Xiaomi 14 Ultra Review: Better Camera With Few Upgrades

Xiaomi 14 Ultra review

4.5

Overall

4.5/5

The Good Stuff

• Impressive camera & video recording setup
• Solid performance
• Brighter looking display
• Impressive accessories to enhance phone

The Bad Stuff

• Really pricey
• Below standard battery life
• No drastic changes tothe design

Xiaomi 14 Ultra review

Xiaomi 14 Ultra

“The Xiaomi 14 Ultra remains the best camera phone you can buy today”

Overview

The Xiaomi 14 Ultra might not be a massive leap from the 13 Ultra, but it offers some key improvements without messing with a winning formula. With the camera, the main focus is on the camera system. The new sensor boasts a truly variable aperture (not just two settings) for more creative control. The telephoto cameras gain impressive close-focusing capabilities and a slightly brighter lens on the longer zoom.

The phone gets a durability upgrade with a new in-house screen glass and potentially tougher “non-leather leather.” The global version receives a new aluminum alloy frame, while China enjoys a fancy (and expensive) titanium option. While the display improvements are subtle (slightly brighter), the phone packs the latest Snapdragon chip for expected performance gains. This area remains a weak spot. The global version keeps the same capacity as the 13 Ultra, while China gets a small bump. Overall, battery life might not be class-leading.

The Xiaomi 14 Ultra might not be a radical change, but it refines the already excellent 13 Ultra in key areas. It remains a top contender for the best camera phone title, but be prepared for a premium price and some limitations in battery life. Let’s delve more into the Xiaomi 14 Ultra review.

Specs

Familiar Design with Material Makeovers

The Xiaomi 14 Ultra looks a lot like its predecessor, but with some key improvements under the hood. Here’s a breakdown.

At the back panel, there’s the familiar “circle” camera bump, which is possibly larger but serves no particular purpose. The transition to the camera is flatter compared to the 13 Ultra. The new “nano-tech” synthetic leather is softer and more durable. The global model comes in white and black, while China gets a tempting blue glass option. A black titanium frame version with a stealthy look exists in China (not globally available yet, and potentially very expensive).

At the front panel, there’s a newer Xiaomi Shield Glass protection which promises 10x better drop resistance than the 13 Ultra’s Gorilla Glass. It comes with a 6.73-inch OLED display, with a conveniently placed in-screen fingerprint reader. Other Features include an IP68 water resistance rating and a stronger aluminum alloy frame (claimed to be 1.38x stronger and twice as rigid as the 13 Pro, not the 13 Ultra).

While the overall design stays familiar, Xiaomi has made some interesting changes in materials, potentially improving durability and offering new aesthetic options (especially for those in China).

Brighter Display

The Xiaomi 14 Ultra’s display keeps the same size (6.73-inch OLED), resolution (1440×3200), and 1-120Hz refresh rate as the 13 Ultra. It still boasts 12-bit color depth, HDR10+ and Dolby Vision support, and likely uses both PWM and DC dimming for smooth visuals. 

The main upgrade seems to be peak brightness, with Xiaomi claiming a jump from 2,600 to 3,000 nits. Our tests showed a slight increase in brightness compared to the 13 Ultra, especially with adaptive brightness in bright light. Additionally, a new “Sunlight mode” lets you manually boost brightness to around 710 nits.

Refresh rate remains adaptive, dropping down to 10Hz or even 1Hz for static content and adjusting to match video frame rates or game requirements. Both 60Hz and 120Hz modes are available with some adaptive behavior within each. The 14 Ultra supports HDR10+ and Dolby Vision for streaming content and features Widevine L1 compliance for high-resolution playback. It also supports Google’s Ultra HDR standard for capturing and displaying 10-bit images in compatible apps.

Overall, while the core display specs remain unchanged, the Xiaomi 14 Ultra offers a potentially brighter viewing experience with some software enhancements for HDR content and photo viewing.

Powerful Performance

The Xiaomi 14 Ultra packs the latest Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chip, just like most other high-end phones in 2024. This chip is a known quantity and delivers a noticeable performance boost over last year’s models. The global version comes with 16GB of RAM and 512GB of storage, while China gets additional options including a 12GB/256GB version. 

While benchmark scores position the phone well within the top tier, it’s not the absolute leader. It excels more in CPU tasks than graphics. A “Performance” mode in the settings doesn’t significantly impact benchmark results. The good news is that the phone handles heat well. Even under sustained load, throttling is minimal, meaning consistent performance even during demanding tasks. In the end, the 14 Ultra is a solid performing smartphone. 

Below but Acceptable Battery Life

The global Xiaomi 14 Ultra has the same 5,000mAh battery as its predecessor, while the Chinese version gets a slight bump to 5,300mAh (not available globally). Battery life isn’t class-leading, but it’s decent. The biggest improvement is in gaming, lasting 33% longer than the 13 Ultra (still not the best, but better). Web browsing and call times are average, while video playback is below average.

The good news, it’s supports fast charging. The included 90W charger gets you from 0 to 100% in about 33 minutes, slightly slower than the 13 Pro’s 120W charging but still very fast. Third-party 65W chargers work too, getting you to 50% in 30 minutes. The 14 Ultra also supports 80W wireless charging with a compatible stand (sold separately), which requires a separate 120W adapter (also not included). Even without the extra adapter, you should still get good wireless charging speeds. Overall, below average battery life, but fast charging capabilities. 

Small Camera Upgrades

The Xiaomi 14 Ultra’s camera system might seem like a minor update at first glance, but there are some key improvements. The biggest change is the close-up focusing ability on both telephoto lenses. The 3x zoom can now focus as close as 4 inches (10cm), and the 5x periscope lens focuses as close as 1 foot (30cm). The 5x lens also gets a slight bump in brightness.

As for the main camera, the main sensor is upgraded thanks to the newer lens. It’s brighter and offers a wider range of aperture options for more control in Pro mode. No changes to the ultrawide and selfie cameras. The ultrawide keeps the same camera sensor and autofocus lens, while the selfie camera retains its 32MP OmniVision sensor and fixed-focus lens.

The Xiaomi 14 Ultra offers impressive video recording capabilities. All cameras (front and back) can shoot 4K video at 60fps. Rear cameras can also record in 4K at 24, 4K at 30, and even 8K at 24fps or 30fps. The main camera additionally supports 4K at 120 for super slow-motion. Video stabilization is excellent and works in all resolutions and frame rates (except 4K120). You can disable it in Director’s mode for specific creative choices.

The 14 Ultra delivers some of the best video quality available right now. All rear cameras offer excellent dynamic range, color reproduction, and detail (especially the main camera at 4K120fps). Even 60fps video maintains good quality. Stabilization is superb, smoothing out walking shake and keeping footage steady.

In low-light conditions, the main camera performs well, matching the Galaxy S24 Ultra in detail and offering wider dynamic range. The Find X7 Ultra might be slightly better. The ultrawide camera struggles a bit with low light, showing some color desaturation and noise. The telephoto cameras (both 3.2x and 5x) capture good detail in low light, with the 3.2x outperforming the Galaxy S24 Ultra and the 5x slightly exceeding the Find X7 Ultra’s 6x telephoto.

Overall. The camera system works well. there are minor upgrades to the zooming and the overall picture quality of the camera. The videos you can record are stunning at 4K screen resolution and the videos stabilization is an added bonus. 

Verdict

The Xiaomi 14 Ultra isn’t a surprise. We knew it would be expensive, have a mediocre selfie camera, and likely struggle with battery life (like its predecessor). 

However, it builds on the strengths of the previous 13 Ultra. The telephoto cameras are now fantastic for both close-up and long-range shots, and the variable aperture on the main camera offers more creative control. The real star of the show is the improved Photography Kit accessory. It elevates the phone to a near-professional camera experience, but it does add to the already high cost. 

Overall, the Xiaomi 14 Ultra remains the best camera phone you can buy today, but be prepared for a hefty price tag and some minor drawbacks. 

Be sure to check out the review of the cheaper Redmi Note 13 Pro. Share your comments with us below on the Xiaomi 14 Ultra review. Is it the smartphone your looking for? Until next time 😀