Review of Xiaomi 14 Ultra, price, technical specifications, design, display, software, hardware, battery life and charging, and other specifications of this phone.
Review of Xiaomi 14 Ultra, price and specifications
Introduction
A few small but significant upgrades to the camera system, tweaks to the build and display, and the obligatory chipset update – we can’t be mad at the shortlist for the Xiaomi 14 Ultra because last year’s model was one of Xiaomi’s best camera phones.
In fact, the Xiaomi 14 Ultra does not deviate much from its predecessor. The original camera had a 1-inch sensor and dual-aperture lens in 2023, the 2024 uses a newer 1-inch sensor and turns it into a truly variable aperture (with intermediate steps). Meanwhile, the zoom cameras (two of them, which apparently need to be called Ultra), focus closer to the table, and their longer lens is also slightly brighter.
On the outside, Xiaomi has replaced the old model’s Corning-branded glass with an interior concoction that should be more durable (the stars, of course), and the non-leatherette has also been improved. A new aluminum alloy is used for the frame on the international version, while China also gets a titanium option on top. It looks like a win.
The improvement in the display department is hardly noticeable, but there is a promise of slightly more brightness (hardly a game-changer), while the new Snapdragon is the new Snapdragon – better than the old version, more or less the same across all 2024 models.
Xiaomi has decided not to bother with battery capacity or charging speed on the global variant (the Chinese version gets an extra 300mAh), and we think we could have used a little longer life – maybe get it elsewhere.
Specifications of Xiaomi 14 Ultra at a glance:
Body: 161.4×75.3×9.2mm, 220g; Glass front (Xiaomi Shield Glass), glass back or eco-leather, titanium (grade 5), or aluminum alloy frame. IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 1.5m for 30 minutes).
Not much has changed in terms of presentation, and the Xiaomi 14 Ultra comes in the usual thick black cardboard box with simple Xiaomi lettering and a red Leica logo to add some pop. The inner packaging is all made of paper, so that’s a plus.
Its contents include a 90-watt charger (the same as last year) and a dedicated USB-A-to-C cable to accompany it. Xiaomi has also included a clear plastic back cover to protect the Ultra out of the box. It’s on the cheap side, but it’s better than nothing, plus the phone itself seems to be more durable than its predecessor.
Design, build quality, handling
The Xiaomi 14 Ultra welcomes the continuation of its appearance and is similar to the previous model in many ways, maintaining a distinct personality that sets it apart from the competition. That’s not to say there aren’t changes in style, and Xiaomi has done a few things differently when it comes to materials, but the broad lines are familiar.
Xiaomi 14 Ultra (left) next to Xiaomi 13 Ultra
Most noticeable, of course, is the camera bump on the back, a circle that’s now growing even bigger than before. The device houses more or less the same hardware, so the increased diameter may well be a cosmetic improvement, although the new lenses on the telephoto and main camera may have their say.
Gone is the bump that provided a smoother transition to the camera circle, and the camera assembly is now more prominent.
The back is once again made from a synthetic leather-like material, but Xiaomi says this new nano-technology formula is six times more wear-resistant than the formula used on the old model. It certainly feels very soft and grippy – more pleasant than the 13 Ultra, although a year of use may have taken its toll, making the comparison a bit lopsided.
Xiaomi 14 Ultra (left) next to Xiaomi 13 Ultra
Just like the 2023 model, and unlike any phone from other manufacturers, the 14 Ultra’s bezel flows from the sides to the back – we think this isn’t just a unique look, but should also help with durability. Xiaomi says it uses a new aluminum alloy called 6M42, which we can’t find reliable non-native information about. They claim a 1.38x improvement in strength and double the stiffness. Only this is compared to the 13 Pro and not the 13 Ultra.
As for materials, it should be noted that the Chinese market has a few other options besides the white (our review unit) and black aluminum/leather versions that the international model offers. We have to say that the glass back is a very attractive shade of blue, and we’d be properly annoyed if we couldn’t have it if it were ceramic – now we’re just mildly annoyed.
Additionally, there is another black option with a titanium (as opposed to aluminum) frame, with a gold ring around the camera in the same metallic gray color. As a result, this one is a bit more anonymous, but also potentially offers better durability. In China, this version is 13% more expensive than the basic 16GB/1TB option, which in turn is more expensive than the 16GB/512GB option available globally. So, if the Titanium version is sold globally, it will be something like 1,900 euros.
On the front, there are also material changes. Xiaomi has replaced the previous model’s Corning Gorilla Glass Victus with in-house Xiaomi Shield Glass, which lab tests show is 10 times more drop-resistant than the 13 Ultra. It’s hard to determine the implications of this in the real world, but if they say it’s 10x better in the lab, it must be at least somewhat better in real life.
Victus on 13 Ultra, Xiaomi Shield Glass on 14 Ultra
Underneath this glass is a 6.73-inch OLED screen and under it is an optical fingerprint sensor. It sits comfortably on top of the screen, so you don’t have to think twice about where it is—your thumb should naturally hit it.
Unchanged is the IP68 rating on the Ultra, so there’s more peace of mind in inclement weather. Of course, this is consistent with the usual fine print that intrusion protection deteriorates over time, and it’s best not to deliberately test its limits in the first place.
Photography kit
As with the 2023 model, there’s an optional dedicated set of accessories for the 14 Ultra that turns what was already a camera with a phone attached into even more of a camera. The photography kit comes in at €200, and while that sounds like a lot in isolation, that number is only 13% above the phone’s asking price, so it’s probably not that much if you appreciate it.
The kit includes a beautiful frame in black (what we got) or white (what we wished we had), with a detachable right-hand grip in the same color. Mind you, just because China has both doesn’t mean the world does.
Next are two decorative rings in different colors for the camera bump and another ring threaded for standard 67mm lens filters. The rings are now locked in place and there is a dedicated button to release them, as opposed to the lockless bayonet design of the previous version which allowed rings to be lost more easily. There is also a built-in strap that attaches to the handle for added comfort.
The case can be used without a grip, which exposes the phone’s Xiaomi logo through a slit on the back. This slot is there for practical reasons – it is used to fasten the handle to the frame. The grip has a built-in 1500 mAh battery and a USB-C port, so it adds longevity to the phone/camera combo and also allows for charging without taking it apart.
Xiaomi hasn’t just relaunched the old accessories for the new phone – they’ve added some extra functionality. In addition to the two-step shutter button (with great feel, we might add) and the zoom button surrounding it, there’s now a dial and an extra button. The dial does exposure compensation by default but can be set to control the aperture on the main camera, among other things. By default, the red dot button is used to start video recording.
We reiterate that an extra €200 may seem like a hefty sum to pay for a case, but the kit is more than that and adds to the utility in a number of ways – there’s the obvious photography aspect, but let’s not forget that it’s also A power bank of sorts (if relatively small). Weighing the value proposition in that will be a personal choice, of course, but if a simple “FineWoven” iPhone case (even leather) can cost €70, the Xiaomi Photo Kit is almost a bargain.
Bright 6.73-inch OLED with 12-bit color and Dolby Vision
The Xiaomi 14 Ultra has a 6.73-inch OLED display with a resolution of 1440 x 3200 pixels and a 120-120Hz refresh rate – the same numbers as the 13 Ultra. It’s once again a 12-bit panel (so, theoretically, 68 billion colors) and HDR10+ and Dolby Vision are both supported.
The official specs mention both 1920Hz PWM for dimming as well as DC dimming, so the panel will probably use both methods depending on the brightness level, which apparently was the case with the previous model.
Xiaomi has promised an increase in maximum brightness (from 2,600 to 3,000 nits), and that’s the only immediate difference in specs, though it may be insignificant.
In our testing, there was a slight increase in brightness compared to the older model when the phone was placed in bright light with adaptive brightness enabled. The 1,281 intentions we measured aren’t industry-leading, but that’s a great number nonetheless.
Xiaomi also now lets you increase the brightness by 200 nits when working with the slider – we got 710 nits with the ‘Sunlight mode’ set and 493 nits with it off. Manual result 13 Ultra).
Refresh rate
Controlling the refresh rate on the Xiaomi 14 Ultra is relatively simple. There is the usual adaptive behavior, and when the phone is displaying static content, it drops the frequency by 10Hz (most of the time) or 1Hz (in some cases). Specific refresh rate modes will be engaged for the respective video frame rate. Games that support high frame rates will be allowed free ROM and the phone will stay in 120Hz mode for them.
The 60Hz and 120Hz settings act as ceilings, and the adaptive behavior will still remain in place, just like the default mode (although the 120Hz mode may be a bit more aggressive in maintaining 120Hz).
Stream and HDR
The Xiaomi 14 Ultra supports HDR10+ and Dolby Vision, and we received HDR streams from Netflix and YouTube. Widevine L1 compatibility means that DRM-protected content can be played at the highest available resolution (typically 1080p).
14 Ultra and its HyperOS also support Google’s Ultra HDR standard for capturing and displaying 10-bit images from compatible phones in various applications. You’ll get your highlights in the built-in gallery as well as in Google Photos, and you can also view the effect with other compatible photos in Chrome.
Xiaomi 14 Ultra battery life
Our new Active Use Score is an estimate of how long the battery will last if the device is used with a combination of all four test activities. Using the sliders below, you can adjust the calculation based on your usage pattern. You can read about our current battery life testing method here. For a comprehensive list of all devices tested so far, head over here.
The global version of the Xiaomi 14 Ultra is equipped with a 5,000 mAh battery, which is the same battery capacity as the 13 Ultra from last year. The Chinese 14 Ultra gets a slight upgrade – to 5,300 mAh, but we don’t get that extra mAh.
Much like the 13 Ultra, the 14 Ultra doesn’t exactly win our hearts with its endurance, though it’s a step up overall. The most significant improvement is in the gaming test, where the new model added 33% to the 13 Ultra’s impressive 5 hours – not enough to outlast the competition.
11 hours in the web browsing test is a good showing, and so is call time, but video playback life is below average. Overall, the Xiaomi 14 Ultra’s battery life isn’t class-leading, but that’s not the end either.
Charging speed
The Xiaomi 14 Ultra comes with the same 90W HyperCharge adapter that we got with the 13 Ultra. Xiaomi says the phone should be able to charge from empty to full in 33 minutes, and that was more or less our experience. Our power meter showed an instantaneous value of 78W but was happier hovering around the 75W mark, where it remained for about the first 3 minutes of the process before the power gradually decreased – as expected. went
As before, be aware that you need to enable the “Increase charging speed” switch in settings to achieve the highest possible speed – it’s disabled out of the box.
Compared to the previous model, the Xiaomi 14 Ultra was slightly slower, reaching 15 minutes, but it was already half an hour ahead at the checkpoint which also made it to 100% slightly faster. We’ll admit that the 13 Pro was significantly faster than last year’s 120W charging, and a number of this year’s flagships have an edge over the 14 Ultra as well. Still, no reason to complain about the charging speed.
We also tried a non-native 65W USB Power Delivery adapter, and it got us to 50% in 30 minutes and 100% in 80 minutes – not impressive, but a decent result for those times you’ve forgotten the dedicated adapter.
The Xiaomi 14 Ultra supports wireless charging, which Xiaomi rates at 80W. According to the company’s data, a full charge from flat mode should take 46 minutes with the proper dock (a brand new product launched alongside the Ultra).
We have no doubt that something close to this number is possible in real life, as their claimed wired charging speeds were far more accurate than our own measurements. That said, we couldn’t test it.
It’s worth noting that the stand doesn’t come with an adapter, and its specs say it needs a 120-watt charger to reach maximum power output. Since the phone itself comes with a 90W adapter, you should consider purchasing an additional 120W adapter to get the most out of the dock. On the other hand, even with the supplied 90W unit docked, you can probably get pretty decent speeds.
Speaker test
Xiaomi 14 Ultra uses the speaker setup of the previous model. It has one unit sticking out from the bottom, and another one at the top that sends sound up through four holes in the top plate and moves forward/up through a slot in the edge of the display glass – that’s the headphone. Is.
bottom speaker • top speaker • earpiece slot
The top speaker receives the left channel in the vertical direction and the channels are switched to match the horizontal direction. The two speakers each output their respective channels as well as an attenuated version of the opposite channel.
In our testing, the Xiaomi 14 Ultra matched the previous model’s “Very Good” rating for loudness, with a slightly higher numerical result. Basically, all potential competitors are in the same space in terms of loudness, although the Galaxy S24 Ultra could make a bigger impact.
The new phone improves on its predecessor with a nice sound with a slightly livelier mid-range, while maintaining good bass levels and clean treble. Neither Vivo nor Oppo are serious contenders, at least to our ears, but if we had to choose, we’d probably prefer the Galaxy.
HyperOS on top of Android 14
The Xiaomi 14 Ultra is one of the first phones to launch with Xiaomi’s latest software platform called HyperOS – what they call a “human-centric operating system designed for the ‘Human x Car x Home’ smart ecosystem.” We’ve already come across HyperOS on the Xiaomi 14 and you can read our dedicated article or watch the video below to get a taste of it.
Xiaomi’s update policy for the 14 and 14 Ultra includes 4 years of core firmware updates, plus an additional year of security patches. While it doesn’t exactly match Google and Samsung in 7 years, it’s still a fairly strong software future.
The new OS is certainly very similar to the old MIUI, and while we’ve no doubt there are some improvements to come, long-time Xiaomi phone users will be right at home. However, there are subtle differences, such as a slightly smoother design and more rounded edges for many design elements.
HyperOS on Xiaomi 14 Ultra
Some things have become more intuitive, such as multi-window implementation where buttons are now more self-explanatory. This doesn’t quite apply to quick settings, so it’s nice to have an option to enable text labels (off by default). However, you can no longer opt out of Control Center – it’s only available on phones that ran pre-HyperOS, but not on phones booted with the new software.
HyperOS on Xiaomi 14 Ultra
Benchmarks
The Xiaomi 14 Ultra has Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 – the same chipset you’ll find in the Galaxy S24 Ultra, Find X7 Ultra, Magic6 Pro, or most of this year’s high-end phones, be it cameras. Central or not (vivo X100 Pro with Dimensity 9300 is a notable exception). The chip is already a familiar fixture and has proven to be a significant step up from last year’s top-end SoC from Qualcomm – as it should be.
Built on the 4nm process, the SD 8 Gen 3 has an octa-core CPU in a 1+3+2+2 configuration with a Cortex-X4 main core clocked at 3.3GHz. The GPU is Adreno 750. The Xiaomi 14 Ultra for international markets comes in a configuration with 16GB of LPDDR5X RAM and 512GB of UFS 4.0 storage (this is our review unit, and the storage speed actually complies with the UFS 4.0 standard). China 14 Ultra also has 12/256GB and 16GB/1TB versions.
In the benchmarks, the Xiaomi 14 Ultra showed very good numbers – in the upper half of the class, without standing out as a flagship. It was more in its element under CPU loads, while the GPU results put it a few notches down the chart. The performance mode in the battery settings doesn’t really affect the benchmark scores in a meaningful way.
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Under stable load, performance mode didn’t affect the 3DMark Wild Life stress test results, and 68 percent stability isn’t half bad for a high-end phone. With this star, the initial scores were a few percentage points behind the best, but the stability is still welcome.
Stable load, balanced mode: CPU latency test • 3DMark Wild Life stress test
In the CPU Throttling test, Performance mode had somewhat the opposite effect of what you’d expect – peak performance was lower than the default Balanced mode. However, in both cases, Xiaomi showed excellent behavior with relatively minor throttling.
Sustained load, performance mode: CPU lag test • 3DMark Wild Life stress test
Now the two telephotos focus close
The Xiaomi 14 Ultra doesn’t make major changes to the camera system – at least at first glance. Last year’s model had a lot going for it, so there wasn’t much room for improvement. However, the improvements that are there are very welcome.
The most significant overall improvement is in the close-focusing capability on the two telephoto cameras (which retain the same sensors as the previous model). The 3.2x zoom camera can now focus on objects as close as 10cm, while the periscope 5x unit’s minimum focus distance is 30cm. Sure, the same longer telephoto lens is now brighter, but f/2.5 vs. f/3.0 is harder to improve.
The lens is where one of the two changes to the main camera is visible – much easier than moving from the IMX989 to the newer LYT-900 sensor. The new optics are now brighter (f/1.63 vs. f/1.9), but the aperture can be adjusted continuously across the entire range – not just stopped down to f/4.0, which was the case on the 13 Ultra. The diaphragm uses 6 blades, but they are cut in such a way that it creates a dodecagonal shape.
Stepless adjustment is available in Pro mode, while in Normal Photo mode, you get f/1.63 wide open, f/4.0 wide stopped, and intermediate steps at f/2.0 and f/2.8.
The specifications of the ultra-wide camera remain unchanged from the previous generation, and it is still the same IMX 858 sensor in two cameras. It’s paired with an AF-capable lens at the wider end of the ultra-wide spectrum. The selfie camera isn’t much different this year, relying on a 32MP OmniVision sensor and a fixed focus lens – we’ve never been fans of it, but Xiaomi still uses it.
Wide (primary): 50 MP Sony LYT-900 (1″, 1.6μm – 3.2μm), f/1.63-f/4.0, 23mm, multi-directional PDAF, laser AF, OIS; 4K@120fps
The main camera of Xiaomi 14 Ultra takes very nice pictures as expected. The detail is excellent and rendered in a fairly natural way, with only complex textures that make the 12MP image better and look more artificial. The noise is very well controlled.
The automatic white balance was consistently accurate, and we encountered no area errors. Color saturation is well-judged, producing expressive results without overdoing it. The dynamic range is also well wide.
Daylight samples, main camera (1x)
If you want to have artificial coloring and a more cheerful look, the authentic Leica mode is the best option.
Daylight samples, original camera (1x), Leica Authentic
We looked a bit at how variable aperture affects resolution. In good light, the phone usually sets it to f/2.0, which is usually a bit sharper than the f/1.63 setting, with a further stop not making much of a difference, especially with subjects closer to infinity.
Daylight samples, main camera (1x): f/1.63 • f/2.0 • f/2.8 • f/4.0
More evident is its effect on depth of field, especially with close subjects. With them, you’ll often want to stop down a bit to make sure you get more of your subject in sharp focus.
Daylight samples, main camera (1x): f/1.63 • f/2.0 • f/2.8 • f/4.0
You can also check out some of our resident photo models in both portrait and portrait mode.
Examples of daylight, main camera (1x), photo mode
Daylight samples, main camera (1x), portrait mode, 23mm
For completeness, here are also a handful of full-resolution examples. When viewed at 1:1, there is probably more detail, but it also has a more watercolor look to it.
Daylight samples, main camera (1x), 50 megapixels
The 50MP mode works best as an example on 2x zoom level samples. Xiaomi does a great job here, showing great detail even when looking at the Pixel. Still not as amazing as the vivo X100 Pro at 2X, but it’s just a notch lower and good enough.
Daylight samples, main camera (2x)
Faces also look nicely detailed at this zoom level, especially in portrait mode. Portrait mode adds a bit more softness to the subject, but results remain good, both at 50mm and 35mm simulated focal lengths.
Examples of daylight, main camera (2x), photo mode
Daylight samples, main camera (2x), portrait mode, 50mm Daylight samples, main camera (2x), portrait mode, 35mm
3.2x telephoto camera
With a 3.2x zoom, the Xiaomi 14 Ultra shows a significant improvement in resolution over the previous model and is possibly the sharpest 3x image we’ve seen to date. No complaints about global parameters either – dynamic range is great, auto white balance is on point, and colors are vibrant.
Daylight samples, telephoto camera (3.2x)
It’s also great for people, whether in portrait or portrait mode.
Examples of daylight, telephoto camera (3.2x), portrait mode
But the real fun comes with the close-up. Even at minimum focus distances, the 14 Ultra’s 3.2x maintains excellent sharpness and can produce stunning results.
Examples of daylight, telephoto (3.2x), close-up
This is one area where the generational difference is most apparent – the 13 Ultra can’t come close to the new model’s reproduction ratio at minimum focus distance.
The Xiaomi 14 Ultra also does pretty well at 3.2x zoom when shooting at a nominal 50MP resolution, although we’re not quite sure why you’d want to do that since there’s a 5x telephoto to get things closer.
Daylight samples, telephoto camera (3.2x), 50 megapixels
5x telephoto camera
The improved 5x telephoto doesn’t disappoint either, taking great shots during the day. It’s also expert at close-ups as promised, almost matching the 3x camera for reproduction while still allowing you to keep your distance from your subject.
Daylight samples, telephoto camera (5x)
Here, too, you can see the level of improvement compared to the old model when it comes to close-up photography.
There’s no portrait mode beyond 75mm, but you can take normal shots of people at 5x.
Examples of daylight, telephoto camera (5x), portrait mode
You can also shoot at 5x zoom at 50MP and get questionable results.
Daylight samples, telephoto camera (5x), 50 megapixels
However, if you’re looking for more access, it’s best to push up to 10x (either from the on-screen display or better yet, use the keys on the photography kit). The images we received are very sharp, better than what the Galaxy S24 Ultra can muster. The contrast can be a bit high though.
Examples of daylight, telephoto camera (5x), zoom 10x
Ultra-wide camera
The ultra-wide camera won’t spoil the overall impression. Other than a bit more grain, there are a few flaws in its photos, and it’s rarely even noticeable enough to point out. Very good detail, great colors and dynamic range, close focus for some exaggerated landscapes – there’s a lot to like here.
Daylight samples, ultra-wide camera (0.5x)
You might be able to make out 50MP in ultra-wide mode, though you might have to look long and hard to find more detail.
Daylight samples, Ultra Wide Camera (0.5x), 50MP
Selfie photos
Xiaomi’s selfies are good, but not our favorite. Skin tones and colors are generally lovely, and we have no complaints about the dynamic range. But the constant insistence on selfie output with a nominal resolution of 32 megapixels is not to our liking, and the fixed focus is not up to the Ultra standard.
Examples of selfies
Low-light photo quality
Main camera
When set to Auto, the Xiaomi 14 Ultra’s main camera takes great photos in low light. It does nice exposures that retain a lot of highlight data, while it also does a pretty good job with shadow development – the Xiaomi 14 Ultra gives us brighter shadows than its direct rivals, and we say This is our preferred approach. Even in mixed lighting, automatic white balance is reliable and color rendering is easy on the eyes.
Looking closely, there’s a lot of detail, and Xiaomi strikes a good balance between preserving real information and removing noise. For example, the Galaxy S24 Ultra produces more noise but has a slight edge in detail, while the Find X7 Ultra can be a bit smoother than the Xiaomi.
Low light samples, main camera (1x)
At 2x, the Xiaomi 14 Ultra’s output varies from very good in better-lit scenes to moonshine in darker settings. You’ll always have great exposure, dynamic range, and color, only darker scenes will be softer at the pixel level.
Low light samples, main camera (2x)
3.2x telephoto camera
Even in the dark, the 3.2x telephoto will hardly leave you wanting. Exposures are on point, the dynamic range is very good, and there’s plenty of fine detail.
Low light samples, telephoto camera (3.2x)
5x telephoto camera
The 5x telephoto is less exciting when it comes to low-light photography. Its dynamic range is somewhat limited, and with the phone prioritizing highlights, you may often end up with darker-than-ideal photos. It also tends to make warmer light sources look orange for our liking. However, given the right amount of light, it still captures a lot of detail.
Low light samples, telephoto camera (5x)
Ultra-wide camera
Ultra-wide offers a better display at night. Colors are a bit washed out and details are somewhat sharp when viewed up close.
Low light samples, ultra-wide camera (0.5x)
Video recording
The Xiaomi 14 Ultra can record up to 4K60 video with all its cameras – the four rear cameras and the front camera. The rear cameras can do 4K24 in addition to 4K30, and can also do 8K at 30fps and 24fps. Meanwhile, the original is also capable of 4K120.
The default codec is still h.264 for all videos except 8K recording, where you only get h.265, but you can switch to h.265 for all your videos. Dolby Vision recording is also on the menu, but only for the main 4K camera at 30 or 24 frames per second.
Video stabilization is available at all resolutions and frame rate combinations (except 4K120) and cannot be disabled in normal video mode, although there is a settings tweak that can turn it off for Director mode recording.
The video quality of the Xiaomi 14 Ultra is probably the best we have at the moment. All four rear cameras are expertly matched in appearance and have excellent dynamic range and color reproduction. 4K24 and 4K30 clips look the same from either camera and have great detail (good, more like “good” in ultrawide mode), while 60fps modes are a bit softer, but not really smooth. The 4K120fps main camera is actually the clearest main camera.
The stabilization is also excellent on the Xiaomi 14 Ultra. The main camera and ultra-wide shake make walking a gentle float, and all four cameras move smoothly and hold everything well when facing in just one direction.
At night, Xiaomi also performs well. Its main camera is roughly on par with the Galaxy S24 Ultra in terms of detail, but has a wider dynamic range, though the Find X7 Ultra might be slightly better. The ultra-wide suffers from a bit of saturation and the noise performance isn’t great. The 3.2x telephoto is significantly better than the Galaxy, but a notch below the Find X7 Ultra’s camera. When it comes to longer telephoto, the Xiaomi 5x is perhaps slightly better than the Find 6x, but the Galaxy lags behind.
Check Competitors
The Xiaomi 14 Ultra’s €1,500 price tag may mean you won’t see many of them in the wild, but it doesn’t make it difficult for us to pinpoint its competitors. Well, that, and the big circle on the back. We review the best cameras on the market with a “money ain’t nothing” attitude.
The most notable competitor is the Galaxy S24 Ultra, even if it doesn’t show off its camera prowess as much as many others here. The two are about equal for photos, though Xiaomi has the upper hand in video recording. Each has its own unique accessory—the S Pen versus the photography kit—and that seems to be the divisive issue. If you want a camera phone, choose Xiaomi and if you want everything, choose Galaxy.
Next on our list is the vivo X100 Pro. Also international, but nowhere near as available as the Galaxy, the vivo is still found at 20% less than the Xiaomi. Admittedly, it’s a short camera, but it’s got an amazing 2x mode and a telephoto that sits between the two Ultra cameras – maybe that 100mm focal length is your sweet spot.
Another unconventional zoom can be found on the Honor Magic6 Pro. Nominally a 2.5x camera, its 180MP sensor (or 200MP, depending on how you look at it) can easily be stretched to 5x, though the Xiaomi will still be relatively comfortable beyond that, and the Ultra is an easy option to capture. The video is here.
Xiaomi 14 Ultra (left) next to Oppo Find X7 Ultra
This next one is more of a wild card and official availability is limited to China. But if you could live with the software features it derives from, you might be able to entertain the idea of a gray import. The thing is, after seeing the Xiaomi 14 Ultra in action, we consider the X7 Ultra to be the best, and we’re less inclined to buy one.
There is a more exotic option that can be mentioned in passing. The iPhone 15 Pro Max costs about the same as the Xiaomi and will be great for video too, while offering superior selfies and best-in-class battery life. Since it’s an iPhone, it will also have a choice of accessories for any photo or video use case, which probably negates the benefits of Xiaomi’s kit. However, it remains an iPhone and doesn’t simply jump between ecosystems on a whim.
Galaxy S24 Ultra • vivo X100 Pro • Honor Magic6 Pro • Oppo Find X7 Ultra • iPhone 15 Pro Max
Summary
We pretty much knew what to expect from the Xiaomi 14 Ultra. For example, price has always been a deterrent, and Xiaomi’s approach to selfies hasn’t been to our taste for a while now. We could even predict subpar endurance and drop out of the 13 Ultra results.
We could also predict its strengths with sufficient confidence. A camera favorite in the office, the 13 Ultra doesn’t leave much to be desired, yet Xiaomi has found a few areas to touch up on the 14. Close-focus telephotos have become the latest trend, and these two are here. It’s probably the best at it, but it’s also great from a distance. The variable aperture on the main camera is also welcome if you want a lot of control over DoF, although we don’t see it as an entirely revolutionary development.
The unique selling point of Xiaomi 14 Ultra is the photography kit. Realizing its appeal and potential to boost Ultra sales, Xiaomi has continued to develop the device and add features to it. Indeed, it adds more cost to an expensive phone, but the two together bring you as close to a “real” camera in terms of ergonomics and experience as a smartphone can get.
In the end, the Xiaomi 14 Ultra is probably the best camera phone you can buy today.
Why should we buy Xiaomi 14 Ultra?
Absolutely perfect camera system, almost flawless.
Especially great video recording.
First-class performance under sustained load.
Unique accessories package (if optional and not exactly cheap).
Why should we avoid buying Xiaomi 14 Ultra?
Expensive, even for what it is, with little hope for discounts down the line.
Battery life is below average.
The selfie camera takes average-quality photos, lacks autofocus
The MacBook Air M3, with all its performance improvements, adds to the value and economic justification of the MacBook Air M1, rather than being an ideal purchase.
MacBook Air M3 review; Lovely, powerful and economical
If you are looking for a compact, well-made and high-quality laptop that can be used in daily and light use, the MacBook Air M3 review is not for you; So close the preceding article, visit the Zomit products section and choose one of the stores to buy MacBook Air M1 ; But if you, like me, are excited to read about the developments in the world of hardware and are curious to know about the performance of the M3 chip in the Dell MacBook Air 2024 , then stay with Zoomit.
The design is a copy of the original from the last generation
Almost two years have passed since Apple said goodbye to the familiar and wedge-shaped MacBook Air design; A different design that accompanied this ultrabook from the first day of its birth in 2008; But finally in 2022, with the aim of harmonizing the design language of the Apple laptop family, it was abandoned so that the MacBook Air 2022 will have a similar appearance to the 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro.
The new MacBook Air is uniform in thickness; But it was slimmer, the screen was bigger, the edges were narrower and the corners were rounded, and a relatively large notch was added to it, whose only existence was to host the device’s 1080p webcam. MacBook Air 2022 also marked the return of the MagSafe magnetic charging port to Apple’s popular Ultrabook.
Previously, in the review of the MacBook Air 2022 with the M2 chip, we have talked comprehensively and deeply about its design and its positive and negative points. I suggest that if you haven’t read the article, you must visit it; Because the MacBook Air M3 is no different from the MacBook Air M2 in terms of appearance, display, or ports.
We also see the same incredibly well-made and metal body of MacBook Air 2022 in the new generation of Apple Ultrabooks; A body that, like the rest of Apple laptops, is carved from an aluminum block instead of the usual method of using aluminum sheets, and for this reason, it has a strong and dense structure so that we do not see the body sinking when pressing the keyboard area or the screen frame swinging.
All the parts of the MacBook Air 2024 are assembled with the utmost care; So that there is no gap between them. As expected, the hinge of the laptop is also well-adjusted so that you don’t need to use two hands to open the laptop door. All in all, the combination of the quality of components and Apple’s exemplary engineering precision, brings an extremely enjoyable and unique feeling to the user while using the MacBook Air.
Just like the previous generation, the new MacBook Air is sold in four colors: gray, silver, dark blue, and cream. One of the flaws that could be found in the design of the MacBook Air 2022 was that fingerprints and grease remained on the body; The item that was more noticeable in dark blue color. Apple says this year it has used a new coating that reduces the severity of this problem. We did not have the 2022 model available for comparison at the time of writing the following review, But traces of fat and finger still remain on the body of the MacBook Air 2024.
Grease and fingerprints on the laptop body
MacBook Air keyboard is among the best examples in the market in terms of arrangement and dimensions, feedback, and key stability; But the matte coating on the keys absorbs the fat of the fingers very quickly, and on the other hand, like other MacBooks, there is a possibility that the matte coating will disappear and the keys will become shiny. Depending on your usage, this can happen very quickly or over time; For example, for me, who is constantly writing, the keys on my MacBook Pro M1 burned out in less than a year.
Apparently, the buyers of used laptops are very sensitive about the keys being electrocuted; Therefore, if you plan to replace your Macbook with another laptop after one or two years, be sure to keep this in mind and use an external keyboard for long typing.
As always, the trackpad is one of the main strengths of any MacBook, and the MacBook Air M3 follows the same rule. The glass trackpad of the device is large in size and has little friction on its surface, it offers flawless, accurate, and smooth performance, and its Fortouch mechanism, which makes it possible to click on the entire surface of the trackpad, is so efficient that after the MacBook, it is impossible to work with the trackpad of any laptop. Another enjoyed.
MacBook Air 2022
The set of MacBook Air 2024 ports is limited and has not changed; On the right side of the device, there is a headphone jack, and the left side of the device hosts two USB4 ports and a MagSafe magnetic charging port. Along with the basic model, Apple provides a relatively small 30-watt adapter with a cloth cable of the same color as the device’s body; But you can also get the laptop with a more powerful 35 or 70-watt adapter, which charges the battery up to 50% within half an hour.
USB4 ports support Thunderbolt 3 standard with a bandwidth of 40 Gbps, But it is not possible to connect external graphics. Both ports also transmit the image signal with the DisplayPort standard. In the new MacBook, if you close the laptop door, you can connect a 6K monitor and a 5K monitor (both 60Hz) to the device at the same time; But with the laptop’s screen on, just like the MacBook Air M2, the image output is limited to a 6K monitor; It is interesting that the Intel version of MacBook Air could output images to two 4K monitors at the same time as its own screen is on!
As in the previous generation, Apple uses Bluetooth version 5.3 in its Ultrabook; But the Wi-Fi module has upgraded the device from Wi-Fi 6 to Wi-Fi 6E, which incompatible networks can increase the communication bandwidth of MacBook Air 2024 with the router and the rest of the devices in the network from 1.2 to 2.4 Gbps.
Attractive display with more attractive competitors
Like most parts of the device, the screen of the new MacBook Air does not change; Of course, in this field, you can’t criticize Apple much, since 2018, when the MacBook Air screen became Retina, it has always been among the best; However, today, with OLED competitors with stunning colors and infinite contrast, Apple’s Retina display no longer has its former glory.
MacBook Air M3 can be purchased just like the previous generation in two 13.6-inch and 15.3-inch models. The pixel density of both versions is a very good number of 224 pixels. With this density, the MacBook Air screen produces a very clear image. So that it is difficult to distinguish the pixels from each other. We have the 13.6-inch MacBook Air M3 with a resolution of 2560 x 1664 pixels available for review.
Unfortunately, unlike the expensive models of MacBook Pro or even Windows Ultrabooks with the same price as Zenbook, the panel of the MacBook Air is 60 Hz and it does not have amazing technologies such as OLED and MiniLED to produce 1000 nits of brightness and extraordinary colors. MacBook Air uses an 8-bit IPS LCD panel with back exposure, which, by using FRC technology, can give the user the feeling of 10-bit panels with a billion colors.
MacBook Air covers the wide DCI P3 color space with high accuracy. The Apple Ultrabook covers 98.4% of this space with an error of 1.9 (an error of less than 3 is ideal), perhaps the only color weakness of the panel can be considered a slight tendency to be cold; However, thanks to the True Tone feature, the device evaluates the ambient light temperature with high accuracy and adjusts the color temperature accordingly to give you a satisfying visual experience.
In our measurements, with a 50% raster standard, we reached a maximum brightness of 443 nits, which in itself is a very good number, and thanks to the anti-reflective coating on the panel surface, in environments with different light conditions, it brings a satisfactory experience of working with a laptop. Without the appearance of the shadow of the environment on the panel, the user will not be bothered.
MacBook Air 2024 screen performance against other laptops
Laptop / test
White image
Black image
contrast ratio
AdobeRGB
sRGB
DCI-P3
Maximum brightness
Minimum brightness
Average brightness
Native
cover
Average error
cover
Average error
cover
Average error
MacBook Air 2024
443 intentions
0.00 nits
0.67 nits
661
87.9
—
100
2.4
98.4
1.9
Zenbook 14
512 intention
(788 nits HDR)
0.27 nits
0 intentions
∞
89.6
2.6
100
0.6
99.7
1.3
MacBook Pro 2022
437 intentions
0.00 nits
0.5 nits
874
86.3
—
99.8
2.7
97.5
—
MacBook Air 2022
447 intentions
0.1 nit
0.65 nits
693
87.5
—
100
2.5
98.1
—
Galaxy Book 3 Ultra
441 intentions
4 intentions
0 intentions
∞
97.3
3.7
99.6
1.9
99.8
2.3
MacBook Pro M1 Max
455 intentions
(1497 nits HDR)
0 intentions
0 intentions
∞
85
—
121.6
—
97.3
2.5
In addition to the reasonable maximum brightness of 442 nits in bright images, unlike most laptops with IPS LCD screens, the black color brightness is also very low in the MacBook Air display; So that the device achieves a very high contrast. On the other hand, the minimum brightness of the display was 0 nits even with the 0.01 nits accuracy of the Zoomit luminance meter; In the sense that while using the laptop, there will be a little pressure on your eyes.
The attractive screen of the MacBook Air is completed by a set of 4 speakers; Speakers that have a very large sound volume compared to the size of a laptop, produce clear sound, and at high volumes, they are confused and distorted. MacBook Air speakers support Dolby Atmos and are easily ahead of most Windows laptops.
M3 chip and championship called TSMC
The main changes of MacBook Air 2024 have happened in its heart; Where it hosts the M3 chip as the beating heart of the device. Next, before we put the performance of the M3 under the microscope, we take a look at the details of the technical specifications of this chip.
The M3 chip is manufactured using TSMC’s 3nm-based manufacturing process known as N3B, hosts 25 billion transistors on its surface, and uses the same layout and configuration as the M2 for the CPU and GPU cores. Apple says the processor and graphics used in the M3 are about 35 and 65 percent faster than the M1, respectively.
Technical specifications of M3 against M2 and M1
parameters/chip
Apple M3
Apple M2
Apple M1
manufacturing process
3 nanometer N3B
TSMC
TSMC’s second-generation 5nm
5 nm N5
TSMC
CPU
4 powerful cores with a maximum frequency of 4.05 GHz
4 low-power cores with a maximum frequency of 2.75 GHz
4 Avalanche cores with a maximum frequency of 3.5 GHz
4 Blizzard cores with a maximum frequency of 2.4 GHz
4 Firestorm cores with a maximum frequency of 3.2 GHz
4 Icestorm cores with a maximum frequency of 2.0 GHz
cache memory
16 MB shared L2 cache and 320 KB L1 cache for each of the powerful cores
4 megabytes of shared L2 cache and 192 kilobytes of L1 cache for each low-power core
8 MB system cache for the entire chip
16 MB shared L2 cache and 320 KB L1 cache for each of the powerful cores
4 megabytes of shared L2 cache and 192 kilobytes of L1 cache for each low-power core
8 MB system cache for the entire chip
12MB shared L2 cache and 320KB L1 cache for each Firestorm core
4 MB shared L2 cache and 192 KB L1 cache for each Icestorm core
8 MB system cache for the entire chip
memory bass
128 bits
128 bits
128 bits
DRAM
8 to 24 GB
LPDDR5-6400
8 to 24 GB
LPDDR5-6400
8 or 16 GB
LPDDR4x-4266
Memory bandwidth
100 GB per second
100 GB per second
68.2 gigabytes per second
GPU
8 or 10 cores with hardware support of ray tracing
8 or 10 cores
7 or 8 cores
Like the last two generations, the M3 chip uses a combination of 4 high-power cores and 4 low-power cores, respectively, with maximum frequencies of 4.05 and 2.75 GHz as CPU. Apple has made minor changes in the architecture of the cores, and the main difference of the cores is the 15% increase in frequency compared to the M2 cores.
Apple has not even changed the amount of cache memory of the M3 chip compared to the M2; Each of the high-power and low-power cores have access to 320 and 192 KB of ultra-fast L1 cache, respectively, the set of four high-power and low-power cores also have access to 16 and 4 MB of L2 cache, respectively, while the system cache is 8 MB for the set of chip processing blocks. GPU and CPU are included.
The M3 chip is used in Apple laptops in two versions with 8- and 10-core graphics processors. We had the MacBook Air with 8-core graphics available for review, which in total, just like the last generation, has 128 execution units with 1024 calculation and logic units in its heart, which operate at an almost identical frequency of 1.38 GHz.
The main difference between the M3 graphics compared to the previous generation is the addition of the Ray Tracing hardware accelerator, Mesh shading, and Dynamic Caching technology, the latter of which allows the chip to provide the memory required by the GPU in real-time and based on the type of processing. Thus, it optimizes the amount of memory consumption.
The M3 chip uses a 16-core neural processing unit (NPU) with a computing power of 18 trillion operations per second, and in addition to ProRes and ProRes Raw videos, it now has a separate engine for AV1 video codec decoding. Due to its two 64-bit channels and support for LPDDR5X-6400 RAM, this chip can achieve a bandwidth of 102 GB/s for data exchange with its integrated RAM.
Performance of the MacBook Air M3 in benchmarks while plugged in
Laptop/benchmark
Technical Specifications
Web browsing
Performance in graphics
CPU performance in rendering
CPU computing power
GPU computing power
3 Dark
CineBench R23
GeekBench 6
GeekBench 6
Speedometer 2.1
TimeSpy
Single
Multi
Single
Multi
OpenCL
Metal/Vulkan
DirectX 12
MacBook Air 2024
Apple M3
8 core GPU
680
—
1897
9872
3143
2008
25845
41671
Zenbook 14
Core Ultra 7 155H
Intel Arc GPU
396
3453
1637
13367
2290
12256
34889
38268
MacBook Pro 2022
Apple M2
10-core GPU
407
—
1579
8730
2581
9641
28852
42673
MacBook Air 2022
Apple M2
8 core GPU
405
—
1577
8476
2578
9655
27846
39735
MacBook Pro 2020
Apple M1
8 core GPU
209
—
1512
7778
2335
8315
21646
32743
MacBook Pro 14-inch 2021
M1 Max
24Core GPU
300
—
1549
12508
2378
12239
65432
101045
MacBook M3 appears about 20-25% faster than M2 in single-core and multi-core benchmarks, and in comparison with M1, it increases its superiority to about 35-45%; Therefore, considering the 15% increase in frequency and the improvement of TSMC’s manufacturing process, it seems that Apple has not changed much in the architecture; But in any case, CPU performance on par with the M1 Pro is a surprising result for the M3.
Compared to the new Asus ultrabook with the Core Ultra 7 155H chip, MacBook Air M3 leads by 15-35% in single-core benchmarks; But in multi-core benchmarks, it loses the field to the competitor with a single-digit difference of up to 25%. We will talk more about the difference between the two chips in productivity and power consumption.
Apple laptops have a stunning performance in terms of web surfing experience and M3 has taken this performance to a whole new level; MacBook Air 2024 outperforms Asus Ultrabook 2024 with a 65% difference in the Zoomit web browsing test. The stunning superiority of the MacBook Air shows that Apple’s laptop offers faster and smoother performance on the web.
Apple’s new ultrabook appears in almost the same level of computing processing as the last generation. It seems that M3 remains behind its Intel competitor by 25% in the processes that take place on the basis of the OpenCL framework; But instead, thanks to Apple’s exclusive Metal framework, it surpasses the performance of Core Ultra 7 in processes based on Vulkan, with a difference of 10%.
Let’s skip the benchmarks and talk about how the MacBook Air 2024 performs in professional software and games. For this, we considered Photoshop and Premiere Pro software, Python code execution, and the Rise of the Tomb Raider game.
The set of games available for macOS is much more limited than for Windows; However, thanks to the tool that Apple introduced at WWDC 2023 for porting Windows games (Game Porting Toolkit), some were able to run titles such as Medium and Cyberpunk 2077 on Macs with powerful graphics processors such as the M2 Max, and it is hoped that in the future, this same tool, pave the way for more games to be released.
We were able to run the old game Rise of the Tomb Raider at 1200p resolution, High graphics settings and an average frame rate of 50.5 fps, which shows an advantage of about 25 percent of the M3 compared to the M2.
MacBook Air M3 performance while playing Rise of the Tomb Raider game
MacBook Air M3 works about 10 to 20 percent faster than its two previous generations and ZenBook 14 while using Photoshop software for tasks such as resizing large photos and implementing the blur effect or lens correction.
MacBook Air M3 performance in Photoshop software
In Premier Pro software, while performing tasks such as blur effect implementation, image sharpening, or 4K video output, the performance of the device is 20-30% better than the MacBook Air M2 and Zenbook 14.
Performance of MacBook Air M3 in Premier Pro software
Note that in software such as Premiere Pro, where we are dealing with heavy projects, the low RAM overshadows the performance level and you may even get stuck in scenarios like editing 4K videos. Next, we will talk about the MacBook Air M3 RAM.
The MacBook Air was able to run Zoomit’s Python code in about 45 seconds, which is about 13 seconds faster than the M2 and 33 percent faster than the M1.
MacBook Air M3 performance while running Python code
One of the most attractive features of MacBooks is that they work equally well, whether connected to electricity or relying on batteries; For example, when running Python code while plugged in, the MacBook Air M3 beats the ZenBook 14 by just 4 seconds; But by disconnecting the laptops from the electricity and Zenbook’s performance drop, the time difference reaches 11 seconds!
In addition to running Python code, the MacBook Air also displays similar performance in other software in both plugged-in and battery-powered states; In the table below, you can see the difference in performance of MacBook Air M3 in Plugged and UnPlugged modes in a number of users:
Performance of MacBook Air 2024 when connected to electricity and with battery
Test/Performance
Plugged result
Result UnPlugged
CineBench 2024 (MultiCore)
574
573
Speedometer 2.1
680
681
Photoshop
6488
6588
Premiere Pro
3868
3881
Python
44.6 seconds
44.7 seconds
In the MacBook Air 2022 review, we said that the lack of an active cooling system (fan) makes this ultrabook unable to provide stable performance under continuous processing loads. Now it’s time for MacBook Air 2024 with the same cooling system; But this time with a more optimized chip, it will be wider. Does the MacBook Air M3 offer stable performance?
To evaluate the cooling system, the performance stability level and measure the power consumption and other parameters of the MacBook Air M3, we first ran the CineBench R23 multi-core test on the device for 30 minutes consecutively in both power-connected and battery-based modes; Then we went to the 20-minute Wild Life Extreme test.
MacBook Air 2024 laptop performance under continuous processing load
Laptop status
CPU score at first
CPU score after 30 minutes
GPU score first
GPU score after 20 minutes
Connected to electricity
9872
7841
6989
5207
with battery
9833
8322
6996
5271
MacBook Air M3 shows more or less the same behavior whether in Plugged or UnPlugged mode; After 30 minutes, the CPU performance drops by about 15-20%, and in a 20-minute graphics processing load, the GPU drops by 25%.
Contrary to the numbers stated in the technical specifications of the M3 chip, the MacBook Air 2024, whether in multi-core or single-core processing, never reaches the frequency of 4.05 GHz in powerful cores; In my measurements, the frequency of the most powerful cores in the multi-core test remained at 3.7 GHz for a few seconds; But it immediately begins the gradual process of decline and reaches below 2.5 GHz from the 10th minute, which is lower than the stable 2.75 GHz frequency of low-power cores!
The frequency drop process starts when the temperature of the hottest point of the chip reaches 103 degrees Celsius; It seems that Apple has adopted a more conservative strategy this year; Because in MacBook Air M2, the maximum temperature of the chip reaches 109 degrees Celsius. The temperature of 103 degrees of the chip continues for 5-6 minutes and then, thanks to the frequency drop, it decreases to the range below 90 degrees Celsius.
CPU temperature on MacBook Air M3
The temperature of the laptop body rises to 46-47 degrees Celsius, especially in the upper area of the keyboard; But in general, the body heat is not such that you cannot continue working with the laptop.
CPU consumption in MacBook Air M3
As you can see in the power consumption graph, the CPU consumes about 21 watts in the first few seconds; But as the body heats up, the power consumption gradually decreases and after a few minutes it reaches below 10 watts and reaches the range of 7-8 watts.
As you can see from the graphs below, the M3 GPU also follows a similar path to performance degradation from overheating the device.
GPU consumption in MacBook Air M3
GPU temperature on MacBook Air M3
GPU frequency on MacBook Air M3
About 2-3 minutes after the start of graphic processing, in order to prevent the chip temperature from exceeding 103 degrees Celsius, the frequency of the GPU drops from about 1350 MHz and its power consumption from about 14 watts to 1000 MHz and below 8 watts. is approaching
My tests show that the MacBook Air M3 uses its powerful core stably with a frequency of about 3,750 MHz in single-core processing, this number is about 3,200 and 2,980 MHz in the MacBook Air M2 and MacBook Air M1 laptops, respectively.
In order to have a general outline and limits of architecture changes and IPC (the number of instructions executed per processing cycle), we can divide GeekBench’s single-core score by the chips’ single-core frequency; Note that this measure is not exact and only provides a general picture of the state of architectural changes. To accurately measure IPC, one should go to an expensive tool such as SPECView, which unfortunately is not available in Iran.
Ratio of performance to CPU frequency
To be more precise, what you see in the graph above is the ratio of single-core performance to CPU frequency in three generations of MacBook Air laptops with M1, M2, and M3 chips. In this chart, I have considered the MacBook Air M1 as a benchmark so that we can compare the other two chips relatively. The numbers say that the architectural changes in M3 have a 4 and 7 percent impact on the performance of this chip compared to M2 and M1, which is not a significant improvement.
In the graph below, you can see the ratio of M3’s performance to its power consumption compared to previous generations and the Core Ultra 7 155H chip. Note that the amount of power consumed by the chips is not stable and after a few seconds, it deviates from its maximum value; Therefore, the graph below was created by running CineBench R23 once and based on the average power consumption during the benchmark execution period, so that we can obtain the ratio of performance to power consumption in the best performance condition of the laptop.
The ratio of performance to CPU power consumption
My measurements show that the M3 consumes an average of 4.9 and 19.1 watts when running the CineBench R23 single-core and multi-core benchmarks, respectively; While these numbers are equal to 8 and 20.2 watts for the M2 and 23 and 37.8 watts for the Core Ultra 7 155H, respectively, this shows the stunning efficiency of the M3; But if you consider the numbers obtained in the previous chart, you will realize that TSMC’s optimized manufacturing process has more influence on this amazing productivity than IPC and Apple’s architecture improvements.
The M3’s incredible efficiency also contributes to the MacBook Air M3’s excellent charging performance. Apple uses the same 52.6-watt-hour battery as the MacBook Air M2 in its new ultrabook and says that this laptop can charge for about 18 hours, just like the previous generation.
MacBook Air 2024 battery life compared to other laptops
Laptop/Test
Functional profile
hardware
Display
Battery capacity
Play offline video
Everyday use
Processor and graphics
Dimensions, resolution, and refresh rate
watt-hours
720p Video
PCMark 10
minute: hour
minute: hour
MacBook Air 2024
—
Apple M3
8 core GPU
13.6 inches and 60 Hz
1664 x 2560 pixels
52.6
14:13
—
Zenbook 14
Performance
Core Ultra 7-155H
Intel Arc
14 inches and 120 Hz
1800 x 2880 pixels
75
17:25
9:09
Galaxy Book 3 Ultra
Performance
Core i7-13700H
RTX 4050
16 inches and 120 Hz
1880 x 2880 pixels
76
11:00
6:21
MacBook Pro 2022
—
Apple M2
10-core GPU
13.3 inches and 60 Hz
1600 x 2560 pixels
58.2
26:18
—
MacBook Air 2022
—
Apple M2
8 core GPU
13.6 inches and 60 Hz
1664 x 2560 pixels
52.6
14:11
—
MacBook Pro 2020
—
Apple M1
8 core GPU
13.3 inches and 60 Hz
1600 x 2560 pixels
58.2
16:47
—
MacBook Pro 14-inch 2021
—
M1 Max
24Core GPU
14.2 inches and 120 Hz
1964 x 3024 pixels
70
18:14
—
The MacBook Air 2024 was able to play our benchmark HD video for a little over 14 hours, just like the previous generation, in standard Zoomit conditions, which includes 200 nits brightness (about 70% brightness) and flight mode activation, which is an impressive result; But it is about 3 hours less than the Asus Zenbook 14 Ultrabook with a larger 75 watt-hour battery.
… and 8GB RAM for everyone
Unfortunately, this year Apple did not fall short either, and in 2024, it released the basic version of its $1,100 ultrabook with 8 GB of RAM and 256 GB of SSD. If you buy from Apple’s website, you can order 16GB or 24GB of RAM and 512GB, 1TB, and 2TB of SSD; Of course, to go to each higher step, you have to pay 200 dollars more; For example, the MacBook Air 2024 with 16 GB RAM and 512 GB SSD will cost you about $1,500.
If the base version of the 8GB MacBook Air disappointed you, you can be glad that Apple has moved away from the cowardly strategy of using a NAND chip for the SSD of the base version of the MacBook Air, which ended up halving the read and write speeds, and this year all models with 2 sells NAND chips; The maximum speed of 4 and 3.5 GB/s for reading and writing is lower than Windows competitors; But it’s not bad either.
The average SSD speed of the base model MacBook Air 2024 compared to other MacBooks
Models / Performance
Sequential reading rate
(UK gigabytes)
Sequential write rate
(UK gigabytes)
MacBook Air M3
2.63
2.58
MacBook Air M2
1.03
2.32
MacBook Pro M1
2.28
2.46
There is a lot of debate on social networks about whether 8GB of RAM is sufficient or not. A number of Apple fans, with the logic that “MacBook RAM has high speed and memory swap technology is available to help SSD as RAM”, say that in many applications, 8 GB of RAM is enough; But you should pay attention to several points:
1. The data is not just traveling between the chip and RAM, which can compensate for the low capacity of the RAM by just having a high data exchange rate; In some applications, such as modeling or graphic work, several gigabytes of data may be stored in RAM for a relatively long time. Let’s say that the data exchange rate between the RAM and the M3 or M2 chip is no longer the best, and some chips such as the Core Ultra 7 155H offer a higher rate.
2. Memory swap is not a magical and new technology; The rest of the operating systems, such as Windows, also have similar technology; But it should be noted that swap memory reduces the useful life of SSD and the speed of SSD is not at the level of RAM that can fully play its role; For example, in MacBook Air M3, the data exchange rate between RAM and chip also reaches 102 GB/s; While the Mac SSD read and write rate is maybe one twentieth of this number.
3. Software tools are constantly developing, and their need for hardware resources, including RAM, also increases day by day. On the other hand, the user also buys the MacBook for a few years of use; Therefore, due to the lack of ability to upgrade RAM, one may face problems over time.
Aside from all the talk about Rome, a number of domestic sellers are also taking advantage of the opportunity; For example, Apple charges the same amount for a MacBook Air with 16 GB of RAM and 256 GB of SSD as for an 8 | 512 GB considered; But in Iran, configuring MacBook with more RAM is much more expensive than configuring with more SSD.
MacBook Air M3; Attractive and not very valuable
The MacBook Air M3 is by no means a bad product; But what makes buying this ultrabook illogical is the great value of its predecessors, especially the MacBook Air M1, especially if we consider their significant price difference.
For a person who does not have a laptop and is looking for a compact and well-made ultrabook for daily and light use, the base model of MacBook Air M1, which is currently sold at a price of 47-48 million Tomans, is a very desirable option; A device with an integrated metal body, a high-quality display, a very good keyboard and trackpad, excellent charging and fast performance that meets all the needs of an individual with daily use, journalism or light content production; Without the need to take an irrational action, about 25 million Tomans more will be spent to buy M3.
A person who already has a MacBook Air M2 and uses it for daily use should not go for the MacBook Air M3; Because it will not experience any significant changes; Except for the faster SSD, which is hardly noticeable in everyday use. For a current Mac M1 user, it might make more sense to upgrade to the M3.
For people who use laptops for tasks such as programming or video editing, the 8GB version of the MacBook Air M3 is not really a rational choice. If these people prefer macOS, it is better to go for used models with a budget of 70-75 million tomans, such as M1 Pro with 16 GB RAM, or if they are comfortable with Windows, high-quality options such as HP Envy with Core i9-13900H processor. And 16 GB of RAM will be a reasonable option for them.
In the following article, you will learn how to connect the Samsung phone to the TV using practical methods.
How to connect to the TV with a Samsung phone?
It doesn’t matter if you have a Samsung TV or you are using a Sony TV or an Xvision TV, in this article we will teach you how to connect your Samsung phone to the TV so that you can view the contents of your phone on the TV.
Table of Contents
Connecting Samsung phone to Samsung TV
Connecting a Samsung phone to a Samsung TV with Screen Mirroring technology
Connecting a Samsung phone to a Samsung TV with an HDMI converter
Connecting Samsung phone to Samsung TV with Samsung DeX
Connecting Samsung phone to Samsung TV with Wi-Fi Direct
Connecting Samsung phone to LG TV
Connecting Samsung phone to LG TV with Smart View
Connecting Samsung phone to LG TV through USB-C to HDMI converter
Connecting a Samsung phone to a Sony TV
Connecting a Samsung phone to a Sony TV through Screen Mirroring
Connecting a Samsung phone to a Sony TV with a cable
Connecting Samsung phone to Android TV
Connecting Samsung phone to Samsung TV
Connecting a Samsung phone to a Samsung TV with Screen Mirroring technology
Screen Mirroring is a technology that allows the screen of your phone to be transferred to the TV screen as it is so that you can view the content on the big screen. The SmartThings app and Smart View feature allow you to quickly and easily connect to your Samsung Smart TV.
To wirelessly connect your phone screen to your TV, your TV needs a Wi-Fi connection. For non-smart TVs, connecting via cable will be an easy and practical method that we will explain below.
Connecting Samsung phone to Samsung TV with Smart View
With the Smart View feature, you can view your phone’s screen wirelessly on a large TV screen. Follow the steps below to use Smart View on your Samsung phone:
First of all, make sure your phone and TV are connected to a Wi-Fi network and VPN is not connected.
Now on your phone, swipe down twice to open the Quick Settings panel and select Smart View.
If you don’t see Smart View, please move it to the left or right or tap the edit button and then add Smart View.
Select the desired TV to connect to the phone and then click Start Now.
Finally, select Allow if displayed on the TV screen.
Note: If the TV refuses to connect to the phone, do the following steps to activate the connection:
Go to Settings, and click on All Settings.
Tap Connections and then External Device Manager.
Select Device Connect Manager.
Select the desired mobile device from the Device List and change the status to Allow.
To disable Smart View, disconnect from your phone or press the Return Button on the TV remote.
The device menus may be different depending on the model and software version. Please read the TV manual for more information.
Connecting Samsung phone to Samsung TV with SmartThings application
SmartThings is a remote control application for Samsung products that can be installed on Android phones and iPhone phones. SmartThings enables automatic connection to most Samsung TVs manufactured from 2016 onwards.
Connect your Samsung Smart TV and Samsung phone to a Wi-Fi network.
Download and install the SmartThings app on your phone. If you already have the SmartThings app installed, update it.
Open the SmartThings app.
Tap Add Device.
All devices in SmartThings will be displayed. If you can’t see your device, make sure it’s turned on. If it still doesn’t show up, try turning it off and on again and restarting the SmartThings app.
Select or scan your TV.
Tap on the TV name and connect to your phone.
Now your TV is connected to SmartThings and you can use your phone as a second remote control for your TV. You can also use Smart View to display photos, videos, and music from your phone.
To do this, tap on the name of your connected TV at the top of the application and select More Options or the three-dot icon.
Select Mirror Screens (Smart View). Make sure your phone is close to the TV to connect successfully.
Connecting a Samsung phone to a Samsung TV with an HDMI converter
If you have trouble connecting wirelessly, you can use an HDMI converter to connect your device to your TV. Original Samsung HDMI converters support devices with USB-C ports.
If you’re using an older device without a USB-C port, you may be able to find a compatible interface cable, but functionality cannot be guaranteed.
Connect an HDMI cable to the HDMI converter.
Connect the other end of the HDMI cable to the HDMI port of the TV.
Connect the HDMI converter to the USB port of your phone.
Turn on the TV and change the input to the HDMI port you are using.
Connecting Samsung phone to Samsung TV with Samsung DeX
Swipe your phone down twice to open the quick settings menu. Note that this feature may not be available on some phones.
Tap the DeX button to activate this feature.
Select DeX on the TV or monitor option.
Accept the connection request on the TV.
Then follow the instructions on the screen. Once completed, the Samsung DeX screen will appear on the target TV.
Note that the function of this function will be different depending on the type of TV for wireless connection. We recommend using Samsung Smart TVs 2019 or newer.
Connecting Samsung phone to Samsung TV with Wi-Fi Direct
With Wi-Fi Direct, you can directly connect your phone to the TV without an existing Wi-Fi network. With this, your favorite images and videos will be displayed on the TV screen. Note that both the TV and phone must have Wi-Fi direct capability for this feature to work.
To check whether the Wi-Fi direct feature is equipped on the TV, go to the settings. Now follow the steps below to use Wi-Fi Direct on Samsung TV:
First, open the TV menu to enable Wi-Fi Direct. Then go to Network and Wi-Fi Direct.
Now activate the phone’s Wi-Fi Direct. To enable Wi-Fi Direct on your Samsung phone, go to Settings, then Connections, enter the Wi-Fi section, tap the three-dot icon at the top, and enable the Wi-Fi Direct option. After scanning, the phone will display a list of available devices. The name of the phone also appears on the TV.
Select the device from the list to start the connection. If a connection request is made by the phone, a message will appear on the TV and vice versa. Accept the request to connect the phone to the TV.
Connecting Samsung phone to LG TV
Connecting Samsung phone to LG TV with Smart View
You can also use the Smart View feature on LG TVs like Samsung TVs. Here is the step-by-step guide to enable this feature:
Swipe down on your phone screen and select Smart View.
Make sure your TV and phone are both connected to the same Wi-Fi network.
Select your TV from the list of available devices.
Thus, your phone screen should be reflected on the TV in a few moments.
Connecting Samsung phone to LG TV through USB-C to HDMI converter
You can connect your phone to the TV using a USB-C to HDMI converter. The steps are as follows:
Connect the USB-C end of the adapter to your phone.
Connect the HDMI end to the HDMI port on your TV.
Tap “Accept” when the connection request appears on your phone
After connecting, your phone screen will be mirrored on the TV screen.
This method is simple and hassle-free to use, especially when wireless options are not available.
Connecting a Samsung phone to a Sony TV
Connecting a Samsung phone to a Sony TV through Screen Mirroring
Fortunately, you can use the same Smart View feature of Samsung phones to connect to Sony TV. Thus, it becomes easy for you to seamlessly connect to any of the devices.
Swipe down twice to reveal the Quick Panel.
Select the Smart View icon.
From there, you should see a list of devices compatible with the display. Click on your Sony TV.
You should get a message asking if you are ready to connect. Select “Start Now”.
If your TV does not appear in the list of devices, you need to make sure that the TV is compatible. Note that only Sony Bravia TVs manufactured between 2013-2020 have Screen Mirroring capability.
Connecting a Samsung phone to a Sony TV with a cable
MHL technology provides the possibility of connecting the phone to the Sony TV with a cable. Phones and tablets compatible with this feature can be connected to the TV through an MHL to HDMI cable. If you can’t use wireless to connect your phone to the TV, then a wireless connection and HDMI conversion is another way you will have.
Connecting Samsung phone to Android TV
If you are looking for a wireless connection between your phone and TV, the Smart View feature on Samsung phones is the best way to share data on Android TVs, especially Iranian smart TVs. We have explained the activation method in the above sections.
On the other hand, if your TV is not smart, using cable will help you. As mentioned, you’ll need an HDMI cable and a USB-C to HDMI converter for this. Connect the USB-C end to your phone and then connect an HDMI cable between the converter and your TV. After connecting the converter and cable, the screen of your Samsung phone will appear on the TV.
Connecting a Samsung phone to a TV is not particularly complicated, especially when both devices are in the Android ecosystem. Earlier, we also checked the method of connecting the iPhone to Samsung TV; In addition, you can use the best programs to connect the iPhone to the TV so that more options are available to you.
Leaving the Earth’s atmosphere is not just the experience of floating in the environment. There are also other amazing and troublesome events that can only be experienced in space. In this article, we will talk about the strangest things that can happen to humans in space.
The strangest things that can happen to humans in space
When it comes to space and astronautics, we all remember very interesting movies in which strange things happen to astronauts. Movies with exciting stories, most of which are nothing but the authors’ imaginations; But there are other very amazing stories happening in space that are completely real and have nothing to do with human imagination. In this article, we try to discuss some examples of these events and introduce you to the wonders of space travel.
Strange things that happen to humans in space
The human heart changes shape in space
It may seem a bit strange and even unbelievable that traveling to space can change the shape of the heart, But such a thing happens in reality and scientific studies have proven it. Less work of the heart and less pumping of blood leads to a decrease in the volume of the muscles of this organ, and this ultimately causes the hearts of astronauts to become more spherical by about 9.4%.
Despite the temporary nature of these conditions, some doctors believe that the reduction in the volume of the human heart during space travel may have serious consequences. According to NASA, researchers are researching this issue, and the results of this study will not only help astronauts but will also affect ordinary people and the inhabitants of the planet.
There is a possibility of mental problems in space
Living in the extraterrestrial atmosphere is associated with many problems. Changing living conditions and experiencing a completely different environment with very specific conditions imposes many psychological pressures on astronauts. These issues cause astronauts to experience special psychological conditions and are susceptible to various problems such as anxiety and depression.
Being away from family, lack of simple facilities such as sunlight or even fresh food, and heavy work are among the reasons that expose astronauts to various mental illnesses.
Human vision decreases in space
Visual impairment caused by intracranial pressure or VIIP is another space travel wonder faced by astronauts. This problem was observed for the first time in 2005 and in an astronaut named John Phillips. The Washington Post investigates this issue in an article and states that Phillips experienced a significant loss of vision after returning from his space trip. This incident prepared the groundwork for the researchers’ research for further investigations.
Additional research showed the changes in the appearance of the astronauts’ eyes and the loss of their vision after returning from space travel. Currently, the only possible reason that has been proposed for the occurrence of such conditions is the lack of gravity and the creating double pressure on the astronauts’ skulls; Of course, the research in this field continues and it is still not possible to say with certainty a specific reason for the occurrence of these conditions.
Traveling to space, along with its excitement and surprises, also brings many problems for humans. One of these problems is the weakening of the body’s immune system in space, which was first discovered by astronauts during the Apollo mission. The story was that the astronauts in this mission experienced problems such as irregular heartbeat, dehydration, and inner ear disorder, and faced many problems after returning from the mission.
Studies conducted in this field have shown that after leaving the Earth’s atmosphere, the immune system of astronauts weakens, in part due to the abnormal activation of a type of immune cells called T-regulatory lymphocytes. This weakening is sometimes so severe that it causes astronauts to deal with latent viruses such as chicken pox in addition to simple infectious diseases such as colds after returning from space travel.
Astronauts can lose their fingernails
As you know, astronauts wear special clothes to carry out their missions in space, which includes astronaut gloves. These gloves are designed in such a way that they put a lot of pressure on the astronauts’ hands and nails; This will eventually lead to their nails falling off.
It is true that the fall of fingernails or their swelling is not a simple matter that can be easily passed over, But it seems that doing more research to design more suitable gloves can minimize the possibility of this problem and astronauts will not face such a problem in the future.
Human height grows taller in space
Another wonder of space travel, which makes it one of the favorite trips of ordinary people, is the increase in height that occurs during this trip. As soon as you leave the Earth’s atmosphere, the gravity is close to zero, and this causes the pressure on the spine to decrease significantly. The reduction of this pressure, in turn, causes the height of the astronauts to grow a few centimeters.
One of the studies that confirms the truth of this issue is the research that NASA scientists conducted on two twin brothers. In this study, one of the twins had a 342-day trip to space and the other brother was examined on Earth. The results of this and other research determined that the height of astronauts increases by 2 to 5 cm on average after space travel.
Mark Kelly (left) and Scott Kelly (right) made it possible for researchers to study the health effects of long-duration space travel by studying NASA twins.
Traveling to space leads to weakening of muscles
Another strange thing that happens to astronauts in space and affects their health is the weakening of muscles or atrophy. Long space travel causes muscle wasting in astronauts, so they are trained to exercise continuously during their journey.
NASA is working on this issue to find solutions to prevent the problem of muscle wasting. The reason for the importance of this issue is the need for astronauts to have strong muscles and a healthy body so that they can perform their difficult missions in space in the best possible way.
Space swells astronauts’ faces
A large volume of our body is made up of liquid. On Earth, gravity pulls this fluid down and collects some of it in the lower limbs; But in space, where microgravity prevails, our body fluids are more evenly distributed; As a result, astronauts’ faces look puffier than normal, and on the other hand, their legs appear thinner than when they are on Earth.
According to the Washington Post, “the phenomenon of puffy-faced bird’s legs” appears when blood and other body fluids accumulate on the side of the upper body due to low gravity and stay there; As a result, the heads swell and the legs shrink. In this situation, the appearance of the astronauts can change by swelling their faces. Astronauts may experience excessive blood pooling; As if their head is constantly cold. However, after a few weeks in space, your body will adjust to the change in gravity and some of the facial puff will fall asleep.
Space travel may increase the risk of cancer
Astronauts who spend 6 months in space are exposed to almost as much radiation as a thousand chest X-rays. Exposure to different types of radiation exposes the body to the risk of cancer, damage to the central nervous system, bone loss, and some cardiovascular diseases. However, it has been difficult to accurately calculate the level of risk so far. Also, scientists’ information about the impact of radiation in long-duration space missions to deep space destinations such as the Moon and Mars is still limited.
The more time a person spends in space, the more radiation they are exposed to and, theoretically, the more DNA damage they accumulate. It is not possible to say with certainty whether this DNA damage actually increases the risk of cancer; Because cancer is affected by many environmental and genetic factors. For example, it’s probably fair to say that today’s astronauts are probably some of the fittest people on the planet. They probably eat a healthy diet, exercise a lot, and don’t smoke or drink much alcohol. All these things reduce the possibility of getting cancer.
Strange events for astronauts during space travel have always been one of the most fascinating topics for ordinary people. The wonders of space travel are not limited to the things we have mentioned, and at the same time as science advances and the scope of research increases, we will definitely see more interesting news in this field in the near future.