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Since the Xiaomi 14 Ultra is focused on being a great photography phone, you can also buy an optional accessory kit to make it look and behave like a real dedicated digital camera. But since this is his £1,300 flagship Android phone, it will meet all your phone needs, albeit with a quad rear camera array.
Xiaomi will be selling the 14 Ultra globally this year, but not yet in the US, so without the homegrown advantage of it remaining a China-only device, it’s probably one of the best camera phones we’ve tested. The comparison will be very meaningful. And especially the phone at the top of the guide, the iPhone 15 Pro Max.
As you can see below, the Xiaomi 14 Ultra has some impressive advantages on paper over the iPhone 15 Pro Max, but when you take the two phones out into the real world, things get more complicated. Become. Below we have some sample comparisons for you to check out, along with our opinion on which photo is better and why.
Xiaomi 14 Ultra vs. iPhone 15 Pro Max: Camera specifications
| Row 0 – Cell 0 | xiaomi 14 ultra | iPhone 15 Pro Max |
| main camera | 50MP, variable aperture (f/1.63 – f/4.0) | 48MP (f/1.8) |
| ultra wide angle camera | 50MP (f/1.8) | 12MP (f/2.2) |
| 3.2x telephoto | 50MP (f/1.8) | Not applicable |
| 5x telephoto | 50MP (f/2.5) | 12MP (f/2.8) |
| selfie | 32MP (f/2.0) | 12MP (f/1.9) |
If you forget the resolution of one of the Xiaomi 14 Ultra’s cameras, it’s pretty safe to assume it’s 50MP. This phone is equipped with four 50MP cameras that act as the main (also used for the middle 2x shot), ultra-wide, 3.2x, and 5x telephoto, with up to 120x zoom is possible. These and his 32MP front camera were developed in collaboration with the Leica team, as the prominent branding on the large round camera block will remind you.
The iPhone 15 Pro Max offers the same maximum optical zoom range, but lacks the second telephoto camera and has a maximum zoom of only 25x. The resolution is also poor in comparison, coming close with the 48MP main camera but lagging behind with the rest of his 12MP sensors on the front and back.
Xiaomi 14 Ultra vs. iPhone 15 Pro Max: photo samples
So let’s take a look at what the cameras on these two phones can actually produce. For reference, all images of Xiaomi were taken using the “Leica Vivid” color profile. This is one of two options you can toggle within the camera app (the other being Leica Authentic). Otherwise, I used the default settings on both phones.
The difference in color is immediately noticeable in this image of Camden Town tube station taken with two mobile phone main cameras. The whole scene, especially the station’s trademark oxblood tiles, looks richer in Xiaomi’s images. It also becomes a little clearer when you look at details such as the mechs on top of buildings.
However, the iPhone has a bit more sky color and a more balanced image, but if you want to focus on the subway station, the Xiaomi is the better of the two.
winner: xiaomi 14 ultra
The same color difference can be seen at Camden Lock, a little further down the road. However, the iPhone image is much brighter, which brings out details in darker areas, such as the walls along the canal. The contrast between the trees and water is also sharper in the iPhone shot.
winner: iPhone 15 Pro Max
As this snapshot of my backyard at night shows, it’s my iPhone that gets even brighter when the sun goes down. There is still some detail in Xiaomi’s photo, but it disappears when you look at the darkest part of the image on the right side of the frame.
winner: iPhone 15 Pro Max
Now moving on to the ultra-wide-angle lens, Xiaomi’s image still has more vibrant colors in this shot taken from the middle of Camden Market Back Street. This is especially true for clothes at street stalls and keychains at souvenir shops. You can also check the details of the shadow area.
Winner: Xiaomi 14 Ultra
Now, back to the main camera, our first zoom comparison – 2x zoom using the main camera sensor. Returning to Camden Locks, this image of a tree jutting into the canal is best viewed on a bright iPhone image. Xiaomi’s images are still detailed. It’s not that pop.
winner: iPhone 15 Pro Max
Moving to 3x will allow Xiaomi to use the first of its two telephoto cameras, but the iPhone will have to make do with digital zoom. If you look closely, it’s clear that the sign in Xiaomi’s shot is more detailed. The iPhone offers more saturated photos, but they’re not as sharp.
winner: xiaomi 14 ultra
At 5x, where both phones can use dedicated zoom lenses, there’s not much difference between the two. However, Xiaomi’s photos seem to have a bit more of a brick texture to it, especially.
winner: xiaomi 14 ultra
Xiaomi’s party trick is a 120x zoom range, which we demonstrate above with some images of Camden Lock Bridge. I was surprised at how well everything looked, even at up to 120x magnification. However, it took a few tries and the support of a nearby streetlight to get it stable enough to take the photo you see here.
As always, we end the comparison with a selfie portrait. The Xiaomi phone applied a skin-smoothing beautification treatment to my face, so it’s not very accurate to my real-life appearance, but it might be a feature worth enabling for social media posts. I don’t know. Both phones have great portrait effects, but I prefer the iPhone’s blurry default bokeh. And both unmarked my hair. The Xiaomi image is too dark, but in this case the iPhone image is too bright.
winner: draw
This is why I appreciated the camera accessory kit the most, as it makes it easier to keep a steady grip on your phone when zooming in. Zooming in is also easy with a camera-style slide switch. You don’t have to adjust how you hold the phone like you would if you had to use on-screen touch controls.
verdict
Without going into too much advanced features such as a fully adjustable main camera aperture and detailed Pro controls for photos and videos, it’s safe to say that the Xiaomi 14 Ultra is a very capable camera phone. It is no exaggeration. Its zoom ability is amazing, and the colors you get from that image make your iPhone look dotted and drab. The only weak point is how it handles shadows in images, but the iPhone has no issues with that. Nevertheless, when you add up the number of wins, Xiaomi wins this showdown, with his 5 times with a win or a draw, compared to his 4 times with the iPhone.
Despite Xiaomi’s superior results in this review, we think the iPhone 15 Pro Max is still the better camera phone choice for most users. Aside from the lack of availability for American buyers, Xiaomi is very expensive even for its flagship phones. And since a phone’s camera is (at least for me) primarily intended to be used for autofocus purposes, the iPhone, along with other flagship phones like the Galaxy S24 Ultra and Pixel, still deserves the top spot in our guide to the best camera phones. The 8 Pro follows the same philosophy.
But if you want your phone to cater to your deeper passion for photography and act as a pocketable DSLR, the Xiaomi 14 Ultra may meet your needs better than anything else currently on sale.
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