One of the best value Android phones of 2024 isn't made by Samsung or Google

The Xiaomi 14T Pro packs in top shelf tech for a fair price (Image: Xiaomi)

Many smartphones have crossed my desk in 2024 but none has surprised me as much as the Xiaomi 14T Pro. It’s a £649 smartphone, which isn’t exactly cheap, but it costs less than rival handsets from Apple, Samsung, OnePlus and Google but delivers just as much as they do, and in some cases even more.

With top tier cameras that outperform the price point, an excellent screen with a 144Hz refresh rate, outstanding battery life, very fast charging and great software - despite some quirks - this is a phone that undercuts the competition and often comes out on top. That deserves to be celebrated.

Xiaomi has sold phones in the UK for some years, quietly turning out powerful handsets that often represent good value for money. Along with its sub-brand Redmi, the company offers an alternative to the default Samsung smartphone choice many in the UK still associate with Android.

In the past, Xiaomi phones have been held back by poor software, both in design and volume of bloatware, the latter referring to scores of unwanted apps pre-loaded onto the device. I’m happy to say both of those points have been addressed with the 14T Pro thanks to Xiaomi’s new software, HyperOS.

The Xiaomi 14T Pro's main camera is one of the best on any phone (Image: Express Newspapers)

Though some choices echo iOS, such as swiping from the left of the screen to view notifications and the right for the control centre, eschewing Android norms, these are minor points. I’ve received an update since using the phone to Android 15, the latest version, Xiaomi beating Samsung to the punch. HyperOS 2.0, which replaces Xiaomi’s older and worse MIUI Android skin, feels more mature while still being relatively customisable.

Xiaomi is promising four Android OS updates which should mean the phone gets to at least Android 18 as it shipped with Android 14. Five years of security updates means it’ll be safe to use until 2029, which is pretty good, but lags behind Samsung and Google’s seven years of support.

The phone feels well put together thanks to solid build quality, even if it is a very unremarkable design. My black review sample has flat sides, a flat display and nondescript square camera island on the back. But in use, this doesn’t really matter, and it may well appeal to you over the large circular camera module on phones like the Oppo Find X8 Pro, which still opt for curved displays.

I’ve been enamoured with the camera quality of the Xiaomi 14T Pro, which while not as good as on the superlative Xiaomi 14 Ultra, is still excellent. It’s rare for phone cameras to have such character in 2024, as many firms produce shots that are purposefully boosted with a sheen fit for social media posting, often with a less than realistic rendering of the scene.

The photography prowess elevates the phone over others in its price range. Xiaomi’s partnership with camera firm Leica seems to have had a positive effect on results, and you can choose whether to shoot in Leica Vibrant or Leica Authentic. I love the latter, which injects a feel of film into your snaps. There are also several Leica-branded filters built into the camera app - shoot a rainy scene at night in Lecia Authentic and the black and white filter and you’re in a film noir setting, and the excellent main 50MP camera deals well with shadow and highlights. These are details some rival phones, including the iPhone 16, often ignore in favour of flattening or lightening images.

You can get creative with the camera thanks to interesting and useful modes (Image: Express Newspapers)

The 14T Pro’s main camera makes me want to take more photos, which I’ve always held as an important indicator of a phone camera’s quality. When what you shoot looks great and has character, it encourages you to shoot more and be creative. You get that in spades with this device, which I did not expect. I prefer the results on this phone compared to the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra, a phone that costs almost twice as much at £1,249.

Underneath the 14T Pro’s relatively plain and uninteresting design lies a workhorse device. It uses the MediaTek Dimensity 9300+, a chipset that should perform well for years to come and is comparable in capability to the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 in the S24 Ultra and OnePlus 12. Only smartphone nerds tend to actually care what processor is in their phone, so rest assured the one included here is top notch, allowing for quick performance, high-end mobile gaming and efficient battery life.

Although the phone can last two days on a single charge in my experience, it’s a shame it doesn’t ship with a charger in the box. This isn’t unusual in 2024 but matters less for iPhones or Galaxy phones that don’t have very fast charging, as you can use any USB-C charger and be relatively happy. But the Xiaomi 14T Pro can charge at a blistering 120W speeds, which can top up the phone from dead to full in about half an hour. If you want the charger, it’ll cost you £59.99. At least the phone itself is a good deal at £649, but when the charger is a proprietary accessory, I think it should be included in the box.

The camera app is incredibly capable (Image: Xiaomi)

There’s also a 50W wireless charging stand you can buy for the phone, which is £79.99. At least there’s a half decent black silicone case included, as well as a USB-C cable.

£649 gets you the Xiaomi 14T Pro with 12GB RAM and 256GB storage, which is a good amount that most people might not fill up in a hurry, but it’s good to see you can get a model with 512GB for only £50 more at £699. There’s even a 1TB storage model for £799 - if you can stretch to that, you can fill your phone with photos, apps, games and downloaded music for years and you probably won’t run out of space

I tested the 1TB model which, like every model, has Hi-Res and Hi-Res Audio Wireless certification as well as Dolby Atmos support. With compatible headphones, I’ve been enjoying high quality music downloads via Qobuz, the music streaming service with some of the best quality music files you can get. The files are large, but downloaded onto 1TB makes much less of a dent than if you’re stuck with 128GB, as you would be on a £799 iPhone 16 - a phone that isn’t compatible with Hi-Res audio in the first place.

If you don’t mind having a phone your mates probably haven’t heard of but want a device that delivers on every level and is great value for money, my pick of the year is the Xiaomi 14T Pro.