Xiaomi is all set to hit the 10-year milestone in India this July. But you might be surprised to know that the company hasn’t been one to challenge rival smartphone makers in the sub-Rs. 50,000 until the 
All the above camera samples clicked using the primary 50-megapixel camera
Like other Xiaomi 14 series devices, the Civi also does well in bokeh shots. There’s accurate subject segmentation and a nice blur in the foreground and background. However, slight instabilities are noticeable in some of the camera samples in low-light situations.
Xiaomi 14 Civi portrait mode in action
Coming to low-light photography where things get interesting. It manages less challenging shots comprehensively, but there’s apparent noise in low-light shots. In some shots, target exposure is slightly off in extremely low light conditions. When zooming into shots, fine details are lost in some low-light samples.
Xiaomi 14 Civi low-light camera samples
The 14 Civi does well in ultra-wide shots. Noise is handled well, while the level of detail is okay. It definitely can get a costlier flagship smartphone a run for its price.
Xiaomi 14 Civi ultra-wide camera in action
Xiaomi 14 Civi comes with Leica-tuned camera features, which is one of the highlights of this device
Coming to selfies, the 14 Civi brings back the focus on the front camera in this price segment. It is the only phone with dual cameras at the front, and all credit goes to Xiaomi for making this happen. Quality-wise, Civi manages decent skin tones in selfies with good white balance and accurate target exposure. However, you may have to turn off the beautification mode in selfies as it unnecessarily flattens the colour. The selfies are equally good in low light, but I noticed some desaturation in some samples.
Xiaomi 14 Civi’s selfie camera in action
Overall, the Xiaomi 14 Civi gets a camera setup that raises the bar in the sub-Rs. 50,000 segment and no phone – OnePlus 12R or Samsung Galaxy A55 come closer.
Xiaomi 14 Civi Review: Plenty to like [Performance]
- Processor – Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 Mobile Platform
- RAM and storage – 8GB + 256GB & 12GB + 512GB
- LPDDR5X RAM & UFS 4.0 storage
Xiaomi 14 Civi joins the league of new flagships that will pack the latest Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 mobile platform. This processor brings numerous improvements, although they may not be immediately noticeable in everyday usage. The Civi, however, shines in its ability to handle multitasking with ease. You can effortlessly switch between multiple apps without experiencing any stutters. During my review, I used the 14 Civi as my primary device, and it performed flawlessly, without any glitches, over the course of several weeks.
Xiaomi 14 Civi is powered by Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 processor
While testing games, the Civi ran smoothly with the highest settings and graphics available in COD Mobile, BGMI, and Genshin Impact. Games like Need for Speed No Limits felt snappy. Surprisingly, Xiaomi isn’t marketing the gaming capabilities of the 14 Civi at all. While extensively testing performance, the only issue I encountered was that the device gets warm, sometimes really warm. That’s when I saw Xiaomi’s new IceLoop Cooling tech coming into play. Games aside, the phone also gets warm when you use the camera extensively to click photos and videos. Now, I have to give the benefit of the doubt to Xiaomi as I was testing the device in Delhi’s summer, where outside temperatures are hitting a whopping 45 degrees and beyond. But let me add that the heating on the Civi isn’t as big of an issue as it was on the Google Pixel 8a.
The 14 Civi is an ideal device for multimedia thanks to the powerful combination of excellent display and stereo speakers. The Civi offers an in-screen fingerprint sensor, and face unlock – both snappy.
Xiaomi 14 Civi comes with tons of preloaded apps
Talking about benchmarks, the Xiaomi 14 Civi managed decent scores all around. Starting with AnTuTu, it scored 139,2401 points, closer to what the OnePlus 12R achieved in the same test. At the same time, managing a good 1931 in single-core and 4946 in multi-core tests. On the GFX Bench, Civi managed 6,727 frames in T-Rex (120fps) and 7,091 in Manhattan 3.1 tests. Another time that I noticed the device getting warm was when running synthetic benchmarks.
Xiaomi 14 Civi benchmark scores
The call quality on the Xiaomi 14 Civi is excellent, and one of the highlights of the phone is how soon it latches on to networks when you get out of a lift or just come out of your basement. During the review, it happened plenty of times that Civi managed to latch on to networks within seconds of coming out of the lift, while the iPhone 15 Pro Max took a good 20-30 seconds to be back with the network.
Xiaomi 14 Civi comes with 3 years of Android update support
Talking about the update cycle, Xiaomi promises a total of 3 years of Android updates and 4 years of security updates, which scores less on paper when compared to devices like Google Pixel 8a and Samsung Galaxy A55.
The 14 Civi has launched with Android 14-based HyperOS and, as expected, gets tons of customisation options. Starting with the lock screen, which gets significant visual changes, then minor tweaks in the Gallery app to make it interesting. The Control Centre also gets a refresh and looks less cluttered. However, the biggest ease is the process to remove the bloatware apps.
Xiaomi 14 Civi runs on HyperOS based on Android 14
Xiaomi has cleared its stance on AI and how it will proceed with the entire adoption. The company has integrated some interesting AI tools into its gallery for AI Portraits and AI expansion. I tried the Erase and Sky features, which worked flawlessly. Other AI-enabled features are still a work in progress and can be expected to be rolled out with future updates.
Xiaomi 14 Civi Review: Trying to keep up with the competition [Battery]
- 4700mAh battery
- 67W Fast charging support
- Ships with a charger in the box
The battery department was the real test of the Xiaomi 14 Civi as it packs the smallest in the competition. The Civi packs a 4700mAh battery compared to the 12R and Galaxy A55, which come with 5000mAh batteries. The Civi gets a 67W fast-charger brick in the box for fast charging, OnePlus ships a 100W brick with 12R, and Samsung doesn’t ship a charger with Galaxy A55.
Xiaomi 14 Civi packs a 4700mAh battery, which is smaller than the competition
In real-world scenarios, the Xiaomi 14 Civi lasted almost a full day on a single charge with heavy usage, which included multiple apps open in the background, including browsing the Internet, a few calls during the day, Outlook, WhatsApp, Telegram, X, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and frequent camera usage. With medium usage, the phone could last over a day. In our video loop test, the Civi lasted 13 hours and 15 minutes before the phone powered down. The phone did better than the costly Xiaomi 14, which packs a 4610mAh battery.
With 67W fast-charging support, the phone can fully charge from 0 to 100% within 50 minutes, which is decent but not a figure that’s among the best in the segment. To compare, the OnePlus 12R, however, can fully charge in less than 30 minutes. Overall, the Xiaomi 14 Civi may not surpass the competition in terms of battery performance, but it certainly holds its own.
Xiaomi 14 Civi comes in two RAM and storage SKUs
Xiaomi 14 Civi Review: Verdict
2024 for Xiaomi is all about reclaiming its mojo back, and the Xiaomi 14 Civi is a fine example of how to do it in style without compromising on any department. The best part about this package is in the sub-Rs. 50,000 segment, it doesn’t feel penny-pinching. To smartphone enthusiasts and Xiaomi fans, the 14 Civi will feel like a homecoming. Xiaomi is finally doing what it does best – pricing its device competitively in a price segment that never had a presence earlier.
There are plenty of things to like about Xiaomi 14 Civi, starting with the design ideal for one-handed usage, a display that’s amazing for multimedia consumption and complementing it with powerful stereo speakers. The performance is comparable to the new and pricier flagships that the second half of 2024 will get, and HyperOS is surely likeable if you have used MIUI earlier. The battery is one department that is not comparable to the competition, while the bloatware situation is somewhat controlled, though we did see some notifications during the initial phase of the review.
If you’re in the market and looking for a phone under Rs. 50,000, Xiaomi 14 Civi deserves to be at the top of that list. The alternatives at this price point include OnePlus 12R (Review) and Samsung Galaxy A55 (Review), while if you want to try the new Pixel, then the Pixel 8a (Review) is also a good option.
