Officially launched at MWC 2024, the Xiaomi 14 is part of Xiaomi’s new smartphone series. Running on the top-end Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset and Android 14, the Xiaomi 14 promises powerful performance and a sleek build.
How does Xiaomi’s new smartphone compare with the most recent flagship Apple smartphone, the iPhone 15? Read on to see their key differences.
Xiaomi runs on Qualcomm, Apple runs on the A16 Bionic
As mentioned, the Xiaomi 14 runs on the powerful Snapdragon 3 Gen 8 which is Qualcomm’s top-end chipset for 2024.
Although we have yet to review the Xiaomi 14, we have tested other Android smartphones that run on the chipset. We’ve also found that those handsets, such as the OnePlus 12 or Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra, scored impressively with their Geekbench scores.
In comparison, iPhone 15 runs on the A16 Bionic Chip, which although is a perfectly capable processor, is not Apple’s most recent offering as it launched the A17 chip with the iPhone 15 Pro series. Still, neither of these phones are going to be left wanting when it comes to performance.
You’ll get much faster charging on the Xiaomi 14
Although the iPhone 15 does support fast charging, when compared to the Xiaomi 14’s promise it simply doesn’t match up. We found in our iPhone 15 review that it took 30 minutes to get from 0-50% and 90 minutes to get from 0-100%.
Although we haven’t yet fully reviewed the Xiaomi 14’s charging ability, Xiaomi claims a 0-100% charge will take around 30 minutes, thanks to its impressive 90W HyperCharge and from our early verdict, we did find this to be the case.
Xiaomi also claims that its 50W wireless charging should get a 0-100% charge in 46 minutes.
One phone has three cameras, the other has two
Featuring three 50MP cameras, including one main lens, a floating telephoto lens and an ultrawide lens, our first impressions of the Xiaomi 14’s photography and videography are positive.
The Xiaomi 14 houses its three cameras and flash setup in a neat square design at its rear. The iPhone 15 instead has a dual-camera system, with a 48MP main lens and ultrawide lens. You’ll also find dedicated camera software features on the iPhone 15, including Smart HDR and Deep Fusion, which ensure colours look realistically vibrant.
Both smartphones have more expensive counterparts in their respective series that are more focused towards photography, with the Xiaomi 14 Ultra and iPhone 15 Pro. However, both Xiaomi 14 and iPhone 15 boast more than capable abilities for everyday use.
Gorilla Glass vs Ceramic Shield
Although not the most up-to-date version of Corning’s Gorilla Glass, Xiaomi’s Victus screen still boasts impressive durability. Corning claims that Gorilla Glass Victus survives up to 2 metre drops onto hard, rough surfaces and has 4x better scratch resistance than competitive aluminosilicate.
In comparison, the iPhone 15 has a Ceramic Shield front, which is also made by Corning in collaboration with Apple. Apple claims that Ceramic Shield offers 4x drop protection, compared to previous models, so you can still expect high levels of durability.
Pricing and availability
The iPhone 15 starts at £799 for the 128GB model, although it’s often available for as low as £699. The Xiaomi 14 starts at £849, and it’s hitting shelves in Q1 2024.
