Since the release of the Mi 11 Ultra (review) in India in 2021, the Xiaomi 14 Ultra is the company’s most audacious wager to date. Although the Xiaomi 13 Pro (review) and Xiaomi 14 (review) have shown us what the company is capable of in the premium market, the ultra-premium market is a completely different animal.
The camera system, which was co-created with Leica, is the company’s main argument for charging Rs 99,999 (MRP Rs 1,19,999). Can the Xiaomi 14 Ultra prove to be a competitive rival, particularly in a market dominated by giants like the iPhone 15 Pros, Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra (review), and others?
Rating: 8 / 10
Verdict
The Xiaomi 14 Ultra excels in everything that the Xiaomi 14 does well. The Xiaomi 14 Ultra has one of the most flexible camera systems available for Android thanks to its relationship with Leica. In addition, it performs well in other domains including display, battery life, and performance. Although there aren’t any native generative features currently, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 will enable these functions, thus the day may not be far off.
Cameras
Let’s get right to the elephant in the room. Unlike the Xiaomi 14, which has a triple camera arrangement, the Xiaomi 14 Ultra has an additional camera on the rear.
The rear camera system consists of:
- 50-megapixel OIS camera with a step-less variable aperture range of f/1.63 to f/4.0. A 1-inch LYT-900 sensor is used in the main camera.
- 3.2x optical zoom, a 50MP telephoto camera with OIS, and a 75mm floating lens.
- A second 50MP telephoto camera featuring an optical zoom of 5X, an OIS system, and a periscope-style lens for a digital zoom of 120X.
- An ultra-wide 50 MP camera with autofocus.
Let’s not forget that Xiaomi, in collaboration with Leica, offers filters and methods that will make the camera more interesting in general. You can also take macro photos with the phone’s ultra-wide camera. The camera software offers a standard Leica audio system and adds watermarking. The smartphone has an UltraRAW mode for capturing 16-bit color images. Its features also include the popular Magic Eraser, powered by artificial intelligence.
I had the opportunity to test the Xiaomi 14 Ultra’s camera in the beautiful city of Singapore, and images captured mostly during the day show a high level of sharpness and dynamic range. Although the phone can capture natural colors in RAW mode, I found myself frequently switching between Leica Vibrant and Authentic modes for a more natural camera look.
Lens ya Kabir ya terefone irashobora gufata amafoto ham we na 120x zoom. Nubwo ibisobanuro bigaragara mumashusho mugihe zoom nini ishoboye, ibisubizo birashimishije kuri 10X ndetse na 30X. Ndibwira ko 5X optique zoom nubufasha bukomeye kumashusho no kurasa kure. Inadi ngingo ikomeye ya Xiaomi 14 Ultra nubushobozi bwayo bwo gukomeza guhuza ibara waba ukoresha ecran nini, terefone cyangwa ecran ya ultrawide. Ibisobanuro kuri kamera ya ultra-ubugari nibyiza, nubwo atari byiza nkibara ryaryijimye kandi ryijimye.
Mugihe cyurusaku ruke, Xiaomi 14 Ultra irashobora kubika amakuru utongeyeho urusaku rwinshi. Ariko, amashusho yanjye menshi afite itandukaniro ryinshi nigicucu kidasanzwe. Amafoto asa nkaho abereye imbuga nkoranyambaga, nubwo arizo nziza zishobora gutoranywa kugirango turebe neza. Ubwoko bwa UltraRAW bushobora gutanga ikiruhuko, ariko abakoresha bisanzwe birashoboka ko bazababazwa no guhora bahindura aperture cyangwa umuvuduko. Muri icyo gihe, iPhone 15 Pro Max yatanze urumuri rwiza kandi rutandukanye, byibuzemugihe cyizamini.
The 32MP front camera also performs better than I’ve seen on most smartphones. Although skin discoloration may occasionally occur, this is not a very challenging situation. Additionally, the front camera offers features like Dynamic Framing (0.8x, 1x), portrait mode with bokeh and depth control, and more. Some AI features, such as object removal and color correction, significantly improve the quality of images regardless of whether they are captured by the front or rear camera.
Overall, taking photos with the Xiaomi 14 Ultra is no problem, and the phone’s extra camera and Leica collaboration are greatly improved. I think the iPhone is still the MVP of video. You don’t see any color or issues on the Xiaomi Ultra 14, but the video often starts with a strange stutter. This appears to be a software-related issue that will be resolved with an OTA update.
Although I spent a few days with the Xiaomi 14 Ultra, in the end, I only summarized its best features and more. Xiaomi 14 Ultra is also unique in that you can turn the phone into a fully digital camera with physical buttons to start video or change brightness. Unfortunately, this is only possible with Xiaomi’s dedicated photography equipment and I can’t replicate it.
Design and display
All these extra camera functions also mean size and weight. Compared to the Xiaomi 14’s 8.2mm width, the Xiaomi 14 Ultra measures 9.2mm with the camera. At the same time, the weight increased from 193 grams to 219 grams. And in the world of technology, millimeters and milligrams matter.
There is no doubt that the Xiaomi 14 Ultra feels premium in every respect. The back is covered with full-grain leather, which provides a soft touch but a good grip. The rear camera module mimics the large lens of a traditional camera. The frame is made of steel (not titanium) and feels solid.
If the traditional camera looks interesting, the classic design of Xiaomi 14 may be worth it. Both phones are IP68 rated for protection against dust and water; big likes.
TheUltra in its name refers not only to the top-mounted camera but also to the product. Xiaomi 14 Ultra has a very large 6.6.73-inch AMOLED display with a good resolution (3,200 x 1,440 pixels) and up to 3000 nits of brightness. You will find all the major screen resolutions (HDR and Dolby Vision) for a great viewing experience. Stereo speakers and Dolby Atmos also complete the viewing experience.
Performance, software, and battery
Xiaomi is selling a single storage option that includes 16GB of LPDDR5X RAM and 512GB of UFS 4.0 storage. It makes sense because larger files contain more details in images and videos. 512GB of storage might be just as significant when 4K or 8K video recording is being done.
The Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 SoC from Qualcomm powers both the Xiaomi 14 and 14 Ultra, thus there isn’t much of a performance difference between them. The camera app seems incredibly light while having a ton of capabilities, and the performance is quick. HyperOS, which is based on Android 14, is also pre-installed on the phone to improve compatibility with other Xiaomi devices.
Along with a comparatively larger 5,000mAh battery that supports both 80W and 90W wireless charging, the Xiaomi 14 Ultra also has cable charging capability. The phone takes about 35 minutes to charge from 0% to 100% with the included 120W charger. You anticipate a reasonable battery life even when the maximum settings are on. The phone can easily run for an entire day in moderate settings.
Final verdict
Should camera performance be the defining characteristic of a real flagship, the Xiaomi 14 Ultra is well worth the price. The smartphone also performs exceptionally well in other aspects, such as the build, battery life, display, and even charging speed.
However, Xiaomi might improve in several areas, especially in the software experience to rival devices like the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra and Google Pixel 8 Pro. We haven’t seen the brand release a more complete ecosystem yet, but with its ambitious development on a new Android-based HyperOS, that day could not be too far off.
Otherwise, the Xiaomi 14 Ultra is certain to satisfy your need for a camera-focused smartphone at a comparatively lower cost than the Galaxy S24 Ultra.
