Xiaomi has always stood for offering a lot of technology at competitive prices. The prices are still competitive, but no longer as spectacular as they were five years ago. The Xiaomi 14, the co-flagship behind the Xiaomi 14 Ultra (test report), is about to continue with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, 12 GB of RAM and a Leica camera.
The price has now fallen well: this is what the variant with 512 GB of storage currently costs 692 euros – an announcement compared to the competition. We’ll show whether it can also convince.
Design: Is the Xiaomi 14 waterproof?
The Xiaomi 14 also comes with an angular design like every other smartphone at the moment – everything is a bit iPhone-like. But that’s not a disadvantage, the exterior looks elegant and timelessly chic. The aluminum edges are as angular as their name and have a diamond cut. The matte back is made of plastic instead of metal or glass like the similarly priced competition – a shame. However, the choice of material does not detract from the look; the workmanship of the material also appears impeccable. It doesn’t turn out to require that much care, but in the long run it could get a scratch or two.
The glass, square camera element, which is slightly set off from the housing, includes three lenses and an LED flash. Otherwise, the smartphone is IP68 certified. However, in the small print, Xiaomi advises against using the cell phone on the beach or pool. The case measures 152.8 × 71.5 × 8.2 mm. At 193 g, the weight is pleasantly low, especially for a flagship.
Display: What resolution does the Xiaomi 14 have?
The AMOLED LTPO display shines with high brightness and great colors and, at 6.36 inches, is surprisingly compact for a current flagship smartphone. However, it only reaches maximum brightness under strong sunlight and active automatic brightness control; There is less in manual mode. In the practical test, the brightness was more than enough to be able to read everything even in strong sunlight. The pixel density is high at 460 ppi (pixels per inch), and the refresh rate adjusts between 1 and 120 Hz. This allows the display to adapt flexibly to current use and switch down depending on the application, which saves electricity. In short: There is definitely nothing to complain about when it comes to the display.
Camera: How many megapixels does the Xiaomi 14 have?
“For legendary moments”: That’s Xiaomi’s slogan to describe the Xiaomi 14’s Leica camera setup. In practice we find that this is justified. The smartphone offers a main camera with 50 megapixels and an f/1.6 aperture as well as optical image stabilization. As usual, to improve detail and brightness, the software combines four pixels into one pixel, giving an actual resolution of 12.5 megapixels. Videos can be shot with this lens in a maximum of 4K at 24 FPS. The photos are absolutely convincing. During the day the images are sharp and offer good color dynamics (we use the default setting Leica Vibrant); When the sky is blue and the sun is shining, the colors appear almost too strong. Good images and colors are displayed realistically even at night. However, a much steadier hand is necessary, otherwise the image will quickly become blurry. The images turn out well if you manually turn down the brightness before taking the shutter.
The telephoto lens with 3.2x zoom also works with 50 MP and optical stabilization and has an f/2.0 aperture. This means you can still get close to an object with high recording quality. There is also a wide-angle lens with 50 megapixels and f/2.2 aperture. Both lenses deliver a solid result and fulfill their task to our satisfaction. The wide-angle lens is also used for macro mode and also delivers impressive images in this use. With a spider on one, we can even see the individual leg hairs in detail.
The front camera takes equally solid photos at 32 megapixels and an f/2.0 aperture. It can record videos in a maximum of 2K at 60 FPS.
Xiaomi 14 – original shots
Xiaomi 14 – original shots
Equipment: How good is the performance
The Xiaomi 14 is fitted with the latest SoC from Qualcomm – the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3. This offers high performance with a high-speed core at 3.3 GHz, three cores at 3.2 GHz and two at 3.0 GHz two at 2.3 GHz. There are also eight cores and threads each. What’s really good is that Xiaomi uses 12 GB of RAM – this creates performance reserves and allows reliable app playback. The enormous amount of storage is also premium, with 256 GB and 512 GB of internal storage available – this works according to UFS 4.0.
We record the system performance in numbers using the PCmark Work 2.0 benchmark, where the Xiaomi 14 achieved an average of 15,800 points. In 3Dmark Wild Life Extreme it scores around 5000 points – a top value. Despite the high level of heat generated during the benchmark, it runs smoothly. However, the Xiaomi 14 aborted the stress test after around 15 minutes in all attempts.
It’s nice that Xiaomi has now broken with the tiresome tradition of only installing one USB-C 2.0 port, even in its top devices. The Xiaomi 14 relies on USB-C 3.2 (OTG and Displayport). It connects wirelessly with Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 5.4 (support for LDAC and aptX Adaptive). It uses GPS, Glonass, Beidou, Galileo and NavIC to determine location. It establishes the mobile connection via 2G, 3G, 4G or 5G and offers dual SIM. Mobile payment works via NFC.
The stereo speakers sound good, open and are loud enough. However, as is usual with integrated speakers, there is a noticeable lack of mids and especially lows. The vibration motor provides pleasant, haptic feedback when typing or other interactions with the software. However, it sounds a bit cheap and makes a metallic crackle – Google’s motors seem much more sensitive and of higher quality here.
Xiaomi 14 – photo series
Xiaomi 14 – photo series
Software: How long does the Xiaomi 14 get updates?
As for the software, Xiaomi relies on the Xiaomi Hyper OS interface, which visually has a lot in common with the earlier MIUI. It reacts smoothly and is stylish, but design borrowings from Apple are unmistakable. Numerous animations and plenty of splashes of color give the user interface an appealing and lively feel. The software also offers numerous personalization options out of the box with Xiaomi’s typical themes app.
The massive use of bloatware and advertising in system apps is a shame and unpleasant aspect for a cell phone that costs just under 700 euros. This can sometimes be very intrusive; older people in particular could be confused and access unwanted websites.
Android is preinstalled with version 14 at the time of testing (September 26th, 2024), the security update is from August 1st, 2024 and is therefore still fairly up to date. At this point, the September patch can already be found on a Google Pixel or Samsung smartphone. The Xiaomi 14 gets four Android updates and security patches every 90 days for five years.
Battery: How long does the Xiaomi 14 last?
In our test, the 4610 mAh battery of the Xiaomi 14 lasted for around one and a half days with intensive use and for around two and a half days with sporadic use. PCmark’s battery test attests that the Xiaomi 14 has a solid 13 hours of runtime with a preset brightness of 200 cd/m². When the always-on display is active, the battery life is further reduced. But the battery charges with the original Xiaomi power supply at 90 watts in about 30 minutes, which is really quick and a practical relief in everyday life.
Price & Alternatives: How much does the Xiaomi 14 cost?
The Xiaomi 14 is currently available in the better equipment variant with 512 GB of internal memory 692 euros. The version with 256 GB is available for 734 euros and is therefore not recommended at the moment.
Conclusion: Is it worth buying?
The Xiaomi 14 is an absolute top smartphone in almost every respect. Photos turn out well, the exterior looks great and the performance is really great. The battery life is impressive; The competitors like Samsung, Google and Co. have a lot to gain from the high charging speed of 90 watts – we don’t want to miss that in everyday life. The Xiaomi 14 with its 6.36 inches is also the right address for anyone who likes it more compact. The display also pleases with bright colors and high brightness.
It’s just a shame that Xiaomi still relies heavily on advertising in system apps and, above all, numerous pre-installed bloatware. This doesn’t have to be the case with an expensive smartphone. The previous penalty related to the slow USB-C port has now been eliminated – which is commendable. Overall, a really good smartphone at a competitively low price and therefore our insider tip.
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