Xiaomi 14 and Xiaomi 14 Ultra
Xiaomi set off a real product fireworks display at this year's Mobile Word Congress and, among other things, presented the eagerly awaited Xiaomi 14 series.
"The Xiaomi 14 series is our most ambitious project to date", explained a visibly proud product manager at the presentation on Xiaomi's shiny white exhibition stand. Ambitious because Xiaomi seriously wants to compete with top dog Samsung with the 14 series.
The series includes the Xiaomi 14 as a standard model and the even better equipped top smartphone Xiaomi 14 Ultra. Both devices benefit from the partnership with the German camera veteran Leica, which has existed since 2022. "By collaborating with Leica, we can raise the bar in smartphone photography to a new level", explains the product manager.
True hand flatterers
Both 14s actually feel great in the hand. At 152 x 71 x 8 millimeters, the standard model is pleasantly compact and can be easily operated with one hand. The slightly larger Ultra model also sits comfortably in the hand with its dimensions of 161 x 75 x 9 millimeters. The workmanship seems to be of very high quality, I particularly liked the white Xiaomi 14.
Lots of power and AI features
Both smartphones are powered by Qualcomm's latest flagship processor, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3. This means that even complex 3D games or applications with artificial intelligence have enough power available - a must for a flagship smartphone in 2024, because artificial intelligence was clearly the focus at this year's MWC.
In this context, Xiaomi introduced an "AI Portrait" function that creates photorealistic 3D avatars of users, which can then be positioned in virtual environments such as winter landscapes or beaches. Thanks to AI generators, the result appears surprisingly realistic – ideal for creative posts on social media. In addition, the Xiaomi 14 series offers other AI-based functions such as AI image expansion, subtitling, translation and photo search, which are intended to improve the user experience.
As far as memory is concerned, the small Xiaomi 14 is equipped with 12GB of RAM and either 256 GB or 512 GB of internal data storage. The Ultra model goes one step further and boasts 16 GB of RAM and 512 GB of storage space.
The 14 series displays are also impressive: the Ultra model has a 6,73-inch AMOLED panel, while the standard model comes with a smaller 6,36-inch screen. Thanks to LTPO technology, both screens offer a variable refresh rate from 1 to 120 Hertz, which protects the battery and at the same time ensures smooth scrolling and gaming.
Speaking of battery, the Xiaomi 14 offers a 4610 mAh battery with 90W fast charging and 50W wireless charging. The Xiaomi 14 Ultra relies on a slightly larger 5000 mAh battery, which enables 90W wireless charging in addition to 80W fast charging.
Ultimate camera setup
But the real star of the show is the camera setup. Xiaomi equips the standard model with a new 50 MP main camera that uses an extra-large 1/1.31 inch sensor and a bright f/1.6 aperture for impressive night shots. The main camera is supported by a 3,2x telephoto camera and an ultra wide-angle lens, which also have a resolution of 50 MP.
The camera on the Xiaomi 14 Ultra is even more impressive. Leica developed four lenses exclusively for the smartphone - including two telephoto cameras with 75 and 120 mm focal length and a super wide-angle lens with 12 mm focal length. The core of the quad camera setup is the 50 megapixel main camera with stepless f/1,63 to f/4,0 Aperture that promises phenomenal light capture thanks to the ultra-large 1-inch LYT-900 image sensor and should therefore enable spectacular photos.
"This flexibility allows you to effortlessly capture the perfect photo in almost any everyday situation imaginable.", explained Marius Eschweiler, Vice President Business Unit Mobile at Leica Camera AG. Portraits, landscape shots, architecture photography - the quad camera should impress in all areas.
To further explore the limits of smartphone photography, Xiaomi and Leica even founded a joint research institute - the "Xiaomi x Leica Optical Institute" . The aim here is to work on next-generation optics and image processing algorithms.
Technical data in comparison
| Model | Xiaomi 14 | Xiaomi 14Ultra |
| chip | Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen3 | Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen3 |
| CPU | 1 Prime Core (X4), 3,3GHz 3 performance cores (A720), 3,2GHz 2 performance cores (A720), 3,0GHz 2 efficiency cores (A520), 2,3GHz |
1 Prime Core (X4), 3,3GHz 3 performance cores (A720), 3,2GHz 2 performance cores (A720), 3,0GHz 2 efficiency cores (A520), 2,3GHz |
| GPU | Adreno 750 | Adreno 750 |
| Storage | 12+256GB / 12+512GB (LPDDR5X + UFS 4.0) | 16+512GB (LPDDR5X + UFS 4.0) |
| Display | 6,36 inch AMOLED 3000 nits max brightness dynamic 1 - 120 Hz screen frequency 240 Hz sampling rate 2670 x 1200 pixel resolution DCI-P3 color space Dolby Vision - HDR10+ DC dimming |
6,63 inch AMOLED 3000 nits max brightness dynamic 1 - 120 Hz screen frequency 240 Hz sampling rate 3200 x 1440 pixel resolution DCI-P3 color space Dolby Vision - HDR10+ 1920Hz PWM |
| Cameras (rear) | 50MP Light Fusion 900, 23mm, f/1,6 50MP, 75mm, f/2.0, 10cm macro telephoto lens 50MP, 14mm, f/2.2, 115° ultra wide angle |
50MP Sony LYT-900, 23mm, f/1,63 to f/4,0 50MP Sony IMX 858, 75mm, f/1.8, 10cm macro telephoto lens 50MP Sony IMX 858, 120mm, f/2.5, 30cm macro periscope 50MP Sony IMX 858, 12mm, f/1.8, 122°, 5cm macro ultra wide angle |
| Cameras (front) | 32MP, f/2.0, 89,6° | 32 MP, 1/3,14'' sensor size, f/2.0, 90° |
| Loudspeakers | stereo | stereo |
| connectivity | 5G NR, WiFi 7, Dual BT 5.4, NFC, GPS L1+L5 | 5G NR, WiFi 7, Dual BT 5.4, NFC, GPS L1+L5 |
| Battery | 4.610 mAh 90W HyperCharge 50W Wireless HyperCharge |
5.000 mAh 90W HyperCharge 80W Wireless HyperCharge |
| water conservation | IP68 | IP68 |
| Height Weight | 152,8 x 71,5 x 8,2mm - 193g | 161,4 x 75,3 x 9,2mm - 219,8g |
Price and availability
The Xiaomi 14 starts at 999 euros, the Ultra version costs an impressive 1499 euros. Those who pre-order the Xiaomi 14 Ultra will receive the Leica Photography Kit (RRP 199,99 euros) for free. The kit includes a camera handle with an integrated 1500 mAh battery, which transforms the smartphone into a compact camera for your pocket.
