Xiaomi 14 presented: No other mobile screen is this bright

For a flagship, the new Xiaomi 14 has a compact design. The screen diagonal measures 6.36 inches, the edge around the screen measures just 1.61 millimetres. The dust and water-resistant housing, which complies with the iP68 standard, is 8.2 millimetres thick, and at 193 grams, the Xiaomi 14 weighs less than 200 grams.

Despite this, there is space for a 4610 mAh battery. It can be charged with 90 watts via cable and 50 watts wirelessly. This is much faster than many other top models on the market.

3000 nits brightness for the screen

The screen is likely to be a highlight, and not just because of its thin edges. The display with OLED LTPO technology and 1.5K resolution has a variable refresh rate of 1 to 120 hertz. The pixel density is 460 PPI. The screen is protected by Gorilla Glass Victus from the manufacturer Corning.

The HDR peak brightness reaches a maximum of 3000 nits. For comparison: the Samsung S23 Ultra achieves 1750 nits, the iPhone 15 Pro Max 2000 nits and the Google Pixel 8 Pro 2400 nits. The predecessor, the Xiaomi 13, achieved 1900 nits.

New processor, new operating system

The Xiaomi 14 is the first smartphone with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, which is said to be significantly faster and more efficient than all other processors for Android phones. Xiaomi is also making a start with the operating system: HyperOS is the successor to MIUI 14.

The new system based on Android 14 not only brings a fresh look, it should also require fewer resources and therefore improve the performance of the device. HyperOS is more of an independent system than before, but is fully compatible with Android and Google services. You can find out more about the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 in the news from Florian.

Triple camera with Leica branding

Together with photo specialist Leica, Xiaomi has developed the main camera with a fast f/1.6 Summilux lens and a 50-megapixel sensor in 1/1.31-inch format. The dynamic range is said to be better than that of Sony's top sensors. The main camera can take 14-bit RAW photos and 8K videos with HDR.

In addition, there is an ultra-wide-angle camera with 50 megapixels and f/2.2 aperture and a 3.2x optical zoom with stabilisation. Xiaomi promises particularly good results in night mode and for portraits. The telephoto lens is used for macro photos and not the wide-angle camera like most competitors. This enables a nice depth of field even for close-up shots.

As every year, Xiaomi launches its phones in China first. They will then probably come to Europe at the beginning of 2024, which is why there is no exact release date yet and no prices in euros or Swiss francs. But: In China, the prices have remained the same as for the Xiaomi 13 - with more memory or RAM in each case. Prices for the Xiaomi 14 are therefore likely to start at around 1000 francs or euros.

Xiaomi 14 Pro: A little bit more of everything

The Pro version of the Xiaomi 14 comes with a 6.73-inch screen, which is technically very similar to the smaller model. However, with 2K and 522 PPI, you get a slightly better resolution

In addition, the Pro is said to be better protected against drops - and is also available with a titanium frame for an extra charge. In terms of the camera system, the more expensive model has a faster lens with f/1.42 instead of f/1.6. You can adjust the aperture manually and continuously up to f/4.0 to vary the depth of field.

The battery in the Xiaomi 14 Pro is slightly larger at 4880 mAH, but not particularly large for this category. You can charge the battery via USB-C with up to 120 watts, wirelessly it is 50 watts as with the basic model. Prices are likely to start at around 1300 francs or euros. And that's not the end of the story: Xiaomi has already hinted that there will probably be another ultra version in this generation.