[Review] Xiaomi Phone Featuring 'Leica Camera'... Various AI Functions Ideal for Work Use

Equipped with Leica 'Summilux' Lens, Xiaomi 14T
Perfect as a Second Phone Thanks to Various AI Services
Launched at Around 600,000 KRW... Higher Specs Than Galaxy S25

Chinese home appliance brand Xiaomi, known as a symbol of cost-effectiveness (performance relative to price), has unveiled its secret weapon: the ‘Leica camera.’ Thanks to this, Xiaomi’s newly launched ‘14T’ model is relatively affordable but matches flagship devices like Galaxy and iPhone in camera performance.

The Xiaomi 14T smartphone, the first model released after Xiaomi established its domestic corporation, is on display. Photo by Xiaomi

It uses the latest ‘Summilux’ optical lens from German optics company Leica to enhance photo sensitivity. Sitting in a cafe and shooting in ‘Leica Authentic’ mode gave off a vintage vibe, as if taken with an old film camera.

When photos taken with the Xiaomi 14T and iPhone 16 were presented in a blind test to five acquaintances of a journalist known for ‘emotional photography,’ all five preferred the former. Park (31), who participated in the survey, said, “iPhone photos were too sharp, so I chose Xiaomi’s photos with more realistic colors,” adding, “I never thought of Xiaomi. I thought it was a comparison between Galaxy and iPhone.” In fact, the US IT media PhoneArena gave the Xiaomi 14T a photo quality score of 7.2, the same as the Galaxy S25 (7.2).

Looking at the Xiaomi 14T device, three cameras and one flash are arranged in a square structure on the back. Both the main and telephoto rear cameras have 50 million pixels. The basic zoom levels are 0.6x, 1x, 2x, and 4x, and manual operation allows up to 20x zoom. However, using zoom beyond 4x caused some image quality degradation due to excessive post-processing.

Photos taken with Xiaomi 14T (left) and iPhone 16 (right). The photo taken with the iPhone 16 showed relatively clear leaf details and an overall yellow tone. Photo by Jeon Young-joo

If you keep a separate phone for work, the Xiaomi 14T is perfect as a so-called ‘two-phone’ device. Its built-in artificial intelligence (AI) services greatly improve work efficiency. It was especially convenient that photos of documents or screens are corrected to look like scanned copies. Whether it was paper books or PPT screens displayed by presenters at discussions and seminars, they were instantly converted into document format. Additionally, the ‘AI Interpreter’ function provides real-time translation during calls and online meetings, then converts the recorded audio into text. In collaboration with Google, the Xiaomi 14T also includes the ‘Circle to Search’ feature, which allows users to press and hold the home button to search all information on the screen without switching applications (apps).

The Xiaomi 14T was released domestically at a price range of 599,800 to 649,800 KRW, about half the Galaxy S25’s launch price (1,155,000 KRW). It comes in Titan Gray, Titan Blue, Titan Black, and Lemon Green colors, with a non-metallic back material. The battery capacity is 5000mAh, higher than the Galaxy S25’s 4000mAh. The refresh rate is also 144Hz (144 times per second), higher than the Galaxy S25’s 120Hz.