Xiaomi has made significant strides in the smartphone market, consistently offering devices that balance performance, design, and affordability. The Xiaomi 14 Civi, the latest in their Civi series, is no exception. This mid-range phone promises to bring flagship features to a more affordable price point, appealing to a broad audience. In this comprehensive hands-on review, we delve into the design, display, performance, camera, software, and battery life of the Xiaomi 14 Civi to see if it lives up to the hype.
Design and Build Quality
Elegant Aesthetics
The Xiaomi 14 Civi stands out with its sleek and elegant design. The phone features a glass front and back, with a sturdy aluminum frame. The back panel has a matte finish that feels premium to the touch and reduces fingerprint smudges. Xiaomi offers the device in several color options, including Black, Blue, and Pink, each with a gradient effect that catches the light beautifully.
Slim and Lightweight
One of the most notable aspects of the Xiaomi 14 Civi is its slim profile. Measuring just 6.98mm in thickness and weighing only 166 grams, the phone is exceptionally comfortable to hold and use. The reduced weight is a welcome change, especially for users who prefer a lightweight device without compromising on features.
Ergonomics and Button Placement
The ergonomics of the Xiaomi 14 Civi are well thought out. The volume rocker and power button are conveniently placed on the right side, within easy reach. The power button also doubles as a fingerprint sensor, providing quick and secure access to the phone. The bottom of the device houses the USB-C port, speaker grille, and SIM tray, while the top features a secondary microphone and IR blaster.
Display
Vibrant and Smooth
The Xiaomi 14 Civi boasts a 6.55-inch AMOLED display with a resolution of 2400 x 1080 pixels. The screen delivers vibrant colors, deep blacks, and excellent contrast, making it perfect for multimedia consumption. Whether you’re watching videos, playing games, or browsing social media, the display offers an immersive experience.
High Refresh Rate
One of the standout features of the display is its 120Hz refresh rate. This high refresh rate ensures smooth scrolling and fluid animations, enhancing the overall user experience. It’s particularly beneficial for gaming, where a faster refresh rate can make a noticeable difference in responsiveness.
HDR10+ Support
The Xiaomi 14 Civi’s display also supports HDR10+, allowing for a wider range of colors and better contrast in supported content. This makes watching HDR videos on platforms like Netflix and YouTube a visual treat, with more detail in both the brightest and darkest parts of the image.
In-Display Fingerprint Sensor
In addition to the side-mounted fingerprint sensor, the Xiaomi 14 Civi includes an in-display fingerprint sensor. This dual option allows users to choose their preferred method of unlocking the device. Both sensors are fast and accurate, providing a seamless unlocking experience.
Performance
Powerful Processor
Under the hood, the Xiaomi 14 Civi is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 778G+ chipset. This mid-range processor is known for its efficiency and performance, handling everyday tasks with ease. Whether you’re multitasking, streaming content, or playing games, the Snapdragon 778G+ ensures smooth performance without any noticeable lag.
Ample RAM and Storage
The Xiaomi 14 Civi comes with 8GB or 12GB of RAM, depending on the variant. The generous amount of RAM ensures that the phone can handle multiple apps running in the background without slowing down. For storage, users can choose between 128GB and 256GB options, providing ample space for apps, photos, and videos.
Gaming Performance
Gaming on the Xiaomi 14 Civi is a pleasant experience, thanks to the Adreno 642L GPU. Popular titles like PUBG Mobile, Call of Duty: Mobile, and Asphalt 9 run smoothly at high settings. The device also includes a liquid cooling system that helps manage heat during extended gaming sessions, ensuring consistent performance.
Benchmark Scores
In benchmark tests, the Xiaomi 14 Civi performs admirably. It scores around 500,000 on AnTuTu, placing it comfortably in the upper mid-range category. In Geekbench, it achieves a single-core score of approximately 800 and a multi-core score of around 3,000. These scores reflect the phone’s capability to handle demanding tasks with ease.
Camera
Versatile Triple Camera Setup
The Xiaomi 14 Civi features a versatile triple camera setup on the back. The primary camera is a 64MP sensor with an f/1.8 aperture, capable of capturing detailed and vibrant photos in various lighting conditions. The secondary camera is an 8MP ultra-wide-angle lens with a 120-degree field of view, perfect for capturing landscapes and group shots. The third camera is a 2MP macro lens, allowing for close-up shots with impressive detail.
Impressive Daylight Performance
In daylight conditions, the primary camera of the Xiaomi 14 Civi shines. Photos are sharp, with accurate colors and good dynamic range. The AI scene detection helps optimize settings for different scenes, enhancing the overall quality of the images. The ultra-wide-angle camera also performs well, capturing expansive scenes without significant distortion.
Low-Light Photography
Low-light performance is often a challenge for mid-range phones, but the Xiaomi 14 Civi manages to hold its own. The primary camera, with its large aperture and pixel-binning technology, captures more light, resulting in brighter and clearer photos in low-light conditions. The dedicated night mode further improves the quality by reducing noise and enhancing details.
Macro and Portrait Modes
The macro camera on the Xiaomi 14 Civi allows for creative close-up shots. While the 2MP resolution is not the highest, it still manages to capture decent details when you get up close to the subject. Portrait mode, powered by AI, does a good job of creating a natural bokeh effect, separating the subject from the background with pleasing results.
Selfie Camera
On the front, the Xiaomi 14 Civi is equipped with a 32MP selfie camera. This high-resolution sensor ensures that selfies are sharp and detailed. The front camera also supports portrait mode and AI beautification features, allowing users to enhance their selfies with various effects.
Software
MIUI 13
The Xiaomi 14 Civi runs on MIUI 13, based on Android 12. MIUI 13 brings several enhancements and features to the table, including improved performance, better battery optimization, and new customization options. The user interface is smooth and responsive, with a plethora of settings to tweak the phone to your liking.
Customization and Themes
One of the strengths of MIUI is its extensive customization options. Users can change themes, icons, fonts, and wallpapers to personalize their device. The MIUI theme store offers a wide variety of themes to choose from, allowing users to give their phone a unique look and feel.
Privacy and Security Features
MIUI 13 also includes several privacy and security features. Users can control app permissions, lock specific apps with a password or fingerprint, and use the secure folder to store sensitive files. The built-in antivirus and malware scanner provides an added layer of security, ensuring that the device remains safe from threats.
Bloatware and Ads
One of the criticisms of MIUI has been the presence of bloatware and ads. While the Xiaomi 14 Civi does come with some pre-installed apps that users might not need, most of them can be uninstalled. Ads are also present in some of the system apps, but they can be disabled through the settings.
Battery Life
Long-Lasting Battery
The Xiaomi 14 Civi is equipped with a 4,500mAh battery, which provides ample power for a full day of use. With moderate usage, including browsing, social media, streaming, and gaming, the phone easily lasts a day and a half on a single charge. Power users might need to top up the battery by the end of the day, but the battery life is generally impressive.
Fast Charging
When it comes to charging, the Xiaomi 14 Civi supports 55W fast charging. This means you can quickly recharge the battery and get back to using your phone without long waits. In our tests, the phone went from 0% to 100% in just under an hour, which is quite convenient for users who are always on the go.
Battery Optimization Features
MIUI 13 includes several battery optimization features that help extend battery life. The battery saver mode reduces background activity and lowers performance to conserve power. Additionally, users can monitor battery usage and identify apps that are consuming excessive power, allowing for better management of battery life.
Connectivity and Additional Features
5G Connectivity
The Xiaomi 14 Civi supports 5G connectivity, ensuring that users can take advantage of faster download and upload speeds where available. This future-proofs the device, making it a good investment as 5G networks continue to expand globally.
Wi-Fi and Bluetooth
The phone comes with Wi-Fi 6 support, providing faster and more stable internet connectivity. Bluetooth 5.2 ensures seamless pairing with accessories like headphones, speakers, and smartwatches. The improved range and speed of Bluetooth 5.2 enhance the overall user experience.
Stereo Speakers
The Xiaomi 14 Civi features stereo speakers that deliver clear and balanced sound. Whether you’re watching videos or listening to music, the audio quality is impressive for a mid-range device. The inclusion of stereo speakers adds to the multimedia experience, providing richer and more immersive sound.
IR Blaster
An interesting addition to the Xiaomi 14 Civi is the IR blaster, which allows users to control household appliances like TVs and air conditioners using their phone. This feature is becoming rarer