an amazing mobile phone that combines power and design with an excellent camera

Xiaomi decided long ago that it would rely on high-end terminals, this price segment is clearly dominated by Apple and Samsung, at least in the West. In Spain, the Chinese company managed to close the huge gap with a strategy that prioritizes price, but they have already left this in favor of the Redmi, which continues to be the best-selling models.

But Xiaomi as a company no longer wants to be called cheap, and the latest high-end models are proof of this, although there are devices with incredible quality-to-price ratio. Thus, the best mobile phones of the brand have long crossed the 1000 euro threshold, and Xiaomi 14 is no exception. This model was announced in China late last year and is now coming to Spain.

In its native country, the company presented Xiaomi 14 and 14 Pro, but the latter is not going to reach our market. Yes he will Xiaomi 14 Ultra, a model that follows the strategy of Xiaomi 13 Ultra and focuses primarily on the photographic section. The Xiaomi 14 therefore remains a high-end model for those who want a very well-balanced terminal but do not spend as much as the Ultra costs. We’ve spent just over a week on it and will see if it’s worth paying the 999 euros it costs in Spain.

Design

Since some years Major brands usually offer three high-end models instead of two.. Samsung does it, Samsung does it, Xiaomi does it and others. However, this time there is a change, since the middle Xiaomi 14 Pro will not go on sale in Spain, at least for the moment.

This makes itThe difference in size, price and features between Xiaomi 14 and Xiaomi 14 Ultra is noticeable. The model we reviewed feels small in the hand, at least after using the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra every day. This Xiaomi 14 has straight frames with rounded corners and fits quite comfortably in the hand, in addition to the fact that it does not have much weight. Ease of use is one of the most striking factors of this mobile phone, which will appeal to those who do not need large terminals.

It has an understated, almost gaudy design, but the packaging is very good, the quality in the hands is on par with the best, and there’s a matte back that makes fingerprints a non-issue. The only thing that might be missing is a little more character in the camera module.since this element is practically the only one that varies from one mobile phone to another.

Has IP-68 certificate., something important in the price range of this model, as well as a dual speaker, although in this case the additional one is located in the earpiece, and not on the top edge, as in other models of the brand. Draws attention to no infrared emitter, something that few have used, but it has been the calling card of Xiaomi (and other brands) for many years. We spoke to those in charge and they told us that this feature is usually not as valued in the high range as it is in the average range, so they will only keep it in the latter. There’s also no microSD slot or headphone jack.

The aluminum frame is one of the few parts of the phone that will show fingerprints, but they are not too noticeable, mainly because this part is not usually looked at constantly. Xiaomi has created a terminal with good design, but without risk. It doesn’t have to be bad, far from it, but This makes it feel like they’ve found a design they want to stick with.like Apple or Samsung did before.

Best processor

This model was the first to be announced with Qualcomm’s latest processor, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3.. This chipset boasts not only power, but also efficiency. In this model, there is no task you want to complete that involves a wait, delay, or problem framework. Memory goes hand in hand, 12 GB. Additionally, this LPDDR5 memory is one of the fastest on the market.

Something similar happens with the 512 GB internal memory, which uses UFS 4.0 technology, providing incredible data transfer speeds, which is especially appreciated when installing very heavy games or moving a large number of files to and from your mobile phone to other devices. This 12+512GB combination will be the only option available. Xiaomi 14 introduces a new radiatorThis is valuable because the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 can get very hot. During gaming, it is noticeable when the mobile phone gets a little warm, but the temperature is warm rather than hot, which is appreciated during long gaming sessions of an hour or more.

Sure, the phone has dual speakers, but there’s no headphone jack or micro SD slot. Communication is carried out through the processor via Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.4 or NFC.

High quality screen

What’s most striking about the Xiaomi 14’s screen is its diagonal. Are 6.36 inches, which is much lower than other high-end models.. So it becomes a small flagship, but that doesn’t mean it’s a small flagship. But it is recommended for those who are looking for a mobile phone that is not too big.

OLED panel with LTPO technology., which allows you to reduce the refresh rate to 1 Hz to save battery power. The upper limit is 120 Hz, Dolby Vision and HDR10+ are supported. The maximum brightness is 3000 nits, but not all the time, but only in places, occasionally.

The aspect ratio is slightly longer than usual, 20:9., without comparison with Sony Xperia. Resolution 2670 x 1200 pixels. The fingerprint scanner located under the screen is very fast, although it is optical and not ultrasonic like other models.

Three top-notch cameras

The camera system of this mobile phone uses three sensors of the same resolution, 50 MP. There is one for the wide-angle lens, one for the wide-angle lens and one for the telephoto lens. Obviously it’s not always the same type of sensor, but they do have Leica lenses. The photo company’s collaboration with the Chinese giant continues, and the results are getting better.

The main camera stands out for its quality., not only in sharpness, but also in contrast, colors and de-saturation, at least if the Leica Authentic profile is selected, which allows for more realistic colors. For those who like brighter photos, there is another Leica Vibrant color profile. To highlight dynamic range.

The wide angle surprised us with its sharpness, slight deformation around the perimeter and good color range. Usually this type of sensor remains in the background, but in this case Xiaomi decided to put it on the level of other cameras and achieved this. Or almost. The dynamic range isn’t as good as the main sensor, but otherwise this is a top-notch camera.

The telephoto lens has a 3.2x zoom., it is correct to have only one sensor of this type. Xiaomi 14 Ultra has two of them, as we have seen in other Samsung or Vivo models. In this case, it doesn’t seem like a problem to have only one telephoto lens, especially one as versatile as this one. The sensor quality is very good: the compact image indicates that it was shot with zoom lenses, but with excellent quality. Of course, the maximum 60x zoom is almost telling, because detail drops off dramatically, as always happens at such a magnification.

The 32 MP front camera finally allows you to record video in 4K resolution.. This was highly expected from Xiaomi, which did not allow recording in this resolution even in its most expensive models. The quality of selfies during the day is very good, excellent, but at night you have to be very careful so that the pictures don’t turn out shaky in low light.

But What we liked most was the video. In addition to the ability to record in high definition, the focus change is very progressive, approaching professional cameras. Stabilization is very decent, both front and rear, even at night, although it doesn’t reach the level achieved in good light.

Battery matches

Battery capacity has increased slightly compared to the previous generation, reaching 4610 mAh. What has increased significantly is fast charging, which is now 90 W wiredcompatible with Power Delivery 3.0 and QuickCharge 4. According to the company, it charges 100% in half an hour.

Also It has wireless charging, which is already a necessity in this price range. Speed ​​50 W., and fully charges the phone in about three-quarters of an hour. It can also be used as a charger for other Qi-enabled devices, albeit at only 10W.

The battery of this mobile phone ensures proper operation. In the course of our tests, we received about 5 hours of screen time with 24 hours of total use. These are not the highest figures we have ever seen, but considering the amperage, size and weight of the mobile, the truth is that we are satisfied.

HyperOS is coming

Xiaomi has already left MIUI aside and released the HyperOS operating system for Xiaomi 14. This interface is very similar to MIUI, continued to run on Android, but above all, it was designed to interact with many other devices, including the brand’s new car. In the future, Xiaomi wants to move away from Android without compromising compatibility, but for now this is not the case.

One of the main drawbacks of this version of the software is a minor but annoying detail. On all Android phones There is a settings shortcut in the notification panel. Well, HyperOS did without it.Having to go into the app drawer to open settings is something completely illogical.

This version includes a new ecosystem feature that can detect and communicate with brand products in the surrounding area. This promises to be key when Xiaomi’s car is sold internationally, although it also works with its watches, tablets, etc. The design is very similar to MIUI, but somewhat more minimalistic., with some strange decisions such as missing icon names in the notification area. This makes it impossible to recognize each of the functions. The lock screen has been greatly improved, allowing it to be customized to extreme levels, even to run Android 14, as is the case here.

In its Hyper OS presentation, Xiaomi boasted that it will be much lighter, lighter, more flexible and faster than MIUI, but in everyday life we ​​didn’t notice much difference. It’s not that the Xiaomi 14 is slow., or cause problems, but you must remember that it uses a very powerful processor. We will have to test this system on other, more economical models.

I am buying it?

Xiaomi 14 will go on sale in Spain at a price of 999 euros.high price, which, however, is accompanied launch a promotion in which customers will receive a Xiaomi Pad 6 worth 499.99 euros as a gift. Thus, it remains a very competitive option, although it also has many competitors.

Ultra versions of other models aside, the price of this Xiaomi 14 is in a delicate range: high to be a premium mid-ranger with pretensions, but low to compete in performance with the iPhone 15 Pro Max or Galaxy S24 Ultra. Nevertheless, size works in your favor, with a range of features that, although not the most impressive, make the terminal a very versatile product. And that’s always good.

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