Xiaomi‘s latest flagship, the 14 Ultra, has finally made its way onto the global stage after debuting in China just days prior. While there’s not a major design overhaul up front, the Xiaomi 14 Ultra brings several nifty refinements both inside and out. Let’s dive into what’s new.
An evolved design
Xiaomi has opted to refine the 14 Ultra’s design language rather than completely overhaul it. You’ll still find the large, circular camera island, though the module now rises gently from the back panel.
The phone comes in two plain finishes globally: black and white with a faux leather back. Additionally, there’s a blue option with a textured ‘Dragon Crystal’ back and a Titanium Special Edition, but Xiaomi is only offering these in China.
The Titanium Edition, as the name gives away, uses grade-5 titanium for frames, like the iPhone 15 Pro Max and Galaxy S24 Ultra.
Xiaomi’s design refinements also extend to the display. The 14 Ultra features an all-new “All Around Liquid Display” with subtly curved edges on all sides. While many flagships these days are moving away from sharply curved displays, Xiaomi is taking a different tactile approach here.
Inside that chassis is a 6.73-inch AMOLED display with a WQHD+ resolution, a variable refresh rate from 1-120Hz, and a peak brightness of whopping 3000 nits.
The panel is covered with a new “Shield Glass” protection which is said to have 10 times improved drop resistance compared to the Xiaomi 13 Ultra.
Cameras
Xiaomi’s biggest emphasis on the 14 Ultra, of course, is on the cameras. You still get a quad-lens setup headlined by a massive 1-inch 50MP sensor for the main camera. However, the sensor itself has been upgraded to Sony’s latest LYT-900 imager.
The highlight feature is a “step-less aperture” that can allegedly move between f/1.63 and f/4.0. So the hype is about drastically increased light intake for better low-light shots.
The remaining 50MP lenses, comprised of ultrawide, telephoto, and periscope telephoto options, get their own sets of improvements.
Xiaomi says the telephoto lenses can now capture more light for better shots, and its AI-powered 30x “Ultra Zoom” will outperform the competition. We’ll have to wait for real-world tests to see if the claim holds up.
Interestingly, both telephoto lenses now feature significantly closer focusing distances which means you can also use them for macro photography.
The 14 Ultra’s camera hardware is also bolstered by software claims. All four cameras can now record in 8K at 30fps and there’s also Dolby Vision recording support in 4K at 60fps. New ‘Movie Mode’ adds features like a 2.39:1 aspect ratio for a cinematic look and ‘MasterCinema’ for HDR video capture with richer details.
Not to forget, the smartphone brings back the Leica branding along with a new set of lenses called “Summilux.” As per the company, this lens increases the light intake by an astounding 136% compared to the Xiaomi 13 Ultra.
Finally, Xiaomi 14 Ultra also has its own Photography Kit (sold separately) that is designed like a camera grip. The kit has a two-stage shutter button, a zoom lever, a customizable video recording button, and an additional custom dial. It even doubles as an external 1500mAh battery, which expands the video shooting time.
Performance
As expected from a 2024 flagship, the 14 Ultra is powered by the latest Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset. Xiaomi has made sure to enhance its performance further by increasing the size of the vapor chamber cooling system, which is now three times larger, than its predecessor.
Users will be able to pair that processing package with up to a solid 16GB of RAM and 1TB of internal storage. The software side sees Android 14 as the core, with Xiaomi’s HyperOS customization layered on top of it.
Keeping the lights on is a 5000mAh battery that supports 90W wired and 80W wireless charging. Xiaomi has also used a new surge protection system powered by the Surge G1 and P2 battery chips to safeguard the battery.
Pricing and Availability
The Xiaomi 14 Ultra is priced at €1,499 for the 16/512GB model. Unfortunately, it won’t be launching in the US, as has been the case for all Xiaomi releases. Additionally, the Photography Kit for the Xiaomi 14 Ultra costs €199.
