The Xiaomi 14 is a compact smartphone packed with premium capabilities, particularly in the camera and battery departments.
In this review, we went deep into the true star of Xiaomi 14: the triple-rear Leica camera system. We also explored the massive battery and how fast it recharges and how it protects itself from the adverse effects of fast charging. Don’t fret as we examined this phone’s performance and gaming potential as well.
Packaging and Unboxing
We have here the Xiaomi 14 white model, which also comes in a white box. It’s pretty obvious that this phone isn’t joking because Leica is written on the box.
The packaging includes the phone, a black phone case with the proper camera cutout for the camera module, warranty card, Quick Start guide, SIM ejector pin, charging cable, and 90W charger. No earphones though.
Build Quality and Display
Despite its compact size, Xiaomi 14’s display is a giant wonder. It has a 6.36-inch flat display panel but with narrower bezel, compared to its predecessor.
Xiaomi 14 uses not just any OLED screens. The visuals are delivered to you by a Xiaomi-custom C8 AMOLED panel, which has 1.5K resolution and pixel density of 460. Every image is vibrant and life-like.
Love the outdoors? Xiaomi 14 can accompany you thanks to its peak brightness of 3,000 nits. It keeps the phone bright and readable without ruining colors under the sun.
Plus, this phone can handle splashes and adventures with IP68 rating for dust and water resistance. Keeping the whole display safe from drops and scratches is Corning Gorilla Glass Victus.
Besides those, the display has a punch hole cutout for the single selfie camera. Its size is just right for the entirety of the phone, without being obstructive when watching videos in full screen or playing mobile games.
The build quality is really good as bending the Xiaomi 14 will take a great effort and force. The feel and grip of the smartphone speak only of premiumness.
You can find the volume rockers and power key at the right side of the phone. The speaker grille, USB-C port, card tray, and microphone are located at the bottom of the device. Both the top and left sides of Xiaomi 14 are free of physical keys or ports.
By the way, Xiaomi 14 has dual stereo speakers: one front-firing and one side-firing.
The phone’s amazing display can push the boundaries of visual fidelity via:
| Advanced Textures | Adds rendering effects to boost visual experience. |
| Anti-flicker | Use DC dimming in low light to reduce eye strain. |
| AI Image Engine | Options for improving visuals. |
| Super Resolution | Upscales video resolution. |
| AI Image Enhancement | Identifies plants, animals, and buildings and dynamically adjusts their display effects. |
| AI HDR Enhancement | Processes videos with HDR to enhance details in light and dark areas. |
| MEMC | Adds extra frames to make videos smoother and livelier. |
Take note that these visual enhancements will consume more power and may not work on all apps.
Performance and Memory
Making the Xiaomi 14 a powerhouse smartphone is the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 and HyperOS, Xiaomi’s brand-new software that’s smoother and more reliable than its predecessor.
The chipset has a 1+5+2 structure for a CPU boost of 32% and GPU boost of 34%, over its predecessor, without messing up power consumption. Play games, do creative tasks, and more with guaranteed fast and stable experience.
To complement, Xiaomi 14 features a LPDDR5X RAM and UFS 4.0 ROM. This RAM can process data with a speed of 8,533 Mbps and has battery efficiency of up to 20%. Multitask and open apps swiftly without extra power consumption.
The UFS 4.0 guarantees write speeds of 2,800 Mbps and read speeds of 4,200 Mbps. That means apps and games will load incredibly fast, so say goodbye to slow loading times. Such speeds are also useful in transferring large files.
Heat is a bane of smartphones, so Xiaomi added the proprietary Loop LiquidCool Technology. It helps disperse the heat and keep Xiaomi 14 cool during intensive use.
As a flagship smartphone, we tested the Xiaomi 14 on several games. Mobile Legends: Bang Bang was a piece of cake at Super frame rate and Ultra graphics. Call of Duty: Mobile was an easy task at Ultra frame rates and Very High graphics.
Next is Black Clover Mobile. We played the game at Ultra graphics, 100% resolution, and 60 FPS. Everything is crisp and smooth! Arena matches are fantastic with decals and SFX looking gorgeous as opposing mages fight for victory.
Finally, we ran Genshin Impact. Xiaomi 14 had no problems taking this very demanding game on! We pushed everything to max settings and the compact smartphone delivered an impressive gaming experience.
Leica Camera System
The true power of Xiaomi 14 is its camera system powered by Leica. In fact, all three rear sensors are Leica to deliver excellent captures even under low-light conditions.
The primary camera is a Leica Summilux optical lens with an aperture of f/1.6, which can get 80% more light than its predecessor. This lens is paired with Xiaomi’s custom-made Light Fusion 900 image sensor, boasting the following:
- Sensor size of 1/1.31-inch
- Dual ISO Fusion
- Wide dynamic range of 13.5EV
- Native support for 14-bit color depth
- Pixel of size of 2.4μm
To achieve the 13.5EV dynamic range, the Light Fusion 900 uses a single-frame HDR technique. When a single frame is captured, it processes it via two unique amplification circuits. This results in two images that are later combined into one.
Since it only uses one frame, the technique removes many unwanted image problems, like ghosting. Enthusiasts and professional photographers can do more with this sensor, thanks to its UltraRAW file support.
The next rear camera is a floating lens: a 75-mm Leica floating telephoto lens design. This one features an aperture of f/2.0 and 10-cm macro mode. Did you see it?
Normally, telephoto lenses cannot focus within 45 centimeters, which the camera must shift to ultra-wide if the subject is too close. But doing so will cause distortion to the final image – a reality.
On Xiaomi 14, the lens group inside the telephoto lens is split into two groups. The group at the back has three elements that can catch light, but they can also move freely to focus on multiple subjects. Thus, the wider range allows the telephoto lens to capture clear macros within 10 cm.
The third camera is a 14-mm ultra-wide lens with an aperture of f/2.2. Together, these three let users take snapshots and capture moments in a flash at top-tier quality.
Selfies and video calls are handled by the 32MP front-facing camera. Check out some of our selfies below.
Watch the clip below for the video recording power of Xiaomi 14.
Battery and Charging
Xiaomi 14 is packed with a 4,610 mAh battery and it supports 90W wired HyperCharge and 50W wireless HyperCharge. Juice up this beauty in a short time to keep the fun going.
But what about the risk of fast charging? Xiaomi includes its own Surge Battery Management System that comes with Xiaomi Surge P2 charging chipsets and Xiaomi G1 battery management chipset.
The P2 chipsets improve charging efficiency and cut down energy loss, while G1 provides comprehensive protection to extend battery lifespan.
Inside the battery settings, you can find the following:
| Battery Mode | Choose a desired mode between Performance, Balanced, Battery Saver, and Ultra Battery Saver. |
| Battery Protection | Enable Nighttime protection when charging at night. Check extra info like temperature and number of charges for the day. |
| Boost Charging Speed | Further increase charging speed. |
| Reverse Wireless Charging | Charge a Qi-supported wireless device using your Xiaomi 14. |
Xiaomi 14 also features a Heart Rate Monitor that lets you check heart rate via the blood flow on your fingers. While it can read your heart rate, it’s not an approved medical tool for diagnosing heart-related issues. Please consult with your physician.
What Could Be Better
Despite its compact size, Xiaomi 14 is very powerful and can do a lot of things, especially with that Leica camera system. You won’t miss moments as long as the camera app is ready to aim and shoot.
But there are few things we think that could be better:
- Thinner camera bump: The sensors are all good but the bump itself is quite big considering the phone’s size.
- More AI features: Xiaomi 14 has access to Gemini AI by Google but we expected many native AI apps on the phone. Perhaps Xiaomi is preparing some already and just waiting to ship them with the next HyperOS update.
- Better cooling: Gaming on this phone is phenomenal but it can get a bit too hot for long periods. Maybe the next update will include essentials to optimize the phone’s heat management.
Xiaomi 14 is available in Black, White, and Jade Green. The 12+256GB variant is priced at ₱45,999 while the 12+512GB is at ₱47,999. You can also get major freebies for a limited time.
