A camera disguised as a phone

A common theme amongst Android flagships is that they all try to offer a very competitive camera experience. There are a few ways to go about it, and we’ve been through the megapixel wars in the nascent stage of Android. Some phones still tout super-high megapixel count cameras, but we know by now that megapixels barely tell the complete picture. On the other hand, Xiaomi aims to find the right balance between versatility, more megapixels, good-quality sensors, and innovative tech, and the latest Xiaomi 14 Ultra might just be the perfect camera smartphone this year.

Let’s jump straight to the cameras on this phone, as they are the first thing you will notice on the back of the device. Xiaomi isn’t being subtle here, with a big camera island housing four cameras and a prominent Leica branding. The primary camera is a 50MP Sony LYT-900, a 1-inch sensor with infinitely variable aperture between f/1.63 to f/4.0.

The other three cameras are 50MP Sony IMX858 sensors in different configurations. One is a wide-angle camera with 122° FoV and f/1.8 aperture, another is a 3.2x optical zoom telephoto with f/1.8 aperture, and the last camera is a 5x periscope zoom with f/2.5 aperture. Both the zoom cameras also have macro capabilities.

Rounding up the camera package is a 32MP front camera. Xiaomi is also touting “Xiaomi AISP,” its first large AI model computational photography platform, but we’ll have to wait for reviews to find out the real deal. The Xiaomi 14 Ultra can shoot 4K 120fps from the primary camera, 8K 30fps video across all rear cameras, and even 4K 60fps video across all cameras.

For design, the Xiaomi 14 Ultra carries over from the Xiaomi 13 Ultra but flattens out the bulge. Instead, the camera island takes up practically all the space on the top of the device. Some variants have a vegan leather finish on the back for a premium experience, while others get a Ceramic back.

The Xiaomi 14 Ultra measures 161.4 x 75.3 x 9.2 mm and weighs 224.4g (vegan leather variant) and 229.4g (ceramic variant).

Turn over to the front of the phone, and you will find a 6.73-inch QHD+ resolution OLED display with a slight curve and 3,000 nits peak brightness. On the inside, the Xiaomi 14 Ultra comes with the newest Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, with up to 16GB RAM and 1TB internal storage.

A big 5,300mAh battery is on board, with support for 90W fast charging and 80W wireless charging. Even the USB-C port gets USB 3.2 Gen 2 capabilities for 10Gbps speeds. The phone also has an IP68 rating and comes with Hyper OS on top of Android 14.

In China, the Xiaomi 14 Ultra also gets two-way satellite communication capabilities. There is also a Titanium special edition, which swaps the aluminum mid-frame for a titanium build. The Chinese market also gets a satellite communication amplifier accessory.

If you’re looking for more, Xiaomi will also sell a special Leica Pro Kit for the Xiaomi 14 Ultra, which connects to the phone via USB-C and adds a camera-like grip. The grip has a dedicated shutter button, a dedicated video recording button (which can be customized to serve other functions), and wheels that can be used to control settings like switching between lenses, adjusting EV, aperture, shutter, ISO, white balance, and more.

The Leica Pro Kit’s camera grip also packs a 1,500mAh battery, juicing up your phone when it drops below 80%, and even supports 90W fast charging. It also includes a USB port so you can simultaneously charge the camera grip and your phone. The Leica Pro Kit is available in Black and White colors.

Xiaomi 14 Ultra: Pricing and Availability