I have had the true privilege of trying the new Xiaomi 14 Ultrathe company’s current flagship and the one in charge of introducing the renowned German optical brand Leica in Latin America.
Officially released in February 2024the Xiaomi 14 Ultra stands out as one of the best smartphones for photography enthusiasts and video creators, thanks to its impressive camera setup.
It has a large camera module with four sensors of 50 megapixels each, which offer different features such as f/1.6 to f/4.0 manual aperture, optical stabilization, 3.2x and 5x optical zoomlaser focus and 8K video recording with Dolby Vision, among others.
It runs on Android and includes the company’s new user interface, HyperOSin addition to having the latest Qualcomm processor, speakers with Dolby Atmos, Wi-Fi 7a 5,000 mAh battery and much more.
There is a lot to say about the news that Xiaomi brings to Chile with this device. However, we invite you to review the attached table with all the technical specifications of the Xiaomi 14 Ultra smartphone.
Camera
We start with the section that is of interest to everyone on this smartphone. However, I would like to mention that here we will only cover the “basics” aspects of this impressive camera, as our colleague Nelson Salazar, a photography and camera expert, will carry out a detailed analysis exclusively of the camera of the Xiaomi 14 Ultra, for what is important that you remain attentive.
I invite you to watch the following video in which I will show you how the powerful and complete application that manages these cameras works, and I will tell you about the technical specifications of each sensor, among other details.
Now let’s move on to look at the test photographs captured in different lighting conditions:
Daytime photos with automatic adjustments
night photos
Zoom photos
Zoom digital al máximo: Xiaomi 14 Ultra 120x vs Honor Magic 5 Pro 100x
Zoom digital al máximo: Xiaomi 14 Ultra 100x vs Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra 100x
Xiaomi 14 Ultra Zoom in action
Leica portrait photography
Macro photo
Moon photo with digital zoom vs “moon” mode
Here we are going to see two videos recorded by this mobile. The first was recorded in 8K, while the second video was recorded in 4K with Dolby Vision.
Video 8K (8K quality only available on supported devices)
Video 4K
Screen
This model has a 6.73-inch LTPO AMOLED screen that offers excellent viewing with vivid colors, high definition and intense brightness. In fact, it has a standard brightness of 1000 nits and can reach peaks of up to 3000 nits, resulting in an extremely bright image.
The visual experience is completely fluid thanks to its variable refresh rate from 1 to 120 Hz, which automatically adjusts according to the content displayed. In addition, it is compatible with HDR10+ and Dolby Vision, thus optimizing the enjoyment of streaming platforms.
Personally, I prefer screens with less curved edges as very pronounced edges can be uncomfortable for some. Fortunately, this device features almost flat edges with minimal curvature, which contributes to a more comfortable feel when holding it.
Discover more about this screen and its features in the following video:
Design
At first glance, the Xiaomi 14 Ultra appears to be an awkward device, especially due to its large rear camera module. However, reality is different from what we might think.
It is true that the camera module prevents the phone from resting completely on a flat surface, but this does not make it unstable or cause it to rock, as some colleagues mention.
When held in your hand, the phone feels more secure, as the index finger naturally positions itself under the camera module, providing additional support that prevents it from slipping.
Added to this is that the back of the device is made of ecological leather, which improves grip. If this is uncomfortable for you, you should know that the box includes a textured black plastic sleeve that significantly improves grip and reduces the prominence of the camera module.
Below, I present a video where you can see the design of this device in detail:
Additionally, I tell you that the equipment is IP68 certified, so you won’t have to worry if it gets wet or falls into water. Its dimensions are 161.4 x 75.3 x 9.2 mm, and its weight reaches approximately 224 grams.
Operating system
The Xiaomi 14 Ultra comes with Android 14 and HyperOS 1.0.5.0 UI, and the version it had was for Europe.
Thanks to its Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 processor, which is the most recent and advanced to date, the device I tested had 16 GB of RAM and internal storage of up to 512 GB type UFS 4.0, which does not allow expansion.
Thus, the device runs Android completely smoothly, without delays, applications that hang or waiting times when opening, without lag; Everything works perfectly.
I don’t know if it’s my impression, but I didn’t notice many differences between MIUI and HyperOS, although I must admit that I didn’t experience errors, crashes, or problems receiving notifications, as happened to me in the past. Here, everything ran smoothly.
Xiaomi is often criticized for including too much bloatware on its devices, but in this case I found very few such apps, which I simply removed.
Below I present a video that shows how the operating system performs on this smartphone:
Audio
We have two powerful speakers that offer high-quality stereo sound, with deep bass and clear treble, and the possibility of adding sound effects enhanced by Dolby Atmos.
It also includes Xiaomi Sound technology, compatible only with wireless or wired headphones, which in my experience, provides slightly higher volume and more prominent definition.
I have prepared another video for you where you can discover in detail the sound effects that can be applied and experience the audio quality of the speakers.
And, if that were not enough, the device is 24-bit/192 kHz Hi-Res Audio certified, and is also Hi-Res Wireless Audio certified. As for the Bluetooth audio codec, we have all the Qualcomm Apt-X, LDAC and LHDC available, in addition to the now classic SBC and AAC.
Security
To protect our device from unauthorized access, we have an optical fingerprint reader integrated into the screen that works efficiently. Its biggest advantage is the location, since it is located at a higher point than usual, right where you would normally place your finger.
The front camera also allows facial recognition, although I do not recommend it because it is not as secure and does not work in low or no lighting conditions.
Battery
In this section, Xiaomi has taken an action that could be considered discriminatory towards users of the Global version of the 14 Ultra, since this version includes a 5,000 mAh battery, which is acceptable. However, the version destined for China has a 5,300 mAh battery.
The reason for this difference is unclear, but it could be perceived as an act of discrimination unless Xiaomi provides a convincing explanation.
That issue aside, my experience with this device’s battery life has been very positive.
Although the system does not show the exact number of hours of screen use, with 22% battery remaining, the indicator indicated almost 12 hours of use, and estimated approximately another 6 additional hours with the remaining charge, which is quite good .
The device comes with a 90W power charger with USB-A output for fast charging. Additionally, it offers up to 80W wireless charging and 10W reversible wireless charging.
Connectivity
This is a premium high-end device, so it has the latest innovations in connectivity.
Thus, it includes support for Tri-band Wi-Fi 7 networks, Bluetooth version 5.4, NFC, infrared port to function as a remote control, USB Type-C 3.2 Gen 2 port with DisplayPort and OTG. According to GSMArena, this device could have two-way satellite communication, although I’m not sure if this is correct or if it is a feature exclusive to the China version; However, I will confirm it.
In terms of mobile networks, it offers support for 5G NSA and SA, as well as 4G with 4G Voice and Wi-Fi Voice services from local operators.
It has a slot for two NanoSIM cards, but, unfortunately, it does not have support for eSIM technology. It’s hard to believe that a premium device like this doesn’t include eSIM, especially when other models like the Xiaomi 13T do. The feature may be currently disabled and may be enabled with a future update, as it is unlikely that it will not have eSIM support.
Conclusion
Well, we have reached the end of this analysis and I must say that I loved this smartphone, especially for its camera, which I found very complete.
I liked the design, although some may not like it because of its large camera module, which didn’t bother me at all. It is important to consider that it is a heavy device and that it needs special care, although using the case included in the box will be enough.
I also liked the screen, although I would have preferred a completely flat one, the small curved edges that it has and that are almost not noticeable, are acceptable to me. In return, we have very vibrant colors and an extremely bright screen.
As for performance, I have no complaints, everything worked perfectly well, 100% fluid, no lag, no slowness, everything correct. HyperOS seemed almost identical to MIUI to me, but without the errors and bugs that MIUI had. Everything worked fine, including the notifications which I always had problems with.
As I mentioned in the battery section, I was a little disappointed because the Global version has a capacity of 5000 mAh and the Chinese version has a capacity of 5300 mAh. I still don’t understand the reason for this difference, but I hope to get a response from Xiaomi. However, the autonomy with those 5000 mAh was excellent.
I really liked the sound quality, the speakers sound very good and when using Bluetooth headphones I had an outstanding experience, in addition to having a wide range of sound effects and equalizer.
Returning to the photographic topic, I must say that I missed Leica, their influence on photographic results is noticeable and they also provide several exclusive functions to the camera application that are of great help, not only when taking photos, but also when recording videos.
And for the first time, the digital zoom of a smartphone has impressed me, since this 14 Ultra can reach up to 120x, and when taking a photo, the result is not blurry as is usually the case.
Availability
Xiaomi 14 Ultra will be available in a single internal memory variant and only in black. Its price is CLP$1.499.990and the first 1,000 buyers will receive the photography kit for free.