Can a mid-range phone truly compete with a flagship when it comes to photography? I put the Xiaomi 14T Pro (around €660) head-to-head with the iPhone 16 Pro Max (around €1500) to find out if you really get what you pay for. Spoiler alert: the results were closer than you might think!
Daylight Photography
- Color Rendition: The Xiaomi tends to boost colors, creating vibrant images, while the iPhone leans towards a more natural look. This difference is particularly noticeable when comparing shots taken with different lenses on the Xiaomi.
- Zoom Performance: The Xiaomi’s 2.6x telephoto lens, while not as powerful as the iPhone’s 5x optical zoom, holds its own even at 5x digital and 10x digital at times.
- Ultrawide Quality: Both phones deliver excellent ultrawide shots, but the Xiaomi surprisingly produces better overall image quality in some scenarios.
Low-Light Photography
- Overall Performance: The iPhone has a hard time with the ultra-wide lens, capturing generally darker images. The Xiaomi’s dedicated night mode helps it achieve brighter shots in challenging conditions.
- Noise Handling: The iPhone produces images with more noise particularly when using the telephoto lens in low light.
- Night Mode Comparison: While the Xiaomi’s night mode can brighten images, it sometimes introduces noise and doesn’t always result in a significant improvement.
Portrait Mode
- Front-Facing Camera: The Xiaomi surprisingly outperforms the iPhone in front-facing portraits, delivering cleaner edges and more pleasing colors.
- Rear-Facing Camera: The Xiaomi offers various portrait styles, including the unique “Leica” and “Master Portrait” modes. However, the iPhone’s standard portrait mode produces more natural background blur and better overall image quality, especially with the telephoto lens.
Video Recording
- Front-Facing Camera: The iPhone delivers significantly better video quality with its front-facing camera.
- Rear-Facing Camera: Both phones record high-quality video, but the iPhone offers smoother stabilization and a more versatile zoom range.
- Low-Light Video: The Xiaomi’s dedicated night video mode struggles in extremely low light, producing a blurry and noisy mess.
Action Mode, Stabilization and Video Zoom
- Action Mode: Both phones offer stabilization modes (Action Mode on iPhone, Steady Video Pro on Xiaomi). The iPhone’s Action Mode allows for different resolutions and lens options, while the Xiaomi is limited to 1080p with the ultrawide lens.
- Zoom While Filming: The Xiaomi allows for good zoom transitions up to 15x while filming, while the iPhone offers and even smoother experience.
Night Mode Video
- Dedicated Night Mode: The Xiaomi features a dedicated night mode for video recording, unlike the iPhone.
- Performance: While the Xiaomi’s night mode can brighten footage, it also introduces noise and struggles with highlights. The iPhone generally produces cleaner low-light video.
Conclusion
The iPhone 16 Pro Max ultimately delivers an overall superior camera experience. However, the Xiaomi 14T Pro offers impressive performance for its price, especially in daylight and ultrawide photography. It’s a compelling option for budget-conscious users who prioritize camera quality.
Want to see the iPhone 16 Pro Max against another mid-range phone?
iPhone 16 Pro Max vs Honor 200 Pro
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