The Xiaomi 14 Ultra is a with child , powerful smartphone . When you start using one especial feature of speech , it turns into something very special indeed .
It ’s the reason my SIM card is n’t going to leave the phone until it absolutely has to and the intellect you should pay off attention to this phone — even if it ’ll be a challenge for many to buy .
The camera makes the Xiaomi 14 Ultra special
Most Digital Trends recapitulation set about by discussing the innovation , but rather than doing that here , I ’m going to peach about the camera first . It ’s what pass water the Xiaomi 14 Ultra special , and it ’s so effective that this may be the good camera phone I ’ve used in a while .
There ’s a peck to sympathize about it , so here are a few of the headline facts you should know . It uses the Sony LYT-900 1 - column inch , 50 - megapixel main camera with a Leica Summilux genus Lens and an adjustable aperture ( f/1.63 to f/4.0 ) , plus a 50MP telephoto camera , a 50MP wide - slant tv camera , and a 50MP periscope zoom television camera .
On the interior , Xiaomi ’s new AISP imaging system uses AI to tune different look of your photos , from the color of each pixel to the lighting and bokeh effect in portrait shots . Then there ’s Leica ’s participation , and its influence is there in every shot you take — whether you employ the Leica Vibrant or Leica Authentic tone , one of the black - and - white filter , or experiment with the dedicated , customizable street picture taking mode . There ’s so much to discover and try , from the 16 - fleck UltraRAW pic modality for professionals to the bare - to - use long exposure style to the MasterCinema video recording musical mode and directive microphones . You wo n’t get bored using the Xiaomi 14 Ultra ’s camera for ages .
However , concentrating exclusively on the specifications and hardware substance miss out on what makes the Xiaomi 14 Ultra ’s tv camera so pleasurable . Stick with me here because it ’s all aboutthe look .
Leica ’s involution and Xiaomi ’s tuning can give the photo a unique , emotional , characterful tone you do n’t really see from other phone cameras , and it ’s habit-forming trying to search out the idealistic environment where everything really comes together . The thing is , I do n’t cerebrate the Xiaomi 14 Ultra ’s tv camera is flawless or intrinsically better , technically , than theSamsung Galaxy S23 UltraorGoogle Pixel 8 Pro . However , it does have an power to capture an emotion others can miss or are flat - out unequal to of display . This is what makes it so limited .
It wo n’t do it every time and in every photo , though . You have to crop with the Xiaomi 14 Ultra ’s camera to get the best out of it , and I do think the more you understand and savour picture taking , the more you ’ll get from the phone ’s tv camera . I am far from a professional , but I was often really pleased with the exposure the Xiaomi 14 Ultra ’s camera advance me to take , more so than I am with other sound .
Xiaomi 14 Ultra 5x zoomAndy Boxall / Digital Trends
I understand how this all sounds and how odd it is to say that it ’s not a consistently fantabulous camera , yet it ’s still one of my favourite . But the winning combination of features , mood , and cameras , along with Leica ’s tuning and Xiaomi ’s AI , is particular enough that I ’m gear up to forgive the times when it ’s not all that impressive .
Other standouts for me let in the fantastic Leica sinister - and - ashen filter , which append masses of ambience to photograph and are usable in almost all modes , plus the brilliant portrait mode with its extremely accurate edge recognition and extremely well - judged background knowledge fuzz . The 3.2x and 5x ocular zoom modes effectively enshroud most eventualities , while you may get in unaired to minor subjects without compromise color and definition .
It ’s all very various and stool you require to be creative . I do n’t think it ’s the most consistent camera on a telephone ever , but I do believe it ’s the most uniquely exciting and creatively tempting camera I ’ve used on a phone in quite some time — and I love it .
Portrait modeAndy Boxall / Digital Trends
A big camera wrapped in a big phone
The Xiaomi 14 Ultra is all about the camera , and this is further reflected in the shape , size , and design of the gimmick itself . The tv camera mental faculty is mammoth , stand up out of the rearward panel with the multiple camera set in an intricately knurled , double - stacked plinth surrounded by a gold accent . It is far from insidious , and you always cognise the Xiaomi 14 Ultra is there in your pocket or hired man . The camera module has a dual ( presumptively unintentional ) routine , as it ’s so thick you could actually habituate it to poise the earphone on the edge of your finger when looking at the screen .
The design itself does n’t shift far from that of theXiaomi 13 Ultra . My review phone has a vegan leather rearward panel that ’s tender to the touch but gets covered in dust despite being pushed as dirt - resistant . The screen has a protector fitted from the factory but is already quite cancel after just a few weeks of use . The aluminum chassis is square off and 9.2 mm blockheaded , while the phone weighs 220 grams , making it a hand - stretcher to use .
There ’s nothing ill-timed with the build quality , plus it has an IP68 water supply electric resistance military rating , but you ’re invariably reminded of the complex camera — not only because of the camera module but also because it does a lot of rattling . Pick the speech sound up roughly , shake it a fleck , or place it down a little heavier than it may prefer , and it vocalize like something has come free inside and is wobbling around . It ’s a by - product of the periscope and telephoto rapid growth , and perhaps the variable quantity aperture too , but it stops the Xiaomi 14 Ultra from sounding very tasteful .
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Remarkable camera, unremarkable phone
Like other top phones in 2024 , the Xiaomi 14 Ultra has theQualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3processor inside , along with 16 GB of RAM and 512 GB of storehouse space . The 6.73 - column inch LTPO AMOLED cover has a 3200 x 1440 pixel resolution , a dynamic refresh pace of up to 120Hz , and a maximum luminousness of 3,000 nits ( but will mesh normally at 1,000 nits ) . There ’s an in - display fingerprint sensor , front unlock , stereo speakers , NFC , Wi - Fi 7 , and 5 gm connectivity .
What about the HyperOS software ? The Xiaomi 14 Ultra is the first telephone I ’ve used with the MIUI replacement , which is still build over Android 14 , but is designed to be used on many other product other than just smartphones . There are no obvious purpose differences between it and MIUI , so you wo n’t instantly eff you ’re using something fresh , but this is one of the fast and most responsive Xiaomi phones I ’ve ever used , and the software is also noticeably less intrusive than even theRedmi Note 13 Pro Pluswith MIUI I used recently too .
Polished and usable every twenty-four hours without thwarting , the combination of HyperOS and the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 is a winning one , and it has allow me to savour the camera to the fullest . There are still annoyances , such as the split notification and Quick configurations perpetrate - down menu , the warnings about direful thing that may happen if you forget passwords , and the tortuous “ Themes and wallpaper ” menu . Despite the screen ’s maximum brightness capacity , it ’s not peculiarly bright during general use , and although I ’ve not skin to see it , it ’s not as bright , colored , or anti - reflective asthe Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra ’s wondrous screen .
Wide-angleAndy Boxall / Digital Trends
How long does the bombardment last ? The 5,000mAh battery has lasted almost two days with moderate role , so around three minute of screen time per day . If you labour it harder , expect it to be ready for a bursting charge by the end of the first Clarence Shepard Day Jr. . It ’s acceptable but far from the better you could get . The Xiaomi 14 Ultra has a 90W HyperCharge adapter in the boxwood , and it take in 35 mo to go from almost flat to full . This is in line with Xiaomi ’s title . The phone also has wireless charging and reverse wireless charging .
How much does the Xiaomi 14 Ultra cost?
The Xiaomi 14 Ultra will not be officially released in the U.S. but can be imported . It isavailable in the U.K.and other regions and cost 1,299 British pounds , which is around $ 1,640 . This is the same price as the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra in the U.K. , making it very clear who Xiaomi is aim with the phone .
It ’s arguably a little too expensive , given the extras you get with theSamsung Galaxy S24 Ultra — the S Pen Stylus , Galaxy AI , a better projection screen , and a less intrusive design — for the same toll . TheGoogle Pixel 8 Prois far gimcrack at $ 999 or 999 hammer , and it also has a mythological photographic camera . The equally powerful and fast - chargingOnePlus 12is cheaper still . The Xiaomi 14 Ultra is a gruelling sell if you ’re not a photographic camera obsessive .
Buy it for the camera
If you take the camera away from the Xiaomi 14 Ultra , it ’s a perfectly acceptable modern smartphone that matches the overall performance of the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra , the Google Pixel 8 Pro , theAsus Zenfone 11 , and other gravid , expensive Android phone . We can make the same statement about the processor and package , as it make for game and videos without any subject , and I ’ve not had any concerns over smoothness or efficiency . It ’s the archetypal flagship smartphone we have all come to bear in 2024 . But herein lies the Xiaomi 14 Ultra ’s job .
The camera iseverything , and without it , the phone is unremarkable . It was almost pointless going through the experience of using the phone itself in detail here because it predictably works very well , just as you ’d expect for the level and price of the twist . It ’s not conk to disappoint you as all the fundamentals are there and effectively execute , but unless you intend toreallyexploit the camera , you ’re impart with a big , heavy , slightly unattractive headphone that does n’t stand out in any other manner . This is a phone for photographers , and it ’s easily one of the effective I ’ve used like this , but in every other respect , it ’s a bit average . Not regretful average , just quotidian .
The Galaxy S24 Ultra is the more well - rounded telephone set and , therefore , the better choice for most the great unwashed , but if you want to experiment creatively , learn , and raise as a mobile photographer , I do n’t think there is a good choice than the Xiaomi 14 Ultra at the moment .
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Portrait modeAndy Boxall / Digital Trends
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Night modeAndy Boxall / Digital Trends
Moon modeAndy Boxall / Digital Trends
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3.2x zoomAndy Boxall / Digital Trends
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Xiaomi
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