Xiaomi 14 Series with Leica optics launched globally, PH price announced

Xiaomi has introduced its highly anticipated flagship smartphone lineup, the Xiaomi 14 Series, to the global market at MWC in Barcelona. Despite having just launched, a date has already been confirmed for its arrival in the Philippines.

The Xiaomi 14 Series launches in the Philippines on February 29.

Additionally, Xiaomi also launched a handful of other devices including a new tablet and a couple of wearables.

Xiaomi 14 Series

Central to the Xiaomi 14 Series is its groundbreaking camera system, developed in collaboration with renowned optics company Leica. The Xiaomi 14 Ultra, in particular, boasts a state-of-the-art quad-camera setup, headlined by a main camera equipped with a stepless variable aperture ranging from f/1.63 to f/4.0.

 

Complementing the main camera are three additional lenses, including a 75mm floating telephoto camera, a 120mm periscope camera, and a 12mm ultra-wide camera. For video, the Xiaomi 14 Series devices are capable of capturing up to 8K at 30fps. The series also introduces a new Movie mode which unlocks industry-standard aspect ratios like 2.39:1 widescreen and features like the the 180° shutter rule.

More importantly, Movie mode offers manual controls for exposure, ISO, shutter speed, and white balance and also unlocks 10-bit LOG video recording and LUT import.

To further solidify its positioning as a cinema-like camera, Xiaomi also launches the Xiaomi 14 Ultra Photography Kit. Inside, you get a dedicated grip and case that offers access to essential controls, including a two-stage shutter button, a zoom lever, a customizable video recording button, and an additional custom dial.

The Photography Kit also doubles as an external charging battery bank, ensuring users can stay powered up while capturing their creative vision.

For design and durability, the Xiaomi 14 Ultra sets a new standard in smartphone craftsmanship. Boasting a robust Xiaomi Guardian Structure, which includes a high-strength aluminum frame, Xiaomi nano-tech vegan leather, and Xiaomi Shield Glass, the device exudes elegance and offers exceptional protection against everyday wear and tear. The incorporation of Xiaomi Shield Glass ensures superior durability and scratch resistance, while the nano-tech vegan leather provides a luxurious feel and enhanced grip, making the Xiaomi 14 Ultra both stylish and practical for everyday use.

 

 

On the display front, the Xiaomi 14 Ultra features a stunning 6.73-inch WQHD+ AMOLED panel, boasting a resolution of 3200 x 1440 pixels and a pixel density of 522 ppi. With support for a variable refresh rate ranging from 1 to 120Hz, the display delivers buttery-smooth visuals from browsing the web to gaming. Furthermore, the Xiaomi 14 Ultra’s display is HDR10+ certified.

Under the hood, the Xiaomi 14 Ultra is powered by no less than a flagship Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 processor. Paired with up to 16GB of LPDDR5X RAM and up to 512GB of UFS 4.0 storage, the Xiaomi 14 Ultra offers lightning-fast speeds and seamless multitasking capabilities. Additionally, the device features advanced cooling technology, including the Xiaomi Dual-Channel IceLoop system, which ensures optimal thermal management during extended gaming sessions or heavy workloads.

The Xiaomi 14 Series runs on Xiaomi’s proprietary HyperOS operating system, designed to deliver a seamless and intuitive user experience. With features like Proactive Intelligence and End-to-End Security, Xiaomi HyperOS ensures that users enjoy a safe and connected experience across their devices. With the integration of Google Photos, users can securely back up their photos and videos.

Xiaomi 14 Series specs:

Xiaomi 14
Dimensions: 152.8mm x 71.5mm x 8.2mm
Weight: 193g
Display: 120Hz LTPO 6.36″ AMOLED
Camera:

  • Main Camera: LEICA VARIO-SUMMILUX 1:1.6-2.2/14-75 ASPH.
  • Rear Camera Setup: 23mm f/1.6 Leica main camera, 75mm f/2.0 Leica floating telephoto camera, 14mm f/2.2 Leica ultra-wide camera
  • Front Camera: 32MP in-display selfie camera

Processor: Snapdragon 8 Gen 3
RAM: 12GB LPDDR5X
Storage: Up to 512GB UFS 4.0
Battery & Charging: 4610mAh battery, 90W HyperCharge, 50W wireless HyperCharge
Audio: Stereo speakers, 4-MIC Array, Dolby Atmos
Design: Corning Gorilla Glass Victus front, 3D curved glass back, IP68
Colors: Black, White, and Jade Green

Xiaomi 14 Ultra:
Dimensions: 161.4mm x 75.3mm x 9.2mm
Weight: 219.8g
Display: 120Hz WQHD+ 6.73″ AMOLED
Camera:

  • Main Camera: LEICA VARIO-SUMMILUX 1:1.63-2.5/12-120 ASPH.
  • Rear Camera Setup: 23mm Leica 1-inch main camera, 75mm Leica floating telephoto camera, 120mm Leica periscope camera, 12mm Leica ultra-wide camera
  • Front Camera: 32MP in-display selfie camera

Processor: Snapdragon 8 Gen 3
RAM: 16GB LPDDR5X
Storage:  512GB UFS 4.0
Battery & Charging: 5000mAh battery, 90W HyperCharge, 80W wireless HyperCharge
Audio: Stereo speakers, 4-MIC array, Dolby Atmos
Design: Xiaomi Shield Glass Front, Xiaomi nano-tech vegan leather back, IP68
Colors: Black, White

 

UPDATE 02/29/24

Xiaomi Philippines has officially launched the Xiaomi 14 in the Philippines. No word on the arrival of the Ultra variant but price and promos are as follows:

The first-day sale for Xiaomi 14 at authorized Xiaomi stores and retailers nationwide will be in March. It will also be available on e-commerce platforms Lazada and Shopee. When customers pre-order from March 1 to 7, they get a free Xiaomi Watch S3 and 6 months of 100GB cloud storage from Google One. The promo also comes with a 1+1 year warranty with free screen replacement worth P7,000.

  •  12GB+512GB: PhP 47,999
  • 12GB+256GB: PhP 45,999

Xiaomi’s latest AIoT wearable lineup will also be available for purchase at authorized Xiaomi stores, Lazada, and Shopee.

  • Xiaomi Smart Band 8 Pro: PhP 3,699
  •  Xiaomi Watch 2: PhP 9,699
    • Recycled PET Braided Strap: PhP 899
    • White Leather Strap: PhP 899
    • Pine Green TPU Strap: PhP 599
  • Xiaomi Watch S3: PhP 6,999
    • Ocean Blue Stainless Bezel: PhP 739
    • Chrome Yellow Bezel: PhP 1,729
    • Dual-tone Ceramic Bezel: PhP 1,729
    • Rainbow Bezel: PhP 1,859

There will also be a Lazada-exclusive Early Bird Promo for the new Xiaomi wearables until March 3.

  • Xiaomi Smart Band 8 Pro: PhP 3,399 (from PhP 3,699)
  • Xiaomi Watch 2: PhP 9,199 (from PhP 9,699)
  • Xiaomi Watch S3: PhP 6,499 (from PhP 6,999)
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The 3Cs of realme C3

realme has been non-stop when it comes to introducing new devices for the entire smartphone market segment. The most recent flagship X3 SuperZoom has just been launched, you also have the midrange realme 6 and 6 Pro, and the affordable realme 6i with USB-C.

Although concentrating on the essential aspects of a device, realme has already released a phone in where productivity can be maximized to its full extent and making sure that it won’t burn your pockets. The realme C3 offers impressive camera, capabilities, and consumption at a very reasonable cost. So for this article, we focus on the 3Cs of the C3 that still make it worth buying. 

realme C3 – Cameras

Professionals, enthusiasts, or even regular camera users can enjoy the high-quality feature of this device. This phone has three built-in rear cameras with f/1.8 aperture, a feature that can work really well even when it’s dark. Using the Chroma Boost setting, texture, contrasts, and the richness of each photograph can be highlighted with just a single tap. The 2x zoom feature of the camera still offers clarity and sharpness for the image, so as with the 4cm super macro shots. Panorama photos also work well for wide landscape images without compromising quality. Video resolution could be up to 1080p recording at 30fps with Slo-Mo video and time-lapse features.

Quick tip for a better camera experience Sharpness of images is best up to its 2x zoom, Chroma Boost works best with good lighting, while other features of the camera may need a stabilizer or tripod. Also, to enjoy and maximize the camera features, expand the memory capacity by using an external memory card.

realme C3 – Capabilities 

For this phone, the company promises a better gaming experience. This phone has a Helio G7 octa-core 12nm processor with 3GB RAM that could run the latest and in-demand games such as Mobile Legends: Bang Bang, PUBG Mobile, Call of Duty: Mobile, and the likes. Its wide and large 6.5-inch screen displays in high definition which makes gaming more engaging. The gaming performance of this phone is also surprising, issues on lag and bugs are minimal, and does not generally affect the performance of the phone. Its Do Not Disturb feature while gaming is also a big plus so gaming won’t be interrupted even when there is an incoming call.

Quick tip for a better gaming experience Efficiency of battery life during games may be maximized when in Medium Graphics.

realme C3 – Consumption

The realme C3 has a 5000mAh battery, a battery capacity that can last for up to 2 days with minimal use and up to 30 days when the phone is on standby. With its immense battery life, full charging could take hours, depending on how low the battery is when the charging starts. An hour of non-stop gaming could consume 12-14% battery in High settings and up to 6% battery when in Medium settings. Media apps that play music and videos consume 5-9% when used for one to two hours straight (this is based on one movie run in full volume and average brightness).

Tip to maximize charging — For faster charging, switch to Battery Saver mode or Airplane mode

realme c3

Overall, the realme C3 is an impressive entry-level smartphone that offers quality features to maximize the productivity of each user. Its affordable pricing of PhP 5,990 does not compromise the value of its specifications but it rather gives us more than what we paid for.

Realme C3 specs:
6.5-inch HD+ display,  1600 x720 resolution
MediaTek Helio G70 2GHz octa-core CPU
Mali G52 GPU
3GB RAM
32GB storage, expandable up to 256GB
12MP main, 2MP portrait, 2MP macro rear cameras
5MP front camera
Dual nano-SIM
4G LTE
Bluetooth 5.0
3.5mm headphone jack
Face unlock
Fingerprint scanner
5,000mAh battery w/ 10W charging support
micro USB
Android 10 with realme UI

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