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The Xiaomi 14 is the latest globally available camera phone from Xiaomi. It boasts a variety of upgrades compared to its predecessor, including a better display, a faster chipset, speedier charging, and completely revamped camera hardware. Though there isn’t a “pro” model this year, the Xiaomi 14 has many pro-level features packed into a compact design.
Design and Durability
While the design is similar to previous models, the camera bump is larger and protrudes further from the back. The global version only comes with a glass back, unlike the Chinese version which offers a vegan leather option. The glossy finish can be prone to smudges and makes the phone somewhat slippery. The Xiaomi 14 also has an IP68 rating, meaning it is resistant to dust and water.
A Stunning Display
The 6.36-inch OLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate is similar to the previous model, but there are key improvements. The Xiaomi 14 boasts a higher resolution LTPO screen with Gorilla Glass Victus protection. This translates to 460 PPI, making it sharper than the 1080p display found on the Xiaomi 13. The 12-bit color depth allows for a wider range of colors, and premium features like HDR1+ and Dolby Vision are also included. The LTPO technology enables the 120Hz refresh rate to adapt to different content, going as low as 10Hz to save energy and potentially even 1Hz.
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Brightness
The Xiaomi 14 doesn’t disappoint when it comes to brightness. It reaches a maximum of around 500 nits with the manual slider and can be boosted to nearly 1200 nits in auto mode when needed.
Audio and Biometrics
The Xiaomi 14 features stereo speakers with impressive loudness and excellent quality, boasting good-sounding vocals and more powerful bass than its competitors.
For security, there's a responsive under-display fingerprint reader. While it works well, a slightly higher placement would be preferable. The Xiaomi 14 is available with various storage options, including 256GB, 512GB, or a terabyte.
Software Features
The phone runs on Xiaomi's new Hyper OS 1.0, which is based on Android 14. While there are some design changes compared to MIUI, the interface is largely similar, and the system feels fluid and responsive. An interesting feature of the Xiaomi 14 is the IR blaster, tucked away within the camera bump, which can be used to control other devices. Software support is another highlight: the Xiaomi 14 is expected to receive at least four major OS updates and five years of security patches.
Performance and Battery Life
The Xiaomi 14 is equipped with Qualcomm's latest flagship processor, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3. This chipset delivers enhanced performance and power efficiency compared to the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 found in last year's flagships, along with better ray tracing for gaming.
Benchmark Performance
The Xiaomi 14 excels in benchmarks, ranking near the top. It even outperforms some current flagships with the same chipset. However, these impressive scores reflect peak performance.
Sustained Performance
In prolonged stress tests, the Xiaomi 14 shows some weaknesses. Severe thermal throttling was observed within just 10 to 15 minutes of testing. The throttling isn't gradual but rather jumpy, which could result in stuttering during gameplay.
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Battery Capacity
The Xiaomi 14 boasts a slightly larger battery capacity than its predecessor, at 4,610 mAh. Battery life is one of the phone's strongest points, ranking among the best in its class with an overall active use score of 13 hours and 56 minutes. The phone performed particularly well in web browsing and video playback tests.
Charging Speeds
This year, the Xiaomi 14 supports faster 90W charging, compared to 67W in the previous model. A 90W charger is included in the box, enabling the phone to charge from 0% to 94% in just 30 minutes. A full charge takes only 35 minutes. Additionally, the phone supports 50W wireless charging.
Camera Capabilities
The Xiaomi 14 features significant upgrades to its camera hardware, bringing it closer to last year's pro model in terms of capability.
Camera Setup
- 50MP main camera with a large OmniVision sensor
- 50MP 3.2x telephoto zoom lens
- 50MP ultrawide camera
Daylight Performance
The main camera delivers exceptional image quality in daylight conditions. Photos, captured at 12.5 megapixels due to pixel binning, exhibit good sharpness, fine detail, wide dynamic range, and accurate colors. The 2x zoom, which is a digital crop from the main camera, produces unimpressive results for a flagship, noticeably softer than the standard shots.
Low-Light Performance
The Xiaomi 14 frequently utilizes its automatic night mode in low-light conditions. Even without the night mode, there isn't a significant difference from standard shots. Nighttime photos are clean, sharp, and detailed. The phone does a good job managing highlights and light sources.
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Video Recording
The main camera can record video in various resolutions and frame rates, including up to 8K at 24fps and 4K at 60fps. Electronic stabilization is supported for all cameras. 4K video quality from the main camera is top-notch, featuring a wide dynamic range, well-developed shadows, good contrast, and no noise. Sharpness and detail are excellent, and colors appear natural. At night, the main camera's 4K video maintains a very good dynamic range and level of detail, even in darker areas.
Telephoto Performance
The 3.2x telephoto camera produces outstanding zoomed photos that are clean and detailed with a wide dynamic range and no noise. Xiaomi has also done a good job matching the telephoto's processing with the main camera, resulting in similar image quality and rendition. However, portraits captured with the telephoto camera seem soft and rough around the edges. On a positive note, macro close-ups from this camera are impressive. It can focus on subjects as close as 10 cm, producing detailed macro shots. At night, the telephoto camera performs exceptionally well, matching the main camera's overall quality. The photos are clean with excellent detail and dynamic range. Zoomed 4K videos from the telephoto camera are good, with excellent dynamic range and accurate exposure. However, the footage isn't as sharp as the main camera's, and the detail appears somewhat artificial.
Ultrawide Performance
The ultrawide camera is good for its category but still lags behind the main and telephoto cameras in terms of quality. 4K videos from the ultrawide camera are good overall, featuring wide dynamic range, accurate colors, nice contrast, no noise, and well-developed shadows.
Selfie Camera
The 32MP selfie camera produces natural-looking selfies with brightened skin and good dynamic range. However, the selfies are generally soft and have pale colors. The selfie camera can record 4K video. The phone has two microphones at the front and two at the back, enabling high-quality audio recording.
Overall
The Xiaomi 14 is a highly capable compact flagship phone with many impressive features.
Pros:
- Great screen and speaker
- The latest flagship chipset
- Excellent battery life and fast charging
- Solid and versatile camera experience
Cons:
- Lack of autofocus on the ultrawide camera
- Underwhelming thermal management
Despite these drawbacks, the Xiaomi 14 is a compelling option for users seeking a compact flagship phone. The reviewer highly recommends it. Alternative options mentioned include the Samsung Galaxy S24 and the iPhone 15 Pro.
