In the smart TV market, it’s hard to beat Xiaomi in terms of value. Like its smartphones, Xiaomi’s smart TVs are priced aggressively. This has helped the brand climb up the smart TV ladder since its launch in India. Xiaomi has now made some iterative updates to the X Pro QLED series launched last year. The brand now aims to democratize another feature with the 2025 model year. I had a chance to briefly try out the new TV, and here are my first impressions.
During the launch event, I had the opportunity to check out the 65-inch version of the X Pro QLED TV. Its design is the same as before. It still has the same thin metal bezels as the giant display. In addition to the 43-inch and 55-inch options, I’m told the TV will also be available in a smaller 32-inch version. The smaller display means it will be available at a lower price, which will make QLED TVs more accessible than they are now.
The design of the 2025 model is similar to the previous generation
Image source: Xiaomi
There is a new remote control. Its sides are rounded, making it more comfortable to hold. It is also much higher than before. Xiaomi has added a numeric keypad to it and a new RGYB button at the bottom.
The TV’s slim design now comes with built-in box speakers that sound better. Xiaomi has taken into account the feedback from previous series and enhanced the audio delivery of the TV. The brand claims these models deliver better sound than previous models, but in terms of wattage, the 43-inch model is the same as before, at 30W on paper. The 55-inch and 65-inch models have slightly increased power, at 34W.
During my brief experience, the audio quality was loud, clear, and immersive enough. In fact, it doesn’t seem to require the optional soundbar. But again, I listened to and watched the film in a very controlled, studio-like environment.
The panel has changed…well, kind of. Thanks to DLG technology (Dual Line Gate), monitors that normally run at 60Hz can now double the refresh rate when needed. Xiaomi claims it’s useful when watching sports (enhanced sports) or when connected to a console to play games that support high refresh rates. Xiaomi offers 4K 120Hz panels on all three models. However, keep in mind that DLG does reduce the resolution of the panel when aiming to deliver faster frame rates.
New remote adds numeric keypad among other add-ons
Image source: Xiaomi
The main highlight of the Xiaomi X Pro QLED series this year is the Filmmaker Mode or FMM. Xiaomi claims that it should display any content (except gaming content) from any source (Blu-ray disc, streaming or broadcast) the way the filmmaker intended. FMM also corrects aspect ratio and frame rate, preventing any artificial enhancement from ruining the movie.
While it sounds gimmicky, it’s basically a picture mode that turns off all unnecessary changes like frame insertion (motion enhanced MEMC), sharpening, or color enhancement that occur in the standard or other picture modes offered by your TV. The result is content that looks natural and unaffected, as it does whether you’re watching SD or HDR content. This mode can be activated manually (in the picture settings) or automatically triggered by metadata in the content being viewed.
In my brief demo, the Dolby Vision Filmmaker mode in the new X Pro range did make colors appear natural in that mode, with less sharpening and motion enhancement (or motion interpolation) turned off.
On the software side, Xiaomi’s PatchWall continues to exist. PatchWall and the underlying Android TV worked as expected during the demo. However, smart TVs (especially affordable ones) are known to suffer from lag once they start to age. With no hardware upgrades compared to the previous model, I’m a little skeptical about how the new X Pro has aged.
Port selection is also the same as the previous model
Image source: Xiaomi
The smart TV experience is powered by quad-core Cortex A55 CPU and Mali G52 GPU. There’s 2GB RAM and 32GB storage, all of which are the same as the previous model. Port selection is also the same as before. There are 2 USB 2.0 ports, 1 Ethernet port, 1 AV port, 3 HDMI ports (1 with eARC), 1 headphone jack, and 1 antenna port.
We will fully test the Xiaomi X Pro QLED series in our review. The price tag is as low as Rs. 31,999 These TVs, given their QLED panels, do look fully functional, but before you take the plunge, check out our detailed review.
