Xiaomi
has unveiled its newest flagship smartphone today, the 14 Ultra, featuring a massive 1-inch image sensor alongside the three other cameras, and all of them are co-engineered with Leica. Outside, there is a 6.73-inch AMOLED Display, and inside lies the
Snapdragon 8 Gen 3
.
Xiaomi's new photography flagship promises better pictures with a brighter 1-inch sensor, Leica optics, and four new AI models
The star of the show is, without a doubt, the 14 Ultra's rear quad camera system powered by Leica optics.
Headlining is a huge 1-inch type Sony LYT-900 sensor paired with an ultra-bright f/1.63 variable aperture lens. Complementing the 50MP primary shooter are three additional 50MP Summilux cameras - a 120mm periscope module with 5x optical zoom, a telephoto with 3.2x optical zoom, and an ultrawide shooter packing a sweeping 122-degree field of view. New to the mix is Xiaomi's custom AISP neural chip, which promises enhanced zoom and image processing through four proprietary
AI models
.
Xiaomi's first smartphone with satellite connectivity, that too, two ways
Under the sleek exterior lies a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 silicon boosted by Xiaomi's new Surge T1 communication chip. The Surge T1 allegedly unlocks up to 37% faster cellular speeds in addition to gains in Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity. Cooling the advanced internals is a dual vapour chamber design that also draws heat away from the quad camera setup.
The 14 Ultra introduces satellite connectivity to Xiaomi's lineup, allowing two-way SOS messaging and location sharing even in remote regions outside terrestrial network coverage. Xiaomi claims 60% faster satellite locks and 29% faster connections compared to competing implementations.
It's "Year of the Dragon" at Xiaomi
The 14 Ultra sports a bold new "
Dragon Armor
" design centred around an aluminium alloy frame dubbed "6M42" - supposedly 8% stronger than even the iPhone 15 Pro's titanium chassis. The back and front are covered in what Xiaomi calls "Dragon Crystal" glass, which boasts 10x improved drop resistance compared to the 13 Ultra. An IP68 rating protects from dust and liquids.
The striking build houses a 6.73" QHD+ AMOLED panel with slim bezels all around. Under this "Dragon Crystal" display lies an ultrasonic fingerprint reader for biometric authentication. The screen also supports a dynamic 120Hz refresh rate for smoother visuals when gaming or scrolling.
Powering the flagship is a sizable 5,300mAh battery featuring Xiaomi's new silicon-carbon technology that allows 17% more capacity in 8% less space compared to last year's model. 90W wired and 80W wireless charging support lightning-quick top-ups - a 50% charge takes just 12.5 minutes plugged in.
The
Xiaomi 14 Ultra
starts at CNY 6,499 (around Rs 76,000) for a configuration with 12GB RAM and 256GB storage. The top-end 16GB/1TB variant is priced at CNY 7,799 (around Rs 91,000). A special edition with a titanium frame and vegan leather back commands CNY 8,799 (around Rs 1,02,000).
The first sale is scheduled for February 27 in China. Global availability, including Europe, is set to be announced at Mobile World Congress next week.
English (US) ·