Xiaomi 14

The Xiaomi 14 is a flagship smartphone from the Chinese brand that offers a powerful performance, a stunning display, and a versatile camera system. The phone was launched in China on October 27, 2023, and is expected to arrive in other markets in early 2024. In this review, I will highlight the main features and specifications of the Xiaomi 14, and compare it with some of its competitors.

Design and Display

The Xiaomi 14 has a sleek and elegant design, with a metal frame and a glass back that comes in four colors: Jade Green, Black, White, and Snow Mountain Pink. The phone has a 6.36-inch AMOLED display with a resolution of 1200×2670 pixels and a refresh rate of 120Hz. The display also supports HDR10+ and has a peak brightness of 3000 nits, making it one of the brightest screens on the market. The display has a hole-punch cutout for the 32MP selfie camera and has very thin bezels around the edges. The phone also has a fingerprint sensor under the display for biometric authentication.

The Xiaomi 14 measures 159.8 x 72.5 x 8.3 mm and weighs 188 grams. It has a USB-C port at the bottom, along with a speaker grille and a SIM tray. The phone does not have a 3.5mm headphone jack but supports wireless audio via Bluetooth 5.2. The phone also has an IP68 rating, which means it is dust and water-resistant.

Performance and Battery

The Xiaomi 14 is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset, which is the latest and most advanced processor from the American chipmaker. The Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 is based on a 4nm process and has an octa-core CPU with a maximum clock speed of 3.09 GHz. The chipset also has an Adreno 730 GPU, a Hexagon 801 DSP, and a Spectra 680 ISP. The chipset supports 5G connectivity, Wi-Fi 6E, and Bluetooth 5.2.

The Xiaomi 14 comes with 8GB, 12GB, or 16GB of LPDDR5X RAM, and 256GB, 512GB, or 1TB of UFS 4.0 storage. The phone runs on HyperOS, which is a new Android skin from Xiaomi that is based on Android 14. HyperOS is designed to be more lightweight and user-friendly than MIUI and offers improved cross-device capabilities with other Xiaomi products.

The Xiaomi 14 has a 4610mAh battery that supports 60W wired charging and 50W wireless charging. The phone can be fully charged in about 40 minutes with the wired charger, and in about 50 minutes with the wireless charger. The phone also supports reverse wireless charging, which allows it to charge other devices wirelessly.

Camera and Audio

The Xiaomi 14 has a triple rear camera setup, which consists of a 50MP main camera, a 50MP ultra-wide camera, and a 50MP telephoto camera. The main camera uses a new Omnivision OVX9000 sensor with an f/1.6 aperture and optical image stabilization (OIS). The ultra-wide camera has a 14mm focal length and an f/2.2 aperture, while the telephoto camera has a 3.2x optical zoom and an f/2.0 aperture. The rear cameras also have Leica branding, which indicates a collaboration between Xiaomi and the German camera maker.

The rear cameras can capture photos and videos with excellent detail, color, and dynamic range. The phone supports 8K video recording at 30fps, 4K video recording at 60fps, and 1080p video recording at 240fps. The phone also has a night mode, a portrait mode, a pro mode, and a macro mode. The front camera has a 32MP sensor with an f/2.0 aperture and can record 1080p videos at 30fps.

The Xiaomi 14 has stereo speakers that support Hi-Res Audio and Dolby Atmos. The speakers deliver a loud and clear sound quality, with a good balance of bass and treble. The phone also has a dedicated microphone for noise cancellation during calls and recordings.

Comparison and Conclusion

The Xiaomi 14 is a premium smartphone that competes with other flagships such as the Samsung Galaxy S24, the OnePlus 12, and the iPhone 15. The phone has a few advantages over its rivals, such as the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset, the 3000-nit display, the Leica-branded cameras, and the HyperOS software. The phone also has a few drawbacks, such as the lack of a headphone jack, a microSD card slot, and an FM radio.

The Xiaomi 14 is priced at CNY 3,999 (around $545 / £450 / AU$870) for the 8GB/256GB variant, CNY 4,299 (around $585 / £485 / AU$930) for the 12GB/256GB variant, and CNY 4,599 (around $625 / £520 / AU$995) for the 16GB/512GB variant. The phone is currently available only in China but is expected to launch in other markets in early 2024.

Price in India, USA, UK, China, Canada, Nigeria

The price of the Xiaomi 14 in different countries may vary depending on the taxes, duties, and exchange rates. Here is a table that shows the approximate prices of the Xiaomi 14 in various countries, based on the current conversion rates as of November 14, 2023.

Full Specs