If you’re eyeing a 2024 Android flagship mainly for the camera, you’re probably looking at three names: Xiaomi 14 Ultra, Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra, and Google Pixel 8 Pro. All three promise DSLR-adjacent photography in your pocket. Only one of them actually gets closest.
This is a camera-first comparison, but hardware, software, and real-world usability all matter. Let’s break down where Xiaomi’s latest Leica-branded monster genuinely challenges Samsung and Google – and where it still falls short.
Specs and camera hardware: Xiaomi comes in swinging
On paper, the Xiaomi 14 Ultra has the most aggressive camera setup of the trio.
Xiaomi 14 Ultra:
– Main: 50MP 1-inch-type sensor (Sony LYT-900), f/1.63–f/4.0 variable aperture, OIS
– Ultra-wide: 50MP, 12mm equivalent, f/1.8
– 3.2x telephoto: 50MP, ~75mm equivalent, f/1.8, OIS
– 5x periscope telephoto: 50MP, ~120mm equivalent, f/2.5, OIS
– Front: 32MP
– SoC: Snapdragon 8 Gen 3
– Display: 6.73-inch 1440p LTPO AMOLED, 120Hz
Galaxy S24 Ultra:
– Main: 200MP, f/1.7, OIS
– Ultra-wide: 12MP, 13mm equivalent, f/2.2
– 3x telephoto: 10MP, 70mm equivalent, f/2.4, OIS
– 5x periscope telephoto: 50MP, 111mm equivalent, f/3.4, OIS
– Front: 12MP
– SoC: Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 for Galaxy (most markets)
– Display: 6.8-inch 1440p LTPO AMOLED, 120Hz
Pixel 8 Pro:
– Main: 50MP, f/1.68, OIS
– Ultra-wide: 48MP, f/1.95 with autofocus
– 5x periscope telephoto: 48MP, 113mm equivalent, f/2.8, OIS
– Front: 10.5MP
– SoC: Google Tensor G3
– Display: 6.7-inch 1344p LTPO AMOLED, 120Hz
The Xiaomi 14 Ultra clearly leans into hardware. That 1-inch-type LYT-900 sensor and dual telephoto setup are closer to what you’d expect from a compact camera than a normal phone. Samsung counters with a high-resolution 200MP main and its usual versatility. Google relies more on computational photography, with less aggressive optics but very tuned software.
Price-wise, Xiaomi undercuts or matches depending on region. In Europe, the 14 Ultra typically lands around €1,499, the S24 Ultra around €1,449 for 256GB, and the Pixel 8 Pro about €1,099. In markets where Xiaomi sells officially, you’re paying a premium, but the hardware justifies it more than most.
Daylight performance: detail vs color vs consistency
In good light, none of these phones are bad. The differences are about tuning and consistency.
The Xiaomi 14 Ultra produces highly detailed photos with a natural depth thanks to the large main sensor. With Leica Authentic color mode, images lean slightly warm and contrasty without going full social-media filter. Leica Vibrant bumps saturation but stays more controlled than Samsung’s historical tendency toward neon greens and hyper-blue skies.
The Galaxy S24 Ultra is sharp, thanks to that 200MP sensor binning down to 12MP or 50MP, but it can still push colors. Grass can look too vivid, and reds occasionally clip. Samsung’s new Galaxy AI camera tweaks help with object recognition and sharpening, but you can see the processing at work if you zoom in.
Pixel 8 Pro is still the most “point-and-shoot friendly”. Google’s HDR is aggressive but smart. Shadows are lifted, highlights are controlled, and skin tones are usually the most accurate. It’s less about showing exactly what the scene looked like and more about a polished, shareable output.
In terms of pure detail from the main camera, Xiaomi trades blows with Samsung and often wins in texture on brick, foliage, and fabric while avoiding some of Samsung’s over-sharpening halos. Pixel 8 Pro holds its own but starts to look softer if you’re the type who pixel-peeps.
Where Xiaomi falters slightly is consistency between lenses. Color and contrast shift a bit when jumping from main to ultra-wide or telephoto, whereas Google in particular keeps a more unified look across all focal lengths.
Zoom, portraits, and low light: Xiaomi targets Samsung directly
Zoom is where the Xiaomi 14 Ultra clearly goes after the S24 Ultra’s reputation.
At 3x, Xiaomi’s dedicated 50MP telephoto beats Samsung’s 10MP 3x in detail and noise. Fine text, hair, and tree branches look cleaner from the Xiaomi. At 5x, it’s tighter versus Samsung’s slightly wider 5x, but both perform well. Beyond 10x, Samsung still has the edge in software upscaling and focus reliability, though Xiaomi is closer than most competitors.
Google’s Pixel 8 Pro does well at 5x, thanks to its 48MP periscope, but anything in the 3x–4x range relies heavily on digital zoom and Super Res algorithms. It’s usable, just not in the same league as the dedicated mid-tele cameras on Xiaomi and Samsung.
Portraits are a mixed bag. Xiaomi’s large sensor gives a natural background blur even without portrait mode, which many people will like. When portrait mode is enabled, edge detection is generally solid, though it can occasionally mis-handle hair and glasses compared to Google’s refined segmentation. Skin tones are more realistic than Samsung’s smoothing-heavy approach, but Pixel 8 Pro still has the most predictable, flattering look for faces.
Low light is where that 1-inch-type sensor shows its value. The Xiaomi 14 Ultra gathers a lot of light, especially at f/1.63, so you end up with cleaner shadows and less aggressive noise reduction than Samsung. Night mode kicks in quickly and doesn’t over-brighten scenes as much. Street scenes look closer to reality instead of turning midnight into 6pm.
The Pixel 8 Pro still nails exposure and dynamic range in night shots, especially with high-contrast scenes like streetlights and neon signs, but it can apply stronger noise reduction, flattening some textures. Samsung has improved its night mode this generation, yet it sometimes pushes saturation and contrast so far that shadows clip unnaturally.
Overall, in low light, Xiaomi and Google trade blows: Xiaomi has better texture and noise, Google has more controlled HDR and color science. Samsung lands third here more often than not.
Video, software, and real-world usability
For video, the Galaxy S24 Ultra remains one of the safest options. It offers 4K60 on all major lenses, 8K recording on the main camera, dependable stabilization, and reliable autofocus. Color is a bit punchy, but the footage is consistent and easy to edit. Audio recording is strong, though wind handling could still improve.
The Xiaomi 14 Ultra has aggressive video specs: 4K60 on every lens, 8K recording, advanced manual controls, and a Pro mode that genuinely feels targeted at serious shooters. Stabilization is improved over previous generations, but it can still look a touch jittery when walking compared to Samsung’s more locked-in approach. Autofocus is generally fast, but you do see occasional focus hunting in complex low-light scenes.
Pixel 8 Pro has finally caught up to the others on video, but it doesn’t dominate. 4K60 is available across lenses, and Google’s HDR video looks good, though sometimes too processed with visible tone-mapping shifts. Stabilization is strong, and audio separation (voice vs background) is among the best.
On the software side, Xiaomi’s HyperOS on top of Android 14 is fast on the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, with preview lag rarely an issue, even when switching lenses or modes. But the interface can feel busy, and some camera settings are buried. Samsung’s One UI on the S24 Ultra offers very comprehensive camera controls and now integrates more AI-assisted editing tools directly into the gallery. Pixel 8 Pro keeps the interface simplest, but hides a lot of power in Google Photos with features like Best Take, Magic Editor, and Photo Unblur.
Battery and thermals matter for extended shooting. The Xiaomi 14 Ultra’s 5,300mAh battery generally holds up well through a day of mixed photo and video without drama, and the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 remains efficient. The S24 Ultra, also on Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 for Galaxy, is comparable or slightly better in endurance, particularly for longer 4K recording sessions. Pixel 8 Pro, with Tensor G3, can run warmer and drain faster when pushed with continuous 4K video or repeated night mode shots.
So which camera phone actually wins?
If you’re choosing purely on camera performance, there’s no single universal winner, but there is a clear narrative.
The Xiaomi 14 Ultra is the most ambitious camera phone of the three. Its 1-inch-type main sensor, dual telephotos, and Leica tuning deliver some of the best stills you can get from an Android device right now, especially for enthusiasts who like to shoot manual or tweak RAW files. Zoom versatility and low-light texture are legitimate strengths.
The Galaxy S24 Ultra remains the all-rounder. It might not produce the most natural photos, but it gives you a wide focal range, strong video, and a refined camera app, wrapped in hardware that is easy to buy in most regions. It rarely completely misses, even if it’s occasionally heavy-handed with processing.
Pixel 8 Pro is still the king of “just shoot and share” for most non-enthusiast users. Its strength lies in consistent output, great skin tones, and clever post-processing features rather than sheer hardware dominance. For people who use Google Photos as their editing hub, it’s still very compelling.
The biggest loser? If we’re being strict about camera hardware vs price, Pixel 8 Pro looks the most outgunned when you compare raw sensor sizes, zoom stack, and low-light texture against Xiaomi and Samsung. It compensates with smarter software and a lower price, but if you’re chasing maximum flexibility and physical optics, it’s behind.
The catch is availability. Xiaomi 14 Ultra isn’t officially sold in many key markets, including the US, and software updates plus long-term support aren’t as transparent as Google’s and Samsung’s multi-year promises. If you can actually buy it in your region and you care deeply about photography, the 14 Ultra is absolutely worth shortlisting. If you want safer software support, better carrier availability, and reliable resale, the S24 Ultra or Pixel 8 Pro still make a lot of sense.
Ultimately, the Xiaomi 14 Ultra proves that Android camera competition is very much alive – and that Google and Samsung no longer get to coast on reputation alone.