Test: Xiaomi 14 – Compact top model that keeps getting better

If we talk about mobile cameras today, Xiaomi's collaboration with Leica is one of the most interesting. The most spectacular technology comes to the most expensive models, but even the Xiaomi 14, which can be described as a compact top model with lavish cameras, gets some of these features.

My first impression of the phone is that it is relatively anonymous. It's a phone that easily goes under the radar, especially as die-hard iPhone users when they see it easily laugh at how similar it is to the iPhone. What we get with the Xiaomi 14 is a thin phone with a hefty array of cameras shaped into a square on the back. The sides are glossy metal and the back, in the case of my test phone, is white glass. As for the cameras though, you don't get a one-inch sensor, extreme zoom, fancy Ai features, which initially fools me. Because even if the phone doesn't have an obvious, spectacular parade branch in that way, it proves its excellence when I test more thoroughly and that in area after area.

Fast and agile

The basic conditions are good. The phone is powered by the latest and greatest system chip from Qualcomm and this, Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 not only ensures that the device is fast and responsive, it also contributes in a number of other areas. The screen is flat with no curved edges and of course it supports fast refresh up to 120 hertz, which makes everything feel responsive and direct when I'm scrolling. It is possible to set the refresh rate to prioritize speed or to choose the default mode where performance and power consumption are balanced. The edges around the screen are thin and Xiaomi has made an effort to ensure that it is about clean surfaces, so the speaker is in the screen and the IR transmitter has been moved to the camera module where it is barely visible.

Xiaomi delivers the phone with Android 14 and its new interface Hyper OS. This replaces the old MIUI, but the name change gives the impression that the differences are greater than they really are. I notice some updated features and graphical news. When loading, I get a nice indication of what's dropping down from the top of the screen. There is an intention to allow the software to better interact with the hardware, which is welcome. However, just like its predecessor MIUI, Hyper OS is in need of a cleanup and can feel cluttered compared to both Google's basic version and other manufacturers' Android interfaces.

Xiaomi ships with some of its own apps. After a transition period, the company's Gallery app for photos is now integrated with Google Photos so that cloud storage is handled by Google and uses your space with Google instead of Xiaomi Cloud. However, this makes the Gallery and Google Photos apps more or less overlapping and offer the same functionality. Xiaomi's own browser finds itself in a similar relationship with Google Chrome. Instead of new functions in the smartphone, the news in Hyper OS is more about tying together Xiaomi's different product categories because phones, watches and other devices, even if they have different operating systems, should now be able to interact better with shared clipboards and notifications.

Not extreme but has a lot of other things

The first pictures I take with the cameras do not give a wow experience, but the more I test and the more pictures I take, the more benefits I notice. Here you don't get the same natural depth in the image as we can see in last year's Xiaomi 13 Pro or the Ultra models that have a one-inch sensor, but we still get something of a hint of it. I also remind myself that this is a phone that is not meant to be the best at everything. It has other advantages too as it is a bit smaller and quite compact and of course is cheaper than the Ultra models.

If I compare the Xiaomi 14 with its more expensive sister models, the disappointment is of course, if not great, at least noticeable, but in the compartment where it actually competes, it offers several advantages compared to, for example, Samsung's Galaxy S24. Xiaomi and Leica's collaboration ensures a genuine, lifelike image. I notice particularly fast autofocus which is also good at following moving objects and I can freeze moments even in challenging situations.

The portrait mode and also the regular photo mode provide lifelike, natural shallow depth of field and the color reproduction is as we expect. You can choose between Leica's natural or more saturated color reproduction. The sensor isn't the one-inch type like in the more expensive models, but it's new and it does a good job of elevating the photography experience over standard flagships.

This also applies when you are filming. In addition to the usual video mode, the Xiaomi 14 has a special movie mode inspired by cinema. Here you can choose to film in 2.39:1 format and get a good opportunity to follow objects and get a nice blur effect.

This year, Xiaomi 14 has a lot in common with the sister model Xiaomi 14 Pro, so there is logic behind Xiaomi 14 and Xiaomi 14 Ultra, the real super camera, being the two in the series that are released on the Swedish market. Ultra is the obvious one for those who really want the best in terms of cameras, but the Xiaomi 14 manages to impress within its own genre.

Questions and answers

How fast charged?

No 120 W, but here we have to make do with the still fast 90 which gives a full charge in half an hour. Wireless charging is also available up to 50 W.

What does Hyper OS add and what is it?

It is the new name of Xiaomi's interface, but it is similar to its predecessor MiUI, so the difference is mainly about simplifying the interaction between different devices in Xiaomi's product portfolio. It is not yet noticeable so much.

How does the connection Xiaomi Gallery – Google Photo work?

In the Gallery app, you can choose to back up to the cloud and then you will be redirected to Google Photos, which will have access to your image library on the phone. Xiaomi Gallery will then show all your photos synced to Google Photos, not just those taken with this phone. Just like Google Photos.

An alternative

On the iOS side, the iPhone 14 Pro is similar in both appearance and features. The clearest combatant is otherwise the Samsung Galaxy S24 in the same flexible format.

Camera example

The camera doesn't have a one-inch sensor, but a Light Fusion 900 that gives good dark imaging with little noise and the camera is good at following autofocus and natural depth of field.