Which Xiaomi smartphones have the best camera in 2026: a review of top and budget models

Choosing a Xiaomi smartphone with a good camera is not an easy task. Even within a lineup, the difference between models can be huge: from the budget Redmi with mediocre modules to the flagship Xiaomi 14 Ultra, competing with the iPhone and Samsung Galaxy S24. In this article, we will understand which models are really worth the attention of photographers, bloggers and fans of quality images.

It's important to understand that "good camera" is a subjective concept. One user is critical to 5x zoom for wildlife, another needs great nighttime footage for urban landscapes, and a third needs enough clear selfies for social media, and we'll analyze not only the technical specifications (matrix resolution, aperture, stabilization), but also real-world tests from experts DxOMark, GSMArena and independent bloggers.

Special attention will be paid to the unique feature of Xiaomi – joint development of cameras with Leica, which began with the Xiaomi series. 12S Ultra and continued in new models, and we will also analyze which budget smartphones (up to 30,000). ₽) can surprise the quality of the shooting, and whether to overpay for the flagships for the camera.

Top.-5 Xiaomi smartphones with the best camera in the world 2026 year

This rating is based on DxOMark scores, video tests 4K/8K, Autofocus speed and additional functions like AI-Retouch or professional mode. All models support shooting in the RAW and have optical stabilization (OIS) at least one module.

• 📱 Xiaomi 14 Ultra is the absolute leader with Leica Summilux camera and variable aperture f/1.6–f/4.0
• 📱 Xiaomi 13 Ultra – predecessor with a slightly more modest zoom, but excellent color reproduction
• 📱 Xiaomi 14 Pro – the best balance of price and quality among the flagships
• 📱 Redmi Note 13 Pro+ 5G — Best budget with Sony IMX890 (200 MP)
• 📱 POCO F6 Pro – an alternative for gamers with a good main camera

If you need the most detail and professional settings, pay attention to Xiaomi 14 Its main camera has a physical aperture that automatically adjusts to lighting — a rare feature even among other brands. 15 Pro Max aperture fixed (f/1.78).

Comparison of flagships: Xiaomi 14 Ultra vs Xiaomi 13 Ultra vs Xiaomi 14 Pro

Xiaomi’s flagship models are traditionally equipped with cameras developed in conjunction with Leica, which means not only branded color reproduction profiles (Leica Authentic and Leica Vibrant), but also unique processing algorithms that minimize noise and preserve natural colors.

Key differences:

• 🔍 Xiaomi 14 Ultra has a variable aperture — the only smartphone on the market with such a feature.It allows you to adjust the depth of field and light transmission manually, like on a DSLR.
• 📸 Xiaomi 13 Ultra is cheaper, but loses out in dynamic range and autofocus speed (especially in the dark).
• 💰 Xiaomi 14 Pro is the best choice for those who do not need superzoom, but want a top-end main camera.

⚠️ Note: All three models have problems with overheating during long-term video shooting 8K. If you plan to shoot video longer than 10 minutes, use an external cooler or lower the resolution to a high resolution. 4K.

Xiaomi with a good camera: Redmi and POCO

Not everyone needs a 100,000-dollar flagship.+ ₽. If the budget is limited, but the quality of the shooting is important, pay attention to the models from the Redmi Note line and the best models. POCO. The main secret is to look for smartphones with Sony sensors IMX (for example, IMX766 or IMX890), This provides good detail even in low light.

Best budget options:

• 💎 Redmi Note 13 Pro+ 5G — 200-MP camera (Samsung) HP3) pixelated 16-into-1. In real conditions, gives pictures at the level of Xiaomi 11T Pro for a third of the price.
• 🎯 POCO F6 Pro is the same Redmi. K70, But with pure Android. Sony's main camera. IMX890 (50 MP) is excellent at portraits.
• 🌃 Redmi Note 12 Pro+ 5G — The 200MP sensor is older, but with good night photography thanks to Night Mode 2.0 algorithms.

What’s important to know: Budget smartphones typically save on telephoto modules (digital zoom, not optical) and ultra-wide (less megapixels and worse detail at the edges), but the main camera is often not inferior to the flagships of two years ago.

Search for Sony IMX7xx/IMX8xx sensor in specs

Check for OIS (Optical Stabilization)

Pay attention to RAW support (for post-processing)

Compare Night Shooting Samples on YouTube

-->

Camera tests: which is more important - megapixels or software?

Many people mistakenly believe that the more megapixels, the better the camera. In practice, this is not true: for example, Xiaomi 14 Ultra has only 50 MP in the main camera, but bypasses many 200-MP smartphones thanks to:

• 🔬 More physical sensor size (1 quiz 1/1.4" public-sector).
• 🎛️ Leica processing algorithms that preserve textures and minimize noise.
• 🔄 Optical stabilization (OIS) and laser autofocus (LDAF).

For clarity, compare two pictures:

• Redmi Note 13 Pro+ (200 MP) – gives very detailed shots in good lighting, but at dusk there is a strong noise due to the small sensor.
• Xiaomi 14 Pro (50 MP) – less megapixels, but due to the 4-in-1 binning and large pixel size (2.44 microns) there is almost no noise.

Critical: Budget Xiaomi often lacks support for 10-bit color (HDR10+), which limits dynamic range when shooting against the sun. If you shoot landscapes or architecture, this can be a problem.

💡

Before buying, check if the model supports RAW shooting (for example, through the Google Camera app), which will allow you to manually adjust the white balance and exposure in Lightroom or Snapseed.

Night Shooting: Which Xiaomi is Best?

Shooting in the dark is one of the weakest points of budget smartphones. Even with Night Mode, cheap models often produce blurry footage with loss of detail.

1. Xiaomi 14 Ultra is the best night shoot among all Xiaomi thanks to its large aperture (f/1.6) and Leica algorithms.
2. Xiaomi 13 Pro is slightly worse, but cheaper. It uses the same IMX989 sensor, but without the aperture variable.
3. Redmi Note 13 Pro+ is the best budget for night shooting (thanks to Night Mode 2.0 and Samsung HP3 sensor).

When shooting in total darkness (like the starry sky), even Xiaomi flagships lose the Google Pixel 8 Pro or Huawei P60 Pro due to less advanced noise reduction algorithms. However, for urban environments (street lighting, neon signs), the difference is not critical.

⚠️ Note: When shooting video at night, all Xiaomi (except 14 Ultra) automatically reduce the resolution to 1080p To stabilize it. To record it. 4K At night, you will have to use a tripod and disable electronic stabilization in the settings.

Video: 4K, 8K and Stabilization

If you are interested in video, pay attention to the following parameters:

• 🎥 Maximum authorization: 8K Only available on Xiaomi 14 Ultra and 13 Ultra, but with a time limit of 5 minutes).
• 🔄 Stabilization: Optical (OIS) + electronic (EIS) There are in all flagships, but in public sector often only EIS.
• 🎤 Microphones: Flagships have stereo sound and noise cancellation, and public sector employees have monophonic sound.

Best models for video:

For bloggers and tick-tokers, the best choice would be the Xiaomi 14 Pro – it supports a log profile (Log) for color correction, and also has a front-facing camera with autofocus (a rarity even among flagships).

💡

If you need professional video, pay attention to support for 10-bit HDR and DCI-P3 – these features are only available in Xiaomi flagships.

AI-Features and post-processing: what can Xiaomi cameras?

Xiaomi is actively introducing artificial intelligence into cameras.

• 🤖 AI Sky Replacement – automatically replaces the sky in photos (available on Xiaomi) 13/14).
• 👗 AI Portrait Mode - blurs the background with hair and small details (it works better on flagships).
• 🌆 AI Night Mode – in budget models uses multi-frame addition to reduce noise.
• 📝 AI Watermark automatically adds information about the location and time of the shooting.

But not all features are equally useful, like the AI Beauty is on the front camera by default and often over-smooths the skin, and it's best to turn it off in the settings:

Settings → Camera → Portrait → Beauty → Turn off

For advanced post-processing, we recommend using:

• Adobe Lightroom Mobile – supports RAW with Xiaomi.
• Snapseed is convenient for point correction.
• VSCO is good for color correction of portraits.

FAQ: Frequent questions about Xiaomi cameras