At the Mobile World Congress there is always a smartphone that attracts everyone's attention. And in this edition the crown seems to belong to the Xiaomi 14. In the absence of flagships from other brands, which are usually presented in advance or postponed, the Chinese manufacturer is sticking out its chest. Although it is a presentation that came with spoilers since the company launched the devices a few days ago in its country of origin.
The two high-end smartphones from Xiaomi have a camera that was developed in collaboration with the German optics specialist Leica. But before going into details, the group's president, William Lu, opened the event with a few words outlining the company's strategy. At its heart is the brand new operating system HyperOS.
The head of Xiaomi has highlighted that his company has almost 700 million active IoT (Internet of Things) devices. The goal is for all of them, at least the newest ones and those sold now, to work with HyperOS. The platform is prepared to enable the connection of all terminals to each other. And the strategy that Lu has put on the table points in that direction, summarized in three pillars: people, cars and home. Of the three, there is only one category that the manufacturer does not yet cover, but hopefully will do so soon. Previously, the company had already announced its Xiaomi SU7 electric car, a bet that was also mentioned during the event.
Next, the company looked at its new smartphones. The camera was the star of the presentation. The strategic alliance with Leica, confirmed by the appearance on stage of Matthias Harsch, CEO of the German company, has borne fruit. The Xiaomi 14 Ultra mounts four sensors on the back. They are all 50 megapixels, but play with different specifications to achieve the best possible photographic performance. The main lens has a variable aperture of f/1.63 – f/4.0, allowing for controlled adjustment of brightness and blur. The brand designed the device to handle various scenarios. Therefore, two telephoto lenses were added, one with a focal length of 120mm and the other with 75mm, as well as a 12mm wide angle. The cameras can also record videos in 8K or 4K at 120 fps (frames per second).
The younger brother is content with a triple camera, which also has 50 megapixel Leica lenses. The specifications are more modest, but still typical of a long range. The focal length range covered by its sensors ranges from 14 mm for the wide-angle lens to 75 mm for the telephoto lens. The company states that the minimum focusing distance is 10cm. In addition, both devices feature the new Xiaomi AISP technology, which aims to enhance photos with artificial intelligence. “You can’t present a product in 2024 without talking about AI,” was one of the sentences spoken from the stage. And obviously the presentation was full of references to AI.
The Xiaomi 14 features a Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chip, the same one used in other brands' flagships such as the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra. Both come with WiFi 7 and 5G connectivity. These terminals already have Xiaomi HyperOS, which replaces the company's previous operating system, MIUI. Its technological base is also Android, but it includes not only Xiaomi smartphones, but also wearables, tablets, IoT devices, televisions and even cars.
The Xiaomi 14 Ultra has a 6.73-inch AMOLED screen with a pixel density of 522 dpi and a refresh rate of up to 120 Hz. The screen of the basic version of the series is 6.36 inches, with AMOLED technology and a density of 460 dpi. Its battery has a capacity of 4610 mAh, while the Ultra version reaches 5000 mAh.
The Xiaomi 14 is sold from 999 euros, with a configuration of 12 GB of RAM and 256 GB of storage, while the Xiaomi 14 Ultra costs 1,499 euros (in its version with 16 GB of RAM and 512 GB of capacity). Both are now available on the market.
The Chinese manufacturer also took the opportunity to unveil a tablet, the Xiaomi Pad 6s Pro 12.4, with a 12.4-inch 3K screen and a 144 Hz refresh rate, as well as a small selection of portable devices. The Smart Band 8 Pro appeared on the stage, which offers several training options and has functions for monitoring health parameters, as well as two smartwatches: the Watch S3, which is reminiscent of a classic watch, and the Watch 2, whose battery promises a long service life up to to 65 hours of typical use.
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