Xiaomi 14 Ultra v/s Samsung S24 Ultra: Which is better?
In the perennial battle of flagship smartphones, the newly announced Xiaomi 14 Ultra is all set to rival the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra. While both phones boast cutting-edge features, the Xiaomi 14 Ultra promises formidable performance with its top-of-the-line processor and innovative camera technology. On the other hand, the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra is a complete powerhouse with the advantage of comprehensive ecosystem integration. Here we compare the two based on their specifications, pricing, and availability.
Both phones feature a titanium frame
The Xiaomi 14 Ultra sports a titanium (or aluminium) frame, an IP68 rating, and a flat display, similar to the Galaxy S24 Ultra. At the back, the Xiaomi model has a giant circular camera bump with LEICA branding. The S24 Ultra bears a vertical camera design. In terms of physical dimensions, the 14 Ultra is 9.2mm thick versus the S24 Ultra's 8.6mm thickness. The former also comes in glass or eco-leather back against the latter's sole glass option.
Samsung's flagship is more durable
The Xiaomi 14 Ultra has a 6.73-inch 2K AMOLED panel in comparison to the S24 Ultra's 6.8-inch QHD+ AMOLED screen The devices support LTPO technology and up to 120Hz refresh rate. On paper, the Xiaomi 14 Ultra claims 3,000-nits of maximum brightness. Samsung has also boosted the screen brightness to 2,600-nits for the S24 Ultra. On top of that, the S24 Ultra bears Corning Gorilla Armor on both sides, showing improved ressilience against drops and scratches.
Xiaomi phone packs a 1.0-inch sensor
Camera enthusiasts will appreciate Xiaomi 14 Ultra's 50MP quad rear cameras, featuring a Sony LYT-900 as main, an ultra-wide, a 3.2x telephoto, and a 5x periscope telephoto. The Galaxy S24 Ultra has 200MP main, 12MP ultra-wide, 10MP (3x) telephoto, and 50MP (5x) periscope telephoto cameras. All sensors have OIS except the ultra-wide ones. Up front, the devices feature 32MP and 12MP cameras, respectively. Both flagships can shoot 8K videos via the rear setup.
They use similar hardware
On the hardware front, the Xiaomi 14 Ultra and Galaxy S24 Ultra use Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 SoC, paired with 12GB LPDDR5X RAM and up to 1TB UFS 4.0 storage. The Xiaomi phone also has a 16GB RAM variant.
Xiaomi 14 Ultra gets bigger battery
The Xiaomi 14 Ultra packs a bigger battery (5,300mAh v/s 5,000mAh) than Galaxy S24 Ultra. Interestingly, it also offers a higher-watt wired charging (90W v/s 45W) and faster wireless charging (80W v/s 15W) than the Galaxy S24 Ultra. Both phones are Wi-Fi 7-ready, but Xiaomi's flagship has the latest Bluetooth version (5.4 v/s 5.3) compared to Samsung's counterpart. Meanwhile, the Type-C (Gen 3.2) port for wired data transfer and connectivity is common to both.tr
What about the pricing?
The Xiaomi 14 Ultra starts at CNY 6,499 (around Rs. 74,900) for its 12GB/256GB variant, much cheaper than the Galaxy S24 Ultra, which retails at Rs. 1,29,999 for a similar configuration. Initially exclusive to China, the Xiaomi device will debut globally at MWC 2024.
Which one should you pick?
Choosing a flagship phone boils down to individual preferences. In terms of value, the Xiaomi 14 Ultra is better. You get a premium design, high-quality display, raw performance, more RAM, and solid camera capabilities at a more reasonable price. The Galaxy S24 Ultra makes sense if you want a holistic user experience and access to Samsung's seamless ecosystem powered by Galaxy AI.
