Xiaomi 14 review - Is it the cheapest and coolest flagship?

Performance and memory

Firmware

Cameras

Autonomy

Price and conclusions

Specifications

Well, friends, do you agree that the set of features of Xiaomi 14 is impressive? We don't even know where to start, because absolutely everything is perfect in this smartphone.

So let's start in order: an OLED screen with LTPO support and a peak brightness of 3000 nits, the latest Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 processor, a cool camera with three modules of 50 MP, the presence of wireless charging and a price of only 545 dollars for the basic modification.

And yet, we do not advise you to rejoice too much, since the price tag is relevant only for China. But if the Xiaomi 14 is so good, is it possible to buy the Chinese version at all, or is it not worth it? Let's figure it out.

Complete set

Our review starts with the delivery set of Xiaomi 14. The packaging is as simple and plain as possible, but it feels a bit premium. The equipment itself is royal, well, or Xiaomi - a huge power supply unit, USB cable, documentation, a clip for the SIM tray and a case. The pencil case is of good quality and pleasant to the touch, and ribbed inside.

Despite the fact that the Xiaomi 14 is a flagship, and flagships have been limited in configuration for a long time, everything is great with our new product today. You don't need to worry and look for a power supply unit, and you don't need to buy a branded case for huge money. This is how flagships should be equipped. Apple and Samsung, learning.

Design, materials, dimensions

So, our acquaintance with Xiaomi 14 begins with the appearance. And the first thought that comes to mind is that the novelty is very similar to its predecessor. This is not bad, since the Xiaomi 13 could boast of a rather nice design, compact dimensions and thin frames.

Xiaomi 14 has retained all the above features. The phone is small by modern standards – 152.8 x 71.5 x 8.2 (8.3) mm and weighs 188 (193) grams. Dimensions vary slightly depending on the material of the back cover, but these are very minor nuances. Also, compared to its predecessor, the Xiaomi 14 has flattened out by a couple of millimeters, which also does not play any role.

The materials of the body, as expected, are premium. Of course, no cheap plastic. Only glass and aluminum. There is also a version with an eco-leather cover - it is already becoming a trend.

The colors of Xiaomi 14 are restrained and laconic. The mobile device is offered in silver, light pink, black, white and dark green colors. No overt red or blue. Protection against water was also taken care of – the IP68 standard is, as always, in place.

The front panel of Xiaomi 14 deserves special attention. The frames are very thin, but the previous model had a similar thickness. The display is flat, there are no such notorious trendy curves.

The main camera block has become slightly larger than that of the Xiaomi 13, but the location of the modules has practically not changed. It looks bulky, and this block protrudes a lot. To smooth out this problem a bit, the manufacturer added a rim around the block.

In general, the design, dimensions and materials of the Xiaomi 14 are excellent. There are no special features or loud innovations here, but they are not needed. It's a stylish and compact flagship, and that's enough. Let's move on.

Screen quality

Unlike the design, the Xiaomi 14 display has undergone significant changes. And, of course, for the better. Let's start with the addition of LTPO technology, the benefits of which you know.

The resolution is now 1200 x 2670 pixels instead of 1080x2400 in Xiaomi 13. The pixel density has also increased - 460 ppi against 414 ppi. The refresh rate remained unchanged at 120 Hz. But no more is needed, because 144 or 165 Hz is already required for gaming smartphones, and 120 Hz is enough for a standard flagship.

But the coolest thing is the increase in peak brightness to 3000 nits. Yes, yes, Xiaomi broke its own record and gave us such a huge number instead of 1900 nits. Now you can not be afraid that some element on the screen will not be visible in the sun. Of course, the predecessor did not have any problems with this either.

Knowing that this is Xiaomi, you can be sure that there are no problems with PWM. The display of Xiaomi 14 is bright, colorful, with a pleasant color rendering that can be adjusted to your preferences. What more could you want from a flagship screen?

Performance and memory

Dear friends, it's time to talk about the performance of Xiaomi 14. It is noteworthy that our today's hero was the first to receive the new Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 processor. At the moment, this is the top chip from Qualcomm, on which huge hopes are placed.

Enthusiasts have already managed to test Xiaomi 14 in synthetic tests. And the results, let us tell you, are pleasantly surprising. In AnTuTu, the novelty scored a record 1,999,200 points.

But it is important to understand that you or other users may have different results, as the final scores are affected by many factors, including the temperature of the room in which the test was conducted. We all remember the situation with the Redmi K60 Ultra - the phone was placed in the refrigerator just to conduct a throttling test.

The fact that Xiaomi 14 is theoretically the most powerful smartphone on the market is not so easy to practically confirm. It was pointless to hope that the heating and throttling would simply disappear. All these problems persist, and they are especially noticeable in demanding games at ultra-high settings. We have already seen this whole picture in previous versions of the processor, so we will not repeat it.

Of course, the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 is an incredibly powerful chip, there's no arguing with that. Both on paper and in synthetic tests, the performance increase is clearly visible compared to Gen 2. Is it noticeable under heavy loads - no.

If you don't play games, then you can absolutely not worry about the speed of the Xiaomi 14 in everyday use. Everything will fly. Games are more difficult: of course, the chip can handle all resource-intensive toys, but we are not immune to overheating.

Now let's discuss the memory options of the Xiaomi 14. Four modifications are offered and it is very pleasing that the basic version already comes with 8/256 GB. The predecessor had 128 GB of ROM in the basic modification, which is frankly not enough.

You can choose the maximum version with 16 GB of RAM and 1 TB of ROM. This will be enough for even the most active user. The high-speed permanent storage standard is UFS 4.0.

Summarizing, we can say that the processor in Xiaomi 14 is really top. But in some usage scenarios, its power still remains untamed.

Read also: Xiaomi 13T and Xiaomi 13T PRO review - Why pay more?

Firmware

Together with Xiaomi 14, the company introduced a new proprietary shell called HyperOS. Now all the company's devices, including phones, will work with this shell. Yes, everyone's favorite (or not so) MIUI will be a thing of the past.

You can think about the innovations of HyperOS for a long time, but it is better to devote a separate article to it. In short, we will say that the main innovations that were announced are improvements in performance, autonomy and stability. Yes, friends, another blurred parameters and promises, which were fed to us in Miyuai as well.

According to the manufacturer, the main feature of HyperOS is the close interaction of all devices with each other. That is, now the ecosystem will work even more harmoniously. But for European users, whose house is not completely furnished with Xiaomi equipment, this is not particularly relevant.

Of course, Xiaomi 14 received the latest version of the "green robot" - Android 14. Everything is standard here. The support time from the manufacturer will also, most likely, be standard.

Cameras

Cameras are another strong point of Xiaomi 14. As a real flagship, the smartphone has three 50 MP modules. This is the main sensor, telephoto and ultra-wide. The parameters are impressive, although they cannot be called the best in the industry.

Our main sensor received laser autofocus and optical stabilization, the telephoto has a 3.2x optical zoom, and the ultra-wide can boast a viewing angle of 115˚.

As you'd expect, photos on the Xiaomi 14 turn out great in all scenarios. What is day, what is night, what is telephoto, what is ultrawide. You can see all photo examples below.

You can record video in 8K, but only with 24 frames per second. But in 4K you can record with 60 fps, and this is already the best option. HDR10+ and Dolby Vision HDR modes are also supported during video recording.

Let's say a few words about the front camera of the Xiaomi 14. It has the same 32-megapixel module as the predecessor. However, the video recording resolution has increased significantly - instead of weak 1080p@30fps, we finally have 4K@30/60fps.

True, the level is decent, but, as we have already said, you cannot call the Xiaomi 14 the best camera phone. The same Xiaomi 13 Ultra or Oppo Find X6 Pro show better results, but they also cost more. These models are still true and unique monsters in this category.

But let's wait for the Xiaomi 14 Ultra and see what this model will offer us. We are sure that this will be another breaking of patterns and something simply illegal. And so far in its price segment, Xiaomi 14 shows almost the best result in terms of cameras. If compared with its predecessor, everything was much more modest.

Autonomy

In terms of autonomous operation, Xiaomi 14 does not show us any special innovations. The battery capacity has practically not changed - 4610 mAh versus 4500 mAh. On average, we get one day of work for active use. The result is good, but some smartphones show better autonomy.

The 90-watt wired charging is definitely pleasing. According to the manufacturer, it will charge the Xiaomi 14 to 100% in just half an hour. If you don't want to mess with wires, there is a 50 W wireless charger. Only there, it takes about 50 minutes to fully refuel.

Price and conclusions

We are coming to the end of the review of Xiaomi 14. But before summing up, we need to announce the prices. As we said, the base version of the Xiaomi 14 with 8/256 GB costs around $550. The price tag is very nice, but it's only for the Chinese market, which can't help but be disappointing.

By the way, Xiaomi 13 at the start of sales in China cost about the same, but then a 128 GB modification was offered. And now let's see how much this model costs inside our country. The approximate price tag starts at $670. That is, the price increase is very significant.

The same situation will be with the novelty. The global version is about 30% more expensive than the Chinese version. And then you will need to think carefully before buying this device, because for such a small price it will already have worthy competitors.

Of course, the option to buy the Chinese version and flash to the global one is not so bad. At the very least, you'll save a ton of money. But you will also encounter all the "charms" of the Chinese versions.

For now, we think it's too early to buy the Xiaomi 14. It is worth waiting for the release of other smartphones with the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 processor, namely realme GT 5 Pro, OnePlus 12, Oppo Find X7 Pro, Vivo X100. It is quite possible that these models will turn out to be even better than the Xiaomi 14.

And yes, if you look purely at the characteristics of the Xiaomi 14, then it is a very cool smartphone in all respects, starting with the materials of the case and ending with the support for wireless charging. There are also significant improvements compared to the predecessor, which consist not only in a new processor, but also in the screen and cameras. The smartphone leaves an exceptionally positive impression.

This is where we end. Be sure to write in the comments whether you liked this hot new product from Xiaomi, and what other Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 phones you expect. Before meeting!

Pros:

• complete equipment;
• OLED screen with LTPO support
• thin frames;
• peak screen brightness of 3000 nits;
• no PWM issues;
• premium case materials;
• moisture protection IP68;
• relatively compact dimensions;
• new powerful Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 processor;
• cool cameras;
• 4K video recording on the front camera;
• Android 14 with a new HyperOS shell;
• many memory options;
• wired charging 90 W and wireless 50 W;
• optimal price.

Cons:

• processor overheating and throttling are observed;
• no periscope telephoto lens;
• Chinese version.