Xiaomi 14 Ultra Review: specs and features, camera quality test, gaming benchmark, user opinions and photos

Xiaomi 14 Ultra is a familiar photo flagship with minor improvements

Several years ago, the Chinese company Xiaomi was able to surprise lovers of mobile electronics with the release of excellent smartphones with an Ultra index. Their high price was fully justified by both advanced technical characteristics and outstanding photographic capabilities. Surprisingly, every year the manufacturer seriously improved literally every aspect of the models. The hero of today's review was no exception.

The appearance of the new product retains the characteristic features of its predecessors, namely a huge round block of photomodules, proprietary colors of the rear panels, and their stylized leather texture. The metal edging and barely noticeable display frames around the entire perimeter also look beautiful. The 6.73-inch AMOLED panel strives to break records for image clarity (3200x1440 pixel resolution) and brightness (almost 3000 nits at peak). The 120-Hz picture refresh rate, the responsiveness of the touch panel, and the accuracy of the fingerprint scanner do not disappoint. Of course, the quality of the oleophobic coating is also pleasing.

It’s hard not to admire the power of the latest Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 CPU, working in tandem with 12GB/16GB of RAM and the Adreno 750 video adapter. The results in the popular AnTuTu and Geekbench benchmarks increased by 20-30% compared to the previous processor, worry about the performance of gaming applications With maximum graphics settings it definitely won’t be necessary for another five years. Amazingly, the energy efficiency of the chipset has even improved. The gadget heats up uncritically even after an hour of gameplay in Honkai: Star Rail, and the 5300 mAh battery usually lasts for a day and a half. The user has a choice of wired charging with a power of 90W and its wireless alternative (50W). You can store information on 256/512/1024GB of permanent memory in UFS 4.0 format.

The combination of a 50-megapixel high-tech Sony LYT900 main photo module, telephoto lenses (3x and 5x zoom) and a wide-angle sensor makes the phablet one of the best in terms of photography and video shooting. It’s not easy to express complaints even about evening photo sessions, because the amount of noise and blur in them is minimal, which cannot be said about the preserved amount of detail. Hybrid stabilization also has a positive effect on videos in 8K resolution. The stereo sound is very loud and rich, comparable to that of an inexpensive Bluetooth speaker. Of course, a representative of the highest price category has a number of advantages in the form of NFC contactless payments, moisture protection according to IP68 standards, an infrared port for controlling household appliances, Android 14 (works on the HyperOS shell), and support for 5G networks. Thus, we have before us a virtually perfect device, the purchase of which can only be deterred by its impressive price tag.