The Xiaomi 14 Ultra Wants to Take over the Smartphone Photography Throne
When it comes to mobile photography, brands like Apple, Samsung, and Google often come to mind. However, Xiaomi has been steadily improving its premium smartphone lineup in recent years, partnering with Leica to offer users a more capable and versatile mobile photography and videography experience.
As such, the company recently announced the global launch of the Xiaomi 14 Ultra, which is arguably one of the most impressive smartphones we’ve seen especially in terms of imaging capabilities.
The Xiaomi 14 Ultra’s design hints at its focus on photography, with a rear panel that features a vegan leather back, complemented by a metal frame and a large 6.73-inch LTPO AMOLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate. The display also gets super bright at up to 3,000 nits of peak brightness, making it ideal for viewing under direct sunlight.
Xiaomi worked closely with Leica to ensure that the 14 Ultra doesn’t fall behind in the premium smartphone camera segment. It packs a quad-camera setup featuring a 50-megapixel main lens, a 50-megapixel telephoto lens, a 50-megapixel periscope telephoto lens, and a 50-megapixel ultrawide lens, accompanied by a single 32-megapixel front-facing camera.
In addition to its hardware setup, the 14 Ultra comes with special camera software features developed in collaboration with Leica, including tools for still photography, and even video functions such as Movie Mode and MasterCinema, which according to Xiaomi are developed to give users a more movie-like feel when filming their content.
Additionally, an exclusive photography kit offers users and enthusiasts a more familiar feel thanks to a dedicated grip case. The case itself offers more than just a mere handle, and even comes with a two-stage shutter button, zoom lever, video recording button, and even a custom dial. The kit also includes an extra 1500mAh battery pack, which should come in handy for lengthy photo sessions.
Like other Xiaomi 14 series phones, the 14 Ultra is powered by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset, backed by either 16GB of RAM and 512GB of internal storage. It does run on Android 14 combined with Xiaomi’s HyperOS user interface, with access to Xiaomi-centric apps and software not found on other Android phones. Thankfully, Xiaomi says that it will provide up to four years of major software upgrades for the device.
While the Xiaomi 14 Ultra carries a hefty price tag of £1299, its wealth of features and specialized hardware position it as a strong contender, particularly when it comes to mobile photography capabilities. Interested buyers can check it out via Xiaomi’s official website.
Source: Xiaomi