Xiaomi 14 Hands-On: First Impression

Xiaomi recently announced the Xiaomi 14, which is the world’s most powerful small-screen flagship. In this Xiaomi 14 hands-on article, you will learn about its exciting features and highlights.

Furthermore, Xiaomi unveiled the Xiaomi 14 series, consisting of three versions: Xiaomi 14, Xiaomi 14 Pro, and Xiaomi 14 Ultra (Battery test). They launched the series two months ahead of schedule this year, making it the most powerful smartphone globally. Notably, it is powered by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset.

This article provides a detailed Xiaomi 14 hands-on review – a device boasting a compact screen, affordable price, and excellent features such as appearance, screen quality, camera function, and top-notch performance.

Xiaomi 14 Hands-On: First Impression

Design

The Xiaomi 14 standard version maintains the simple and familiar design of its predecessor, the Xiaomi 13. Instead of a glossy glass design, the back surface of the device is now made of rough glass material. The slightly curved edge of the back provides a comfortable grip, unlike other smartphones with flat and square edges.

The frame of the device is made of glossy metal, which easily attracts fingerprints and sweat. However, it is durable and not too harsh on your hands, even during prolonged use. In the UK, it is available in black, green, and white, with our Xiaomi 14 hands-on unit being black.

You may notice that they no longer placed the infrared “magic eye” on the top edge of the device. Some may assume that Xiaomi has removed this unique feature, but in reality, they integrated the infrared sensor into the camera module. Now, users can simply direct the camera towards the device, similar to taking photos, instead of pointing the top edge towards the home appliance that they need to control.

Camera

The Xiaomi 14, on the other hand, showcases a camera module boasting three primary cameras. These include a wide-angle lens, a super wide-angle lens, and a 3.2X telephoto camera. Impressively, all three cameras come with a 50MP resolution. What’s even more exciting is that the cameras have been expertly calibrated by Leica, a prestigious camera brand hailing from Switzerland. Leica’s involvement includes adjusting the hardware and software, integrating color filters, and creating distinct shooting modes specifically for the Xiaomi 14.

Additionally, Xiaomi has provided a black silicon case to protect the device’s body, camera, and screen.

Display

The Xiaomi 14 features a compact 6.36-inch screen, which is similar to its predecessor, the Xiaomi 13. However, they have upgraded the screen with a high-resolution 12-bit LTPO OLED panel. This enhancement offers FHD+ resolution and a refreshing rate of 120Hz. Notably, Xiaomi claims that this smartphone has the world’s brightest screen at the time of its launch. In fact, it boasts a theoretical brightness of 3000 nits.

The screen is flat and incorporates a “punch hole” design at the center top to house a 32MP selfie camera. Additionally, Xiaomi has included an optical fingerprint sensor below the screen for a convenient user experience.

Performance

The Xiaomi 14 boasts impressive performance, primarily due to its powerful Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 processor. In fact, it is the first smartphone on the market to feature this chipset. As a result, it scores remarkably high on benchmarks like AnTuTu and Geekbench, reaching nearly 2 million AnTuTu points. This makes it a standout device in terms of raw processing power.

With a maximum RAM capacity of 16GB and storage memory of up to 1TB, the Xiaomi 14 offers ample space for storage. Additionally, the device is equipped with a 4610mAh battery, ensuring long-lasting usage. What’s more, it supports 90W fast charging, allowing for quick and convenient recharging. Notably, this is a significant upgrade from its predecessor, the Xiaomi 13.

The Xiaomi 14 series is the first product line to use Xiaomi’s HyperOS operating system, setting a new trend. HyperOS promises to deliver a comprehensive ecosystem for a range of Xiaomi products. Notably, it can be installed on smart devices with as little as 64KB RAM. Xiaomi plans to release future updates for HyperOS, expanding its compatibility beyond phones.

Xiaomi 14 specifications

• Display: 6.36-inch (2670 x 1200 pixels) 1.5K C8 12-bit OLED 20:9 LTPO display, 1-120Hz variable refresh rate, up to 3000 nits peak brightness, 5,000,000:1 (Min) contrast ratio, HDR10+, Dolby Vision, 1920Hz PWM Dimming, DC Dimming
• CPU: Octa Core Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 4nm Mobile Platform with Adreno 750 GPU
• RAM+ROM: 12GB LPPDDR5x RAM, 512GB UFS 4.0 storage
• Features: In-display fingerprint sensor, Infrared sensor, USB Type-C audio, Hi-Res audio, Stereo speakers, Dolby Atmos, 4-microphone array, Dust and waterproof (IP68), Dual SIM (nano + nano)
• OS: Xiaomi HyperOS
• Rear camera: 50MP main camera with 1/ 1.31″ Light Fusion 900 sensor, f/1.6 aperture, Hyper OIS, LED flash, Leica Summilux lens. 50MP 115° Leica ultra-wide angle lens with f/2.2 aperture, Samsung JN1 sensor. 50MP 3.2X 10cm to Infinity Leica telephoto camera with f/2.0 aperture, OIS, Samsung JN1 sensor, 8K video recording
• Front camera: 32MP front-facing camera with f/2.0 aperture, 4K 60 fps video recording
• Connectivity: 5G SA/NSA, Dual 4G VoLTE, Wi-Fi 7 802.11 be, Bluetooth 5.4, Beidou, Galileo, GLONASS, GPS (L1 + L5), NavIC, USB Type-C 3.2 Gen 1, NFC
• Battery: 4610mAh (Typical) battery with 90W wired fast charging, 50W wireless charging, 10W wireless charging
• Dimensions: 152.8×71.5×8.20mm
• Weight: 193g

Price and availability

Interested buyers can purchase the Xiaomi 14 through Amazon.co.uk for £899. As an added incentive, fans of this model can receive a £50 voucher from Amazon by placing an order today.