• Xiaomi has unveiled its latest flagship phone – the 14 Ultra.
• The device was teased for a global unveiling at MWC 24 this weekend, but has been showcased early in China.
• The big talking point of the phone is its camera – a quartet of 50MP lenses within a Leica co-designed housing.

This weekend, Sunday 25th February to be precise, a number of smartphone makers will be showcasing their new wares on the eve of Mobile World Congress 2024.

Xiaomi was one such company, which teased the debut of its new flagship, the 14 Ultra on Day Zero of the week-long MWC, but the Chinese manufacturer could not wait that long and has revealed the device in its native country a couple of days early.

It remains to be seen how the Chinese iteration would differ from the global version, if any, but the early preview gives us an idea of how important photography is for Xiaomi on its flagship phones.

This as the 14 Ultra features an impressive quarter of 50MP lenses on the rear, along with Leica having assisted with the engineering of the array and its supporting elements.

For the primary option, Sony’s second generation 1-inch mobile camera sensor, the LYT-900, is present. As Engadget points out, the camera array will likely see the Xiaomi 14 Ultra go toe-to-toe with the OPPO Find X7 Ultra, with the former having a slight edge when it comes to its f/1.63 aperture.

As always, however, the actual in-hand testing will determine which is best.

Leica’s Summilux designation is found on the remaining three lenses, which are quite similar to the previous generation of Xiaomi Ultra flagship phone.

The Chinese phone maker has also leaned in on the fact that 2024 is the Year of the Dragon, as the 14 Ultra boats Dragon Armor. No this isn’t an HBO Max tie in, but rather a specialised 6M42 aluminum alloy mid-frame that doubles the bending resistance of the phone. Xiaomi has even gone so far as to say it is 8 percent stronger than the titanium frame found on Apple’s iPhone 15 Pro models.

Sticking with the Chinese zodiac theme, Dragon Crystal is found for the display, which is said to be 10 times more drop resistant and made by TCL.

At the time of writing, it still remains to be seen when the new flagship phone will be launched in other regions outside of China, but Sunday’s press conference should clear that up, along with recommended pricing for the device.

It is unlikely that the 14 Ultra will land in SA in an official capacity, but Xiaomi may change its mind in that regard, so we’ll need to wait to see what happens on that front.

The full specifications of the Xiaomi 14 Ultra are as follows: