As you can read in our full Galaxy S24 Ultra review, this latest device from Samsung features a mightily impressive quad-rear camera that’s pretty hard to beat. Now it seems this new flagship from the Korean technology giant is going to get some stiff competition with Xiaomi revealing its all-new Xiaomi 14 Ultra device at Mobile World Congress (MWC) in Barcelona.
This striking smartphone features a ‘professional’ quad-camera on its rear case that will offer users a range of focal lengths, spanning from 12mm to 120mm. That means owners will be able to shoot stunning landscapes and then zoom in closer to the action.
Designed alongside the camera experts at Leica, the Xiaomi 14 Ultra integrates an ultra-large 1-inch LYT-900 image sensor with a dynamic range that the Chinese firm says will guarantee outstanding image quality even in challenging environments.
This lens is joined by a 75mm floating telephoto camera, a Leica 120mm periscope camera, and Leica 12mm ultra-wide camera.
As well as snapping photos for the family album, this system will also shoot Hollywood-style videos in 8K at 30fps using any of those lenses listed above.
The device also supports eye-pleasing Dolby Vision and there’s improved image stabilisation for smooth video capture. An additional microphone has even been added to form a 4-Mic array – this means your home movies get surround sound and directional sound recording.
That all sounds impressive and there is another bonus of owning this device as it’s compatible with a new accessory that will make it feel more like a camera and less like a smartphone. The Xiaomi 14 Ultra Photography Kit clips to the phone and adds a grip, a two-stage shutter button, a zoom lever and a customisable video recording button. All this should help to make it easier to hold and use when shooting films and photos – it’s also something Samsung won’t currently match.
To help make sure the filming doesn’t t stop it also acts as an external charging battery bank, providing 1500mAh of extra battery life.
So that’s the camera but what else is new? Along with that impressive rear snapper, the Xiaomi 14 Ultra also gets a 6.73″ AMOLED display, more robust design, super fast 90W charging and the very latest Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 plus there’s Wi-Fi 7 capability thrown in as well.
Unlike previous models of Xiaomi’s Ultra phones, the 14 is also coming to the UK so that’s good news for British Android fans. It will cost £1,299 with those purchasing one between now and 18th of March 2024 also receiving a free camera kit and £300 to spend on Xiaomi ecosystem products.
If that sounds far too much, there’s a cheaper version also launching called the Xiaomi 14. This device costs £849 and 6.36-inch screen, triple-lens camera, Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 and Hyperfast charging with Xiaomi shipping a speedy power pack in the box.
Those who purchase between 25th February 2024 and 31st of March 2024 will receive a free Xiaomi Pad 6 and Xiaomi Band 8 Pro.
