On the evening of February 22, 2024, at the Xiaomi 14 Ultra and "People, Cars, and Home Full Ecology" new product launch conference held by Xiaomi, the Xiaomi 14 Ultra, which has the highest positioning in the Xiaomi 14 series, was officially unveiled. Regarding the detailed test of the performance, image and other aspects of this top flagship, we have spent a lot of time preparing for Sanyi Life, and the detailed content will be officially launched in the future.
But this does not mean that there is nothing else to say about this new machine now. Today, we will take the opportunity of this press conference to talk to you about Xiaomi's top flagship of this generation, as well as their current product ideas.
After four generations of polishing and evolution, Xiaomi's image has a new direction
As we all know, Xiaomi's first "Image Super Cup" is the Xiaomi Mi 10 Ultra released at the 10th anniversary celebration. Compared with other similar flagships in the same period, its biggest feature is that it debuted a domestic super-large bottom 48 million pixel main camera CMOS, and also took the lead in bringing a 120x ultra-telephoto zoom design.
For Xiaomi itself, this model also means that Xiaomi has begun to abandon the previous "pixel-only" design idea, and officially pursues "outsole + high sensitivity".
After that, the Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra was the first generation of Xiaomi to try to create a "super cup". It uses a larger (1 112 inches) main camera, while reducing the number of rear cameras, replaced by the design idea of "full main camera" and "full outsole".
The follow-up Xiaomi 12S Ultra obviously continued this line of thinking, but the debut IMX989 ushered in a new era of "1-inch" ultra-large bottom CMOS commonly equipped on top-of-the-line flagship models. At the same time, it also introduced Leica's optical design and color technology for the first time, and it was in the limelight for a while.
When it comes to the Xiaomi Mi 13 Ultra, the "independent portrait telephoto" design on the Mi 10 Ultra returns, with three main cameras becoming quadruple main cameras. And Xiaomi has replaced the new IMX858 in this generation, replacing the previous IMX586, no longer pursuing the absolute "full outsole", but putting the focus and white balance consistency of all rear cameras in a higher position. At the same time, the logic of its algorithm has also undergone great changes, and it has begun to pay more attention to "using algorithms to reproduce the natural feeling of optics".
And what about the Xiaomi 14 Ultra? First of all, in terms of hardware, its main camera has been upgraded from IMX989 to LYT-900. With lower sensor power consumption, it also "liberated" the full-time ISO fusion function, and began to pursue ultra-high dynamic range on the basis of "super large bottom".
Secondly, at the software level, Xiaomi 14 Ultra debuted a new self-developed computational imaging platform "Xiaomi AISP". Relying on the underlying architecture of the surging OS, it realizes the ability of CPU, GPU, ISP, and DSP to participate in image computing at the same time, making it possible to complete much more complex calculations with high dynamic range, wide depth of field and multi-level color in an instant.
Interestingly, on this basis, the tone design of the Xiaomi Mi 14 Ultra is no longer simply "real" and "professional", but also provides more modes. Users can continue to use the real "Leica Dual Camera", but they can also use the new "Master Portrait" for a more "good-looking" and eye-pleasing image experience on a high-quality basis.
Having said all this, do you think that the current image design of the Xiaomi Mi 14 Ultra is more "close to the people", and it is necessary to cater to the aesthetic tastes of more people and make it easy for more consumers to use?
That's true, but not quite, as the Xiaomi Mi 14 Ultra also offers a brand new "Professional Photography Kit". When you plug it in, you'll find that not only does it have a two-stage physical shutter button and a separate camera shutter, but the Xiaomi Mi 14 Ultra will default to "step zoom" in 1mm increments when using the kit, and you can use the new dial to quickly adjust**Compensation (EV).
Yes, it is necessary to make it easier for ordinary users to shoot "good**" and for professional creators to discover new, more serious (and even more complex) image experiences, which is the image design idea of the Xiaomi 14 Ultra this time.
Do you want to be easy to use or professional? The idea of the new flagship this time is very special
Interestingly, looking at the design and configuration of the entire Xiaomi 14 Ultra, you will find that this balance of "ease of use" and "professionalism" runs through almost every aspect of it.
For example, Xiaomi knows that people don't like large curved screens now, so they have equipped the Xiaomi 14 Ultra with the latest "congruent deep micro curved screen". But at the same time, the screen of the Xiaomi Mi 14 Ultra is not simply based on "peak brightness", but puts professional-grade color accuracy in the first place.
For another example, the Xiaomi Mi 14 Ultra adopts a new back design, canceling the conspicuous bulge structure of the previous generation, and increasing the fashion sense of the body through a more luxurious rear camera layered decorative structure. At the same time, it also debuted a new generation of Xiaomi's "Dragon Armor" architecture and conapi material, which has reached a higher level in terms of durability and drop resistance of the fuselage.
And that's not all, the Xiaomi Mi 14 Ultra also uses a "ring cold pump" vapor chamber inside the fuselage that can significantly enhance performance release and add to the gaming experience, and at the same time, it also specially expands the heat dissipation range of the vapor chamber by one piece, directly covering the high-heat CMOS part, thus bringing additional help to the stability of long-term shooting.
In addition, Xiaomi 14 Ultra also has a long-lost 80W high-power wireless fast charging this time, and the new 5300mAh "GSR battery" not only has a larger capacity and higher density, but also still puts the service life in the first place, and does not blindly adopt an ultra-high-power wired fast charging design.
Finally, Xiaomi 14 Ultra also has the most topical "two-way satellite communication" function in the top flagship, and through the self-developed "surging T1" signal enhancement chip, it has specially enhanced the speed of satellite search and the stability of satellite communication. But it's not just about satellite communication as a selling point, because the Xiaomi Mi 14 Ultra actually has two "surging T1s" inside, one for satellite communication and the other for enhancing the performance of everyday cellular networks (4G, 5G), and even WiFi and Bluetooth connections.
The human-vehicle-home ecology has been fully upgraded, and now it's not just interconnected
Finally, let's talk about Xiaomi's latest version of the human-vehicle-home interconnection ecosystem.
In the past, we have always said that the strongest thing about Xiaomi's AIoT compared to other competitors is its compatibility, the number of devices it can offer, and the types of devices it covers.
This is certainly a good thing. However, there is actually a hidden concern about this, that is, in order to really "use" so many interconnected ecological devices, many times it is necessary for experienced users to manually configure various linkage conditions and intelligent scenarios one by one.
So this actually becomes a similar problem to the previous Xiaomi 14 Ultra. In the past, Mijia products were cheap and high-quality, but in order to really "use" them thoroughly, there may be certain requirements for the professionalism of the users themselves.
Because of this, when Xiaomi released the new Xiaomi Pad 6S Pro, the new RedmiBook Pro 16 laptop, and showed the latest version of the human-car home ecology linked with it. The most eye-catching part of it is that with the gradual promotion of surging OS in Xiaomi's product line, it can realize multi-scene and multi-device based on the "hypermind" perception and computing system, and a more automated scene composition and linkage experience.
This also means that in the future, more and more interconnections between Xiaomi ecological products, and even the integration of functions, will become a process based on the spontaneous perception ability and automation of the device, which does not require users to have professional knowledge. Obviously, this will greatly reduce the threshold of detailed function experience of the "Xiaomi ecology" in a real sense, and make more ordinary consumers realize that "Xiaomi's products can be so smart, and it turns out that Xiaomi's ecology can really make life easier".