Xiaomi 14 review: Good things come in small packages.

The Xiaomi 14 is one of the best examples of how sharing should work. Here, Xiaomi and Leica have worked together, and we Explained in detail why this is not just a marketing partnership.. 2024 is an important year for Xiaomi, not only because it has completed 10 years in India but also this year, many Xiaomi devices will be upgraded to HyperOS.The company’s next big move to make the Human x Car x Home smart ecosystem a reality. We will cover this later in this review. Brand new Xiaomi 14 On paper it ticks all the boxes one would expect from a new-age flagship Android smartphone – a superior processor, solid camera system, great display and cameras, and an all-round likable and practical design.

However, the all-new Xiaomi 14 enters a price segment where many brands fight to gain some share – from Samsung to Google to OnePlus. But how well does the Xiaomi 14 fare in our in-depth review? Let’s find out.

Xiaomi 14 review: Design that gives you confidence

At a time when smartphone brands want to offer the largest possible display on their devices, Xiaomi may have taken a more practical approach. With a 6.36-inch LTPO OLED display, the Xiaomi 14 sits right between devices with 6.7-inch and 6.1-inch displays. At 193 grams and 8.2 mm thick, the Xiaomi 14 is designed for one-handed use. In a very long time, we haven’t reviewed a device that’s easy to use for everyday tasks, so in terms of aesthetics, the Xiaomi 14 sets a benchmark.

We love phones with flat sides, and Xiaomi has taken it a step further by opting for a curved back for the Xiaomi 14. It looks and sounds weird at first, but you get used to it over time. With no sharp edges, the phone sinks perfectly into your palm. It offers excellent grip for everyday use and is very comfortable for long text typing and other tasks. In fact, we wrote most of our articles on the Xiaomi 14 because, within a week, it became our primary device for most things.

The aluminum frame feels solid in the hands and provides confidence in everyday use. The minimal top frame ensures minimal bezels and maximum screen real estate. The Xiaomi 14’s weight distribution is so perfect that the large square camera space never felt unnecessary.

Xiaomi 14 has been launched in Matte Black, Jade Green and Classic White. We got Black, which has a matte finish, which makes it suitable for use even without a case. However, the same cannot be said for the Jade Green and White color variants, as both are extremely slippery.

We liked the attention to detail on the 14, and longtime Xiaomi fans will appreciate that the company didn’t forget the IR blaster on its premium device. The company has moved the IR blaster to the rear and placed it inside the squarish camera placement.

The display panel on the Xiaomi 14 is bright and offers a peak brightness of 3000nits. It has a pixel density of 460PPI and offers a screen resolution of 1200×2670 pixels. Has a 120Hz adaptive refresh rate. Speaking of real-world usage, the Xiaomi 14’s display excels in any lighting condition – even in direct sunlight. Viewing angles are also good, and colors are rich. To enhance the multimedia experience, Xiaomi has added Dolby Atmos with Dolby Vision, which adds to the overall package. The front also features Corning Gorilla Glass Victus, and Xiaomi has added DC dimming to manage flicker. Xiaomi comes with Widevine L1 security level for streaming high quality videos on 14 streaming services.

Xiaomi 14 review: Leica-ble camera!

The rear cameras are the biggest highlight of the Xiaomi 14, and this is after using it extensively for about three weeks. The primary 50-megapixel sensor with f/1.6 aperture can click amazing shots – even in harsh lighting conditions. Colors are on point, and there’s a ton of detail in every shot. In some comparison shots, we noticed that the Xiaomi 14 has more natural colors than the images. iPhone 15 Pro Maxwhich seemed slightly warmer in tone regardless of the lighting conditions.

Below are some samples that speak for themselves. If you like to use your smartphone as a point-and-shoot camera on the road, the Xiaomi 14 is the perfect option.

Shot using the Xiaomi 14 primary camera.

Shot using the Xiaomi 14 primary camera.

Shot using the Xiaomi 14 primary camera.

Shot using the Xiaomi 14 ultra-wide camera.

Shot using Xiaomi 14’s telephoto camera.

Shot using Xiaomi 14’s telephoto camera.

Xiaomi 14’s long exposure option is in the Neon Trails game.

Another highlight is the 50-megapixel telephoto sensor. It can capture subjects as close as 10cm, and we got a great shot in the most difficult lighting conditions. The 50-megapixel ultra-wide-angle sensor offers a 115-degree field of view, similar to what we saw on the Xiaomi 13 Pro. All three rear sensors are better than any Xiaomi smartphone we’ve used.

Leica BW filter from Xiaomi 14 was used.

Shot using the Xiaomi 14’s 75mm portrait mode.

35mm Document Portrait mode of the Xiaomi 14, with the BW filter used here

Users can choose between Leica Authentic or Vibrant styles. We liked the authentic style of most of our samples. Compared to the Vibrant Style, the Leica Authentic captures images in original image quality, keeping colors and details closer to reality.

Then, there’s the Leica watermark to spice up the photos you take. Portraiture is another area where the Xiaomi 14 gains an edge against most of its competitors. You can choose between standard, documentary (35mm), swirly bokeh (50mm), portrait (90mm) and soft focus (90mm). To further enhance your shots, you can choose from an array of filters created in collaboration with Leica, such as Leica Natural, Leica Vivid, Leica Natural, Leica Sepia, Leica Black and White High Contrast, and Leica Black. and White Natural. We had a lot of fun with the camera during the review.

There are a number of enhancements for videos, such as the brand new Movie Mode, which comes with Dolby Vision Recording in video mode.

The selfie camera, for us, was the Xiaomi 14’s biggest Achilles heel. The company added a lot to the cameras, including Leica-tuned features, and we believe the selfie camera should have received something. Daylight selfies have good details. However, low-light selfies were a bit inconsistent.

Xiaomi 14 Review: Best Performance

Xiaomi and Leica have not only made the 14 a camera-focused smartphone but have ensured that it is an all-rounder in every other department. Before diving into the performance, we should add that Xiaomi 14 is the first company in India to launch with HyperOS out of the box. HyperOS is a term you’ll hear a lot about this year as it’s part of a larger strategy for the brand.

HyperOS looks familiar above, so read MIUI. However, there are features we absolutely love, such as the new lock screens with tons of customization options. HyperOS will play a key role in interconnectivity for Xiaomi for cross-device dynamic networking, where users need to download separate apps for specific devices such as bands, smart lights, CCTV cameras, air purifiers and more. It won’t happen.

Coming to the smartphone, the Xiaomi 14 feels sharp. The Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 SoC ensures the highest performance in your hands.

Many may not have noticed, but we’ve steadily reached a point where it’s getting harder every year to differentiate between flagship processors on mobiles. As in real-world usage, the Snapdragon Gen 2 is a good processor for all tasks, but the Gen 3 improves performance. Anyway, back to the review. We ran some synthetic benchmarks and found that the Xiaomi 14 tops the list compared to other Gen 3-powered flagships this year.

On AnTuTu, the Xiaomi 14 scored an impressive 1973937, while in GFX Bench, it scored 121fps in the T-Rex and 121fps in the Manhattan 3.1 test. On GeekBench 6, the 14 scored 2210 in the single-core test and 6808 in the multi-core tests. In 3D Mark’s Wildlife Extreme test, the 14 scored a decent 4818. After running a bunch of these benchmarks, we found that the Xiaomi is among the top 14 phones that make the best use of the Gen 3 chipset.

Xiaomi has promised four major software updates and five years of security patches. The Xiaomi 14 gets Android 14 out of the box, which means users will get support for the Android 18 update until 2028. That’s not a bad thing, considering that many smartphones launch with Android 13 and promise four updates, while Android 14 counts as well.

The Xiaomi 14 may be a compact-looking smartphone, but it packs a loud stereo speaker setup that delivers crisp audio. The four-mic array ensures that calls and audio recorded during videos are decent. Dual SIM Xiaomi 14 can support two nano SIMs or a combination of one nano SIM and one eSIM. Call quality is top-notch, and we didn’t encounter any issues during the review period.

The in-display fingerprint scanner is fast. However, the thumb space is a bit on the bottom of the screen, which may be a problem for some in the early days. After spending a day or two with the Xiaomi 14, we preferred the in-display fingerprint over Face Unlock for convenience. However, Face Unlock is also reliable and changes quickly. Overall, the Xiaomi 14 is a well-rounded smartphone in terms of performance metrics.

Xiaomi 14 review: Battery that can last a day

The Xiaomi 14 ships with a 4610mAh battery, which doesn’t sound huge on paper. But, thanks to the company’s all-new HyperOS and Qualcomm’s flagship-grade Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, battery performance impresses. During the review period, the Xiaomi 14, with all the shooting, photo editing, gaming and browsing, lasted a full day, which was impressive. In our video loop test, we got 11 hours and 20 minutes before the phone shut down, which is fantastic.

The Xiaomi 14 ships with a 90W charging adapter, the fastest charging speed we’ve seen in this price segment. From Apple to Samsung devices, ship without a charging adapter and support lower charging speeds. From 0 to 100%, the Xiaomi 14 can be fully charged in 36 minutes – which we duplicated twice during the review process. Overall, the Xiaomi 14’s battery performance is impressive, and there’s also 50W wireless turbo charging support.

Xiaomi 14 review: The verdict

Good things come in small packages – where the Xiaomi 14 may be compact, but it offers more than a regular flagship smartphone, with best-in-class aesthetics, flagship performance, and a versatile camera that’s capable of challenging lighting. Hard to beat under the circumstances. Ironically, we are not getting the Pro version in India this year as the Xiaomi 14 has the most Pro features in the segment.

In short, if you want an Android device that can click great shots on the go with Leica Touch, offer consistent performance, good battery output, and a design that makes you wonder why companies don’t have this phone. are making size, then the Xiaomi 14 is for you. Yes, as they say, nobody is perfect. The 14 also has some issues like bloatware, which may be unacceptable for some users at this price point. But, with HyperOS, a lot is going to change on the software front, and that’s good.

If you are looking for an alternative, Google Pixel 8 (Review), retailing at around Rs 76,000, is a good option as well. Samsung Galaxy S24Which costs around Rs 80,000. It is also OnePlus 12 (Review), which is priced the same as the Xiaomi 14.