Xiaomi 14 Ultra: Release date, price, specs, rumors, and what we want to see

The Xiaomi 14 is rumored to be coming this year, though a global launch won’t likely happen until 2024. But what about the Xiaomi 14 Ultra? The company’s highest-end variant tends to come a bit later down the pipe, which also seems to be true this time around. Here’s everything we know and what we want to see from the Xiaomi 14 Ultra.

There’s no official word on when we’ll see the Xiaomi 14 Ultra. Nonetheless, it’s almost certain a new entry in Xiaomi’s flagship Android phone series is in the works. There have already been at least a few small rumors around the Ultra, further backing up the fact it’s probably on its way. As for when we’ll see it? It’s very likely the Xiaomi 14 Ultra won’t arrive on scene until 2024.

• Xiaomi 11 Ultra: March 29, 2021
• Xiaomi 12S Ultra: July 9, 2022
• Xiaomi 13 Ultra: June 8, 2023

Xiaomi’s launch windows can be pretty confusing, and that’s especially true for the Ultra. First, there’s usually a China-only launch, followed by a global launch (aside from places like the U.S., where Xiaomi doesn’t sell phones yet.) The dates above are for the global launches except for the 12S Ultra, as it never made it outside of China.

As you can see, there’s no exact rhyme or reason. We’ve seen it as early as March or late as July. Based on this alone, all we can really say is that a Q1 or Q2 2024 launch seems likely.

We can tell you the Xiaomi 14 Ultra was allegedly spotted in an IMEI database associated with the numbers 24030PN60C and 24030PN60G. Meanwhile, the Xiaomi 14 and 14 Pro are said to have the numbers 23127PN0CC/23127PN0CG and 23116PN5BC/23116PN5BG.

What’s the significance? Reportedly, the 24030 may reference March 2024, while the Xiaomi 14 and 14 Pro are rumored to arrive in 2023. Honestly, we’d take this claim with a grain of salt, especially since these kinds of things can be easily faked. Still, March is certainly not unheard of for Xiaomi.

For now, just assume the launch window is between March and June. That is unless Xiaomi completely deviates from its usual patterns — which isn’t likely.

While we don’t know everything about the Xiaomi 14 Ultra, we at least have some idea of what to expect based on Xiaomi’s history and a few early rumors.

Design

We don’t know much about the Xiaomi 14 Ultra design yet, as rumors have been pretty minimal here. While the Xiaomi 12 and 13 have substantially different camera layouts that help set them apart, the Ultra series has been a bit more consistent.

After getting a new rounded (giant!) camera layout with the 12 Ultra, the Xiaomi 13 Ultra kept a similar aesthetic with some changes to the camera’s look and removing a sort of square ‘tray’ around it. Based on Xiaomi’s history, the Xiaomi 14 Ultra will likely continue the same general look but with further refinements. That also likely means the return of vegan leather.

Then again, after two years of minor changes, maybe Xiaomi will deliver something truly different. For now, we’ll just have to wait and see.

The Xiaomi 14 Ultra is expected to run on the latest Qualcomm silicon, just like the rest of the upcoming Xiaomi 14 family. The Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 brings plenty of power to the table and will be a welcome upgrade over the Xiaomi 13 Ultra’s 8 Gen 2.

It’s very likely the 14 Ultra will retain last year’s RAM count, as 12GB is more than enough. Still, there are a few phones out there with 16GB of RAM, so you never know. We’d also imagine the same storage options are likely: 256GB, 512GB, and 1TB.

The camera is one of the most compelling reasons to get an Ultra, but unfortunately, we haven’t heard anything solid regarding expected upgrades here. We’ll be sure to update this guide as we hear more rumors.

What will the Xiaomi 14 Ultra price be?

• Xiaomi 11 Ultra: ~$1,649
• Xiaomi 12S Ultra: ~$890
• Xiaomi 13 Ultra: ~$1,640

The Xiaomi Ultra series tends to run around the equivalent of $1,600. All except the Xiaomi 12 Ultra, which was canceled in favor of the cheaper 12S Ultra.  It’s very likely the Xiaomi 14 Ultra will also be priced around $1,600, though it could cost even more with the current state of inflation.

Ultimately, the Xiaomi 14 Ultra is meant as a luxury camera phone, so pricing and value aren’t really core focuses for Xiaomi here.

Honestly, the Xiaomi Ultra is a very special phone. It has a huge camera that makes it a bit of a bulky device, it has leather, which adds to the price, and pretty much every bell and whistle you can think of. It’s also a bit overkill for many of us.

If you are dead set on a Xiaomi Ultra, we would wait until more rumors surface before jumping up and buying the Xiaomi 13 Ultra. This expensive device is now nearly six months old, so waiting to learn more about what’s next is probably a wise move.

Xiaomi 14 Ultra: What we want to see

We don’t know much about the Xiaomi 14 Ultra, but that doesn’t stop us from hoping and wishing for a few key improvements. Here’s what we’d like to see from the Xiaomi 14 Ultra.

Let’s be honest: MIUI 14 isn’t for everyone. The more iOS-like design turns off some Android users for one. For another, it’s a pretty bloated skin featuring endless lists of settings, features, and menus to navigate. There are even a lot of duplicated apps, including Xiaomi’s browser alongside Chrome. There are also typically a few other Google apps pre-installed that do the same as Xiaomi’s in-house choices.

In other words, MIUI isn’t the most user-friendly choice and is arguably one of the hardest UIs to learn just because of how different it is from the rest. Of course, you could say the same thing about some of the other China-focused skins out there, like FunTouch.

While I’d love to see Xiaomi ditch its heavy UI and go with something more stock-like, that’s because I’m more used to lighter OS skins. The reality is that while it is a pretty different experience for Western users, the UI is well-known in China, and dramatically changing things probably wouldn’t be wise as a result.

Still, there’s plenty of room to refine the menus, settings, and other aspects of the UI that feel like duplicates or are just flat-out useless. We don’t need MIUI to go back to the drawing board; we’re just looking for a more modern, streamlined approach that makes the OS great for all audiences.

Xiaomi’s update policy for the 13 Ultra gives three years of major MIUI software updates and four years of security updates. That isn’t bad per se, but it isn’t as impressive as OPPO, Samsung, or even Google. As phones are getting more powerful, we’re holding onto them longer, so software support is more important than ever.

At this point, I feel like every manufacturer should support their devices with four years of OS updates and five years of security updates. The good news is there is a small possibility we could see this kind of promise with the Xiaomi 14 Ultra.

The Xiaomi Redmi K60 Extreme was announced recently with four years of OS support and five years of security updates. While this policy only applies to China at the moment, it’s certainly possible we could see this aggressive update strategy when the phone launches globally as well.

There’s no evidence that Xiaomi is gearing up to launch in the U.S. or any other regions it currently doesn’t serve. We can’t say we are surprised. After all, Xiaomi’s business model relies on razor-thin profit margins and is strongly tied to its own services and advertising. This might be harder to adapt to North America and other regions, resulting in cost increases.

On the other hand, regions like North America are starving for good options. Perhaps Xiaomi could get away with charging more for its devices here or relying on other partnerships to help ensure profitability? Okay, this is all likely just wishful thinking that won’t come true. One can still wish, though!