The Xiaomi 14 Ultra isn't just 'another camera phone', it's the first bleeding-edge camera phone to get a general release in the West. That isn't to say Samsung Galaxy, Apple iPhone and Google Pixel handsets don't also have excellent cameras – they do – but they don't push the envelope when it comes to camera hardware quite this hard.
Packing the newest 1-inch Sony sensor for mobile – also found in the China-only Oppo Find X7 Ultra – on paper, the Xiaomi 14 Ultra’s main camera has more in common with pro-grade compacts like the Sony RX-100 than some smartphones. This is especially true when you consider its variable aperture, allowing you to control background blur with an adeptness that lacks in so much of the competition.
