The Xiaomi 14 and 14 Ultra: Towards the returns of flat edges in the US (and what’s-old-is-new)
Xiaomi is using MWC to launch two of its flagships for a global audience — though not including the US, as usual. The Xiaomi 14 and 14 Ultra have already been announced in China, and today they’re on center stage with tweaked designs and camera-forward feature sets. They’re available to order starting today; the 14 Ultra will cost €1,499 (about $1624) and the 14 starts at €999 (about $1082).
As usual, Xiaomi’s Ultra flagship camera phone looks like an absolute unit, and as usual it’s disappointing that we’ll miss out on it in the US. While Samsung and Google have been leaning into AI camera features for their most recent updates, the most interesting hardware upgrades have come from Chinese phone makers, lead by Oppo and Xiaomi. If these things operate in cycles — like the return of flat edges — maybe the smartphones we see in the US are due for some serious hardware innovation in the near future, too.
The 14 Ultra’s can close and open at the same time, with a higher shutter speed than most smartphone cameras. We got a demo at a pre-launch event just outside of Barcelona, and sure, you can see the tiny aperture stopping up and down. Use cases for this feature seem to be very slim — even at its widest setting, the lens behaves more like an f/4.0 on a full-frame camera in terms of depth of field. I can confirm that it works, even though stopping it down further seems pointless.
The Ultra is just like the S25 Ultra in that it has two stabilizing tignts, a 3.2x and a 5x. And on the video side it takes a cue from the iPhone 15 Pro and incorporates log recording. That feature makes use of the phone in a multi camera setup and allows you to color grade the results to match all the others. You can also shoot 10-bit HDR in log for some additional post-processing flexibility.
The Xiaomi 14 Ultra moves away from the curved edges of last year and embracing 2014’s 2024’s hottest trend: flat edges. They’re easier to grip and there’s a gentle curve into the straight edge on both the front and back panels that keeps it comfy in your hand. You love to see it. Also in the what’s-old-is-new-again category? Xiaomi’s camera kit for the Ultra, which has been updated so the grip can act as an external battery for the phone. I love an accessory that does more than one job.
One of the main reasons you may consider a phone that is made byXiaomi is its photography prowess. The rear camera in the Xiaomi 14 combines three 50-megapixel lenses. The main lens boasts a 1/1.31-inch sensor, an f/1.6 aperture, and a 23-mm focal length. The 75-mm focal length lets the lens focus at a magnification of 3.2X optical zoom. An ultrawide lens with a focal length of 14mm is available. All your bases are covered with this trio.
The Leica 14 Xiaomi 14: Solid but Uninspiring for a Landscape-Oriented, AMOLED Smartphone
The Leica branding has been rotated 90 degrees so it looks at home in landscape orientation — the same way it appears on the Ultra. The back panel’s glass features a matte finish that feels sleek without being too slick, or maybe those flat edges make it feel more secure in my hand. Whatever it is, I like it.
The Xiaomi 14 feels durable and scores an IP68 rating for water resistance. The glass protects the screen. There is a power button on the right side and a sim card tray on the bottom of the device. Overall, it’s a classy, refined design, albeit quite conservative.
The 6.36-inch AMOLED display has a camera cutout at the top and a fingerprint sensor under the screen at the bottom. I found the sensor to respond very well. The screen is a highlight. It sports a 2,670 x 1,200-pixel resolution, giving you a sharp 460 pixels per inch (matching the iPhone 15 Pro). It has a dynamic refresh rate capable of going from 1 Hz up to 120 Hz for smooth animations and scrolling, and to save on battery life where possible.
The display was bright enough for me to read outdoors in direct light and can reach 3,000 nits peak brightness for highlights. This is a solid phone to use for watching movies. The stereo speakers offer Dolby Atmos and boast surprising depth. I was quickly sucked in by the sound and appearance of Dune and Blade Runner 2049, and watched a few scenes from them to see how fast it could go.
Source: Xiaomi 14 Review: Solid but Uninspiring
Getting the most out of the Xiaomi device: wireless charging and data sharing with an ultra-high-performance handset in the Xiamai class
4 percent of the battery was used in the 20 minutes played. Rated at 4,610 mAh, you can expect the Xiaomi 14 to get through all but the busiest days, but you’ll want to charge every night. The full charge of the Xiaomi 14 can be made in about half an hour using the 90- watt charging andusb-c cable that is included in the box. This phone also supports up to 50-watt wireless charging, but you need Xiaomi’s wireless charger (£60) to get that rate.
The internet is top-notch. The Xiaomi 14 supports two technologies. It supports a good spread of bands for both 5G and 4G. It has a strong signal in the UK and should work in Europe, but folks in the US should check with their carrier to see if there are any 5G bands.
