Xiaomi 14 Ultra Review - Best Camera Phone of 2025 with 1-inch Sensor

Xiaomi 14 Ultra Review - Best Camera Phone of 2025 with 1-inch Sensor

The Xiaomi 14 Ultra is Xiaomi's photography-focused flagship, featuring a massive 1-inch sensor, Leica tuning, and a versatile quad-camera system. With the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 processor, 120W charging, and a stunning QHD+ 120Hz display, it competes directly with the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra and iPhone 15 Pro Max. This review covers the camera performance in detail, along with everything else you need to know.

Key Specifications

Unboxing and First Impressions

The Xiaomi 14 Ultra comes in a premium black box with Leica branding. Inside, you get the phone, a 120W charger, a USB-C cable, a SIM ejector tool, and a protective case. The phone feels incredibly premium, with a leather back (vegan leather) and a massive circular camera module. The phone is heavy, as expected with a 1-inch sensor and quad-camera system, but it feels solid and well-built.

Design and Build Quality

The 14 Ultra features a 6.73-inch QHD+ display, an aluminum frame, and a vegan leather back (available in Black, White, and Olive Green). The phone measures 161.4 x 75.3 x 9.2mm and weighs 220g (229g with the Photography Kit accessory). The massive circular camera module on the back houses the four 50MP cameras and the Leica branding. The vegan leather back provides excellent grip and doesn't attract fingerprints.

The optional Photography Kit is a camera grip accessory that attaches to the phone, adding a shutter button, zoom lever, and a 1500mAh battery. It turns the phone into a dedicated camera-like device.

Display

The 6.73-inch 120Hz LTPO AMOLED display is stunning. With 1440 x 3200 pixels resolution (QHD+), 120Hz adaptive refresh rate (1-120Hz), and up to 3000 nits peak brightness, it's one of the best displays on the market.

Display highlights:

• LTPO technology for 1-120Hz adaptive refresh rate
• QHD+ resolution (extremely sharp)
• 3000 nits peak brightness (class-leading)
• HDR10+ and Dolby Vision support
• Gorilla Glass Victus 2 protection

Performance

The Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 processor is the most powerful Android chip available. Everything is instant, and gaming performance is outstanding.

Performance test results:

• AnTuTu score: Approximately 2,100,000+
• Geekbench 6 single-core: ~2,350
• Geekbench 6 multi-core: ~7,400

Gaming performance is exceptional. BGMI runs at 120 FPS, Genshin Impact runs smoothly at 60 FPS with max settings, and the phone stays cool thanks to an advanced vapor chamber cooling system.

Camera - The Main Highlight (1-inch Sensor + Leica)

The camera system on the Xiaomi 14 Ultra is the best on any Android phone in 2025. The 1-inch sensor and Leica Summilux lenses produce stunning photos that rival dedicated cameras.

50MP 1-inch Main Camera with OIS

The 1-inch Sony LYT-900 sensor (f/1.63-f/4.0 variable aperture) is massive - much larger than the 1/1.28-inch sensors on most flagships. This captures significantly more light, resulting in incredible low-light performance, natural bokeh, and exceptional dynamic range. The variable aperture allows you to control depth of field - f/1.63 for portrait shots with beautiful bokeh, f/4.0 for landscape shots with everything in focus.

50MP Ultrawide Camera

The 50MP ultrawide camera with 122-degree field of view captures sharp, detailed photos with minimal distortion. It also functions as a macro camera for close-up shots.

50MP Telephoto Camera (3x Optical)

The 50MP telephoto camera with f/1.8 aperture offers 3x optical zoom. Portrait shots with this lens are stunning, with natural bokeh and excellent subject separation.

50MP Periscope Telephoto Camera (5x Optical)

The 50MP periscope camera offers 5x optical zoom and up to 120x digital zoom. The 5x optical shots are incredibly sharp, and 10x lossless zoom is also very usable.

32MP Front Camera

The 32MP front camera takes excellent selfies with natural skin tones and good detail.

Leica Features

• Leica Authentic/Vibrant modes: Choose your preferred color profile
• Leica Summilux lenses: Professional-grade optics
• Master Lens System: Replicates classic Leica lenses (35mm, 50mm, 75mm, 90mm)
• Leica filters and watermarks

Video Recording

The Xiaomi 14 Ultra can record 8K video at 30fps and 4K video at 120fps (slow motion). Video stabilization is excellent, and the 1-inch sensor provides incredible dynamic range in video as well.

Battery Life and 120W Charging

The 5000 mAh battery provides good battery life, easily lasting a full day of heavy use.

Battery test results:

• Video playback: 16+ hours
• Gaming: 7-8 hours
• Mixed usage: 1.5 days

120W Charging test results:

• 0 to 50%: 8 minutes
• 0 to 80%: 15 minutes
• 0 to 100%: 19 minutes

50W wireless charging is also available, taking about 40 minutes for a full charge.

Software - HyperOS

The 14 Ultra runs Android 14 with Xiaomi's HyperOS. HyperOS is cleaner and smoother than MIUI, with better animations and fewer ads. Xiaomi promises 4 years of OS updates and 5 years of security patches.

Connectivity

The phone supports dual 5G SIMs, Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.4, NFC, and has a USB-C 3.2 port. No headphone jack.

Pros and Cons

Xiaomi 14 Ultra vs Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra

The S24 Ultra costs about 150,000+ BDT. The Xiaomi offers a larger 1-inch sensor for better low-light photos, 120W charging (vs 45W), and Leica tuning. The Samsung offers an S Pen, better zoom (10x optical vs 5x), titanium build, and 7 years of updates.

Verdict: Choose Xiaomi for camera quality (especially low light) and charging speed. Choose Samsung for zoom, S Pen, and long-term updates.

Xiaomi 14 Ultra vs iPhone 15 Pro Max

The iPhone 15 Pro Max costs about 180,000+ BDT. The Xiaomi offers a larger sensor for better low-light photos, 120W charging (vs 27W), and Leica tuning. The iPhone offers better video recording, iOS ecosystem, and longer software support.

Verdict: Choose Xiaomi for still photography. Choose iPhone for video and ecosystem.

Who Should Buy the Xiaomi 14 Ultra

• Photography enthusiasts: Best camera system on any smartphone
• Professional photographers: 1-inch sensor produces professional-quality photos
• Users who want the best Android flagship: Top-tier everything
• Users who don't mind the weight and price

Who Should Look Elsewhere

• Budget-conscious users: This is a premium flagship with a premium price
• Users who want a lightweight phone: 220g+ is heavy
• Users who want a headphone jack: None of the flagships have it

Final Verdict

The Xiaomi 14 Ultra is the best camera phone of 2025. The 1-inch sensor combined with Leica Summilux lenses produces stunning photos that rival dedicated cameras. The quad-camera system covers every shooting scenario, and the variable aperture gives you creative control over depth of field. The QHD+ 120Hz display is stunning, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 provides flagship performance, and 120W charging is incredibly convenient. The phone is expensive, heavy, and has a massive camera bump, but for photography enthusiasts, those are acceptable trade-offs. If you want the absolute best camera on a smartphone, the Xiaomi 14 Ultra is the phone to buy.

Rating: 9.7/10

Price: 149,990 BDT (12GB/256GB)

Buy Xiaomi 14 Ultra ?

Frequently Asked Questions

Question 1: What is the advantage of a 1-inch sensor?
Answer: A larger sensor captures more light, resulting in better low-light photos, natural bokeh, and better dynamic range. The 1-inch sensor is significantly larger than the 1/1.28-inch sensors on most flagships.

Question 2: Does it have a variable aperture?
Answer: Yes, the main camera has a variable aperture from f/1.63 to f/4.0, allowing you to control depth of field.

Question 3: Is it better than the Samsung S24 Ultra camera?
Answer: For still photography, yes, especially in low light. For zoom, the S24 Ultra has better zoom capabilities (10x optical vs 5x).

Question 4: Does it come with a charger?
Answer: Yes, the Xiaomi 14 Ultra comes with a 120W charger in the box.

Question 5: What is the Photography Kit?
Answer: It's an optional accessory that adds a shutter button, zoom lever, and a 1500mAh battery, turning the phone into a dedicated camera-like device.