Xiaomi 14 Civi review: A new flagship killer joins the Android field

The Xiaomi 14 series has been one of Xiaomi’s best batches of flagship smartphones in recent years. It boasts powerful internals and incredible cameras owing to its collaboration with Leica. The 14 series, like other flagships, costs a lot of money, but the Civi aims to change that. In this price range, three important smartphone qualities are promised: a flagship processor, a high-quality camera, and an outstanding design. This review will reveal how many of those the Civic delivers. To this ambition, the Xiaomi 14 Civi includes Leica cameras, providing greater access to professional-grade imaging capabilities.

XIAOMI 14 CIVI KEY FEATURES

The Xiaomi 14 Civi is the latest in the company’s Civic line of premium mid-range smartphones that prioritize camera features and performance. This is the Indian version of the Xiaomi Civi 4 Pro, which was previously available only in China.

The 14 Civi, like previous Civi phones, features many cameras. There are three cameras on the back: a 50MP primary, a 50MP 2x telephoto, and a 12MP ultra-wide. On the front, there are two 32MP cameras, one with autofocus and the other ultra-wide. All of these are Leica-branded, so you get all of the Leica-specific features like color science, filters, and watermarks that you’d get on higher-end Xiaomi models.

But it isn’t just about the cameras. The phone is packed with the most recent Qualcomm Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 chip, which has proven to be highly competent. You can also buy up to 12GB of RAM and 512GB of storage. The phone also features a 6.55-inch AMOLED display with quad-curved glass and Dolby Vision compatibility. Finally, the 4700mAh battery enables 67W rapid charging. ll of this comes with the typical attractive Xiaomi pricing tag. Let us see how well the phone performs.

XIAOMI 14 CIVI UNBOXING

The Xiaomi 14 Civi India review unit is presented in the black Xiaomi 14 series box with the Leica logo. The phone is inside, together with a 67W charger and a USB-A to C cord.

A useful inclusion is a hard transparent casing, which feels better than the typical soft silicone varieties. The case is incredibly thin and adds very little to the phone’s size. It’s also convenient to have an open bottom lip, which makes navigating gestures easier.

CAMERA

The Xiaomi 14 Civi’s other standout feature is its Leica cameras. Xiaomi, like Vivo’s relationship with Zeiss, is going all in with Leica. The Xiaomi 14 Civi features Leica lenses as well as the Summilux lens (as seen in the Xiaomi 14 and Xiaomi 14 Ultra). This is a triple-camera configuration. There includes a 50MP main camera [with a Light Hunter 800 image sensor and optical image stabilization (OIS)], a 50MP telephoto lens (with 2x optical zoom), and a 12MP ultra-wide lens (with 120-degree field of view). The front of the smartphone features two 32MP selfie cameras. On paper, this is one of the most adaptable camera configurations in its pricing range.

But how does this translate in the actual world? Except for one blunder, it’s generally positive. Scenery and landscape shots, like those on the Xiaomi 14, were my favorite things to shoot with the Xiaomi 14 Civi. The Xiaomi 14 Civi’s Leica colour science creates an artistic impression in images that will appeal to a wide range of users. The ensuing photographs of buildings, blue skies, flowers, and other subjects were colorful and impactful. This camera system also performed admirably in terms of dynamic range. Users can select between Leica Authentic (natural colours) and Leica Vibrant (punchy colours).

The Xiaomi 14 Civi focuses on portrait photography (with a 50MP telephoto lens). The 1x and 2x images were pleasant, with plenty of background blur and subject separation. You can play with a variety of Leica-tuned filters and focal lenses. This is just one of the ways the Xiaomi 14 Civi differentiates from the competition.

The sole disadvantage is that the Xiaomi 14 Civi tends to smooth out face features. As a result, you may miss out on some nuances and facial clarity. Portrait photos were inconsistent as compared to the Vivo V30 Pro or even the iQOO Neo 9 Pro.

In low-light photography, the Xiaomi 14 Civi narrowly outperforms the OnePlus 12R. The Xiaomi 14 Civi’s night images are visually appealing but lacking in detail. The Xiaomi 14 Civi’s camera technology falls short in the telephoto department due to a lack of OIS. It works well in the daytime, but it’s difficult to capture a good photograph with the telephoto lens in low light.

Selfies taken with the primary front-facing camera show good sharpness and realistic skin tones. The wide-angle selfie camera has a tendency to wash out hues, so you may want to avoid utilizing it. One advantage is that the camera will automatically recognize the number of people in the frame and change the zoom levels accordingly.

As I previously stated, the Civi in the Xiaomi 14 Civi stands for Cinematic Vision, and there are numerous options to experiment with while producing films. Content providers should breathe a sigh of relief because all four cameras can capture 4K video. The primary camera, which includes OIS, will be ideal for video recording. The Cinematic Vision setting allows you to film in widescreen (2:4:1) and includes subject tracking. The sole disadvantage is that the Xiaomi 14 Civi tends to smooth out face features. As a result, you may miss out on some nuances and facial clarity. Portrait photos were inconsistent as compared to the Vivo V30 Pro or even the iQOO Neo 9 Pro.

In low-light photography, the Xiaomi 14 Civi narrowly outperforms the OnePlus 12R. The Xiaomi 14 Civi’s night images are visually appealing but lacking in detail. The Xiaomi 14 Civi’s camera technology falls short in the telephoto department due to a lack of OIS. It works well in the daytime, but it’s difficult to capture a good photograph with the telephoto lens in low light.

Selfies taken with the primary front-facing camera show good sharpness and realistic skin tones. The wide-angle selfie camera has a tendency to wash out hues, so you may want to avoid utilizing it. One advantage is that the camera will automatically recognize the number of people in the frame and change the zoom levels accordingly.

As I previously stated, the Civi in the Xiaomi 14 Civi stands for Cinematic Vision, and there are numerous options to experiment with while producing films. Content providers should breathe a sigh of relief because all four cameras can capture 4K video. The primary camera, which includes OIS, will be ideal for video recording. The Cinematic Vision setting allows you to film in widescreen (2:4:1) and includes subject tracking.

DESIGN AND SCREEN

Every Xiaomi 14 Civi Matcha Green model differs from the back. The vegan leather is consistent throughout all Matcha Green variations, however the glass inlay on the other half of the phone is unique to each Xiaomi 14 Civi. The smooth vegan leather borders and brushed aluminum side frame make this smartphone extremely comfortable to hold. It’s also surprisingly small and lightweight, measuring only 7.4mm. The device comes in three color variants: Matcha Green, Cruise Blue, and Shadow Black, with prices starting at ₹39,999 for 8GB + 256 GB and ₹44,999 for 12GB + 512 GB. Our evaluation unit is the 12GB version, which may provide greater performance in certain areas.

Up front, the 14 Civi borrows from the 14 series and features a quad-curve display that decreases distortion by bending the display around the edges rather than the glass, resulting in a very pleasant viewing experience. When you glance at the display, you will feel as if you are using a high-end smartphone. The smartphone’s four edges are curved, which could be problematic for drop and impact resistance, but we’re sure you’ll put a case on it. Even if the smartphone falls, it is protected by Gorilla Glass Victus 2.

The 6.55-inch AMOLED screen supports Dolby Vision and HDR10+ for content with a P3 color range. The 1.5K resolution keeps the material on the screen sharp, while the 120Hz refresh rate keeps up with social media scrolling and gaming. Godzilla Minus One on this is rather lovely. This display accurately assesses sharpness, tone, and color balance. For those who enjoy entertainment, the twin camera pill cutout may present the same issues as the iPhone. The audio is also clear, but the soundstage is not particularly wide.

HOW’S THE PERFORMANCE?

The Xiaomi 14 Civi is the second phone to launch in India using the Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 CPU, following the POCO F6 (review). This processor is intended to be a compromise between the current-generation flagship Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 and previous year’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 2. Benchmarks show a similar pattern, with the Snapdragon 8s Gen 3-powered Xiaomi 14 Civi achieving more over 14 lakh on AnTuTu. For comparison, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2-powered OnePlus 12R (review) earned more than 12 lakh, while the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3-powered Xiaomi 14 (review) earned more than 19 lakh.

We did a few benchmark tests on the Xiaomi 14 Civi, and here’s how it compares to some of its main competitors. Starting with AnTuTu, the Xiaomi 14 Civi’s Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 scored over 14 lakh, outperforming the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2-powered OnePlus 12R and the MediaTek 8200-powered Vivo V30 Pro. You can read our detailed performance comparison with the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2-powered iQOO Neo 9 Pro, which shows that the iQOO phone wins thanks to its performance-focused hardware.

In terms of software, the Xiaomi 14 Civi comes pre-installed with Android 14 and HyperOS. Anyone who has already used a Xiaomi or Redmi phone will recognize the user interface right away. You receive a slew of pre-loaded apps out of the box, 53 to be exact. This includes Google’s suite of apps, Xiaomi’s apps such as Xiaomi Service+, ShareMe, and Mi Store, as well as several third-party apps like as Netflix, Amazon, Facebook, Fitbit, and others. HyperOS aims to make the UI feel faster and more fluid, which it does to a significant extent. HyperOS is also planned to include AI features in the future, such as a ChatGPT-style AI assistant. But these features have yet to appear. Finally, Xiaomi has promised three years of significant software changes and four years of security patches.

Buy it if...

• Beautiful design and in-hand sensation.
• Bright and appealing presentation.
• Excellent Leica cameras for photographs and films.

Don't buy it if…

• Average battery life.
• The CPU throttles under stress.
• Portraits lack clarity.

FULL SPECIFICATION