Xiaomi 14 Ultra Review: The Best Camera Phone I’ve Ever Used

The 14 Ultra is Xiaomi’s brand-new flagship Android telephone, and whilst it comes with a set of height tech like a blistering Qualcomm chip and wonderful show, it additionally has an incredible digicam setup that is able to taking one of the easiest photographs I’ve ever observed from a telephone. 

That’s most likely no wonder given the large picture sensor filled within, in conjunction with a large, variable aperture and Leica-engineered optics. Together with the at hand Photography Kit, which incorporates a grip with shutter controls, I’ve cherished the use of the 14 Ultra merely as a compact digicam.

Read extra: Best telephone to shop for in 2024

But it is nonetheless just right as a telephone, too, with stellar efficiency from the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chip, a wonderful show and just right sufficient battery lifestyles. And you would be proper to be expecting just right efficiency, because the Xiaomi 14 Ultra prices £1,299. Add at the £179 images package and that involves the princely sum of £1,478. Xiaomi does not formally promote its telephones in america, however that base UK worth converts to $1,640. 

That’s a good step up over the $1,420 it is going to price you to place the similar 512GB capability Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra to your pocket. Most other folks will almost definitely get on higher with Samsung’s telephone and even shopping against the a lot more inexpensive Pixel 8 Pro.

But the photographers amongst you who wish to at all times elevate a in reality very good digicam setup, with out the effort of in reality having to pack a devoted digicam, the Xiaomi 14 Ultra is easily value forking out on. I’ve taken higher pictures in this than I’ve on another iPhone or Android telephone, and the use of it with the grip makes it really feel identical to an ordinary compact digicam. 

A large picture sensor for wonderful pictures

The major digicam is the hero of the bunch, packing a picture sensor which is bodily a lot better (1/0.98-inch) than the sensors you can in finding in virtually another telephone, together with the iPhone 15 Pro Max (1/1.28-inch) or Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra (1/1.33-inch). A bigger picture sensor can acquire additional information, leading to higher shopping photographs and a much broader dynamic vary. 

That large sensor has been paired with a variable aperture lens that may open huge to f/1.6 or prevent right down to f/4. Xiaomi partnered with mythical digicam maker Leica, which lent a few of its experience to the 14 Ultra’s lens parts too, all of which make this telephone able to taking stunning, pin-sharp photographs. 

I took the digicam round London and Edinburgh in numerous prerequisites, and I’ve been in truth blown away via the pictures I used to be in a position to take. I shot maximum of my photographs the use of the telephone’s professional mode, which permits for uncooked picture seize. I’ve it set to shoot each uncooked and JPEGs, and I take advantage of the Leica excessive distinction black-and-white clear out for a punchy monochrome glance. 

By capturing each JPEG and uncooked, I will be able to seize the unique black-and-white JPEG and also have the uncooked document, which will also be became again to paint if I wish to as uncooked information retain that colour data. But I’ve in reality been in reality happy with JPEGs directly out of digicam, particularly when the use of the high-contrast monochrome mode. Personally, it is black-and-white imagery the place I believe this digicam excels. 

The DNG uncooked information permit for deeper enhancing in apps like Adobe Lightroom and once more, and I’m blown away via the intensity of enhancing conceivable at the 14 Ultra’s picture information. The large dynamic vary provides me latitude to tone down highlights and rescue shadows, and that allowed me to edit those telephone photographs in precisely the similar approach I might with photographs from my common digicam.

Below are two photographs of a curler skater. The first one is directly out of digicam and underexposed. But as you’ll see in the second, I used to be in a position to edit the picture and convey up a large number of element whilst nonetheless keeping up a just right publicity within the shiny sky.

Here are two variations of a shot of other folks queuing at a meals stall. The authentic picture had some in reality overexposed highlights that I’ve once more been in a position to rescue in publish to create this super shopping ultimate shot with stunning shadows.

The identical factor came about on this shot. I believed the unique picture could be irreparably blown out within the highlights. But the 14 Ultra’s document in reality gave me a lot of room to deliver the shot again to precisely the place I sought after it. 

To make it much more of an absolutely fledged digicam, Xiaomi sells what it calls the Photography Kit. It comes with a case, a 67mm mount for attaching skilled picture filters and a grip that permits you to cling it precisely like a compact digicam. The grip has a shutter button on height that permits you to half-press to focal point and completely press to take your picture — once more, identical to an ordinary digicam. It additionally has a small battery within to assist stay you capturing longer. 

I cherished the use of the digicam grip when I used to be out and about in London as it is a a lot more herbal approach of capturing. It even makes the telephone glance identical to a digicam, and there is something about that which permits me to interact with my images greater than I might if I used to be simply preserving up a telephone and tapping at the display. The images package is a must-buy in case you are getting this telephone for its image-taking prowess. 

You’ll additionally in finding 3.2x and 5x optical zoom lenses, either one of that have 50-megapixel sensors and either one of which is able to take great-looking photographs filled with element. The ultrawide — once more, 50 megapixels — does a in a similar fashion just right task.

The telephone is superb at evening too, as that gigantic sensor and huge aperture permit it to seize a lot of element in low mild. But for right kind evening pictures I in reality wish to take guide keep watch over and step down the aperture to round f/3 to succeed in beautiful megastar bursts on issues of sunshine within the scene, which is not one thing I’ve ever been in a position to succeed in on a telephone ahead of. 

Again, capturing in high-contrast black and white works in reality smartly at evening, regardless that I’ve additionally discovered I will be able to push the uncooked DNG information (that had been additionally taken at evening) onerous to succeed in the precise glance I need. 

It’s honest to mention that I’m suitably inspired with the images prowess of the Xiaomi 14 Ultra and I will be able to very easily say that it’s the easiest digicam telephone I’ve ever used. 

So what about the remainder of the telephone? 

Well, it ticks the entire packing containers you must hope for from a top-end flagship telephone in 2024. The Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 processor delivered very good benchmark ratings and makes the telephone a breeze in on a regular basis use. Navigation across the Android 14 interface is swift and enjoying hard video games like Asphalt 9 or Genshin Impact on max settings isn’t any drawback in any respect. 

The 6.73-inch show is shiny, colourful and pin sharp, and the Android instrument is simple to make use of, even though there are a selection of preinstalled apps from each Xiaomi itself and 3rd events like AliExpress that I in finding cluttered where up. 

Battery lifestyles is among the handiest puts the place the telephone does not earn my reward. Don’t get me fallacious, it is wonderful. Like maximum telephones, you are able to get just about a complete day of combined use between fees, however it isn’t height of the category on this regard. 

The different sadness is the instrument improve length, the place Xiaomi has dedicated to 4 years of Android updates and an extra 5th 12 months of safety patches. That’s no longer dangerous, however it falls in the back of the seven years each Google and Samsung are providing for his or her flagships.

Is this a telephone you must purchase?

Seen purely as a telephone, the Xiaomi 14 Ultra is par for the path for a top-end Android telephone, with very good all-round efficiency and first rate, if no longer super battery lifestyles. If all you wish to have is a great Android telephone you would be at an advantage shopping towards the Pixel 8 line, which is able to get you an ideal Android enjoy for fairly so much much less cash.

But if images is your factor, then the 14 Ultra is the Android telephone to shop for. Its photographs are remarkable, giving large ingenious scope for photographers of a wide variety to get the photographs they would like. It’s after all a telephone the place I do not wish to believe taking a right kind digicam with me on day journeys or picture walks, I will be able to simply take the telephone, figuring out I’m nonetheless going with the intention to seize stunning photographs. 

How we take a look at telephones

Every telephone examined via CNET’s evaluations staff used to be in reality utilized in the actual international. We take a look at a telephone’s options, play video games and take pictures. We read about the show to peer if it is shiny, sharp and colourful. We analyze the design and construct to peer how it’s to carry and whether or not it has an IP-rating for water-resistance. We push the processor’s efficiency to the extremes, the use of standardized benchmark equipment like GeekBench and 3DMark in addition to our personal anecdotal observations navigating the interface, recording high-resolution movies and enjoying graphically intense video games at excessive refresh charges.

All the cameras are examined in numerous prerequisites, from shiny daylight to darkish indoor scenes. We check out particular options like evening mode and portrait mode and evaluate our findings towards in a similar fashion priced competing telephones. We additionally take a look at the battery lifestyles via the use of the telephone day by day in addition to working a sequence of battery drain exams.

We bear in mind further options, like improve for 5G; satellite tv for pc connectivity; fingerprint and face sensors; stylus improve; rapid charging speeds; and foldable shows, amongst others that may be helpful. And we steadiness all this towards the fee to provide the verdict on whether or not that telephone, no matter worth it’s, in reality represents just right price. Though those exams would possibly not at all times be mirrored in CNET’s preliminary assessment, we habits follow-up and long-term checking out in maximum cases.