Xiaomi 14 First Impression: Initial Thoughts on Xiaomi's Latest Offering

Xiaomi and Leica have entered the third year of their collaboration, which is a significant milestone. The Xiaomi 14 is just the second phone in India to be released under this arrangement, following the Xiaomi 13 Pro. Founded in 2022, the collaboration began with the co-development and launch of the Xiaomi 12S Ultra, which targeted the luxury smartphone category as its first offering. However, despite its popularity, the Xiaomi 12S Ultra did not get it to India.

The Xiaomi 13 Pro, on the other hand, defied this tradition by being the first model in Xiaomi's portfolio to be released in India. It gained praise for its amazing photographic skills, cementing its position as a top-tier premium camera phone. Now, with the introduction of the all-new Xiaomi 14, it is clear that there is still opportunity for innovation and progress in this relationship.

The Xiaomi 14 is set to launch in India on March 7. Stay tuned as we explore deeper into our hands-on experiences with this highly anticipated device.

Xiaomi 14: What's Different?

If you are expecting the Xiaomi 14 to be a carbon copy of its previous one, the Xiaomi 13 Pro, think again. While it retains the signature Xiaomi x Leica-tuned cameras, the similarities stop there. In terms of design, the Xiaomi 14 stands out as a phone built from the ground up, with one of the most functional looks seen on a Xiaomi device in India.

The 6.36-inch display provides the ideal combination between compactness and screen size, fitting comfortably between smaller and bigger smartphones in its class. Weighing in at only 193 grams, the Xiaomi 14 is surprisingly lightweight and has good weight distribution, a substantial improvement over its predecessor, the Xiaomi 13 Pro, which weighed 229 grams. With a width of 8.2mm, it is even thinner than the iPhone 15 Pro and, of course, its predecessor, the Xiaomi 13 Pro. The design features are precisely implemented, and the Xiaomi 14's smooth edges have a subtle appeal that develops on you with time. The Xiaomi 14 comes in three color options: white, jade green, and black (the one we reviewed).

In our hands-on with the Xiaomi 14, it's clear that the goal is to develop a smartphone that combines the famous knowledge of the Leica brand to provide users with one of the best photographic experiences possible. In our next thorough review, we'll go into great detail about the overall device performance.

The Xiaomi 14 also distinguishes out in terms of software, since it is the company's first smartphone to ship with HyperOS out of the box. Our assessment, which coincides with the India debut, will extensively investigate this issue.

The Xiaomi 14 has a 120Hz AMOLED display with a resolution of 1200x2670 pixels and a pixel density of 460PPI, providing a visually appealing experience. The display has a peak brightness of 3,000 nits and supports Dolby Vision, HDR10+, HDR10, and TUV Rheinland Low Blue Light certification, ensuring immersive viewing. The ultra-thin bezels around the screen add to the experience, giving brilliant color reproduction and outstanding brightness. We found ourselves leaning towards the Xiaomi 14 for multimedia consumption because to its excellent display. In addition, the gadget includes stereo speakers, Dolby Atmos compatibility, and a 4-microphone array. In our next review, we'll go further into the complexities of display technology.

The Xiaomi 14 works on the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 Mobile Platform and comes in a single configuration with 12GB of RAM and 512GB of storage. It's worth noting that Xiaomi chose the greatest RAM and storage combination for the Xiaomi 14, underscoring the company's focus on photography. With LPDDR5X RAM and UFS 4.0 storage, this premium tablet delivers lightning-fast performance, effortlessly handling multitasking, gaming, and more during our testing period. In our complete review, we will go into further detail about its performance.

Compared to the prior model, the Xiaomi 13 Pro, which had a 4820mAh battery, the Xiaomi 14 has a slightly smaller 4,610mAh battery. However, it compensates with 90W HyperCharge and 50W wireless HyperCharge capabilities. According to the business, it can charge from zero to one hundred percent in just 31 minutes. In our experience, the Xiaomi 14's battery performance looked decent, but we'll present a more complete analysis in the review. The phone supports Wi-Fi 7, NFC, Bluetooth 5.4, 5G, and dual-SIM capability.

Xiaomi 14: Camera Improvements 

Exploring the Xiaomi 14's camera capabilities indicates a considerable advancement in smartphone photography. The gadget includes three 50-megapixel sensors: wide, telephoto, and ultra-wide, each designed to revolutionize smartphone photography. The primary sensor is the Light Fusion 900 image sensor, which has an excellent f/1.6 aperture and supports a wide range of sophisticated features like as Ultra Night mode, Movie mode, and amazing 8K video recording capabilities. Meanwhile, the telephoto lens has the unique 75mm f/2.0 Leica floating camera architecture, while the ultra-wide lens has a spacious 115-degree field of vision and an aperture of f/2.2. Users may explore two separate photographic styles - Leica Authentic and Leica Vibrant - to unleash their creativity. 

A 32-megapixel selfie camera on the front allows for beautiful self-portraits and video calls. While we can't get into precise camera specifics owing to embargo limitations, first impressions indicate excellent performance, particularly in well-lit areas, setting a new standard for smartphones in this price range. Stay tuned for our entire review, which will include an in-depth study of the Xiaomi 14's photography capabilities.

Photo Samples

Xiaomi 14: Initial Impression

Based on our week-long research, it's clear that Xiaomi has created a standout challenger in the Xiaomi 14, which is ready to make ripples in the market for all the right reasons. The device's tiny form factor makes it ideal for everyday usage, and its ergonomic design has earned it accolades. Stay tuned for our in-depth review, where we'll see if the Xiaomi 14 emerges as the best photography phone of the year, at around Rs. 75,000. Keep an eye out for possible bank promotions to get an even better discount on this fantastic item.