Xiaomi 14 Camera Review: How Well Does the Leica Smartphone Perform?

Xiaomi recently launched the Xiaomi 14 smartphone in India. But how good is the device actually? Let’s find out.

Xiaomi 14 made its debut in the Indian smartphone market on March 7, 2024.

New Delhi: Xiaomi launched the Xiaomi 14 smartphone in India on March 7, 2024, showcasing the prowess of the Leica camera at the launch. The Xiaomi 14 comes with a Leica triple camera setup with focal lengths from 14mm to 75mm. While the brand promised powerful camera performance and showed off its multiple modes such as Authentic Leica look And Leica vibrant appearanceDoes the Xiaomi 14 camera phone really meet its expectations?

Here’s a detailed DxOMark review of the Xiaomi 14’s performance based on its camera, display and audio.

Xiaomi 14 Ultra DxoMark review

Camera:

The Xiaomi 14 underwent a DxoMark camera test, showing its performance in various aspects such as photo, video and zoom quality. The smartphone ranks 28th in the global smartphone rankings and 3rd in the premium rankings, behind the iPhone 15 and Google Pixel 8. Here are some key takeaways from the DxOMark review:

Camera specifications: The Xiaomi 14 features a primary 50 MP sensor with an f/1.6 aperture lens, an ultra-wide 50 MP lens with a 115° field of view and a 50 MP telephoto lens with OIS.
Photo performance: The device showed some autofocus irregularities and artifacts in action scenes. Zoom performance was good, especially with the telephoto module’s 50 MP sensor.
Video performance: Videos showed good texture and details with accurate lighting and white balance. However, there were some issues, such as exposure instability and noise in low light.
Comparison with the Xiaomi 13: The Xiaomi 14 showed marked improvements in image quality and video performance compared to its predecessor, the Xiaomi 13. These improvements were attributed to hardware upgrades such as a larger sensor and an improved aperture.

Display:

The display performance rating of the Xiaomi 14 by DXOMARK highlights both its strengths and weaknesses. The smartphone ranks 54th globally and 9th in the premium rankings with a score of 133. Here is a summary of the key points:

Plus points:
- Smooth viewing experience while scrolling the web or playing video games.
- Adjusted brightness in low light.
- Pleasant color rendering in indoor conditions.
Cons:
- Many frame mismatches when playing video games or watching videos.
- Lack of brightness and dark details when watching HDR10 videos.
- The display is not uniform.

Audio:

With a score of 135 in the DXOMARK Audio tests, the audio performance of the Xiaomi 14 was rated as mediocre. Testers enjoyed the device’s good timbre and dynamics when playing through the built-in speakers, although certain drawbacks were noted, including a lack of low-end response and minor distortion at maximum volume. When it came to recording, the Xiaomi 14 showed strong resistance to wind noise and strong noise cancellation under difficult conditions, making it suitable for separating certain sound sources from the background.

The Xiaomi 14 turns out to be a solid smartphone with both its strengths and weaknesses; However, the final decision to purchase this device solely depends on the user’s preference based on performance, price, and other important specifications.