Xiaomi 14 Civi Review: Back with a Bang

The launch of the Xiaomi 14 Civi in India marks the arrival of a much-needed contender in the sub-Rs. 50,000 smartphone segment.

Xiaomi 14 Civi Review : Xiaomi Prepares for 10-Year Anniversary in India

This July, Xiaomi will celebrate a decade in India. Surprisingly, the company had not ventured into the sub-Rs. 50,000 segment until now, with the Xiaomi 14 Civi launch. The 14 Civi is set to challenge competitors in this price range with a premium look and flagship features.

Xiaomi has been actively expanding, recently launching the Xiaomi 14 and 14 Ultra. The Xiaomi 14 series targets the premium market, while models like Redmi and Redmi Note cater to the mass market. The company’s streamlined smartphone lineup, showcased during the Civi unveiling, signals a strong year ahead.

With the Xiaomi 14 Civi, the sub-Rs. 50,000 segment gains a worthy contender, especially against phones like the OnePlus 12R and Samsung Galaxy A55. Let’s explore the smartphone’s design and features.

Xiaomi 14 Civi Review : Xiaomi 14 Civi Design: Visually Appealing

Dimensions: 157.20×72.77×7.45mm
Weight: 179.3 grams
Colors: Cruise Blue, Matcha Green, and Shadow Black

The Xiaomi 14 Civi, part of the premium 14 series, features high-quality materials and a design suited for one-handed use. It aligns more with the Xiaomi 14 than the 14 Ultra in design. The 6.55-inch display positions it between the 14 (6.36-inch) and 14 Ultra (6.73-inch). Weighing 179.3 grams, it is lighter than the OnePlus 12R (207 grams) and Samsung Galaxy A55 (213 grams). At 7.4mm thick, it is the slimmest in its category.

The 14 Civi comes in three colors: Cruise Blue with a dual-slice design, Matcha Green with vegan leather, and Shadow Black with a matte finish. Its quad-curve body and starry Leica camera ring add to its appeal. Buttons are easily accessible on the right, with an IR blaster on the top and a Type-C port on the bottom. Dual stereo speakers enhance its functionality.

The 14 Civi’s design is both lightweight and sleek, though it misses out on an IP68 rating, which would have been beneficial.

Xiaomi 14 Civi Review: Xiaomi 14 Civi Display: Compact but Powerful

Screen: 6.55-inch Quad Curved AMOLED
Refresh Rate: 120Hz
Brightness: 3000 nits peak

For those who prefer larger displays, the Xiaomi 14 Civi might not be the most thrilling option. With its 6.55-inch screen, it is smaller compared to the 6.78-inch display of the 12R and the 6.6-inch screen of the Galaxy A55. However, the 14 Civi stands out as the first in its price range to feature an AMOLED quad-curved display. It also boasts a 120Hz refresh rate, 3000 nits peak brightness, Dolby Vision, HDR10+, 460 PPI, and TÜV Rheinland Low Blue Light certification.

In practical use, the display is bright and ideal for binge-watching and gaming, maintaining excellent legibility even in direct sunlight. The floating quad-curve design adds a premium feel, similar to the 14 Ultra. Overall, the display is vibrant, crisp, and smooth, making it perfect for high-definition video and photo content.

Xiaomi 14 Civi Camera: Top-notch Performance

Main Camera: 50MP with f/1.63 aperture and OIS
Telephoto Camera: 50MP with f/1.98 aperture
Ultra-wide Camera: 12MP with a 120-degree field of view
Selfie Cameras: 32MP primary sensor and 32MP ultra-wide camera

The 14 Civi is Xiaomi’s first to offer Leica cameras in this price range, delivering outstanding real-world performance. The cameras excel in daylight with excellent autofocus and adaptive brightness across different lighting conditions. Skin tones are well-managed, and the exposure is accurate, ensuring a wide dynamic range. Details are sharp, especially in well-lit scenarios, and video performance is also optimized.

Leica features enable creative portrait photography with modes like Master Portrait and Leica Portrait. The 35mm mode and various Leica filters, including an impressive black and white filter, add a vintage touch. The 14 Civi excels in bokeh shots, offering accurate subject segmentation and pleasing background blur. However, low-light photography reveals some noise and slight instability in extremely low light conditions, with some loss of fine details when zooming in.

The ultra-wide shots are handled well, with good noise management and decent detail levels, giving costlier flagship phones a run for their money. For selfies, the 14 Civi stands out with dual front cameras, a unique feature in this price segment. It captures decent skin tones, good white balance, and accurate exposure. However, the beautification mode might need to be turned off to avoid color flattening. Low-light selfies are good, though some desaturation is noticeable in certain samples.

Overall, the Xiaomi 14 Civi sets a new standard for cameras in the sub-Rs. 50,000 segment, outperforming competitors like the OnePlus 12R and Samsung Galaxy A55.

Xiaomi 14 Civi Performance: Plenty to Like

Processor: Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 Mobile Platform
RAM and Storage Options: 8GB + 256GB & 12GB + 512GB
Memory and Storage Types: LPDDR5X RAM & UFS 4.0 storage

The Xiaomi 14 Civi is among the new flagship phones featuring the latest Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 mobile platform. This processor brings various improvements, although they might not be immediately noticeable in everyday use. The device excels in multitasking, allowing seamless switching between multiple apps without any lag. During my review period, using the 14 Civi as my primary device, it performed flawlessly for several weeks without any glitches.

In terms of gaming, the 14 Civi handled the highest settings and graphics in games like COD Mobile, BGMI, and Genshin Impact smoothly. Games such as Need for Speed No Limits also felt responsive. Interestingly, Xiaomi hasn’t heavily marketed the gaming capabilities of this device. However, during extensive performance testing, I did notice that the device can get quite warm, particularly when playing games or using the camera for extended periods. Xiaomi’s new IceLoop Cooling technology helped manage this heat. It’s worth noting that my testing occurred during the hot Delhi summer, with temperatures exceeding 45 degrees Celsius. Despite this, the heating issue on the 14 Civi was not as severe as on the Google Pixel 8a.

The combination of an excellent display and stereo speakers makes the 14 Civi an ideal device for multimedia consumption. It features both an in-screen fingerprint sensor and face unlock, which are both responsive.

Benchmark tests showed the Xiaomi 14 Civi performing well. On AnTuTu, it scored 1,392,401 points, comparable to the OnePlus 12R. In single-core and multi-core tests, it managed 1931 and 4946 points, respectively. On the GFX Bench, it achieved 6,727 frames in the T-Rex (120fps) and 7,091 in the Manhattan 3.1 tests. The device also got warm during synthetic benchmark tests.

Call quality on the Xiaomi 14 Civi is excellent, with the phone quickly latching onto networks when emerging from lifts or basements. In my experience, it connected to networks within seconds, outperforming the iPhone 15 Pro Max, which took 20-30 seconds.

Xiaomi promises three years of Android updates and four years of security updates for the 14 Civi, which is slightly less compared to competitors like the Google Pixel 8a and Samsung Galaxy A55.

The 14 Civi launches with Android 14-based HyperOS, offering extensive customization options. The lock screen has significant visual changes, and the Gallery app has minor tweaks for added interest. The Control Centre is refreshed and less cluttered, and removing bloatware apps is now easier.

Xiaomi has also integrated interesting AI tools into its gallery for AI Portraits and AI expansion, with features like Erase and Sky working flawlessly. Additional AI-enabled features are expected in future updates, as Xiaomi continues to develop its AI capabilities.

Xiaomi 14 Civi Battery: Trying to Keep Up with the Competition

Battery Capacity: 4700mAh
Charging Support: 67W Fast Charging
In-Box Charger: Yes

The battery performance of the Xiaomi 14 Civi is a crucial aspect, especially since it features a smaller battery compared to its competitors. The Civi is equipped with a 4700mAh battery, while the OnePlus 12R and Samsung Galaxy A55 both come with 5000mAh batteries. For fast charging, the Civi includes a 67W charger in the box, whereas the OnePlus 12R comes with a 100W charger, and the Galaxy A55 does not include a charger.

In real-world usage, the Xiaomi 14 Civi managed to last almost an entire day on a single charge with heavy use. This included running multiple apps in the background, browsing the internet, making calls, and using social media apps like WhatsApp, Telegram, X, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube, along with frequent camera use. With moderate usage, the phone could easily last over a day. In a video loop test, the Civi lasted 13 hours and 15 minutes before powering down, outperforming the more expensive Xiaomi 14, which has a 4610mAh battery.

The 67W fast charging support allows the phone to charge from 0 to 100% in about 50 minutes. While this is efficient, it’s not the fastest in its segment; the OnePlus 12R can fully charge in less than 30 minutes. Overall, while the Xiaomi 14 Civi may not lead the competition in battery performance, it holds up reasonably well.

Xiaomi 14 Civi Review: Verdict

For Xiaomi, 2024 is about reclaiming its market position, and the Xiaomi 14 Civi exemplifies this goal by offering a stylish device without compromising on features. Priced under Rs. 50,000, the 14 Civi does not feel like a budget device. For smartphone enthusiasts and Xiaomi fans, the 14 Civi represents a return to form for the company, demonstrating its expertise in delivering competitive pricing in a previously unexplored price segment.

There are many positive aspects of the Xiaomi 14 Civi, starting with its one-handed use design, an exceptional display for multimedia consumption, and powerful stereo speakers. The performance is on par with new, more expensive flagships expected in the second half of 2024, and HyperOS will be appreciated by those familiar with MIUI. The battery performance, while not leading the segment, is adequate, and the issue of bloatware is somewhat controlled, though there were some notifications during the initial phase of the review.

For those looking for a smartphone under Rs. 50,000, the Xiaomi 14 Civi should be a top consideration. Other options at this price point include the OnePlus 12R and Samsung Galaxy A55, as well as the new Pixel 8a for those interested in trying out Google’s offering.