6GHz

1859 (min: 919) MBit/s ∼100%

iperf3 receive AXE11000 6GHz

1637 (min: 1603) MBit/s ∼95%

iperf3 receive AXE11000

644 (min: 34.8) MBit/s ∼38%

iperf3 transmit AXE11000

677 (min: 40.5) MBit/s ∼37%

iperf3 transmit AXE11000 6GHz

1525 (min: 229) MBit/s ∼82%

iperf3 receive AXE11000 6GHz

1373 (min: 598) MBit/s ∼79%

01002003004005006007008009001000110012001300140015001600170018001900TooltipXiaomi 14 Pro Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, Qualcomm Adreno 750; iperf3 transmit AXE11000 6GHz; iperf 3.1.3: Ø1728 (1374-1860)

Xiaomi 13 Pro Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, Qualcomm Adreno 740; iperf3 transmit AXE11000 6GHz; iperf 3.1.3: Ø1829 (919-1905)

Xiaomi 14 Pro Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, Qualcomm Adreno 750; iperf3 receive AXE11000 6GHz; iperf 3.1.3: Ø1727 (1657-1754)

Xiaomi 13 Pro Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, Qualcomm Adreno 740; iperf3 receive AXE11000 6GHz; iperf 3.1.3: Ø1636 (1603-1672)

Xiaomi 14 Pro Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, Qualcomm Adreno 750; iperf3 receive AXE11000; iperf 3.1.3: Ø1711 (1627-1762)

Xiaomi 13 Pro Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, Qualcomm Adreno 740; iperf3 receive AXE11000; iperf 3.1.3: Ø808 (780-871)

Xiaomi 14 Pro Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, Qualcomm Adreno 750; iperf3 transmit AXE11000; iperf 3.1.3: Ø1753 (911-1896)

Xiaomi 13 Pro Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, Qualcomm Adreno 740; iperf3 transmit AXE11000; iperf 3.1.3: Ø993 (972-1016)

The 14 Pro doesn’t always determine its location perfectly, and we notice some small deviations from the actual route particularly in curves. We use a Garmin Venu 2 for comparison, but the results it delivers are very similar to those of the Xiaomi smartphone.

To determine its location, the Xiaomi 14 Pro uses the main satellite systems, most of the time in dual-band. In our test, these are Beidou (B1(C), B2a), GPS (L1, L5), Galileo (E1, E5a), and GLONASS (L1). Even indoors, the locating succeeds very quickly and with an accuracy of about 3 meters (10 ft).

The Xiaomi 14 Pro offers full dual-SIM capabilities with two nano-SIM card slots in the 5G net. We don’t find an option to integrate an eSIM into the system in the system settings of the Chinese version. Since the T series offers an eSIM functionality at this point, we wouldn’t be surprised, if a global version would also support this feature.

The three built-in microphones produce a very attractive voice experience, although it is slightly marred by some smaller annoying noises. Using the earpiece, the voice quality is very clear, but it could still be slightly louder.

Compared to the predecessor, the resolution of the 32-MP selfie camera has remained unchanged, but the high-end smartphone now finally supports 4K videos at 60 fps. The quality of the pictures has also improved visibly, even if the 14 Pro still isn’t a selfie expert.

In the comparison with the Xiaomi 13 Pro, the new Leica Summilux lens with a resolution of 50 Megapixel (23 mm focal length) and sensor in the 1/1.31-inch format offers a significantly higher light sensitivity of f/1.42 instead of f/1.9. This is supposed to allow the camera to take brighter and less noisy pictures under low-light conditions. However, the size of the sensor is also significantly smaller. Another new change is a variable control of the aperture from f/1.42 to f/4.0 in four steps.

Using 4-in-1 pixel binning, the 50-MP main camera takes pictures in 12.5-MP resolution and also offers optical image stabilization. While pictures taken in daylight can show a good image sharpness and very high recording speed, some details are lost due to the low dynamic. In addition, objects in the edge areas also appear slightly blurry. Under low-light conditions, the sensor gives justice to its name, delivering very bright pictures with the large open aperture. However, we still would have wished for a higher level of sharpness. Since devices from other manufacturers, such as the Galaxy S23 Ultra from Samsung, also always perform less than optimally right after their introduction into the market, it remains to see whether Xiaomi will still optimize its new sensor.

The 50-MP ultrawide angle lens with a focal length of 14 mm (~0.44 in) produces a solid image quality for this price class, but the images show less details than those from the competitors, and the basic sharpness could also turn out better. The focus works up to a minimum distance of 5 cm (~2.1 in) for super macro recordings. Other manufacturers offer an even closer distance to the object with 3 cm (~1.2 in) here.

The third 50-MP lens has a focal length of 75 mm (~3 in) and offers optical image stabilization. With its lossless zoom (3.2x) it takes convincing pictures, and images are attractive even up to a zoom level of 10x. With the in-house Liquid Lens design, the tele lens also offers a macro function. The “swimming” lens group is split into two groups that can be moved internally, allowing for a focal range from 10 cm (~4 in) up to a theoretical maximum of infinite length.

In terms of videos, the high-end smartphone delivers good stabilization and supports a high dynamic range (HDR 10+/Dolby Vision). Videos can be recorded in UHD quality at a maximum of 60 fps and if you like, you can also record 30 frames per second in 8K resolution. An additional Pro mode for videos has also been implemented.

Image Comparison

Choose a scene and navigate within the first image. One click changes the position on touchscreens. One click on the zoomed-in image opens the original in a new window. The first image shows the scaled photograph of the test device.

HauptkameraHauptkameraLow LightUltraweitwinkelZoom 5x

click to load images

Under controlled light conditions, the Xiaomi smartphone shows a decent color reproduction in our measurements. Particularly green color tones are reproduced brighter and with more intense color than the reference colors (using the AI function activated by default), causing the DeltaE deviations to end up at fairly high level.

14.5 ∆E

4.9 ∆E

10.2 ∆E

13.9 ∆E

7.5 ∆E

4.8 ∆E

4.6 ∆E

11.8 ∆E

9.2 ∆E

5.4 ∆E

6 ∆E

2.2 ∆E

10.3 ∆E

13.9 ∆E

11.4 ∆E

3.6 ∆E

4.9 ∆E

12.4 ∆E

8.2 ∆E

3.2 ∆E

7.3 ∆E

7.9 ∆E

0.8 ∆E

3.1 ∆E

ColorChecker Xiaomi 14 Pro: 7.6 ∆E min: 0.83 – max: 14.53 ∆E12.4 ∆E

9.6 ∆E

10.3 ∆E

13.2 ∆E

13.8 ∆E

13.6 ∆E

9.9 ∆E

9.4 ∆E

11.3 ∆E

12.7 ∆E

8.3 ∆E

18 ∆E

11.1 ∆E

11.9 ∆E

7.5 ∆E

8.6 ∆E

14.8 ∆E

22.2 ∆E

13.9 ∆E

12.5 ∆E

13 ∆E

20.9 ∆E

18.2 ∆E

12.8 ∆E

ColorChecker Xiaomi 14 Pro: 12.91 ∆E min: 7.46 – max: 22.15 ∆E

Charger of the Xiaomi 14 ProThe box includes a modular 120-Watt charger, a cable for data and charging, a protective cover, a SIM tool, and a quick-start manual. There is also a protective screen cover already applied in the state of delivery. In addition, TradingShenzhen who provided us with the smartphone for testing, also added an EU adapter for the charger and a USB OTG adapter with our Chinese version.

The Chinese version of the 14 Pro includes a warranty of 12 months. In case of a warranty situation, our import device from TradingShenzhen includes the option to send the smartphone to a German address for repair.

Inputs on the 6.73-inch OLED display are implemented accurately up to the corners of the touchscreen. With a scan-rate of 240 Hz, the LTPO panel responds to touch inputs with a high degree of sensitivity, but is actualized up to 2,160 times per second, which ensures a very low latency for inputs, mainly while gaming. In addition, it uses a high-quality vibration motor that delivers a precise and crisp haptic feedback in everyday operation.

The optical fingerprint sensor is integrated in the display and always unlocks the Xiaomi 14 Pro quickly and reliably. A fairly insecure 2D face recognition, which is based on a FaceUnlock function using the front camera, is also available.

The OLED display uses an RGGB sub-pixel matrix, consisting of one red, one black, and two green LEDs.The built-in 2K AMOLED Super Visual Sense display reaches a WQHD+ resolution with a very high pixel density of 522 ppi. The system itself reports a very low minimal frequency of 10 Hz for the dynamic 120-Hz display, while the manufacturer specifies 1 Hz.
The panel uses the C8 illumination material developed together by Xiaomi and CSOT (TCL company), which is supposed to offer the highest amount of brightness in the industry. During the reproduction of a 4K HDR pattern video, we almost reach the advertised maximum brightness of 3,000 nits with an actual value of 2.882 cd/m².

The maximum brightness with a pure white display content and activated brightness sensor lies at 1,076 cd/m², but with an even distribution of bright and dark areas (APL18), the display of the 14 Pro gets even brighter at 1,432 cd/m² in our test.

1026
cd/m²1054
cd/m²1076
cd/m²1024
cd/m²1025
cd/m²1066
cd/m²1029
cd/m²1045
cd/m²1066
cd/m²

Distribution of brightness

tested with X-Rite i1Pro 3

Maximum: 1076 cd/m² (Nits) Average: 1045.7 cd/m² Minimum: 2.16 cd/m²
Brightness Distribution: 95 %
Center on Battery: 1025 cd/m²
Contrast: ∞:1 (Black: 0 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 1.1 | 0.5-29.43 Ø5.1
ΔE Greyscale 2.2 | 0.57-98 Ø5.3
99.4% sRGB (Calman 2D)
Gamma: 2.25

Xiaomi 14 Pro
AMOLED, 3200×1440, 6.73Samsung Galaxy S23+
Dynamic AMOLED 2x, 2340×1080, 6.60Google Pixel 8 Pro
OLED, 2992×1344, 6.70Sony Xperia 5 V
OLED, 2520×1080, 6.10Xiaomi 13 Pro
OLED, 3200×1440, 6.73Brightness middle1025

1128

10%

1510

47%

889

-13%

1230

20%

Brightness1046

1136

1467

40%

898

-14%

1244

19%

Brightness Distribution95

-3%

-1%

Black Level *Colorchecker dE 2000 *1.1

2.7

-145%

1.1

-0%

1.4

-27%

Colorchecker dE 2000 max. *2.9

4.5

-55%

3.8

-31%

4.5

-55%

2.8

Greyscale dE 2000 *2.2

2.6

-18%

1.7

23%

55%

1.8

18%

Gamma2.25 98%

2.05 107%

2.23 99%

2.24 98%

CCT6622 98%

6644 98%

6670 97%

6456 101%

6446 101%

* … smaller is better

Due to the OLED technology, Xiaomi uses pulse-width modulation with its corresponding display flickering to control the display brightness. In our measurements with the oscilloscope, the amplitude remains very even across the whole range of brightness and also very constant at 120 Hz. However, the manufacturer speaks about a very high frequency of 1,920 Hz here, which would be much more comfortable for sensitive users. To find out more about this, we additionally examine the Xiaomi 14 Pro with a flicker meter that recognizes visible variations in the illumination density. Using our measurement of 1,933 Hz, we are also able to confirm the specifications of the manufacturer.

Screen Flickering / PWM (Pulse-Width Modulation)ℹ

To dim the screen, some notebooks will simply cycle the backlight on and off in rapid succession – a method called Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) . This cycling frequency should ideally be undetectable to the human eye. If said frequency is too low, users with sensitive eyes may experience strain or headaches or even notice the flickering altogether.

Screen flickering / PWM detected 120.5 HzThe display backlight flickers at 120.5 Hz (Likely utilizing PWM) .

The frequency of 120.5 Hz is very low, so the flickering may cause eyestrain and headaches after extended use.

In comparison: 53 % of all tested devices do not use PWM to dim the display. If PWM was detected, an average of 18627 (minimum: 5 – maximum: 3846000) Hz was measured.

Measurement series at fixed zoom level and various display brightness settings

We examine the color calibration of the Dolby Vision, HDR10+, and HGL certified AMOLED panel (12 bit) with the Calman analysis software and a photo spectrometer. The deviations in the colors and grayscale remain within the target range (Xiaomi 14 ProXiaomi 13 ProFrequency diagram (checkboxes can be checked and unchecked to compare devices)

Xiaomi 14 Pro audio analysis(+) | speakers can play relatively loud (90.5 dB)
Bass 100 – 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass – on average 21.5% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (7.3% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 – 2000 Hz
(+) | balanced mids – only 4.7% away from median
(+) | mids are linear (6% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 – 16 kHz
(±) | higher highs – on average 5.3% higher than median
(+) | highs are linear (4.9% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 – 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (16% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 3% of all tested devices in this class were better, 3% similar, 94% worse
» The best had a delta of 12%, average was 38%, worst was 134%
Compared to all devices tested
» 20% of all tested devices were better, 5% similar, 75% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 26%, worst was 134%

Xiaomi 13 Pro audio analysis(+) | speakers can play relatively loud (88.5 dB)
Bass 100 – 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass – on average 21.7% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (8.6% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 – 2000 Hz
(+) | balanced mids – only 3.8% away from median
(+) | mids are linear (5.1% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 – 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs – only 4.8% away from median
(+) | highs are linear (3.8% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 – 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (15.6% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 2% of all tested devices in this class were better, 2% similar, 95% worse
» The best had a delta of 12%, average was 38%, worst was 134%
Compared to all devices tested
» 18% of all tested devices were better, 4% similar, 78% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 26%, worst was 134%

The Xiaomi 14 Pro includes a 4,880-mAh battery that can be charged at up to 120 watts. Using wireless charging, the maximum is 50 watts, and reverse wireless charging allows for a maximum of 10 watts. In our test, the high-end smartphone needs about 20 minutes on the charger after a complete discharge. Fortunately, a sufficiently fast charger is included in the box.

The power consumption of the 14 Pro during idle operation is fairly exemplary at about 1 Watt, considering the high resolution of the panel. And looking at the Burnout benchmark, the consumption under load also turns out low. Using the new setup, other smartphones such as the Mix Fold 3 reach values that are almost twice as high here.

Xiaomi 14 Pro
4880 mAhSamsung Galaxy S23+
4700 mAhGoogle Pixel 8 Pro
5050 mAhSony Xperia 5 V
5000 mAhXiaomi 13 Pro
4820 mAhXiaomi Mix Fold 3
4800 mAhAverage Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3
Average of class Smartphone
Idle Minimum *0.89

0.64

28%

0.63

29%

0.79

11%

1.02

-15%

0.86

0.89

-0%

0.893 ?(0.44 – 2.37, n=153, last 2 years)

-0%

Idle Average *1.05

0.88

16%

1.47

-40%

1.08

-3%

1.36

-30%

1.05

-0%

1.05

-0%

1.452 ?(0.69 – 4.26, n=153, last 2 years)

-38%

Idle Maximum *1.11

0.94

15%

1.55

-40%

1.12

-1%

1.58

-42%

1.07

1.11

-0%

1.651 ?(0.79 – 4.45, n=153, last 2 years)

-49%

Load Average *9.03

4.18

54%

8.45

7.93

12%

4.29

52%

15.27

-69%

9.03

-0%

4.97 ?(2.4 – 15.3, n=153, last 2 years)

45%

Load Maximum *9.06

6.59

27%

8.63

8.78

6.15

32%

17.78

-96%

9.06

-0%

7.81 ?(4.32 – 17.8, n=153, last 2 years)

14%

* … smaller is better

012345678TooltipXiaomi 14 Pro Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3; Geekbench 5.5 Power Consumption 150cd: Ø5.2 (0.783-8.97)

Xiaomi 13 Pro Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2; Geekbench 5.5 Power Consumption 150cd: Ø4.54 (0.899-8.01)

Xiaomi 14 Pro Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3; Idle 150cd/m2: Ø0.732 (0.686-0.884)

Xiaomi 13 Pro Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2; Idle 150cd/m2: Ø0.902 (0.867-1.084)

012345678TooltipXiaomi 14 Pro Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3; 1920×1080 Aztec Ruins Normal Offscreen: Ø8.87 (7.63-8.96)

Xiaomi 13 Pro Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2; 1920×1080 Aztec Ruins Normal Offscreen: Ø6.96 (6.61-7.31)

Xiaomi 14 Pro Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3; Idle 150cd/m2: Ø0.732 (0.686-0.884)

Xiaomi 13 Pro Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2; Idle 150cd/m2: Ø0.902 (0.867-1.084)

With almost 15 hours in our realistic WiFi battery test, which is run with an adjusted display brightness of 150 cd/m², the battery of the 14 Pro delivers a good runtime in the WLAN test. When playing videos with the WLAN module deactivated, the Xiaomi smartphone lasts for about 24 hours, which also indicates a communication module that is not very optimized.

Battery Runtime

Idle (without WLAN, min brightness)
33h 18min
WiFi Websurfing (Chrome 120)
14h 57min
Big Buck Bunny H.264 1080p
23h 57min
Load (maximum brightness)
3h 9min

Pros+ high-quality case

+ very bright OLED panel

+ good battery life

+ powerful equipment

+ good cameras …

Cons- … although there is no progress

– high heat development

– currently only available as an import

Testing the Xiaomi 14 Pro. Test unit provided by TradingShenzhen.With the 14 Pro, Xiaomi addresses several weaknesses of the predecessor (such as an insufficient selfie quality, lack of a UHD option, and USB 2.0) and offers a powerful overall package. However, the completely renewed main camera together with its variable aperture leaves some open questions in our test. Considering the powerful photo and video qualities of the Xiaomi 13 Ultra, in the short term some additional optimization of the IMX989 might have been the better choice in terms of quality. Another open question is whether a global introduction of the Xiaomi 14 Pro in the beginning of 2024 will happen at all.

In our test, the current Xiaomi flagship convinces with a very bright and accurate LTPO display offering a maximum brightness of almost 3,000 cd/m². We also really like the rounded forms. Those who can make do without the high WQHD+ resolution can find a 1,080p alternative with an even better battery life in the Galaxy S23 Plus. Other possible alternatives would be the Google Pixel 8 Pro or Xiaomi 13T Pro.

The Xiaomi 14 Pro still needs a bit of refinement to be able to make use of its full potential.

The 14 Pro has to accept some critique about its weak SoC cooling. In the benchmarks, the heat development of the Xiaomi smartphone results in a mixed performance of the otherwise very powerful Snapdragon 8 Gen 3. Before a purchase, you should also consider the reduced frequency band coverage of the Chinese version.

The Xiaomi 14 Pro is (currently) only available as an import device, for example from Trading Shenzhen starting from around $864.

Xiaomi 14 Pro
–
12/29/2023 v7

Marcus Herbrich

Application Performance

88 / 90 → 97%

Smartphone – Weighted Average

TransparencyThe present review sample was made available to the author as a loan by the manufacturer or a shop for the purposes of review. The lender had no influence on this review, nor did the manufacturer receive a copy of this review before publication. There was no obligation to publish this review.

I have always been very passionately interested in mobile technologies, especially smartphones. Being a tech enthusiast means the half-life of my devices isn’t exactly long, and being the latest hardware is not enough to suffice as the manufacturer and operating system play a minor role – the most important aspect for me is that the device is state-of-the-art. After posting for Mobi Test I joined Notebookcheck in 2016, where I have been pursuing my enthusiasm for technology by reviewing the latest smartphone, tablet, and accessory trends.

Translator: Mark Riege – Translator – 484 articles published on Notebookcheck since 2018

Having worked as a programmer for 20 years (medical devices, AI, data management systems), I’ve been following the computer scene for many years and especially enjoy finding out about new technology advances. Originally from Germany but living in the US, I’ve been working as a translator more recently, with Notebookcheck allowing me to combine my interest in new devices and translation. Other interests include Buddhism, spending time in Tibetan monasteries, and translating ancient Tibetan texts.

Marcus Herbrich, 2023-12-31 (Update: 2023-12-31)