# Xiaomi Launches New Flagship Phones with Camera Downgrade?!
Xiaomi has recently unveiled its latest flagship phones, the Xiaomi 14 Pro and Xiaomi 14. While these phones offer various upgrades and improvements, one key area where the new models could be considered a downgrade is in the camera department.
## Xiaomi 14 Pro Camera
In terms of camera hardware, the Xiaomi 14 Pro seems to be almost identical to its predecessor, the Xiaomi 13 Pro. However, there is one crucial difference. While the Xiaomi 13 Pro boasted a large 1.0″-type primary camera sensor, the 14 Pro utilizes a smaller 1/1.31″ sensor. Both sensors have a resolution of 50MP, but the new phone features 1.2µm pixels, whereas the older Xiaomi 13 Pro had larger 1.6µm pixels. Theoretically, this translates to reduced light sensitivity and potentially poorer performance in low-light conditions.
Despite this seemingly unfavorable change, the 14 Pro does come with its own advantages. It features a new Leica-developed 23mm-equiv. lens with an f/1.42-f/4 variable aperture, which is a significant improvement over the f/1.9 lens found in the 13 Pro. Whether this larger maximum aperture can compensate for the smaller sensor’s reduced light sensitivity remains to be seen. Like its predecessor, the 14 Pro’s primary camera is equipped with optical image stabilization, dual pixel PDAF, and manual aperture control in 1/3 EV steps.
## Other Camera Features
The Xiaomi 14 Pro also retains the same Leica-branded ultrawide and telephoto cameras found in the 13 Pro. Both cameras have a resolution of 50MP, with the ultrawide snapper offering a 115-degree field of view and an f/2.2 max aperture, while the telephoto module enables 3.2x optical zoom and benefits from OIS and an f/2 aperture. Additionally, the 14 Pro can capture 8K HDR video at 24fps and 4K video at up to 60fps.
## Display and Screen Protection
While the Xiaomi 14 Pro maintains the same 6.73-inch display size, 1440 x 3200 resolution, and variable refresh rate AMOLED technology as its predecessor, there have been upgrades in other areas. The new phone now boasts a higher 3,000-nit peak brightness and 68 billion display colors. It also replaces the Corning Gorilla Glass Victus screen protection found in the 13 Pro with Xiaomi’s own Ceramic Glass, which offers higher drop resistance and scratch resistance while maintaining high transparency.
## Specs and Pricing
Under the hood, the Xiaomi 14 Pro is powered by a Qualcomm SM8650-AB Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 SoC with 12GB or 16GB of RAM and up to 1TB of internal storage. It is equipped with a 4,880mAh battery that supports 120W wired charging and 50W wireless HyperCharge. The phone is currently available for pre-order in China, with prices ranging from CNY 4,999 (approx. USD $684) for the base model to CNY 5,999 (approx. USD $821) for the top variant. Global availability and regional pricing are yet to be confirmed.
## Xiaomi 14
The Xiaomi 14 is positioned as a slightly more compact and affordable alternative to the 14 Pro. It features a 6.36-inch screen, 1200 x 2670 OLED display with variable refresh rate, and a significantly higher peak brightness of 3,000 nits. The camera setup on the 14 is nearly identical to that of the 14 Pro, with a trio of 50MP rear-facing cameras. However, the wide-angle module in the 14 utilizes the same 1/1.31″ sensor as the 14 Pro, while the aperture is fixed at f/1.6.
Similar to the 14 Pro, the Xiaomi 14 runs on a Qualcomm SM8650-AB Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 SoC and offers up to 16GB of RAM and 1TB of storage. Its 4,610mAh battery supports up to 90W wired charging and 50W wireless charging. The Xiaomi 14 is available for pre-order in China, with prices ranging from CNY 4,299 (approx. USD $591) to CNY 4,999 (approx. USD $684) depending on the configuration.
In conclusion, while the Xiaomi 14 Pro and Xiaomi 14 offer various improvements and upgraded features compared to their predecessors, the decision to use a smaller camera sensor can be considered a downgrade in terms of light sensitivity and low-light performance. However, other enhancements in the camera setup and overall device specifications make these phones worth considering.
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