Xiaomi 14 review: Altering the flagship status quo

The Mi 10 Pro was a turning level for Xiaomi; whereas the Chinese producer was making for flagships for the higher a part of a decade, it wasn’t till the Mi 10 sequence that it delivered a tool that went up towards the very best that Google, Samsung, and Huawei needed to provide on the time.Xiaomi made big strides in nearly each space within the intervening 4 years, and it is the cameras which have obtained the lion’s share of consideration. Xiaomi teamed up with Leica 18 months in the past to offer its imaging efforts a lift, and it has led to some fairly outstanding outcomes — the Xiaomi 13 Ultra continues to be the very best digicam cellphone round, and Xiaomi’s digicam tuning is among the finest within the business.So it is not shocking to see that Xiaomi is not altering issues an excessive amount of with the Xiaomi 14; the cellphone has the identical design as final yr, with Xiaomi positioning the gadget for one-handed use. What’s fascinating is that Xiaomi is taking a leaf out of OnePlus’s playbook — the Xiaomi 14 has the identical auxiliary cameras because the Xiaomi 13 Pro, and that makes it a way more versatile selection, just like the OnePlus 12.Because of that, Xiaomi is not launching the Pro variant of the Xiaomi 14 globally; the Xiaomi 14 is the default selection in most markets, and it will likely be joined by the Xiaomi 14 Ultra in choose areas. I did not use the usual variants of the Xiaomi 12 and Xiaomi 13 as a lot because the Pro fashions within the final two years, however this time round, I switched to the Xiaomi 14 as my day by day driver for 2 weeks, and this is why I feel it’s a viable various to the OnePlus 12.Xiaomi 14: Pricing and launch date(Image credit score: Apoorva Bhardwaj / Android Central)Xiaomi unveiled the Xiaomi 14 sequence in its dwelling market again in October, and the gadgets are launching globally at Mobile World Congress. Xiaomi additionally launched a Xiaomi 14 Pro alongside the usual mannequin, however that will not be releasing outdoors China this time round. That mentioned, the Xiaomi 14 Ultra will probably be debuting globally within the coming weeks, and that would be the flagship providing outdoors China.Xiaomi would not normally launch the Ultra mannequin globally, so it is good to see that we’re getting the Xiaomi 14 Ultra outdoors China, even when it comes at the price of the Pro mannequin. Considering there aren’t many variations between the usual variant and the Pro mannequin this yr, it is smart that Xiaomi is simply launching one variant globally, and once more, the Ultra is obtainable to people who need the very best that the model has to supply in 2024.The Xiaomi 14 is beginning out at €999 within the area for the 12GB/256GB version, and that’s consistent with what the Xiaomi 13 value final yr. With an Indian launch slated for March 7, we should always know extra about what the cellphone will value within the nation shortly. Swipe to scroll horizontallyCategoryXiaomi 14OSHyperOS 1.0.9.0, Android 14Display6.36-inch LTPO AMOLED, 120Hz, HDR, Dolby Vision, 1000 nits (HBM), 3000 nits (HDR)ChipsetQualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, Adreno 750, 4nmRAM12GB LPDDR5XStorage256GB, 512GB UFS 4.0Rear digicam 150MP Light Fusion 900, f/1.6 1/1.31-inch 23mm, Dolby Vision, OISRear digicam 250MP f/2.2 14mm, wide-angle lens, 115-degree FoVRear digicam 350MP f/2.0 75mm telephoto, 3.2x optical zoom, OISFront digicam32MP f/2.0, autofocusIngress protectionIP68 mud and water resistanceConnectivityWi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.4, world 5G bands, NFC, dual-band GPS SecurityOptical in-screen sensorAudioUSB-C, stereo sound, 24-bit/192kHz, Snapdragon Sound, AptX HD, AptX AdaptiveBattery4610mAh battery, 90W HyperCharge charging, 50W wi-fi chargingDimensions 152.8 x 71.5 x 8.2mm, 193gColorsBlack, White, Jade GreenXiaomi 14: Design(Image credit score: Apoorva Bhardwaj / Android Central)Xiaomi is understood for altering its designs on a yearly foundation, however the Xiaomi 14 retains the identical design as its predecessor — all the way down to the scale — and which means you get the identical boxy sides and a shiny again that will get smudged in case you have a look at it mistaken. The digicam housing remains to be gigantic, and it retains the sq. sample, however it’s a little cleaner this time round, and it has a metallic band encircling the island.The digicam housing juts out a bit greater than final yr, however due to the sheer measurement, it would not make the cellphone wobble once you’re utilizing it on a desk. There are three coloration choices this time — Jade Green, Black, and White — and the inexperienced variant has a uninteresting sheen that does not stand out fairly as a lot as a number of the different gadgets I used this yr. The Flowy Emerald OnePlus 12 seems to be far more placing, and it’s a lot better to carry.(Image credit score: Apoorva Bhardwaj / Android Central)Part of the issue is the flat sides; they make it uncomfortable to carry the gadget, and despite the fact that it’s considerably smaller than different 2024 flagships, it would not have a fantastic in-hand really feel. Even the iPhone 15 Pro Max has beveled edges that make it simple to carry, however Xiaomi hasn’t made any allowances in that space.(Image credit score: Apoorva Bhardwaj / Android Central)Another annoyance is the shiny end. The Xiaomi 14 makes use of a glass again with a shiny coating, and it will get coated up in smudges very simply. The metallic sides even have the identical coating, and I’ve to marvel if anybody at Xiaomi truly examined the gadget earlier than placing it in manufacturing to see how the design decisions have an effect on usability.(Image credit score: Apoorva Bhardwaj / Android Central)Xiaomi had a terrific design aesthetic two years in the past on the Xiaomi 12 sequence, with the sleek curves, rectangular digicam housing, and frosted glass designs giving the telephones a number of character. But the model as an alternative selected to emulate what Apple and Samsung had been doing, and converted to flat sides final yr, leading to gadgets which are objectively extra uncomfortable to make use of. You get a slight curve on the again of the Xiaomi 14 as effectively, nevertheless it is not do a lot to change the texture of the gadget.(Image credit score: Apoorva Bhardwaj / Android Central)That mentioned, the cellphone has quite a bit going for it by way of stature; it is not fairly as diminutive because the Zenfone 10 or Galaxy S24, nevertheless it kinds the best center floor between these gadgets and behemoths just like the Galaxy S24 Ultra. While I’m not a fan of the design, the Xiaomi 14 has wonderful match and end, and I did not discover any points on this space.(Image credit score: Apoorva Bhardwaj / Android Central)The mannequin I’m utilizing has the identical coloration all through, so that you get the identical inexperienced hue on the aluminum sides as effectively. The energy and quantity buttons are on the fitting, they usually’re ideally situated the place your thumb rests on the aspect. The SIM card tray sits on the backside subsequent to the USB-C charging port and the speaker, and in contrast to the Xiaomi 12 sequence, you do not get similar channels with stereo sound — the secondary speaker is tucked away simply beneath the highest bezel.(Image credit score: Apoorva Bhardwaj / Android Central)If you are eyeing the gadget, I’d recommend getting the black variant; that mannequin has a matte end, and must be simpler to handle in day by day use. On that topic, Xiaomi would not point out what display screen safety it makes use of behind the Xiaomi 14, however it’s on par with Gorilla Glass Victus; the cellphone took a couple of tumbles through the testing window, and it got here away unscathed.The Xiaomi 14 will get IP68 mud and water resistance as commonplace, and that is nice to see. Xiaomi has been constant on this regard — not like different Chinese manufacturers — and all of the fashions within the Xiaomi 14 sequence get the identical degree of ingress safety.I’ve typically ridiculed Xiaomi up to now for altering its designs yearly, and it is ironic that the model is lastly beginning to use a constant aesthetic throughout generations at a time when it actually ought to transfer to a completely new design language. What’s notably annoying is that the Redmi Note 13 Pro+ received a redesign this yr that makes the gadget look far more premium, and if something, that gadget — which prices lower than half as a lot — upstages the Xiaomi 14 significantly.Xiaomi 14: Display(Image credit score: Apoorva Bhardwaj / Android Central)Xiaomi is retaining the identical 6.36-inch display screen measurement with the Xiaomi 14, however it’s utilizing a brand new panel that will get a lot brighter. The cellphone will get an LTPO AMOLED display screen with 120Hz refresh that is ready to go as much as 3000 nits in HDR content material, and that is a big enhance over the 1900-nit brightness managed by the Xiaomi 13. Of course, your entire panel would not get that vivid; only a few zones handle to go as much as that determine, and that too briefly bursts.(Image credit score: Apoorva Bhardwaj / Android Central)But even in day by day use, the Xiaomi 14 has stellar brightness ranges, and I did not see any points in any way. Xiaomi all the time does job calibrating its telephones out of the manufacturing facility, and that is no completely different with the Xiaomi 14; you get good coloration vibrancy out of the field, and you’ll modify the colour stability by heading into the settings. You can select between Original color professional, Vivid, Saturated, and a complicated mode that permits you to select between DCI’s P3 or Adobe sRGB.There’s the power to manually modify coloration heat as effectively, and dynamically change colours based mostly on ambient gentle circumstances. The Xiaomi 14 has an anti-flicker mode that’s designed for these with PWM sensitivity points, and also you get the usual studying mode.(Image credit score: Apoorva Bhardwaj / Android Central)The always-on mode is unchanged to earlier Xiaomi gadgets, and also you get the identical kinds and customization choices. On the entire, utilizing the show on the Xiaomi 14 is very pleasant, and the scale of the panel mixed with the colour vibrancy make it a good selection for studying textual content and enjoying video games.While the display screen measurement hasn’t modified, Xiaomi decreased the bezels by a fraction, and the decision is barely greater at 2670 x 1200. Xiaomi is not very restrictive in terms of enjoying video games at 120fps, and that makes gaming extremely pleasant on the gadget. On the entire, there aren’t any points with the cellphone, and within the time I used the Xiaomi 14, I favored the scale of the gadget fairly a bit. If you do not want 6.8 or 6.9-inch screens, it is a nice center floor.Xiaomi 14: Performance(Image credit score: Apoorva Bhardwaj / Android Central)Like the very best Android telephones, the Xiaomi 14 is powered by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3. The base mannequin comes with 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage, and there is additionally a 12GB/512GB model that is launching globally. Xiaomi despatched me a 16GB/512GB mannequin, however that is not launching in all world markets, and the 1TB variant is unique to China. All variants use LPDDR5X RAM modules and UFS 4.0 storage.I did not run into any slowdowns within the two weeks I used the Xiaomi 14, and the cellphone held up extremely effectively in day by day use in addition to gaming. Xiaomi telephones up to now had a bent to be unnaturally sluggish and poorly optimized for the {hardware}, however that fortunately is not the case on the Xiaomi 14, and the cellphone is simply as fluid because the Xiaomi 13 Ultra in utilization situations.Swipe to scroll horizontallyCategoryNubia Z60 UltraXiaomi 14OnePlus 12PCMark Work 3.0 (Overall)205301639712542PCMark Work 3.0 (Web Browsing)204021589610157PCMark Work 3.0 (Video Editing)862878656057PCMark Work 3.0 (Writing)255842011116945PCMark Work 3.0 (Photo Editing)498073244323586Geekbench 6 (single-core)214022204729Geekbench 6 (multi-core)662266084062Xiaomi nonetheless would not enable 3DMark testing, so I wasn’t capable of run the same old gaming-focused assessments. That mentioned, I did not see a lot in the way in which of overheating after an hour’s price of gaming, and the cellphone delivered secure framerates all through. So despite the fact that the gadget is smaller than its rivals, it is not thermally constrained, and that is nice to see.The Xiaomi 14 is not lacking out by way of connectivity both, and the gadget has Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.4, NFC, Xiaomi’s commonplace IR blaster, dual-band GPS, and all of the AptX codecs, together with AptX HD and AptX Adaptive. Xiaomi is one in every of a choose record of producers that leverages Qualcomm’s Snapdragon Sound audio suite, so in case you have audio gear that makes use of the requisite codec, you’ll use it with the Xiaomi 14.What’s modified this yr is the swap to the USB-C 3.2 commonplace, with Xiaomi bringing all of its high-end gadgets to the identical commonplace — it was restricted to the Xiaomi 13 Ultra final yr. Talking in regards to the 13 Ultra, the Xiaomi 14 makes use of the same X-axis vibration motor, and it delivers wonderful suggestions. I did not see any points with calls or knowledge connectivity, and the gadget is simply as quick because the OnePlus 12 in day by day use.Xiaomi 14: Battery life(Image credit score: Apoorva Bhardwaj / Android Central)The Xiaomi 14 has a 4610mAh battery, and whereas that is smaller than what you get on most telephones nowadays, it has no points lasting a day even with heavy use. Xiaomi began utilizing in-house designs to make sure battery longevity, and the Xiaomi 14 makes use of the Surge P2 and Surge G1 to regulate the battery’s charging and general administration.With medium use, I used to be capable of get the Xiaomi 14 to final a day and a half comfortably, and like different 2024 telephones, there is no battery nervousness in any way. And when it’s essential to cost it, the Xiaomi 14 takes simply 34 minutes to cost the battery, hitting the midway mark in 13 minutes.Xiaomi continues to bundle a charger within the field, and it may be used to cost different gadgets and equipment. What’s notably noteworthy is that the gadget additionally will get 50W wi-fi charging, and this places it on par with the OnePlus 12. I did not take a look at the wi-fi charging as I could not find the charger Xiaomi despatched with the Mi 11 (you don’t have any concept what number of chargers I’ve), however the underlying tech itself hasn’t modified, and Xiaomi touts a 46-minute charging time with its official 50W charger.Xiaomi 14: Cameras(Image credit score: Apoorva Bhardwaj / Android Central)If there was a defining attribute to Xiaomi’s 2023 portfolio, it was the cameras. The Xiaomi 13 Ultra raised the bar on this phase because of a mix of a large 1-inch sensor and terrific tuning, and Xiaomi’s constructing on that with the Xiaomi 14 sequence. The Xiaomi 14 switches to a Light Fusion 900 imaging module made by OmniVision, and it’s a 50MP f/1.6 1/1.31-inch sensor with PDAF and OIS.While the sensor is not as massive because the one on the 13 Ultra, Xiaomi is relying on higher sensitivity to make a distinction. The remainder of the cameras get a sizeable improve, with the cellphone touting a 50MP wide-angle lens and a 50MP telephoto with 3.2x optical zoom and OIS. If these numbers look acquainted, it is as a result of these are the identical auxiliary sensors that had been used within the Xiaomi 13 Pro final yr — it is no marvel Xiaomi is not releasing the Pro variant globally this yr.An enormous a part of what makes Xiaomi’s cameras stand out is the Leica collaboration; there’s a number of customized results and modes accessible, and the tuning adjustments considerably based mostly on what you choose. You’ll want to make use of Leica Vibrant or Leica Authentic because the go-to selection, and I are inclined to go together with the Vibrant mode — it makes colours look a bit extra saturated.You get a wide variety of lenses in Portrait mode, and the 50mm Swirly bokeh lens particularly does a superb job with portrait pictures. The digicam interface is not completely different to what you get on different Xiaomi telephones, with the modes organized on the backside and toggles for the varied lenses, Google Lens, timer, HDR, and sweetness results on the viewfinder.The Xiaomi 14 does a stellar job with movies, with all three lenses capable of shoot 4K video at 60fps. There’s a gradual video mode and the power to shoot movies of fast-moving objects, and also you get HDR — switching to HDR has a lot better dynamic vary, however you may’t use any of the opposite modes.Image 1 of 12(Image credit score: Harish Jonnalagadda / Android Central)(Image credit score: Harish Jonnalagadda / Android Central)(Image credit score: Harish Jonnalagadda / Android Central)(Image credit score: Harish Jonnalagadda / Android Central)(Image credit score: Harish Jonnalagadda / Android Central)(Image credit score: Harish Jonnalagadda / Android Central)(Image credit score: Harish Jonnalagadda / Android Central)(Image credit score: Harish Jonnalagadda / Android Central)(Image credit score: Harish Jonnalagadda / Android Central)(Image credit score: Harish Jonnalagadda / Android Central)(Image credit score: Harish Jonnalagadda / Android Central)(Image credit score: Harish Jonnalagadda / Android Central)The Xiaomi 14 does a unbelievable job in daylight situations, delivering pictures with wonderful dynamic vary and coloration vibrancy. You get granular particulars, good foliage rendition, and no seen noise. It locks in on a topic simply, however I seen a couple of situations the place it blew out highlights because it could not determine what to concentrate on — this is not a problem more often than not.The wide-angle and zoom lenses additionally maintain their very own in most situations, and also you get usable pictures at as much as 5x. There is seen noise at 10x and you do not get anyplace as a lot in the way in which of element, however the cellphone does a a lot better job than its predecessors on this space.The new imaging sensors are terrific in low-light situations; the resultant pictures are noticeably higher than final yr, and also you get good coloration accuracy and particulars and minimal noise. There is fringing on the edges in pictures with no ambient lighting, however on the entire, I feel Xiaomi has the sting towards the OnePlus 12 in low-light. I’m going to focus on each gadgets in an upcoming put up, the place I’ll go into a bit of extra element round how the cameras on the 2 gadgets differ.I take a number of portrait pictures, and the Xiaomi 14 is among the finest telephones on this space. It nonetheless is not nearly as good because the Pixel 8 Pro, nevertheless it comes shut, and the power to make use of numerous lenses is a giant deal. In the same vein, the cellphone does job with fast-moving objects, nevertheless it nonetheless is not fairly on the identical degree because the Pixel 8 Pro.The Xiaomi 14 has appreciable upgrades over its predecessor on this space, and it may possibly simply maintain its personal towards the very best Android telephones.Xiaomi 14: Software(Image credit score: Apoorva Bhardwaj / Android Central)Xiaomi made a giant deal of its software program overhaul, and the Xiaomi 14 comes with HyperOS 1.0.9.0 based mostly on Android 14 out of the field. That mentioned, you may be exhausting put to note any adjustments in MIUI; the set up movement is similar to that of MIUI, and apart from a change of identify, I could not see a complete lot of distinction after establishing the gadget.Instead of limiting itself to system-level adjustments, Xiaomi ought to have used this chance to offer its software program a model new design, as a result of MIUI was beginning to look stale. But the model did not do this, as an alternative utilizing the identical UI whereas making it smoother and higher optimized. The one factor that is modified is the notification pane; you now get a break up notification shade with the Control Center to the fitting that hosts the toggles, and the notifications sit in their very own pane.(Image credit score: Apoorva Bhardwaj / Android Central)Xiaomi had this technique for some time now, however you can all the time swap again to the usual Android-style notification pane — that is not attainable. What’s worse is that the toggles part would not have any labels, and it’s infuriating; I add a number of customized toggles, and having to find them with out the textual content labels takes a further few seconds, and each time I accessed the toggles, I got here away pissed off with the design change.There’s additionally a brand new MiSans system-wide font that appears a bit of cleaner than the usual Roboto that is used on most telephones, and the settings web page has higher group. That mentioned, oft-used settings are nonetheless not the place you’d assume to look; the setting to vary the display screen wake time is not situated within the show settings, however the lock display screen menu.The overview menu is organized vertically by default, however you may swap to a horizontal model. The app drawer is unchanged from MIUI, you continue to get a good quantity of bloatware, however it may be uninstalled. While there is not something new on the design entrance, the interface is fluid in day by day use, and there are not any advertisements.Instead of a brand-new interface, HyperOS is a lateral transfer from MIUI; in case you’re coming from an older Xiaomi cellphone, there is not something right here that will probably be new.On that observe, Xiaomi continues to be painfully sluggish at delivering software program updates. The Xiaomi 14 will get 4 assured Android OS updates and 5 years of safety updates, however there is no telling once you’ll truly get the replace. The Xiaomi 13 Ultra — Xiaomi’s finest cellphone of 2023 — remains to be on Android 13, so I’ve no confidence in Xiaomi rolling out updates in a well timed method.Xiaomi 14: The competitors(Image credit score: Apoorva Bhardwaj / Android Central)The apparent various to the Xiaomi 14 is the OnePlus 12. Both telephones value roughly the identical in key markets like India and the U.Okay., however the OnePlus 12 has a bigger display screen that goes as much as 4500 nits and a greater design. Both gadgets are evenly matched in different areas, and having used each extensively, I do not assume you may go mistaken with both selection. It involves what UI you are extra snug with, as a result of even the cameras are largely the identical.I’m not even going to recommend the Galaxy S24 as a contender this time; Samsung went again to its outdated behavior of utilizing Exynos chipsets in most international locations, and whereas the S24 has quite a bit to supply, its auxiliary cameras aren’t nearly as good as what you get on the Xiaomi 14, and it prices much more.Xiaomi 14: Should you purchase it?(Image credit score: Apoorva Bhardwaj / Android Central)You can purchase this if:You want a smallish cellphone with the newest {hardware}You need a versatile digicam package deal that takes wonderful imagesYou want a cellphone that lasts all day and would not take too lengthy to costYou want IP68 ingress safetyYou should not purchase this if:You want well timed software program updatesYou need a bloat-free software programOverall, I actually like what Xiaomi did this yr. The Xiaomi 14 retains the identical design as final yr, and whereas I did not just like the glossy-backed inexperienced variant, the black mannequin alleviates these issues, and most of you studying this may put a case on the cellphone anyway, so the selection of supplies is not actually related. What you may find yourself liking is the scale, and it makes different flagships look huge by comparability.The cellphone has terrific {hardware}, and whereas I did not see many constructive adjustments with Xiaomi’s software program overhaul, I’ll observe that it’s fluid and never as annoying in day by day use as MIUI. Xiaomi hasn’t sorted out all the problems simply but; the Xiaomi 14 is vulnerable to be aggressive with reminiscence administration, and there’s a lot of bloatware pre-installed. I nonetheless imagine that what Xiaomi truly must do is give the UI a redesign that brings it nearer to Material You, however I do not see that materializing.The largest purpose for getting the Xiaomi 14 is the cameras, and Xiaomi did all the fitting issues right here. The cellphone has one of many strongest digicam packages on this phase, and it takes unimaginable images and movies in nearly any situation. It’s nearer to the Xiaomi 13 Ultra than it has any proper to be, and I’m fascinated with seeing how the model manages to distinguish the Xiaomi 14 Ultra this time round.On the entire, the Xiaomi 14 has all the pieces you want in a 2024 flagship, and it is among the finest Xiaomi telephones round. If you are utilizing an older Xiaomi cellphone and are contemplating a swap or wish to make the transfer from one other model, you may discover a lot to love with the gadget.