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| Xiaomi 14 CV Review |
Matcha tea has a lot of health benefits, but it's got something of an acquired taste. The new Xiaomi 14 CV in Matcha Green also has a bit of an acquired taste. The 14 CV marks the official entry of Xiaomi's CV series in India. It's a design and camera-focused phone, with a strong emphasis on lifestyle, especially highlighted by its Leica branding.
Design and Build
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| Xiaomi 14 CV Design |
The Matcha Green variant of the Xiaomi 14 CV features the most premium-feeling soft-touch finish I've used to date. It includes a unique strip of glass, which Xiaomi claims has a distinct pattern for each device, making my Macha Green variant different from others. The design grew on me over time and is likely to be polarizing. If you’re not a fan of this color, you can opt for the black variant, which also looks very good.
One of the standout features of the 14 CV is its slim and lightweight design. It's very comfortable to hold and use with one hand, thanks to the micro quad curve on both the display and the rear. The aluminum frame adds to the premium feel. However, the phone lacks an IP67 or IP68 rating, and the Type-C port at the bottom is Type-C 2.0. As with all Xiaomi phones, it comes with an IR Blaster.
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Display
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| Xiaomi 14 CV display |
Xiaomi’s micro quad curved displays are generally gorgeous, and the one on the Xiaomi 14 CV is no exception. It features a 6.55-inch AMOLED panel with bright and colorful visuals. For better color accuracy, you can use the original ProColor mode. The display can reach a peak brightness of 3,000 nits for HDR content and supports Dolby Vision on Netflix. The HDR tuning is well done, with good shadow detail and highlight control. It remains bright even in outdoor conditions.
The glass protection is top-notch with Corning's Gorilla Glass Victus 2, which offers better scratch resistance compared to Victus 1. The haptic feedback is crisp and well-tuned with the UI, and the optical in-display fingerprint scanner, though slightly low, is very fast.
Audio and Performance
The stereo speakers on the Xiaomi 14 CV are excellent, with Dolby Atmos support providing loud and rich sound. For audio enthusiasts, it has Hi-Res and Hi-Res Wireless certification.
In terms of performance, the Xiaomi 14 CV impresses with solid benchmarks. It achieved the highest AnTuTu score ever for a Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 device. In the CPU throttle test, it managed a stability score of 86% with 40 threads running for 30 minutes. The UFS 4.0 storage contributes to exceptional read and write speeds. In the Genshin Impact test, it maintained an average FPS of 57.86 at the highest settings without overheating excessively, touching a maximum skin temperature of 43.4°C. The phone includes a 4,000 mm² vapor cooling chamber, though the frame can get hot under heavy performance and camera use.
Also Read: Nothing Phone 2A Plus Review: Is It Worth the Upgrade?
Battery Life and Charging
The Xiaomi 14 CV is equipped with a 4,700 mAh battery. While I didn’t have enough time for a thorough battery run, it should last about a day's worth of usage. It supports 67W turbocharging, allowing a full charge in under 45 minutes.
Connectivity and Features
The phone supports a range of features including 5G bands, Wi-Fi 6, NFC, and Bluetooth 5.4. My experience with a Geo SIM card was flawless, with consistent 5G connectivity throughout the testing period.
Camera System
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| Xiaomi 14 CV camera |
The Leica collaboration brings a triple camera setup to the rear of the Xiaomi 14 CV, consisting of a 50 MP primary camera, a 50 MP 2x portrait lens, and a 12 MP ultra-wide lens. The front features dual 32 MP selfie cameras that support four zoom levels (0.6x, 0.8x, 1x, and 2x). The selfies are good-looking, but the beautification mode should be turned off in low light, as it tends to brighten faces more than they are.
The primary camera captures detailed, high-contrast images. While the Leica mode can create impressive black-and-white shots, it may blow out highlights in medium dynamic range scenes. Skin tones are accurate with both the primary and 2x portrait lenses. Low-light shots with the primary camera are crisp and bright, but low-light ultra-wide and telephoto shots are less impressive. The ultra-wide lens performs well in daylight, and the portrait lens produces good results with 25 mm and 50 mm options.
Videos can be recorded at 4K 60 FPS with the primary and telephoto cameras, while the ultra-wide lens supports only 4K 30 FPS. The master video option is available, and professional videographers can add their own LUTs.
Software
The Xiaomi 14 CV runs on MIUI based on Android 14, with Xiaomi promising 3 years of software updates and 4 years of security updates. MIUI has improved significantly, featuring smooth animations and useful customization options. However, there are a few dark patterns during setup, and the Game Center app generates a lot of notifications. Despite these issues, MIUI’s UI design is clean and neat.
Conclusion
The Xiaomi 14 CV certainly has an acquired taste, from its design to its camera output. It offers a distinctive experience that sets it apart from other phones in its price range. If you're interested in a detailed review or a comparison with other phones, let me know in the comments section below. I’ll see you in the next one—until then, keep tracking and stay safe.
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