Xiaomi wants to believe it. The third largest seller of smartphones in France behind Apple and Samsung would like to climb a step on the podium. And gives himself the means. With his Xiaomi 14 Ultra, the Chinese manufacturer is doing everything it can to offer fans of smartphone photos the “best camera phone” on the market. True or fake ? 20 minutes tested it to see if this promise was kept.
The big artillery against Apple and Samsung
In the war between the big names in smartphones premium that are Samsung, Apple and Xiaomi, the third thief in the gang draws the big guns.
With its 14 Pro, Xiaomi is undoubtedly releasing the best smartphone from its reserves. If the device with the 120 Hz QHD + (3,200 x 1,400 pixels) 6.73-inch OLED screen immediately seduces with its extreme quality, the smartphone which weighs 220 grams is no less massive (161.4 x 75.3 x 9.2 mm). A criterion to take into account.
While its vegan leather back naturally frees itself from any fingerprints, its screen is no longer protected by Gorilla Glass, as for the Xiaomi 13, but by an “in-house” glass called Shields Glass, which its manufacturer announces as being even more resistant… with “a ten-fold improvement in drop resistance rate”! Here, IP68 protection against water and dust goes without saying.
A protest photo block
But what obviously surprises is the opulent rear photo module of the terminal. How far away the days when smartphone manufacturers persisted – sometimes in vain – to perfectly integrate cameras into the shell of their devices! Here, like a trademark and a sign of identity, Xiaomi wants to proudly claim its aesthetic… even if it means neglecting the difficulties that such a smartphone can cause to fit it in a pants pocket, for example.
We will keep the fact that Xiaomi here pays homage to M10-P, the iconic camera from the German manufacturer Leica, partner of the 14 Ultra. This is therefore visible (due to the thick optics for which eight lenses are superimposed), but it comes to fruition in the most beautiful way.
Leica without a false note
Behind the window, no less than four 50 megapixel sensors which can be adapted to all types of shots*. From macro (using ultra wide angle) to 5x optical zoom (up to 120x digital), including Portrait mode, the Xiaomi 14 Ultra surprises and detonates.
Our numerous tests have thus been crowned with flattering success. When maneuvering, the image processing carried out by Leica offers a visual signature without false notes. What’s more, the shooting software puts within reach of the user, even a layman, the tools necessary to optimize the quality of their views rendered by default in 12.5 megapixels, although it is possible to photograph in 50 megapixels (at the cost of much heavier files which can quickly take up the smartphone’s memory).
Can be called up at any time in simple “Photo” mode, a toothed wheel allows exposure to be corrected. And if you switch to “Pro” mode, this same wheel helps to easily modulate all the values: Exposure, Autofocus, Speed, Focal Length, ISO, White Balance. No need to know anything about photography: just play with it to see the immediate effects applied to an image in progress. And choose the best dosage.
Rediscover the true pleasure of photography
To further add to the pleasure of photography, Xiaomi offers for its 14 Ultra a kit “Pro Photo” optional. This takes the form of a shell with a handle grip in which the smartphone will find its place. Notwithstanding an additional weight gain of 41 g (or 261 g for the hitch!), this kit is well thought out.
In addition to being able to accommodate different standard filters (67 mm), the accessory (whose coating tends to become a little clogged with use!) allows you to rediscover the real physical pleasures of photography with a video trigger , a photo shutter, a dial to correct exposure and a zoom trigger.
These buttons are customizable according to aspirations and can control ISO, white balance, or the focus of the Bokeh effect (blur at the back of the subject).
Bonus: this handle has the good idea of integrating a 1,500 mAh extra battery, the equivalent of an additional 2 hours of energy for the smartphone to the 5,000 mAh battery.
Faced with the performance of this Xiaomi, the Galaxy S24 Ultra and iPhone 15 Pro Max will have difficulty keeping up their rank. Especially since by filming up to 4K at 60 fps (on the front) and up to 8K at 24 fps (on the front), this 14 Ultra can also cause video.
A complete experience at a great price
However, some points for improvement remain to be considered.
Certainly, it is difficult for Xiaomi to constrain the size and weight of its smartphone. Still, the beast takes up space, especially when combined with its “Pro Photo” case.
Although equipped with a 5,000 mAh battery, its autonomy is unfortunately nothing exceptional and can hardly be expected to last more than a day of intensive use. However, a 90 W charger is provided: 50 minutes are enough to recharge the smartphone to 100%.
Not insignificant point: Xiaomi offers four years of Android updates for the 14 Ultra, and five years of security updates. It’s good. But less well than at Apple, Samsung… and Google who set the bar higher: seven years.
More anecdotal: when configuring the smartphone, a host of unwanted applications are installed: AliExpress, Amazon, Booking… annoying!
Finally, the Xiaomi 14 Pro is really expensive. Very expensive: 1,499 euros (in 512 GB, non-expandable, with 16 GB of Ram). Plus the price of the Pro Photo Pack for the experience to be complete: 199 euros! Which still brings the bill to 1,700 euros. At this price, you can already afford a very good camera. Even a reconditioned Leica camera.
*Rear: 50 megapixel wide angle (23mm/f/1.6-f/1.4 equivalent) + 50 megapixel ultra wide angle (12mm/f/1.8) + 50 megapixel x3.2 optical periscopic telephoto lens (75mm/ f/1.8) + 50 megapixel optical telephoto lens x5 (120 mm/f/2.5). Front: 32 megapixels.