Xiaomi 14 Ultra vs Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra: Which is a Better Buy?

When comparing two feature-packed high-end phones, it’s hard to say that either one is inferior or weak. They always offer the best of everything, albeit with differences in individual details or purpose. 

The Galaxy S24 Ultra and Xiaomi 14 Ultra are flesh-and-blood flagships that run under the control of the most powerful mobile processor on the market and their camera setups allow you to think about serious photography and filming. 

However, which will be the better buy for you? We’ve compared the two models to help you make that decision. 

Differences between the Xiaomi 14 Ultra and the Galaxy S24 Ultra 

Design & Build 

The Galaxy S24 Ultra is comprised of tempered glass sheets on the front and rear, joined by a metal frame. The Xiaomi 14 Ultra has the same design, although another option is a model with an eco-leather back. Each of the phones can also have titanium components. 

The casing of each of the compared models is waterproof, as confirmed by their IP68 rating. However, Samsung’s signature features are the heavily angular corners and the stylus housed within the case. 

Both phones are quite heavy – the Xiaomi 14 Ultra weighs 220-230g (depending on the finish) and the Galaxy S24 Ultra weighs over 230 grams. The Samsung phone’s dimensions are 162.3 x 79 x 8.6mm, while Xiaomi’s option measures 161.4 x 75.3 x 9.2 mm. 

When it comes to the design of these phones, the Galaxy S24 Ultra is the only one of the current Samsung models that stands out visually from the rest of the portfolio. The angular body, the screen filling almost the entire front and the distinctive camera layout immediately reveal that we are dealing with an Ultra phone. 

The design of the Xiaomi 14 Ultra is also distinctive, with the most noticable feature being the large circular camera island on the back. It brings to mind classic cameras and the reference isn’t accidental. 

Screen & Speakers 

The Xiaomi 14 Ultra distinguishes itself with a unique display design, featuring a flat AMOLED panel beneath a beautifully curved glass exterior. This innovative approach eliminates issues associated with curved screens, such as image distortion and accidental touches, offering both aesthetic appeal and practical usability. 

Boasting a 6.73-inch screen with a high pixel density of 522ppi, it supports advanced display technologies like Dolby Vision and HDR10+, ensuring vibrant colours and deep contrasts suitable for multimedia enthusiasts. 

The adaptive refresh rate, powered by LPTO technology, ranges from 120Hz for smooth performance to 1Hz for power efficiency, complementing its exceptional brightness capabilities – a typical 1000 nits, peaking at 3000 nits and measuring at 736 nits in real-world scenarios. 

Conveniently embedded within the display is a fast and accessible fingerprint scanner. 

Conversely, the S24 Ultra has transitioned to a completely flat 6.8-inch AMOLED display, departing from its previous curved screen iterations for a sleeker profile. This shift enhances clarity with options for 1080p or Quad HD+ resolutions, leveraging OLED technology to deliver rich colours and deep blacks ideal for immersive video experiences. 

The LTPO display facilitates adaptive refresh rates between 1-120Hz, optimising battery efficiency and smoothness, albeit with a fixed alternative of 60Hz. Samsung claims a peak brightness of 2600 nits, ensuring excellent outdoor visibility with reduced reflectivity from Gorilla Armor glass. The device’s slim bezel and minimised camera cut-out contribute to an expansive, nearly bezel-less front design. 

An ultrasonic fingerprint scanner integrated into the display enhances security, though its smaller target area may affect user experience. 

In terms of audio capabilities, the Xiaomi 14 Ultra compensates the absence of a headphone jack by delivering high-fidelity sound through its stereo speakers. Similarly, the S24 Ultra also provides robust stereo sound via its built-in speakers, boasting clear bass and no distortion at maximum volume. 

Ultimately, the choice here hinges on individual priorities regarding design, audio quality and usability features. Xiaomi 14 Ultra’s screen is brighter, but if you prefer a bigger screen, go for the Galaxy S24 Ultra. Besides that, they are pretty similar. 

Specs & Performance 

The Xiaomi 14 Ultra is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset, delivering exceptional performance paired with a 16GB of RAM and up to 512GB of storage (in the UK). This configuration surpasses the S24 Ultra in memory capacity, ensuring seamless operation across a spectrum of tasks. Its ‘Dual-Channel IceLoop System’ efficiently manages thermal dissipation, maintaining optimal internal temperatures during extended usage. 

Beyond raw performance, the 14 Ultra excels in connectivity with support for 5G, Wi-Fi 7 (available in select markets), dual nano-SIM slots, Bluetooth 5.4 with dual connections, NFC capabilities and an IR blaster for added convenience in device control, such as managing TVs directly from the phone. 

Meanwhile, the Galaxy S24 Ultra leverages the same Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset tailored for Samsung’s ecosystem, focusing on delivering a balanced performance and connectivity experience. 

Equipped with 12GB of RAM across all variants and offering storage options up to 1TB, the S24 Ultra also seamlessly handles everyday tasks, multimedia consumption and mobile gaming. Its efficient cooling system ensures sustained performance under intensive workloads. 

Connectivity features include 5G support, Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.3 and NFC, catering to future-proofed wireless needs, especially in markets demanding robust connectivity solutions. 

In our Geekbench 5 multi-core test, the Xiaomi 14 Ultra scored 6675 points, while the Galaxy S24 Ultra came in ahead scoring 7141 points. This is an interesting result, given Xiaomi’s larger RAM. 

In conclusion, both the Xiaomi 14 Ultra and Galaxy S24 Ultra utilise Qualcomm’s latest chipset to offer impressive performance and connectivity. However, the choice here falls more on the Galaxy S24 Ultra, which delivers an almost identical seamless everyday experience while offering better raw performance. 

Cameras & Video 

The Xiaomi 14 Ultra stands out with its comprehensive photography setup, featuring four rear cameras co-developed with Leica, all boasting a formidable 50Mp resolution. 

The main camera impresses with optical image stabilisation (OIS), a large 1-inch sensor and a variable aperture from f/1.63 to f/4.0, ensuring versatile performance across different lighting conditions. Supported by an ultrawide lens, a 3.2x floating telescope and a periscope camera providing 5x optical zoom, all utilising the Sony IMX858 sensor (except the ultrawide without OIS), the 14 Ultra offers focal lengths equivalent to 12mm to 120mm. 

Image quality is exceptional, often rivalling dedicated DSLR cameras, capturing natural bokeh and stunning detail. The 32Mp selfie camera ensures high-quality photos and videos up to 4K resolution, while the rear cameras support up to 8K video recording at 30fps, preferred at 4K and 60fps for stability using OIS. 

The ultrawide lens excels in capturing expansive scenes with minimal distortion and the telephoto lenses maintain detail and colour accuracy at high zoom levels up to 30x. 

The optional Photography Kit enhances functionality with a camera grip attachment, featuring a two-stage shutter, zoom lever, record button, customisable wheel and a 1500mAh battery for extended use, further elevating its appeal as a camera-centric smartphone. 

In contrast, the Galaxy S24 Ultra has revamped its camera hardware, replacing the 10Mp 10x telephoto lens with a new 50Mp sensor offering 5x optical zoom, enhancing usability in real-world scenarios by minimizing reliance on inferior digital zoom beyond 5x. The introduction of ‘Quad Telephoto’ setup also maintains impressive image quality up to 10x zoom, retaining the 100x ‘Space Zoom’ for extreme magnification needs. 

The main camera utilises pixel binning to produce efficient 12.5Mp stills from its high-resolution sensor, delivering excellent detail and dynamic range with Samsung’s trademark vibrant colour profile. It performs well in diverse shooting scenarios, complemented by a 12Mp ultrawide lens with a 120˚ field of view that captures expansive scenes with minimal quality compromise. 

The 12Mp front camera excels in handling exposure for selfies and video calls. Video recording capabilities reach up to 8K, although 1080p at 30fps is preferred for stable footage using OIS across all lenses.  

Overall, the Xiaomi 14 Ultra shines as a versatile choice for photography enthusiasts with its robust camera setup and intuitive controls, ideal for capturing detailed shots across various focal lengths. 

Meanwhile, the Galaxy S24 Ultra emphasises usability and image quality enhancements, offering impressive zoom capabilities and video performance, albeit with occasional trade-offs in point-and-shoot consistency compared to Xiaomi 14 Ultra.

Ultimately, if you are looking for a phone for photography, the Xiaomi 14 Ultra will prove to be a better choice. However, the Galaxy S24 Ultra is also known for its great photo results. 

Battery Life & Charging 

Both the Xiaomi 14 Ultra and Galaxy S24 Ultra feature a 5000mAh battery, which is standard among 2024 flagship smartphones. 

In PCMark’s battery test, the Xiaomi 14 Ultra lasted a respectable 12 hours and 25 minutes, adequate for typical daily usage but not exceptional. It reliably lasts a full day under normal use and extends to two days with lighter usage, excluding intensive activities like gaming or 4K video recording. 

Charging is a standout feature for the Xiaomi 14 Ultra with its included 90W HyperCharge adapter. It achieves rapid charging speeds, reaching 52% in just 15 minutes and 88% in 30 minutes, significantly outpacing Galaxy S24 Ultra. 

Additionally, the 14 Ultra supports impressive 80W wireless HyperCharge and 10W reverse wireless charging, accommodating Qi-compatible devices like wireless earbuds. However, the substantial camera bump can hinder wireless charging efficiency, requiring precise positioning on chargers such as the Pixel Stand 2 for optimal functionality. 

The Galaxy S24 Ultra can last nearly three days with minimal power consumption, making it convenient for users who prefer less frequent charging. Even on heavy-use days, the S24 Ultra reliably lasts a full day, barring extensive gaming sessions. 

In PCMark’s battery test, it achieved an impressive 14 hours and 14 minutes, showcasing its efficiency despite the large, high-resolution display and adaptive refresh rate settings. 

However, charging is a drawback for the S24 Ultra, limited to 45W, which falls behind Xiaomi 14 Ultra. Moreover, Samsung does not include a cable or power brick in the box, unlike Xiaomi’s approach. 

With a personal charger, the S24 Ultra reached 30% in 15 minutes and 63% in 30 minutes, with a full charge taking approximately 70 minutes, slower than the Xiaomi 14 Ultra’s top-tier…