Xiaomi 14 Review: Compact Flagship with Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 & Fast Charging
Xiaomi 14 packs a powerful Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, a stunning LTPO OLED display, fast charging, and great cameras in a compact design.
Xiaomi 14 is a powerful compact flagship with a Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chip, Leica cameras, and fast 90W charging. It launched in China in October 2023 and went global in early 2024, except for the Xiaomi 14 Pro, which remains China-only.
Its design is similar to the Xiaomi 13, with a square camera module and straight edges, more like the iPhone 14. The 6.36-inch display is brighter, sharper, and has a smooth 1Hz-120Hz refresh rate.
The camera system includes a 50MP main sensor with a wider aperture, plus a 50MP ultra-wide and 50MP telephoto. It captures great detail, color, and low-light shots, with Leica Vivid and Classic color options.
Performance is top-tier, handling gaming and multitasking with ease. However, Xiaomi’s HyperOS still has some confusing elements from MIUI. New AI features, like smart photo search, are in beta and not available to everyone yet.
Battery life is excellent, beating the Galaxy S24 in screen time. The 90W charging refills the battery in minutes.
While more expensive than the iPhone 15 and Galaxy S24, it offers double the storage, making it a better value. However, it’s not officially sold in the US or Australia.
Xiaomi 14 Specifications
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| 📅 Release Date | Announced: October 26, 2023 Released: November 1, 2023 |
| ⚖ Weight & Build | Weight: 188g or 193g Thickness: 8.2mm Materials: Glass front (Gorilla Glass Victus), glass or silicone polymer back, aluminum frame Durability: 🌊 IP68 water & dust resistant (1.5m for 30 min) |
| 🖥 Operating System | Android 14, upgradable to Android 15 HyperOS 1.1 (4 major Android upgrades) |
| 📺 Display | Size: 6.36-inch LTPO OLED Resolution: 1200 x 2670 pixels Refresh Rate: ⚡ 120Hz Brightness: 🔆 3000 nits (peak) Protection: 🛡 Corning Gorilla Glass Victus |
| 🚀 Processor | Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 (4nm) |
| 🧠 CPU & GPU | CPU: Octa-core (1×3.3 GHz Cortex-X4 & 3×3.2 GHz Cortex-A720 & 2×3.0 GHz Cortex-A720 & 2×2.3 GHz Cortex-A520) GPU: 🎮 Adreno 750 |
| 💾 RAM & Storage | ❌ No card slot UFS 4.0 Storage Options: 📦 256GB 8GB RAM 📦 256GB 12GB RAM 📦 512GB 12GB RAM 📦 512GB 16GB RAM 📦 1TB 16GB RAM |
| 📷 Main Camera | Triple Camera: 📸 50 MP (f/1.6, 23mm, dual-pixel PDAF, OIS) 📸 50 MP (f/2.0, 75mm, 3.2x optical zoom, PDAF, OIS) 📸 50 MP (f/2.2, 14mm ultrawide, 115° FOV) |
| 🎥 Camera Features | 🔴 Leica lens, Laser AF, Color spectrum sensor 💡 Dual-LED dual-tone flash, HDR, Panorama |
| 📹 Video Recording | 🎬 8K@24fps (HDR) 🎬 4K@24/30/60fps (HDR10+, 10-bit Dolby Vision HDR, 10-bit LOG) 🎬 1080p@30/60/120/240/960fps 🎬 720p@1920fps, gyro-EIS |
| 🤳 Selfie Camera | Single: 32 MP (f/2.0, 22mm, HDR, Panorama) 📹 Video: 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60fps (gyro-EIS) |
| 🔊 Audio | 🔥 Stereo speakers 🎧 No 3.5mm headphone jack 🔊 Snapdragon Sound, Hi-Res Audio (wired & wireless) |
| 📡 Connectivity | 📶 Wi-Fi 7, Dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct 📡 Bluetooth 5.4 (A2DP, aptX HD, aptX Adaptive, LHDC) 📲 NFC: Yes 📡 Infrared Port: Yes 🔌 USB Type-C 3.2, OTG |
| 🛰 Navigation | GPS (L1+L5), GLONASS (G1), BDS (B1I+B1c+B2a), GALILEO (E1+E5a), QZSS (L1+L5), NavIC (L5) |
| 🔋 Battery & Charging | Capacity: 4,610mAh Li-Po ⚡ 90W wired (100% in 31 min) ⚡ 50W wireless (100% in 46 min) 🔄 10W reverse wireless |
| 🛠 Sensors | ✅ Under-display fingerprint sensor ✅ Accelerometer, Gyro, Proximity, Compass, Barometer |
| 🎨 Colors | ⚫ Black ⚪ White 🟢 Jade Green 🌸 Pink |
| 🔢 Models | 23127PN0CC, 23127PN0CG |
| 📡 SAR EU | 1.00 W/kg (head), 0.99 W/kg (body) |
| 💰 Price | $719.99 / £579.00 / €607.11 |
| 🏆 Performance Tests | 📊 AnTuTu (v10): 2,003,429 🧪 GeekBench (v6): 6,810 🎮 3DMark (Wild Life Extreme): 4,567 |
| 🌞 Display Test | 🔆 Measured Max Brightness: 1175 nits |
| 🔊 Loudspeaker Test | 📢 -25.3 LUFS (Very good) |
| 🔋 Battery Life (Active Use) | ⏳ 13 hours 56 minutes |
Xiaomi 14 Price and Availability
Xiaomi 14 starts at £849 / €999. It was released in China in October 2023 and launched globally on February 25, 2024. However, it is not officially sold in the US or Australia.
Xiaomi was the first to release a phone with the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chip. The Xiaomi 14 Pro is only available in China, but the Xiaomi 14 Ultra is available internationally.
Although Xiaomi calls it a global release, its phones are not sold in the US or Australia. Buyers in these countries must import them, which may cause issues with network compatibility.
Xiaomi 14 costs more than the base models of the iPhone 15 and Samsung Galaxy S24. However, it includes double the storage, making it a better value in like-for-like comparisons.
- 256GB model: £849 (around $1,070 / AU$1,640)
- 512GB model: £899 (around $1,130 / AU$1,740)
For comparison, the 256GB versions of the iPhone 15 and Galaxy S24 cost £899 and £859, respectively, making the Xiaomi 14 a competitive option.
Xiaomi 14 Design
The Xiaomi 14 looks similar to the Xiaomi 13 but has a stronger build with Gorilla Glass Victus and IP68 water and dust resistance. It is slightly heavier due to a larger camera and battery but still feels compact.
Unlike the iPhone 15, which has rounded edges, the Xiaomi 14 keeps its flat, polished aluminum frame, similar to the iPhone 14 Pro. While it looks premium, the glossy finish attracts fingerprints.
Color Options
- Jade Green (most eye-catching)
- White (with a silver frame)
- Black (textured glass that resists fingerprints)
- Snow Mountain Pink (China-only)
The camera module features a Clous de Paris (hobnail) pattern, inspired by classic watch designs, adding a unique touch to the phone’s look.
Xiaomi 14 Display
The Xiaomi 14 has a 6.36-inch CrystalRes C8 AMOLED display, made by TCL. It offers better sharpness, brightness, and efficiency than the Xiaomi 13.
- Sharper resolution (1200 x 2670, 460ppi)
- Brighter screen (1,400 nits in high-brightness mode, 3,000 nits peak)
- Supports Dolby Vision & HDR10+
- 1Hz to 120Hz LTPO refresh rate for better power efficiency
The display looks great for photos, videos, and games. It has many settings to adjust colors, brightness, and temperature. You can also enhance videos, photos, and HDR content with AI.
Xiaomi 14 Software
Xiaomi 14 is the first phone to launch with HyperOS, running on Android 14. It replaces MIUI but still looks and feels similar.
- Smoother and more responsive than MIUI
- Uses less storage and improves connectivity with other Xiaomi devices
- Feature-packed interface (no app drawer, iOS-style controls, customizable settings)
- Some bloatware (third-party apps and multiple Xiaomi tools with overlapping functions)
HyperOS offers AI-powered features like AI portraits, generative fill, and smart subtitles, but many are still in beta.
Xiaomi 14 gets 4 years of OS updates and 5 years of security updates, ensuring long-term support.
Xiaomi 14 Cameras
The Xiaomi 14 features a triple 50MP rear camera system with Leica tuning for improved image quality:
- 50MP main camera (Light Fusion 900, f/1.6, OIS)
- 50MP ultra-wide (112° FoV, f/2.2)
- 50MP telephoto (3.2x zoom, f/2.0, OIS, 32MP effective)
- 32MP front camera (f/2.0, 89.6° FoV)
Xiaomi includes Leica color profiles, a portrait mode with digital focal presets, and an AI-powered portrait feature. The camera app is packed with features, including Pro mode for manual control, Movie mode for cinematic video, and experimental modes like Long Exposure and Supermoon.
Xiaomi 14 AI Camera Features
The Xiaomi 14 includes AI-powered editing tools in the Gallery app:
- AI Expansion: Enlarges photos by up to 200%, filling in backgrounds with AI. Edits take around 15 seconds, with mixed but often good results.
- AI Portrait: Creates a digital avatar after taking 30+ selfies. You can place it into different scenes using text prompts. The first setup takes over an hour, but edits generate in about a minute.
These features are still in beta and lack clear watermarks to show AI edits. Xiaomi explains how AI processes data but could improve transparency.
Xiaomi 14 Performance & Battery Review
Performance
- Chipset: Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3
- RAM: 12GB LPDDR5X
- Smooth Gaming & AI Features
The Xiaomi 14 delivers top-tier performance with the latest Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, competing well with other flagship phones. HyperOS manages performance efficiently, ensuring smooth everyday use. Even demanding games like Genshin Impact run at 60fps without overheating, thanks to excellent thermal management. Game Turbo further enhances gaming by optimizing touch response, network latency, and performance.
Battery & Charging
- Battery: 4,610mAh (larger than the previous model)
- Charging: 90W wired (full charge in 40 mins), 50W wireless
- Screen-on Time: 8.5 hours per charge (Balanced mode)
Xiaomi 14 charges incredibly fast—50% in just 15 minutes and fully charged in 40 minutes using the included 90W HyperCharge adapter. You need to enable the boost charging speed setting for max speed. Battery life is impressive for a compact phone, lasting up to 2 days with moderate use. While it falls short of the iPhone 15’s 11-hour screen-on time, it still offers one of the best battery and charging performances in its class.
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Xiaomi 14 Pros & Cons
| ✅ Pros | ❌ Cons |
|---|---|
| 📺 Great LTPO OLED display with smooth refresh rate | ⚠️ Slippery design, easy to drop |
| 📱 Compact flagship with powerful specs | 🔥 Gets warm under heavy use |
| 🔋 Long battery life for a small phone | 💰 Expensive for its size |
| ⚡ Super-fast charging (90W wired, 50W wireless) | ❌ |
| 📷 Versatile cameras, great for photos & videos | ❌ |
| 🚀 HyperOS is smooth & efficient | ❌ |
Conclusion
Xiaomi 14 packs powerful hardware, impressive cameras, and great battery life in a compact design, standing strong against Apple and Samsung. If you don’t mind its simple design and feature-packed HyperOS, it’s a solid alternative to the latest iPhone or Galaxy. The only downside? Limited availability.
