Better Reality

Review: Xiaomi 14 Ultra - Best Camera Phone Ever

When the Xiaomi 14 Ultra finally arrives in Sweden, it impresses in most areas, not least with the photos it takes.

Erik Mörner

Published 3 March 2024 - 11:01 Modified 24 January 2025 - 15:44

Of course, we start this test by taking a closer look at the cameras. They are the obvious reason why the Xiaomi 14 Ultra is such an interesting phone. My expectations, before I start testing, are that this will be the best camera phone ever, and it turns out I am not disappointed. For those who really care about good pictures, the Xiaomi 14 Ultra gives you the tools that make this undoubtedly the best camera phone today.

I was convinced by the pictures even from last year's Xiaomi 13 Pro with its one-inch sensor, but that year the Ultra model did not come out on the Swedish market. Therefore, this year's Xiaomi 14 Ultra not only represents an improvement compared to its predecessor but a big step for mobile photography in general.

Wow immediately

I get an almost immediate wow experience when I start using the Xiaomi 14 Ultra, and I even quickly notice that I am not alone in being impressed. I get associations with YouTube videos where children who have seen poorly get their new glasses and suddenly discover what the world looks like. The people I am with when I take the first portrait pictures with the Xiaomi 14 Ultra glance at my screen and immediately exclaim, wow, them too. It's clear that Xiaomi has succeeded. Especially portraits provide a unique detail, the skin tones feel realistic, and we get a completely different depth in the image than in competing mobiles. The portraits feel alive. I also quickly notice this when I first try the rear cameras with the corresponding portrait mode in the selfie camera, which does not hold the same excellent quality at all.

Nevertheless, the set of cameras in the Xiaomi 14 Ultra phone makes it a camera capable of taking good pictures in almost any situation. On the back, the cameras are placed in a round, massive camera island, which means that the phone, even with a case, hardly lies flat on the table, but the phone is still well-balanced so that it doesn't become too top-heavy to use. The frame around the phone is aluminum, not titanium as on the Chinese market, and the back is in black or white faux leather. My test unit is in white.

Fewer other news

We get a large and bright screen, AMOLED of course with a 120 hertz refresh rate and subtly rounded edges all around. Just like in the Xiaomi 14, it is the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 system chip that drives the phone, but in terms of appearance, the phones outwardly don't have much in common. However, when it comes to software. Xiaomi's skin for Android is now called Hyper OS, and here we get the latest version of the system, based on Android 14. That Xiaomi has moved from its old MIUI to the new Hyper OS suggests a bigger change than is actually the case. Despite the update, much in the phones remains very similar, and the change mainly involves expanded functions for collaboration between tablet, phone, and other devices. I still think that Xiaomi's system needs a makeover because it can be quite messy at times.

Even though there aren't many new features here, the system delivers and responds quickly to all tasks I subject the phone to. The phone might get a little warm under prolonged load.

More than enough

Before we conclude, I can't help but write more about the cameras. In addition to what I've already mentioned, I can add that the cameras take good pictures in challenging situations with low or no lighting, but above all, they impress both there and in brighter situations with their true-to-life color reproduction and dynamic range. Even in darkness, I get a realistic transition from dark to darker, and it's simply much closer to reality than with many other mobile cameras that just brighten up. It feels like Xiaomi delivers an improved, yet intact, accurate image of the reality I just captured. I am constantly impressed. Xiaomi 14 Ultra can be used in the camera app's auto mode without problems with excellent results, but if you want, you can unlock all the camera's possibilities and instead use the Pro mode where you get full access to variable aperture, ISO, manual focus, and so on. It's a toolbox that can really spark creativity.

As if this wasn't enough, the phone has two telephoto cameras, one with 3.2x optical zoom and one with 5x optical zoom. In the camera app, these can be combined with digital zoom for a total of up to 120x zoom, and even though the results there are hardly really usable, it is clear that I can take good pictures from a really long distance when needed.

It's really fun to see real innovation in camera phones again, which is particularly evident here.

Questions and Answers

How fast charging?

No 120 W. We have to settle for 90. Charger included in the package.

How is the ergonomics?

The massive camera module makes the Xiaomi 14 Ultra almost feel more like a camera than a phone, but it is easy to handle as both.

What does Xiaomi do with Android?

You get some unnecessary apps, and Hyper OS, as the interface is called, can be a bit confusing, but the performance is good.

An alternative

Last year's Xiaomi 13 Ultra was never released in Sweden, but if you're interested in the 14 Ultra, last year's Xiaomi 13 Pro, also with a one-inch sensor, can be an affordable alternative where it can still be found.