have been some of the best phones this year. Their Leica-tuned camera optics, sharp display, handy design, and flagship performance make them stand out in their respective segments. Some of these features have trickled down to a phone less than half the price of the Ultra – the Xiaomi 14 Civi, which brings Leica optics to the sub-$500/45,000 Indian Rupees market.
The Cinematic Vision offers a plethora of modes and settings to play around with while recording videos. It can record up to 4K@60 videos, and Movie mode gives you a widescreen aspect ratio of 2:4:1. It works well for the most part, and acts as a reliable video shooter.I love Xiaomi 14 Civi’s design because it feels comfortable to hold, even during long durations. I work, browse, read and doom scroll on my phone, and appreciate anything that doesn’t hurt my fingers and wrist like the iPhone.
The quad-curve display where the glass curves on the top adds to the comfortability and premium feel of the device. It’s easy to use with one hand, and if you’re someone who’s looking for a relatively compact phone in 2024, this might just fit your hands right.The Xiaomi 14 Civi features a 6.55-inch AMOLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate, 1.5K resolution, and support for Dolby Vision and HDR10+. The quad-curve didn’t distract me while watching videos.
I didn’t have any issues with day-to-day tasks that include juggling between work apps and social media/messaging apps like WhatsApp, Instagram, and X . However, it’s not meant for gaming. A Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 phone would fare better for games.The Xiaomi 14 Civi is an all-day phone. I was confident going out without a power bank and just the phone on me. The 4,700mAh battery supports 67W fast charging, which comes in handy when you’re running low on charge with less time on hand.