At the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Xiaomi, a Chinese company, showed off its newest phone, the 14 Ultra. There are many great features on the phone, which was first released in China. It has 80-watt wireless charging, a large 1-inch image sensor, and a wide-angle lens with a variable aperture for more shooting options. People have said nice things about the device’s features, like the camera under the screen and the ability to charge faster. Apple has already confirmed that the rumored iPhone 16 will have some of these features, but it is still possible that the 14 Ultra will be built into the iPhone 16. Focusing on new ideas and creativity has helped the company stand out at Mobile World Congress.
Telephoto Lens Battle
The Xiaomi 14 Ultra features a circular camera bump on its back, resembling a hockey puck cut in half. It has four cameras: a wide and ultrawide, and two telephotos. One of the telephoto cameras has a full-frame equivalent length of 75mm (3.2x) and the other 120mm (5x). Samsung’s Galaxy S24 Ultra has separate 3x and 5x telephoto lenses, and like the Xiaomi 14 Ultra, it also has four rear cameras. The S24 Ultra’s 3x lens outperformed the iPhone 15 Pro Max in a camera comparison test. The iPhone 15 Pro Max has a single 5x telephoto camera, relying on digital zoom for 3x photos.
The Ultrafast Charging Race
In 2020, Apple added MagSafe charging to the iPhone 12 series to make wireless charging work better. In 2024, MagSafe wireless charging reached 15 watts, but the Xiaomi 14 Pro’s 80-watt wireless charging speed beated it. While magnetic accessories like Peak Design’s mobile wallet and TwelveSouth’s HiRise 3 Deluxe charging stand are convenient, a faster battery recharge is more appreciable. Even though charging at 80 watts might be harder on the battery over time, the next version of iOS, 17.4, will make battery health better for the iPhone 15. You can use MagSafe accessories at home or at the office with 50-watt wireless charging through MagSafe. This is still fast. They also want more customizable battery controls in iOS 18, like the ability to pass-through charge, set maximum recharge limits, and choose to charge more slowly.
The Future of Smartphone Photography
Xiaomi has made the Xiaomi 14 Ultra Photography Kit an add-on that can be used with the 14 Ultra. The grip has a zoom lever, a two-stage shutter button, a video recording button that can be customized, and another custom dial. The grip features a two-stage shutter button, a zoom lever, a customizable video recording button, and an additional custom dial. It can also be used as an external 1,500-mAh battery bank for charging. In contrast, Apple has not created a similar camera add-on for the iPhone. The iPod Hi-Fi speaker dock, which cost $349 in 2007, was a cool and unique accessory that was worth the price. It would be great if Apple made an attachable camera grip that could be used with their Shot on iPhone short films, event videos, and ad campaigns. The grip would be made of aluminum, have MagSafe for extra safety, and a USB-C port that can charge the phone and work with the Camera app. It would also have an ultra wideband chip that would make it easy to find with the Find My app.
