Xiaomi 14 vs Samsung Galaxy S24: Spec comparison
Whether you like it or not, there aren’t many options for compact phones in this era. The few that most often come to mind are the iPhone 15 and 15 Pro at 6.1 inches, and the recently launched Samsung Galaxy S24 at 6.2 inches.
There are more outside this sphere of course, like the ASUS Zenfone 10 and the Xiaomi 14. Now, the Zenfone 10 unfortunately did not launch in Malaysia, but we do however have the latest Xiaomi 14.
Since Apple has yet to unveil their flagships of the year, we thought we’d make a fair comparison between the 2024 iterations of the Xiaomi 14 and the Galaxy S24. Here’s how they stack up against each other.
By the way, we managed to get our hands on the Xiaomi 14. Here’s what we thought.
Xiaomi 14 vs Samsung Galaxy S24: Spec comparison
| Xiaomi 14 | Samsung Galaxy S24 | |
| Price | RM3,499 – 12GB+256GB RM3,799 – 12GB+512GB | RM4,099 – 8GB+256GB RM4,599 – 8GB+512GB |
| Processor | Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 | Exynos 2400 |
| Display | 6.36″ LTPO OLED, 2670×1200, 120Hz, 3,000nits (peak), Gorilla Glass Victus | 6.2″ LTPO AMOLED, FHD+ (2340×1080), 120Hz, 2,600nits (peak), Gorilla Glass Victus 2 |
| Rear Camera | 50MP 1/1.31″ Leica main w/ OIS 50MP 75mm Leica floating telephoto w/ OIS, 3.2x optical zoom 50MP Leica ultra-wide | 50MP 1/1.56″ wide w/ OIS 10MP 1/3.94″ telephoto w/ OIS, 3x optical zoom 12MP 1/2.55″ ultra-wide |
| Front Camera | 32MP | 12MP |
| Rear Camera Recording | 8K at 24fps, 4K at 24/30/60fps, 1080p at 30/60fps, 720p at 30fps | 8K at 24/30fps, 4K at 30/60fps, 1080p at 30/60/24fps |
| Front Camera Recording | 4K at 30/60fps, 1080p at 30/60fps, 720p at 30fps | 4K at 30/60fps, 1080p at 30fps |
| Battery & Charging | 4,610mAh; 90W wired, 50W wireless | 4,000mAh; 25W wired, 15W wireless |
| Wi-Fi & Bluetooth | WiFi 7, Bluetooth 5.4 | Wi-Fi 6e, Bluetooth 5.3 |
| NFC | Yes | Yes |
| Speakers | Stereo speakers w/ Dolby Atmos support | Stereo speakers w/ Dolby Atmos support |
| IP Rating | IP68 | IP68 |
| Software updates | 4 years Android updates, 5 years security patches | 7 years Android updates, 7 years security patches |
You absolutely have to acknowledge the RM600 difference in starting price between the Xiaomi 14 and the Galaxy S24. That’s a hefty amount you’ll be saving, and what’s more, there’s the glaring difference of a 12GB RAM on the Xiaomi and an 8GB on the S24. In terms of this alone, the Xiaomi 14 seems to set off on the right foot.
Then there’s the question of processors, where we see the Xiaomi get fitted with the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 and the Galaxy S24 with Samsung’s proprietary Exynos 2400 chip. Exynos’ rep hasn’t been stellar, to say the least, although early consensus of the Exynos 2400 do point towards significant improvements over previous generations. With that being said, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 has garnered positive reviews on its end too with many of its adopting phones excelling in performance. (For further reading, we recommend these articles from XDA Developers and GSMArena).
Another thing that lends credibility to the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 is that even the top-end Galaxy S24 Ultra uses it. In fact, all models of the Galaxy S24 Series released in China, USA, and Canada get the Snapdragon treatment, while all other regions have to contend with the Exynos 2400 chip in the S24 and S24+. We don’t yet know why Samsung has taken this route, but the fact that Samsung hasn’t gone full swing with the Exynos leaves plenty of room for speculation.
Regardless, when it comes to compact devices these are good phones to consider. The Xiaomi 14 is slightly larger at 6.36″ – still within the palm-friendly zone – while the Galaxy S24 sits nice and snug at 6.2″. There isn’t too much that separates them here. On paper, the Xiaomi does top display resolution by a hairline; the same can be said about the brightness too. In all honesty, the differences are infinitesimal and not worth mulling over.
One area which you should think hard about is camera capabilities. It’s somewhat a match-up between traditional versus modern. The Xiaomi 14 benefits from having legendary camera-makers Leica on their side, which we learnt via our review unit that it is a spectacular addition. On the other hand, Samsung has placed plenty of emphasis on AI features integrated onto the S24 Series, including a slew of post-editing features that are very, very impressive.
Another gap which we simply can’t shake off is the difference in battery capacity and charging. The Xiaomi 14’s 4,610mAh battery is far bigger than the 4,000mAh found in the S24. But more than that, it’s also the disparity between the 90W wired + 50W wireless charging speed on the Xiaomi, and the 25W wired + 15W wireless charging on the S24. It’s a resounding advantage to the Xiaomi 14 here, and one which we expect will swing customers over to the Xiaomi.
Editor’s Verdict
We’ll start the verdict first by saying both the Xiaomi 14 and Galaxy S24 are two powerful phones in their own right. You can’t go wrong with either one in your hands.
However, it’s hard to shrug off the idea that for a price tag that’s RM600 cheaper, the Xiaomi 14 does certain things better than the Galaxy S24. Donning a 12GB RAM is a good enough argument, but then you learn about the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 against the iffy Exynos reputation and things start to swing towards the Xiaomi.
In addition to that is the 50MP co-engineered Leica triple cameras which we can say with full confidence is top-notch; plus that expansive battery capacity AND lightning quick charging speeds. Personally, I’d be going for the Xiaomi 14 without needing too much of a second thought.
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