It is March 2024, and Xiaomi has arrived in the UK with a device that feels less like a smartphone and more like a professional Leica camera that happens to make calls. The Xiaomi 14 Ultra is a 220g technical masterpiece, featuring a circular camera ‘island’ that dominates the rear of its vegan leather and aluminium chassis. It is a dense, purposeful tool designed for the serious mobile photographer, introducing a level of optical control previously reserved for high-end mirrorless cameras.
The technical headline is the one-inch-type LYT-900 main sensor. This massive piece of silicon features a physical stepless variable aperture that can move from f/1.63 to f/4.0, allowing for genuine control over depth of field and light intake. This is paired with three other 50-megapixel sensors: a 75mm floating telephoto, a 120mm periscope, and a 12mm ultra-wide, all featuring Leica Summilux optics. Under the hood, it is powered by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 and 16GB of RAM, ensuring it can handle the massive data throughput of its ‘Xiaomi AISP’ computational photography platform.
The screen is a 6.73-inch LTPO AMOLED (3200 x 1440) with ‘Shield Glass’ that is ten times more drop-resistant than its predecessor. Connectivity is total with 5G, Wi-Fi 7, and a massive 5,000 mAh battery that supports a staggering 90W wired and 80W wireless charging. It also features a dedicated ‘Photography Kit’ accessory that adds a physical shutter button and zoom lever. The Xiaomi 14 Ultra is a landmark bit of engineering; it is the most optically advanced phone ever released in the UK, proving that the gap between mobile and professional photography has finally closed.