Xiaomi 14 Ultra
Announced February 25, 2024
PixelMeter The PixelMeter is our 1–100 aggregate of reviewer scores from trusted publications and creators. Weighted by source tier — not a raw average, and not PetaPixel’s own review.
Reviewer Consensus
Strong
The Xiaomi 14 Ultra is an unapologetically camera-focused flagship that delivers exceptional image quality and versatile shooting options through its one-inch sensor and Leica-tuned optics. That said, the device is a significant investment that carries notable ergonomic and software-related drawbacks.
Weighted from 36 reviewer scores
Pros
- Versatile quad-camera system with a one-inch main sensor and Leica color tuning
- High-performance Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset
- Fast 90W wired and 80W wireless charging speeds
- Bright, fluid AMOLED display
- Optional photography kit adds tactile controls and extra battery life
Cons
- Software issues including bloatware and lack of eSIM support
- High retail price and limited market availability
- Bulky, top-heavy design that can be awkward to handle
- Inconsistent battery life and thermal management under stress
- Selfie camera lacks autofocus
- Launch price $1,624 (USD)
- Main camera 50MP f/1.63 + 50MP Ultrawide + 50MP 5x Telephoto
- Video 8K 30p
- Display 6.73-inch LTPO AMOLED 120Hz
- Chipset Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 16GB
What the Reviewers Say
All 36 expert reviews, weighted into the PixelMeter score.
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- PetaPixel 9/10
The Xiaomi 14 Ultra is the clearest indicator yet that Xiaomi wants to be the best in mobile photography, even if some parts of the world don't know it.
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This is quite easily one of the best performing smartphones on the market for photography, with a one-inch sensor and four Leica Summilux lenses really setting it apart from its rivals.
- Android Authority 8/10
The Xiaomi 14 Ultra takes some of the best photos ever captured by a smartphone, but that's just the start of a no-holds-barred feature sheet.
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The combination of best-in-class hardware, pioneering camera tech, Leica's more classical take on photography tuning and the best first-party accessory we've ever tested make the Xiaomi 14 Ultra the ultimate phone for photographers right now.
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The Xiaomi 14 Ultra is, hands down, the best camera phone ever made. Its Leica-powered camera system delivers high-resolution photos that are crisp, vibrant, and free from noise.
- Digital Trends 8/10
The Xiaomi 14 Ultra's massive camera is creatively exciting, packed with features, and full of unique character and tone — making it one of the best we've ever used.
- CNET 8.4/10
By shooting both JPEG and raw, I can capture the original black-and-white JPEG and still have the raw file, which can be turned back to color if I want to as raw files retain that color information.
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[W]e expected Xiaomi 14 Ultra to be the best premium handset the brand has made thus far, and it managed to surpass our expectations by going beyond good overall performance with its display, battery, cameras, and overall high levels of refinement.
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The Xiaomi 14 Ultra has the best cameras of any phone today, and it has noteworthy upgrades from last year.
- PhoneArena 7.4/10
The Xiaomi 14 Ultra is an exceptional flagship and a great alternative for those seeking something beyond the usual premium smartphone lineup. However, it’s a pricey investment, and unlike Samsung’s flagships, there are no enhanced trade-in deals to offset the cost.
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Xiaomi has built one of the best cameras available today, and just so happened to put a phone on it.
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A few small but meaningful upgrades to the camera system, tweaks to the build and display, and the mandatory chipset refresh - we can't be mad at the Xiaomi 14 Ultra for its short list of changes, when last year's model was already one of the best cameraphones in existence.
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So that was the camera, and I am thoroughly thoroughly impressed with the camera performance of this smartphone.
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Now the Xiaomi 14 Ultra is a pretty good phone, but for this asking price, pretty good is just not good enough.
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The Xiaomi 14 Ultra's camera is so much more impressive than anything else available that it's easy to argue away some of the small gripes found here.
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A superb combination of top-shelf camera hardware, nuanced image processing, and a photographer-friendly accessory kit puts the Xiaomi 14 Ultra in a class of one.
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The Xiaomi 14 Ultra is the best smartphone for photography you can buy, even without the optional Photography Kit. It’s great in almost all other areas, but you’ve really got to be all in on the cameras to justify the high price.
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[T]he Xiaomi 14 Ultra is a compact camera disguised as a phone. It takes excellent images that are really good, especially black-and-white shots.
- CGMagazine 9.5/10
For those who can afford it (or are open to importing it if not available locally), the Xiaomi 14 Ultra is a truly exceptional smartphone.
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The Xiaomi 14 Ultra is definitely a phone that can compete with S24 Ultra or the iPhone 15 Pro Max.
- BGR 9/10
The Xiaomi 14 Ultra is a worthy alternative to the other top flagships of the day, like the Galaxy S24 Ultra and Honor Magic6 Pro.
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[T]he Xiaomi 14 Ultra frankly has to be right up at the very top of your list.
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If you can get past that inconvenience, then you are in for a big treat as the Xiaomi 14 Ultra is all that it promises to be — a very powerful device, impressive display and a camera powerhouse with that unique Leica treatment.
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If you're going to spend this amount of money anyway, why not get a more exciting device which is practically a camera with smartphone capabilities?
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All right, so overall, on a scale of 1 to 10, I'm giving the Xiaomi 14 Ultra a major, major, major go. I love this phone, and this could easily be my daily driver any day of the week.
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Despite all of its shortcomings, it's a great Android smartphone; it's just not the best value for your money, not in the way Xiaomi flagships used to be.
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I can really see and feel how Leica have left their mark on this device, and from a photographer's perspective, I can easily recommend this phone to anyone that wants a mobile phone that also takes excellent images.
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I do think that the Xiaomi 14 Ultra needs a lot more optimization – particularly software. The operating system seems buggy and caused the battery drain issue, and the cameras are still not up to expectations.
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The Xiaomi 14 Ultra is very close to perfection. It boasts a premium design and an A+ grade display.
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The Xiaomi 14 Ultra is a top-equipped flagship smartphone with impressive cameras and great battery life, but it falls short in terms of workmanship and eSIM support.
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Ultimately, it's a fantastic device that scores well in all categories; some categories it smashes.
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This is one of my all-time favorite Xiaomi's and that's because of the camera itself.
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I have reviewed dozens of devices but I’ve come to the conclusion that the Xiaomi 14 Ultra has the best camera system of any smartphone I’ve ever used.
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[T]his phone has definitely jumped to the my number one spot of my favorite smartphone camera, and it jumped close to the number one spot for my favorite video on a smartphone, so it's quite impressive.
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[T]he Xiaomi 14 Ultra is the best phone around if you're a photographer; it's that simple.
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Honestly, this Xiaomi 14 Ultra is an unapologetically camera-focused flagship smartphone.
