The best photo quality on the market for a smartphone: this is neither more nor less what the Xiaomi 14 Ultra offers us. And this is why it stands out among the most convincing smartphones for photography.
1499.9€
9
- Outstanding photo quality
- A remarkable smartphone all round
- Top performance
An exceptional smartphone, the Xiaomi 14 Ultra does not usurp its future reputation as the king of photography. We have rarely been so impressed by photos captured on a smartphone and taken so much pleasure in examining the smallest details. From the colors to the sharpness, including the generosity of the definition of the images, no aspect has been left to chance by Xiaomi, which must definitely be taken very seriously when it comes to photography.
Solidly equipped, the Xiaomi 14 Ultra lacks nothing and offers both the best photo experience on the market, but also top-notch performance and a sumptuous screen.
Now, there still remain some incorrigible black spots on the smartphone picture. Advertisements, in particular, in the interface of a terminal sold for almost €1,500. Unacceptable, in our opinion, especially since the manufacturer has not followed its competitors Samsung and Google in software support extended to seven years, in fact making the Xiaomi 14 Ultra less durable than a Galaxy S24 Ultra or Pixel 8 Pro.
An exceptional smartphone, the Xiaomi 14 Ultra does not usurp its future reputation as the king of photography. We have rarely been so impressed by photos captured on a smartphone and taken so much pleasure in examining the smallest details. From the colors to the sharpness, including the generosity of the definition of the images, no aspect has been left to chance by Xiaomi, which must definitely be taken very seriously when it comes to photography.
Solidly equipped, the Xiaomi 14 Ultra lacks nothing and offers both the best photo experience on the market, but also top-notch performance and a sumptuous screen.
Now, there still remain some incorrigible black spots on the smartphone picture. Advertisements, in particular, in the interface of a terminal sold for almost €1,500. Unacceptable, in our opinion, especially since the manufacturer has not followed its competitors Samsung and Google in software support extended to seven years, in fact making the Xiaomi 14 Ultra less durable than a Galaxy S24 Ultra or Pixel 8 Pro.
Simply exceptional photo quality
If there is one reason why the Xiaomi 14 Ultra is included in our comparison of the best smartphones for photography, it is precisely for its quality in this area.
Its 1-inch main sensor, combined with a Leica lens, offers shots of a quality rarely achieved on a smartphone. The sharpness is excellent, the colors are rich and natural, and the noise management is controlled. The wide-angle and telephoto lenses also offer excellent results, for capturing sublime landscapes and striking portraits. To enrich the experience, the Xiaomi 14 Ultra has many advanced photography features, such as night mode, portrait mode and RAW mode.
On the video side, despite the absence of HDR in 4K60 fps, the image quality is excellent, with vivid colors and a high level of detail. Optical image stabilization is very effective for obtaining smooth and sharp videos.
What is the Xiaomi 14 Ultra worth compared to the competition of the same price?
| Design | Screen | Performance | Software | Autonomy | Photo | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Xiaomi 14 Ultra | 9 | 9 | 10 | 8 | 8 | 10 | |
| iPhone 15 Pro | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 9 | 10 | |
| Honor Magic6 Pro | 10 | 9 | 10 | 8 | 9 | 9 |
There are two models of similar range to the Xiaomi 14 Ultra that we can compare it to: the iPhone 15 Pro and the Honor Magic 6 Pro.
These models are neck and neck regarding the screen: it turns out to be very bright each time in addition to ensuring a high refresh rate. Performance-wise, all three are behemoths. The iPhone 15 Pro Max stands out especially in the software part, where Xiaomi’s model suffers from a few integrated advertisements and that of Honor, from an insufficiently used interface. Note, however, that the very bulky format of the Apple model may put off some people.
On the photo and video side, as you can see, these three smartphones are playing in the big leagues. However, the Xiaomi 14 Ultra offers photos with superior sharpness, with faithful reproduction of details, colors, etc. Currently, it is quite simply the smartphone that offers the best experience on the market in terms of photography.
Xiaomi smartphones for photography are no joke
Particularly renowned for its affordable smartphones, Xiaomi also operates in a specific niche: smartphones for photography. Waters stirred by fierce competition, but in which the Chinese brand is doing well.
Since the Mi Note in 2014, Xiaomi has evolved significantly, and has offered several models renowned for their photographic performance. This was for example the case of the Mi 6 (with dual camera), the Mi 9 (triple camera), the 12S Ultra (in collaboration with Leica), etc.
Currently, the Xiaomi 14 Ultra stands out as the quintessential photo smartphone in the brand’s catalog.
See our comparison of the best smartphones for photography
I'm a geek, tech-savvy, but above all a gamer. Fan of SF/fantasy, RPG and strategy, I have as much fun smashing Reaper on Mass Effect as I do advancing my armies on Total War Warhammer III or refining my avatar on good old Spellforce. For Clubic, I put my passions at your service through files, comparisons and buying guides.
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