Xiaomi unveiled its latest flagship smartphone, the 14 Ultra, on Thursday, specifically targeting the competitive high-end segment dominated by Apple and Huawei.
Priced starting at 6,499 yuan (US$903), the 14 Ultra joins the Xiaomi 14 series and aims to undercut the iPhone 15 (5,999 yuan) and iPhone 15 Pro (7,999 yuan). Pre-orders are open, with official sales starting February 27 during Mobile World Congress in Barcelona.
This launch comes amidst fierce competition, with Huawei’s return to the scene with its 5G-capable Mate 60 Pro late last year. Xiaomi, however, has been upping its camera game since partnering with Leica in 2022, leveraging the German brand’s legacy after its split with Huawei.
Xiaomi president Lu Weibing touted the 14 Ultra as “a new flagship in mobile imaging” boasting upgraded features like a large one-inch sensor with a variable aperture. Powering the phone is Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset, paired with Xiaomi’s own HyperOS operating system.
This week also saw the launch of other Xiaomi products, including the 6s Pro 12.4 tablet, the Redmi Book Pro 2024 laptop, and the Remi Monitor G Pro 27.
Xiaomi co-founder and CEO Lei Jun declared in late 2021 his ambition to claim the top spot in global smartphone sales within three years, surpassing Apple. However, Xiaomi remains in third place for 14 consecutive quarters, behind Apple and Samsung.
According to IDC data, China’s mobile shipments in 2023 dropped 5% year-on-year to 271 million units, marking the lowest figure in over a decade, though a rebound is expected in 2024.
Lei recently shared on social media that Xiaomi’s smart factory in Beijing is operational, capable of producing over 10 million phones annually. Despite these developments, Xiaomi’s stock price closed Friday at HK$13.22, down 1.34%.
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