Xiaomi 14T review: Best phone under Rs. 70,000 in Nepal?

This is the first time Xiaomi has launched a T-series phone in Nepal, and that too for a very competitive price. The Xiaomi 14T is priced at NPR 65,000 for the 12GB RAM + 512GB storage variant.  And it comes with some very interesting features such as Dimensity 8300 Ultra SOC and Leica branded cameras. I have used this phone for like 10 days and let's know more in my Xiaomi 14T review. Before getting in, let's have a quick look at the specifications.

Xiaomi 14T Specifications:

• Display: 6.67″ FHD+ AMOLED, 144Hz refresh rate,  HDR10+, 4000 nits (peak)
• Chipset: Dimensity 8300 Ultra (4nm)
• Memory: 12GB LPDDR5X RAM, 512GB internal storage (UFS 4.0)
• Software & UI: Xiaomi HyperOS, Android 14
• Rear Camera: Triple (50MP main, 50MP ultrawide, 12MP telephoto)
• Front Camera: 32MP sensor (punch-hole)
• Security: In-display fingerprint sensor (Optical)
• Connectivity: Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6e, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct, Bluetooth 5.4, A2DP, LE, GPS, GLONASS, GALILEO, BDS, NFC, USB Type-C, OTG
• Sensors: Accelerometer, Barometer, Gyro, Geomagnetic, Hall, Proximity, Ambient Light
• Battery: 5,000mAh with 67W fast charging
• Price in Nepal (Official): Rs. 64,999 (12/512GB)
• Buy Xiaomi 14T here

Xiaomi 14T Review:

Design

Talking about the design, the Xiaomi 14T comes in a monotone design with a glass back, and there's also a vegan leather variant. However, the frame is plastic. A metal frame would have been more appealing. Likewise, it secures an IP68 rating, so even if this guy gets dipped in water, you shouldn’t worry much. But one small complaint is that the edges feel a bit sharp, which might be uncomfortable during long gaming or video-watching sessions. Talking of the protection, there is Gorilla Glass 5 upfront while the rear side has an unspecified shatterproof glass on the back.

Display

The display side is where the Xiaomi 14T truly shines! It has no compromises in display quality,  a 144Hz refresh rate, Dolby Vision, HDR10+ support, 3840Hz PWM dimming, and 1600 nits typical brightness (peaks at 4000 nits). In real-life usage too, the display is amazing. Colors are vibrant & punchy, making movies, series, YouTube videos, or even TikToks enjoyable. Pair that with dual speakers with good loudness & decent bass, and a 480Hz touch sampling rate. However, one caveat here is the 144Hz refresh rate. Which is present on the paper but it is gimmicky. If you ask me why, it only reaches 144Hz in benchmark apps. In normal use, it’s locked at 120Hz, and even in gaming, it doesn’t go beyond that. 

Performance  

This is one of the strongest aspects of the Xiaomi 14T. It’s powered by the MediaTek Dimensity 8300 Ultra chip, paired with 12GB LPDDR5 RAM & 512GB UFS 4.0 storage. Even though it's a one-year-old chipset, it performs exceptionally well in both benchmarks and real-life usage. PUBG Smooth runs at 90fps with an average of 89.2 fps. I also played Genshin Impact and the results were impressive. The 14T managed to give me a 59.4fps average at High settings. The thermals are well-managed due to the large VC cooling system. Even in day-to-day usage & multitasking, the UI feels fast & optimized with no stutters.

Software & Updates  

The phone runs Android 14 with HyperOS 1.0 out of the box. Android 15 has already been released globally, so hopefully, it will arrive in Nepal soon. One good note is that Xiaomi is providing 4 years of Android updates and 5 years of security updates. And speaking of HyperOS, it is feature-rich without any doubt. For someone who loves customizations, I love the lock screen and rich theme options on the Xiaomi 14T. Thankfully, there are no ads in the UI too. Except for some sneaky recommendations from GetApps and Music app, which I don't even bother to use.

Some AI Features  

Since we’re in 2025, AI is everywhere! The Xiaomi 14T comes with an AI Call Interpreter, AI Eraser, AI Film effects, and such. As the name implies, the finest one can interpret calls in different languages which is fun to use. Meanwhile, the AI Eraser works well and can remove unwanted objects or people from photos easily. 

Cameras 

Let’s talk about the Leica cameras now. The Xiaomi 14T is the first phone in Nepal to bring a collab with a camera-centric big name like Leica, that too in the 60K range. You get a 50MP primary camera with OIS, a 2x telephoto with 50MP, and a 12MP ultrawide sensor.

Daylight

The Xiaomi 14T clicks good pictures with exceptional contrast and decent details. You get two modes here: Leica Authentic and Leica Vibrant. If you are up for a punchy output, you can go for the latter like I did.

Portraits

Since this phone has Leica branding, expectations were high. However, the camera optimization isn’t great. The portraits on the Leica Portrait mode bear a lot of contrast, I mean, just too much that the shadow areas go very dark. However, there is Master Portrait mode too, which eases the situation.  And after learning this, I shot the rest of the portrait shots in Master Portrait mode. I defo suggest you do the same if you are planning to buy or already own this phone. And here are some 2x 50mm (Optical Zoom) and 3x 75mm (Cropped Zoom) shots. The results are not that appeasing though with reddish tones.

Ultra-wide camera  

The Xiaomi 14T boats a 12MP UW camera instead of the usual 8MP we find in other phones. So, the details are good and the outputs look nice. Albeit there is a bit more contrast.

Selfies  

Selfies are on the decent side although, sometimes they struggle with accurate skin tones. 

Videos

You can shoot up to 4K 60fps recording from the rear camera but stabilization isn’t great. Dialing down it to 4K 30fps makes it slightly better though. Likewise, selfie video maxes out at 4K 30fps but here too stabilization is not that great.  Overall, the camera performance is not that appealing! Leica branding is there, but for some optimization, the Xiaomi 14T needs urgent updates.  

Battery & Charging  

Fueling the Xiaomi 14T is a 5,000mAh battery that lasts a full day on moderate usage. For someone like me who is constantly checking tech news, updates, and some gaming in my free time, I felt the need to plug in by the evening. No complaints though! Xiaomi has bundled a 67W charger included in the box. A full charge takes 51 minutes, which is good.

Xiaomi 14T Review: Final Verdict

So, is the Xiaomi 14T worth NPR 65,000? For the most part, yes! The Dimensity 8300 Ultra's excellent performance, no compromises on display, decent design (except for glass protection), and good battery life are the good markers for a worthy premium mid-ranger. However, the Leica branding would have shone if only the cameras were more optimized. And it's 2025 already, so, it must have booted with Android 15 out of the box. If camera quality is your priority, this phone isn’t the best choice. But due to the lack of great camera phones in this range, you’d have to increase your budget and consider options like the Samsung S24 FE or Honor 200 Pro.  But aside from that, the Xiaomi 14T is a solid option for NPR 65,000! No doubt about that!

Xiaomi 14T Review: Pros and Cons

Pros:

• Great performance
• Superb display
• Good battery life

Cons:

• Cameras can be more optimized
• Boots on Android 14