Authored by | Xiaobudong

Edited by | Li Xinma

Cover Image | Xiaomi Official Website

Ever since the announcement of Xiaomi’s foray into the automotive sector, most people have been focused on the SU7, which bears a striking resemblance to a Porsche. However, let’s not forget that Xiaomi’s flagship product is their smartphones, consistently ranking among the top three globally in smartphone shipments for 14 consecutive quarters.

On February 22nd, the Xiaomi 14Ultra and “Smart Life Ecosystem” new product launch event was held in Beijing, unveiling a range of products including the professional imaging flagship Xiaomi 14Ultra, Xiaomi Pad 6S Pro 12.4, Redmi Book Pro 2024 series, a professional gaming monitor Redmi Display G Pro 27, and many more. The detailed presentation that lasted over two hours made the audience realize: Xiaomi’s new products are indeed “battle-proof”.

1. Xiaomi 14 Ultra: Evolving to a New Level with Cutting-Edge Technology

Lu Weibing, a partner and president of Xiaomi Group, stated that 2024 will witness the comprehensive expansion of Xiaomi’s “Smart Life Ecosystem”. Under this strategic framework, Xiaomi aims to comprehensively integrate people, vehicles, and homes through advanced technology and experiences, driving the industry chain to collaboratively create a super-intelligent ecosystem centered around human needs.

As the first product to be announced, Xiaomi 14Ultra had been highly anticipated. At the launch event, the veil of suspense was finally lifted. While the exterior design appears almost identical to its predecessor, the 13Ultra, a closer look reveals that the back of the 13Ultra’s sloping lines has been replaced with a two-segment Parisian nail design on the 14Ultra. Here are some key features of the 14Ultra:

• Dimensions: 75.3mm in width, 161.4mm in height, 9.2mm in thickness, weight of 224.4g (Kona leather).
• Increased battery capacity by 300mAh, camera module volume increased by 20%, reduced weight to 224g, making it more lightweight.
• SGS five-star durability certification with Kona leather, which effortlessly passes extreme environmental simulation tests and provides six times more abrasion resistance than the previous generation.
• Ceramic material, absent from the last two generations, makes a comeback on the Ultra, addressing weight issues. Xiaomi’s “Dragon Crystal Ceramic,” which is 50% lighter than traditional ceramics, is named “Dragon Crystal Blue.”
• The integration of a 6M42 high-strength aluminum alloy frame, Dragon Crystal glass professional display, and a back panel made of Kona leather and Xiaomi’s Dragon Crystal ceramic forms the more robust Xiaomi Dragon Armor architecture.
• Utilizes Xiaomi’s highest silicon content and energy density Xiaomi Jinsha River battery, along with breakthrough dual-way satellite communication enhancing the experiential scenarios.
• Equipped with the third-generation Snapdragon 8 processor from Qualcomm for exceptional performance.

Image captured using Xiaomi 14Ultra. Image Source: Xiaomi “Smart Life Ecosystem” New Product Launch Event.

Throughout the event, the emphasis was on delivering a “more authentic experience,” particularly focusing on “optical” and “computational photography” as highlighted in the official presentation. Besides hardware upgrades, Xiaomi 14Ultra also boasts a series of imaging enhancements:

• Leica “All-Star” Quad Camera: Across all focal lengths, it features large apertures, high dynamic range, maximum light intake, and uniformity.
• The main camera uses Sony’s one-inch sensor LYT-900 and supports an infinitely variable aperture from F1.63 to F4.0, leading to a 36% improvement in light intake compared to the previous generation.
• ULTRA RAW super negative film, with a maximum 16-bit linear color depth and a 16EV dynamic range.
• ULTRA SNAP enables continuous snapping of 150 high-quality photos using full algorithms.
• It has a built-in 1500mAh battery, and the handle can charge the phone; with a total battery capacity of 6800mAh (5300mAh on the body + 1500mAh on the handle).

Image Source: Xiaomi “Smart Life Ecosystem” New Product Launch Event.

• Dual telephoto lenses (75mm with a close focusing distance of 10cm; 120mm with a close focusing distance of 30cm) and AIGC technology applied for the first time in computational photography, resulting in 30x AI super zoom ULTRA ZOOM.

Image Source: Xiaomi “Smart Life Ecosystem” New Product Launch Event.

• Leica ultra-wide angle lens with the industry’s largest light intake, with optical distortion of less than 1.2%.
• Video creation supporting 4K 120fps continuous zoom.
• Introducing a new top-notch Leica Summilux optical lens system, the industry’s first AI large model computational photography platform Xiaomi AISP, applying AI large models to all modules; computing power reaching 60TOPS and integrating new optical, tone, color, and portrait four independent engine modules.

Image Source: Xiaomi “Smart Life Ecosystem” New Product Launch Event.

• Pioneering a new era in mobile imaging, the “Xiaomi X Leica Optical Research Institute” is established, introducing two unique features: “Master Portrait” and “Master Photography Mode.” ## Mobile Phone Comparison between New and Old Versions

Image Source: Xiaomi’s “People, Cars, and Home Full Ecosystem” New Product Launch Event

The Xiaomi 14 Ultra will officially go on sale on February 27th. In terms of the most important aspect, the price, all models come with two-way satellite communication, priced between 6499 yuan and 7799 yuan. The titanium special edition is priced at 8799 yuan (available from March 12th). The Xiaomi 14 Pro titanium special edition also introduces a satellite communication version priced at 6999 yuan. The professional photography kit can be added for an extra 699 yuan, and the MiCare worry-free edition of Xiaomi phone protection service costs 699 yuan.

Moreover, it was announced at the event that the key theme for the 2024 China Imaging Dictionary Xiaomi Leica Imaging Contest is “Faces.”

II. Pad: Comprehensive Upgrade + Powerful Battery Life

Xiaomi’s performance in the tablet market has also been commendable. In Q4 of 2023, its shipments ranked in the TOP3 in the Chinese market and in the TOP5 globally. At this launch event, Xiaomi introduced the new Xiaomi Pad 6s Pro 12.4-inch version.

In terms of appearance, we can see:

• A metal integrated body with hidden antenna design;
• Thickness of 6.26mm, weight of 590g, compared to the iPad Pro 12.9-inch version with a thickness of 6.4mm and weight of 682g;

Image Source: Xiaomi’s “People, Cars, and Home Full Ecosystem” New Product Launch Event

• A more office-friendly 3:2 screen ratio;
• The highest resolution so far among all tablets introduced, with a 294PPI resolution, 144Hz refresh rate, 900nit brightness, original color screen, and support for multi-screen with the same color.

In terms of performance, the second generation Snapdragon 8 has doubled the performance compared to the previous generation, equipped with 16GB + 1TB of large memory.

Unlike smartphones which people are accustomed to charging once a day, users hope to charge a tablet every three to five days or even once a week. Therefore, battery life is particularly important. This tablet can maintain a deep sleep mode for up to 43.6 days. This means that even after being fully charged and left untouched for a month, there will still be plenty of battery left.

Special attention has been given to the charging speed, reaching 120W for a full charge in seconds. While this charging speed is no longer a novelty for smartphones, it is the fastest charging speed for any tablet to date. It can charge 50% in ten minutes and 100% in 35 minutes, whereas an iPad Pro takes 2 hours to fully charge. In this upgrade, two P2 chips and two G1 chips collectively form the Xiaomi Surging Battery Management System.

In addition to speed, the tablet’s connectivity should not be overlooked. Besides flagship smartphones, the new version of the tablet also features Wi-Fi 7, with a peak rate tested at 1.87 times the iPad Pro 12.9. Xiaomi has also been actively deploying Wi-Fi 7 routers, fully entering the era of Wi-Fi 7. Through innovative wireless isolation enhancement technology and independent Bluetooth antenna, when using Wi-Fi and Bluetooth simultaneously, Wi-Fi speeds up by 130% and game latency decreases by 50%. After a comprehensive system reconstruction, the power consumption in multitasking has decreased by 12%, multitasking smoothness has increased by 34%, and startup speed has increased by 17%.

As a crucial component of the “People, Cars, and Home Full Ecosystem,” the Xiaomi Pad 6S Pro 12.4 can be paired with the Xiaomi SU7 for in-car connectivity. Simply plug it in the back seat, connect to the car’s Wi-Fi, and automatically access the car control interface, providing an innovative native in-car experience.

The Xiaomi Pad 6S Pro 12.4 is now available for sale, priced between 3299 yuan and 4499 yuan. The starting price is 200 yuan cheaper than the Xiaomi Pad 5 Pro 12.4, making it a very attractive price compared to the iPad. Additionally, the tablet + keyboard-style dual protective case + pen bundle is offered at an introductory price of 3997 yuan.

Image Source: Xiaomi’s “People, Cars, and Home Full Ecosystem” New Product Launch Event

III. Laptops: A New Benchmark for Collaborative Work in the Co-Working Era?

Regarding the laptop business, Xiaomi has explored it for eight years, having experienced success as well as challenges and setbacks. Since deciding to venture into the automotive industry in 2021, laptops have become an indispensable part of Xiaomi’s “People, Cars, and Home Full Ecosystem” strategy.

Lu Weibing stated, “When it comes to extreme efficient office work, laptops are indispensable. However, with the future ecological model, laptops must synergize with other office equipment for collaborative work.”

Understanding this, Xiaomi made a significant organizational adjustment by merging the laptop business with the smartphone department to leverage all the capabilities of smartphones to empower laptops. This laptop is required to fully integrate with Xiaomi Kunpeng IOS to utilize Xiaomi’s ecological advantages. “Our goal for the future laptop business is to set a new benchmark for professional productivity in the collaborative working era,” Lu Weibing emphasized. Based on this line of thinking, after over a year, the Redmi Book Pro 16 2024 edition is presented to everyone:

• Ultra-thin at 15.9mm, weighing approximately 1.88kg, with versatile ports including Thunderbolt 4, full-function USB-C, USB-A*2, HDMI 2.1, and a 3.5mm headphone jack.
• The first to be equipped with Intel’s first-generation Core Ultra processor.

Image Source: Xiaomi “People, Cars, and Home Full Ecosystem” New Product Launch Event

How does the new product perform in the realm of ultrabooks? The four models shown below all feature Ultra processors launched this year, with the lowest at 28W. 70W is considered the performance ceiling for ultrabooks.

Image Source: Xiaomi “People, Cars, and Home Full Ecosystem” New Product Launch Event

In the past, Xiaomi’s laptops received various criticisms, but their screens have always been highly praised. Xiaomi invests heavily in screen technology, consuming over two billion screen panels each year across phones, pads, Xiao Ai speakers, watches, etc. This time, an excellent screen is used on the laptop, featuring a 3.1K resolution and a 165Hz refresh rate.

Image Source: Xiaomi “People, Cars, and Home Full Ecosystem” New Product Launch Event

Just as many workers need to charge their pads daily, the battery life issue is also crucial for laptops. Many people wish for a laptop that lasts a full day on a single charge. The Redmi Book Pro 16 2024 edition is equipped with a large 99Wh battery. Why 99Wh? Because 100Wh batteries are not allowed on airplanes.

All the tuning capabilities from phones are now applied to laptops, resulting in a 16% battery life improvement. According to media reviews, it can last up to 9.2 hours in simulated office scenarios, accompanied by a 140W super-fast charger.

Image Source: Xiaomi “People, Cars, and Home Full Ecosystem” New Product Launch Event

The laptops are now available for purchase. The Redmi Book Pro 16 2024 edition is priced between 5999 yuan and 6999 yuan (depending on performance); the more compact 14-inch version, Redmi Book Pro 14 2024 edition, is priced between 4999 yuan and 6499 yuan.

During the launch event, Lu Weibing also previewed a gaming laptop set to be released in one to two weeks, positioned as an “outrageous performance gaming flagship,” which sounds quite impressive. Additionally, on the evening of February 25, Xiaomi will host a global event in Barcelona, officially launching Xiaomi’s “People, Cars, and Home Full Ecosystem” strategy and Xiaomi’s Penglai OS overseas. The Xiaomi 14 Ultra will also be globally released for the first time. The brand new Xiaomi is taking it up a notch, moving towards even stronger performance and continuously reaching new heights.