CameraThe headline item of this phone is this camera setup, boasting its collaboration with Leica for colour science, as well some very well specced hardware.
And with all the hype and build-up, I was really looking forward to the kind of pictures I’d get from the Xiaomi 14.
The camera interface is great.
The video interface is excellent as well, with the most seamless video zooming I’ve seen on an Android phone.
All Android phone makers should just copy this interface for their camera.
There are some other random quirks, like the phone automatically locking once an Instagram video ends, or Google search term icons (I always have a quick shortcut on the homepage for the Google search term “Arsenal”, the football team I support) randomly disappearing from the home screen, which I assume are bugs that will be fixed. One more annoyance was that the always-on display turns off when I put the phone on a wireless charging dock at night. And there’s no way to change this. My Pixel 7 is my invaluable bedside clock so to not even have that option is one more mild annoyance.
None of these things are deal-breakers but to me, they took what was a very enjoyable Android skin and made it mildly annoying. I do hope the folks at Xiaomi have a rethink about some of these decisions.
Camera
The headline item of this phone is this camera setup, boasting its collaboration with Leica for colour science, as well some very well specced hardware. As I had mentioned before, this is a three-camera set-up with a primary, an ultrawide, and a telephoto. From the moment I got my hands on this phone, I have been using the camera a lot, as I tend to. And with all the hype and build-up, I was really looking forward to the kind of pictures I’d get from the Xiaomi 14.
But I must say my experience was a little mixed.
First, let me get the pluses out of the way. The camera interface is great. Coming from the Pixel’s frustrating interface where exposure compensation and other tweaks are hidden away in a menu, the ability to tap and adjust exposure was a pleasure. Add to this the very well-designed Pro mode which lets you dial in manual settings to just the extent you want (including the ability to adjust both temperature and tint, a rarity), makes the process of shooting with the Xiaomi 14 an absolute joy. The video interface is excellent as well, with the most seamless video zooming I’ve seen on an Android phone. It’s not iPhone level, but it’s solidly good. All Android phone makers should just copy this interface for their camera.
