Xiaomi had a relatively obscure 2024, but not in a negative sense. Much of what Xiaomi released this year was an expected evolution of its previous-gen devices, but not necessarily boring. Perhaps the only thing that shook the scene was the introduction of its first-ever EV – the Xiaomi SU7. So, let’s start with this.
Winner: Xiaomi SU7
If we just look at the numbers, the Xiaomi SU7 is a hit. The company’s brand new factory has been working overtime to meet demand and was able to exceed its initial target for 2024 by a large margin.
Subjectively speaking, Xiaomi did very well with its first car. We also had a chance to take it for a spin and were impressed with the build quality, features and ergonomics. It seems that Xiaomi has previous experience in making vehicles.
Losers: HyperOS and battery life
It seems that HyperOS is lagging behind the competition in some aspects. That’s not to say that Xiaomi’s overlay is bad overall as it certainly has its strong points. Our experience with HyperOS has been very smooth and reliable. However, the feature segregation between Chinese ROM, Global One and Poco Launcher is mind-boggling at this point.
A handful of features remain exclusive to the Chinese version of the OS. An example is notification history. Another difference, but harder to wrap our heads around, is the missing double-tap-to-lock function, which can be found on Pocos but not on standard Xiaomis and Redmis. Go figure!
And our last complaint is about battery life. Judging by our tests, Xiaomi’s phones have struggled to deliver competitive battery life across its range of phones, so it’s easy to conclude that HyperOS is the main culprit.
We’re probably the last people to complain about AI, but HyperOS seems behind the curve when it comes to AI-powered features. We hope 2025 will be for the better.
Winner: Xiaomi 14 Ultra
Another year, another great flagship phone from Xiaomi. Despite the impressive battery life, the phone excels in every other aspect. And perhaps more importantly, it’s one of the best cameraphones on the market.
We were particularly impressed with the video recording capabilities and the versatile camera setup with different focal lengths.
Loser: The Poco Lineup
Remember when people eagerly awaited the next Poco-branded flagship killer? Apparently, those days are gone. The Poco lineup has expanded and still has some competing models like the Poco X6 Pro and possibly the Poco M6 Pro. Both the devices are pretty good all-rounders in their respective classes, but we feel most of the handsets under the Poco branding are just fillers.
Poco F6 Pro is also not excited this year. Sure, you get a top-tier chipset for a relatively low price, but smartphones were never just about the chipset, especially in 2024. The camera experience is lackluster, the battery life isn’t great and the display is just what you’d expect from a phone in this price bracket. And at the end of the day, you’re getting a mid-range phone with a flagship chipset at best. Xiaomi needs to work more on its Poco lineup to bring back its former glory.
Winners: Redmi and Xiaomi 14T series
As usual, Xiaomi’s Redmi lineup is one of the biggest sellers in 2024. One could argue that the lineup has become a bit crowded and sometimes confusing, but that’s just Xiaomi’s way of appealing to the masses. There is a suitable Redmi phone for every user. Redmi Note 13 Pro 5G, vanilla Redmi Note 13 5G and Pro+ stand out the most with excellent value for money.
Another favorite of our lineup is the Xiaomi 14T. The new 14T and 14T Pro offer significant upgrades over their predecessors without resorting to a price hike. Although Xiaomi isn’t advertising them as flagship killers, we believe they’re as close as you can get to a flagship phone without breaking the bank. Moreover, the 14T and 14T Pro offer one of the best camera experiences in their respective price brackets.
Losers: Xiaomi Watch S4
The Xiaomi Watch S4 is a decent smartwatch for what it is. But it’s behind the curve compared to proper smartwatches, not glorified fitness trackers. Unfortunately, the Watch S4 doesn’t bring any meaningful improvements over its predecessor.
Xiaomi’s top-tier watches still run on proprietary HyperOS instead of Wear OS, which deprives them of deep Android integration and some useful Play Store apps. The selection of watch faces is also not that rich. The Mi Fitness companion app also needs more work.
Xiaomi launched a handful of cool new products this year and we can’t wait to see their successors in the next one. However, we wish they focus more on the software side as it will benefit their devices across all lineups.
