This year, I have had the opportunity to test two flagship models from Xiaomi – the Xiaomi 14 and the Xiaomi 14 Ultra. Both of these smartphones have left a lasting impression, particularly with their outstanding display and camera quality. Now, I am diving into the third member of the series, the Xiaomi 14 Civi. Positioned as the most affordable option within the Xiaomi 14 lineup, the 14 Civi is notably the cheapest smartphone to feature the Leica camera setup. After spending approximately two weeks with the device, I can confidently say that the Xiaomi 14 Civi delivers the essence of a flagship experience, boasting a stunning display and a superb point-and-shoot camera, all while being considerably more budget-friendly. I would describe it as an “affordable flagship phone.”
When I first shared my initial impressions of the Xiaomi 14 Civi, I mentioned that it “feels like it has the good genes of both the Xiaomi 14 and Xiaomi 14 Ultra,” and a week later, I still hold that view. Over the past two weeks, I have been using the Xiaomi 14 Civi as my primary device, and I wholeheartedly recommend it for anyone looking in the sub-Rs 50,000 price segment.
You can also check out our interview with Xiaomi India CMO Anuj Sharma, who believes that with the Xiaomi 14 Civi in the sub-Rs 50K segment, the company has truly brought a “gun to a knife fight.”
Returning to the Xiaomi 14 Civi, during my two weeks of testing, I thoroughly enjoyed the phone’s display, performance, and camera capabilities. However, what I have found most impressive is its design and build quality. While the battery life isn’t exceptional, the 67W fast charger more than compensates for it. Let’s delve into the details of my experience with the Xiaomi 14 Civi, but first, here’s a brief overview of its key specifications.
The Xiaomi 14 Civi is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 chipset, paired with up to 12GB of LPDDR5X RAM and 512GB of UFS 4.0 storage. Notably, the smartphone is significantly lighter than both the Xiaomi 14 and 14 Ultra, weighing just 177 grams, and boasts a slim profile with a thickness of 72.7mm.
Photography stands out as a key feature of the Xiaomi 14 Civi. It utilizes Leica lenses, including the Summilux lens seen in the 14 and 14 Ultra. The triple camera setup comprises a 50-megapixel main camera equipped with a Light Hunter 800 image sensor, optical image stabilization (OIS), and a 25mm equivalent focal length. The secondary camera features a 50-megapixel telephoto lens with a 50mm portrait focal length and 2x zoom. The third camera is a 12-megapixel ultra-wide lens with a 120-degree field of view and a 15mm equivalent focal length. The rear cameras support HDR 4K recording at 30 fps and 4K video recording at 24/30/60 fps.
For selfies, the Xiaomi 14 Civi boasts a dual-camera setup, featuring a 32-megapixel primary camera and a 32-megapixel ultra-wide camera. The front cameras also support 4K recording at 30 fps, Night mode, HDR, and various other modes.
The device is equipped with a 4,700mAh battery that supports 67W fast charging. Additionally, it includes a dedicated cooling system known as the Xiaomi IceLoop system. Other notable features include an in-screen fingerprint sensor, AI face unlock, Bluetooth 5.4, Wi-Fi 6, and NFC support.
With the Xiaomi 14 Civi, I have relished the experience of using a smartphone that is both compact and equipped with a large display. It is lightweight and sleek, without compromising on camera or battery performance.
The phone offers excellent one-handed usability. I have the matcha green variant, which is visually appealing. The rear panel of my variant features part faux leather, reminiscent of the Xiaomi 14 Ultra, and the other part boasts a wood-pressed mother of pearl-like finish, which is unique to each matcha green unit. The device also has a distinctive circular camera module, evoking the design of the Xiaomi 14 Ultra. What truly stands out, besides its light weight, is the display. The smartphone features a quad-curved display, which is touted as a world’s first. The display of the Xiaomi 14 Civi beautifully marries the advantages of both curved and flat displays. It eliminates the distortions typical of flat displays while retaining the superior usability of curved screens, reducing mistouch incidents and providing thinner bezels.
The display itself is stunning, bright, and rich in color. Watching social media content, shows, or movies on the phone is an absolute pleasure. The colors remain vibrant even under direct sunlight. Using the phone on 120Hz refresh rate settings, I found the display’s responsiveness and animations to be remarkably smooth. This smooth experience was consistent with the overall performance of the smartphone. Throughout the 15-day testing period, I encountered no lag, whether I was using multiple apps simultaneously, multitasking, or switching between apps. Despite numerous apps running in the background, there were no noticeable lags or heating issues.
While charging the device or during gaming sessions, I did notice it heating up slightly, but it never became hot enough to disrupt my usage. For testing the device’s heating issues, I chose to conduct the tests indoors in air-conditioned environments, avoiding outdoor conditions. Despite the Delhi heatwave, the phone remained cool when used outside. Minor heating issues quickly dissipated, which is quite reassuring.
Regarding battery life, the Xiaomi 14 Civi doesn’t last as long as I had hoped. It comfortably lasts through the day with moderate usage, but I often find myself needing to charge it by the end of the day. With heavy usage, you might need to charge it even sooner. I kept a log of the phone’s battery performance. On June 13, my phone’s battery was at 7% at 4:11 PM. After plugging it in, it reached 100% by around 4:45 PM. That evening, I browsed through social media, made a few calls, including a WhatsApp video call, and by the next morning, at 10:39 AM, the battery was down to 10%. It further dropped to 8% by 11:09 AM. Despite the average battery performance, the 67W fast charging adapter included in the box compensates well. It took about 42 minutes to charge the phone from 0 to 100%.
As for the user experience, HyperOS is a significant improvement over MIUI. It is cleaner, lighter, and while not entirely free of bloatware, it offers more customization options. Spending a few minutes personalizing the device can greatly enhance the user interface. HyperOS is also much more intuitive compared to MIUI. Personally, I am very pleased with the enhancements in the user experience brought by HyperOS.
