Xiaomi 14 Ultra review: specs, battery & used prices

Summary

The Xiaomi 14 Ultra is the camera flagship that established the template the 15 Ultra follows: a quad-adjacent stack with 50 MP stabilized main, ultrawide, and telephoto modules, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, and a 6.73-inch 120 Hz OLED at a 3,000-nit rated peak — $1,499 for 12/256 at launch, tracking $605-$946 used across storage. Four years of updates and full IP68 sealing round out a serious professional tool.

Display and design

The 6.73-inch 120 Hz AMOLED scores 91/100 — among the brightest and best-calibrated panels of its year. The camera island dominates the rear and pushes weight to 220 g; compactness of 69/100 reflects a big-screen phone carrying professional optics. IP68 sealing matches the mainstream flagships despite the periscope housing.

Performance

The Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 scores 92/100 everyday and 54/100 gaming — full flagship silicon, with sustained photography sessions a specific strength the platform was tuned around. Four years of OS updates is the stated window.

Camera

The 60/100 score anchors the professional tier of its year: the variable-aperture main sensor is the heart of the system, with the 50 MP ultrawide and 50 MP telephoto maintaining quality consistency across focal lengths, and 8K30 video with genuinely useful log profiles. This is the closest a mainstream phone came to a camera company's ethos in 2024.

Battery and charging

The 5,000 mAh battery scores 40/100 on endurance with 90 W charging (71/100) — the fast-refill philosophy that lets heavy shooting days continue without overnight planning. Battery is a tool enabler here rather than a headline.

Verdict

Used, at $605 for the 12/256 tier, the 14 Ultra is the value face of camera-first flagships: optics that still outclass most current rivals at midrange money. Buyers wanting the newest generation pay the premium for the 15 Ultra; everyone else gets a professional imaging tool that aged into a bargain.