As we learned in advance, Xiaomi launched the 14 series of smartphones globally at MWC 2024 and I have some ideas.
Xiaomi kindly sent me a Xiaomi 14 Classic, the entry-level option below the 14 Pro and 14 Ultra and although I haven’t had it long enough to bring you a full review, here are my first prints.
After 24 hours, at the time of writing this article, I noticed several things about the Chinese tech giant’s latest flagship smartphone.
Good
Let’s start with the good because luckily there are many more positives to mention than negatives based on my experience with the Xiaomi 14 so far:
It looks and feels luxurious
Let’s be real, smartphone design has been a bit boring in recent years. The Xiaomi 14 doesn’t rewrite the rules, but it has something that sets it apart.
Not one thing in particular, more of an overall personality. It has a shiny, polished finish like a supercar, and it seems very well put together (apart from one item I’ll mention later).
The chrome finish of the aluminum frame is a bit blingy for me but I like the subtle details like the textured edge around the glass of the camera module. It’s like the bezel of a luxury wristwatch.
It’s a little heavy (188g for the lighter option) for a more compact flagship than many, but in this case it adds to that premium craftsmanship and feel. Xiaomi fans will notice some similarities with last year’s flagship.
Chris Martin / Foundry
It’s super fast, in more ways than one.
Besides looking like a supercar, the Xiaomi 14 also impresses under the hood. It is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 and no less than 12 GB of RAM and 512 GB of storage.
It feels extremely quick to use and may be one of the most powerful phones on the market at a reasonable price.
I tried it via Geekbench 6 and it scored 6861, less than 300 points compared to the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra. Keep in mind that this latest handset has an overclocked version of the same chipset.
What is more (much more) visible in real life is the fast charging offered. Xiaomi ships the phone with a 90W PD3.0 adapter that is claimed to take the phone from dead to 100% in just 31 minutes. I haven’t needed to recharge it yet, but I don’t doubt that figure.
There’s also very impressive 50W wireless charging with 10W reverse wireless charging, all of which dwarf Apple and Samsung flagships.
Chris Martin / Foundry
The cameras are amazing
This one is a more ‘on paper’ entry, as we like to spend a good few weeks testing flagships with their range of cameras and technology.
However, the Xiaomi 14 seems to be among the best phones for photography.
It has a trio of 50 Mp rear cameras developed with Leica with enticing specifications for those who know their apertures from the focal lengths.
The main shooter has a fast f/1.6 aperture with a large 1/1.31-inch sensor, dual-pixel PDAF, and optical image stabilization (OIS).
The f/2.0 telephoto lens also has OIS and offers up to 3.2x optical zoom (a bit more than the Galaxy S24). The ultrawide may have a slightly narrower 115-degree field of view than the S24 and iPhone 15, but its resolution is much higher.
A 32Mp f.2.0 selfie camera completes the options and on the video side, you can film up to 8K/24fps/HDR (on the main rear camera of course).
Xiaomi offers various software features, including a “prime lens system” that gives you a selection of lenses for different portrait effects or you can use a slider to adjust the aperture yourself.
I love infrared emitters on phones
Ok, this one is niche, but hear me out. About ten years ago, almost all phones came with IR (infrared blasters) so you could control devices in your home without the dedicated remote.
Namely televisions, it was a feature that few people used. Perhaps a gimmick for a lot of people, but I’ve recently had a few sample reviews with one and found it incredibly useful and for one key reason…
Having a 14 month old means remote controls are deliberately kept out of reach and very easily lost. Having an infrared transmitter on my phone configured for various devices around the house means I can quickly turn off the TV when needed instead of tearing my hair out trying to find it.
Chris Martin / Foundry
The bad
Okay, it’s time for trouble. Luckily, so far there isn’t much that bothers me about this phone, other than one thing:
Knock Knock who is there
I was sent the Jade Green colorway of the Xiaomi 14 and it looks lovely. It will also be available in black or white if you prefer.
The problem here is that while I mentioned earlier that the phone was very well made and luxurious, this particular model has a weak point.
Give it a gentle tap in the middle of the back and you’ll be greeted by a very hollow echo that makes the phone seem cheaper than it is. It must be the silicone polymer back while others have Gorilla Glass Victus.
It’s not a big problem, it doesn’t make the same noise when tapping near the edge, but it still bothers the back of my head. The back cover I own also does a pretty poor job of picking up fingerprints, made obvious by its reflective glossy finish.
I will definitely be covering the pretty green color with the provided silicone case before flying to MWC for the launch event of Series 14 and other products by Xiaomi.
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