CheckMag | 4 reasons I'll choose the Xiaomi 14T Pro over the Samsung Galaxy S24 FE
I've been thinking of upgrading my nearly 2-year-old Google Pixel 7, and while I have not decided on a phone yet, two new models that have made it onto my shortlist are the Galaxy S24 FE and Xiaomi 14T Pro. However, if it boils down to just these two, I'll give my money to Xiaomi for the following reasons:
1. Value for money
The Xiaomi 14T Pro offers better value for money when compared to the Galaxy S24 FE, at least based on the European prices of both phones. The Galaxy S24 FE has a starting price of €749 in Europe for the base model with 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage while the Xiaomi 14T Pro has a starting price of €799 which gets me the base model with 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage.
Sure, the Xiaomi 14T Pro costs €50 more, but it has more RAM and double the storage. Samsung also offers a 256GB version of the Galaxy S24 FE but it still has 8GB of RAM and costs more at €809.
It's not just the RAM and storage that makes the Xiaomi 14T Pro the better value phone, overall, it has better specifications. Also, Xiaomi bundles its phone with a free case even though it has joined Samsung in not including a charger in the box.
2. Better specs overall
Compared to the Galaxy S24 FE, the Xiaomi 14T Pro is the better phone in terms of specifications. Its 6.67-inch 144Hz AMOLED display with a 2712 x 1220 resolution is significantly sharper than the 6.7-inch 120Hz AMOLED (2340 x 1080) display of the Galaxy S24 FE. Xiaomi's phone is also much brighter, reaching a peak brightness of 4,000 nits compared to the Galaxy 24 FE's 1,900 nits.
The Dimensity 9300+ inside the Xiaomi 14T Pro is no doubt the more powerful chipset when pitted against the Exnos 2400e. It bests the Exynos 2400, so the slightly less powerful Exynos 2400e should not be a problem.
The Xiaomi 14T Pro also charges significantly faster at 120W in wired mode and 50W using a wireless charger than the Galaxy S24 FE which charges at 25W in wired mode and 15W using a wireless charger.
3. Design
Design is subjective which is why the Xiaomi 14T Pro is better-looking than the Galaxy S24 FE. The combination of the Xiaomi 14T's matte glass with its metal-like appearance, flat aluminum frame, protruding metal camera island, and textured power button make for a more beautiful device than the Galaxy S24 FE's boring look. It's not that the Galaxy S24 FE is ugly, it is just overused at this point and its similarity to cheaper models such as the Galaxy A15 (curr. $179 on Amazon) doesn't help it.
4. Tempting launch offers
Xiaomi's launch offer is more tempting than Samsung's. If you pre-order the Xiaomi 14T Pro, you get a free Redmi Pad Pro (6+128GB) worth €299. On the other hand, those who pre-order the Galaxy S24 FE will get a free Galaxy Watch FE worth €199. I already own a Galaxy Watch 4 LTE (44 mm), so the Galaxy Watch FE is pointless. However, the Redmi Pad Pro is a nice upgrade from my Redmi Pad.
There are areas where the Galaxy S24 FE shines though. The display is protected by Gorilla Glass Victus+ and there's Samsung DeX. It will also receive 7 OS upgrades and 7 years of security updates. However, DeX isn't enough to win me over and Xiaomi's promise of 4 OS upgrades and 5 years of security updates is fine enough and the Xiaomi 14T Pro's infrared sensor is a handy feature that will get more use than DeX.
