Test verdict on the Xiaomi 14 Pro: Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 smartphone has to improve its camera

Compared to its predecessor, the Xiaomi 14 Pro has improved in several areas (insufficient selfie quality, lack of an UHD option, USB 2.0), delivering a powerful overall package. The new "all around liquid" design of the 2K AMOLED Super Visual Sense display is a success. The display together with its glass cover called Xiaomi Ceramic Glass is rounded on all four corners and edges with even, slightly downward curves, which feels very ergonomic when performing swiping gestures. But the LTPO panel also has something to offer aside from the visual impression.

The display uses C8 illumination material, developed by Xiaomi together with CSOT (TCL company), which offers a very high brightness. We are also able to confirm the specified extreme maximum brightness of 3,000 nits with our measurement of 2,882 cd/m² during the reproduction of a 4K HDR pattern video.

The completely reworked main camera together with its variable aperture leaves some doubts in the test, though. Compared to the Xiaomi 13 Pro, the Sony IMX989 in the 1-inch format is replaced by a new, significantly smaller image sensor called "Light Hunter 900" in the 1/1.31-inch format. The lens of the 50-MP main camera offers a variable aperture, allowing you to capture objects with an aperture of up to f/4.0 to get more image depth. In contrast to the Xiaomi 13 Ultra, the aperture of the Xiaomi 14 Pro can now be opened in several steps.

The test pictures we took with the Leica Summilux lens show a good image sharpness and very high recording speed, but some details get lost due to the low dynamic. In low-light condition, the 50-MP sensor gives justice to its name, delivering bright pictures with its large open aperture. However, the sharpness level is (still) not optimal here, and Xiaomi has to make some improvements in the camera software.

If you value a smartphone with a very good display combined with a high performance and are looking for a suitable smartphone of the top price class, you can get a detailed impression of the Xiaomi 14 Pro by looking at our detailed review and test report. At the time of the testing, the Xiaomi smartphone is offered for about $864 as an import smartphone for example at Trading Shenzhen.