Xiaomi 14 is a smartphone full of features
HAIR WE GO WITH SUPERSONIC NURAL
XIAOMI 14 is a brilliantly capable and compact flagship that was launched at MWC. I’ve been testing it out since then.
It sports a gorgeous design, premium hardware and performance that packs a punch.
The big attraction is that it is one of the most compact and easy to handle flagships at just 8.2mm thick and 193g in weight. This even though it has a 6.36in display. It’s as easy to hold and use as Pixel 8 or iPhone 15 Pro but with more screen real estate than both.
The screen is impressive too – FHD+ resolution, a 1Hz to 120Hz refresh rate and 3,000 nits of peak brightness.
Under the hood is the latest high-end Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chip and 12GB of RAM – the phone is a powerhouse that breezes through any task or graphically intensive game. It runs the firm’s new HyperOS on top of Andoid 14 – to me, it’s pretty similar to the old MIUI.
Experience
The triple 50MP resolution camera system on the rear impresses greatly – it’s versatile and competent but to be fair it’s not quite got the computational photography smarts that you get from the three best smartphone camera systems I’ve tested, Galaxy S24 Ultra, iPhone 15 Pro and Pixel 8 Pro.
Battery experience is another plus – you’ll get close to a full day even with heavy use and you get a 90W charging brick in the box that can refuel from zero to 100 percent in 35 minutes.
I love the stunning green model, but my matte black review unit was stylish too.
The Gorilla Glass Victus front comes with a pre-installed screen protector and the phone is IP68 rated so it’s fully dust and water resistant, as a flagship should be.
You also get 512GB of storage as standard – double what some top-end phones deliver. Verdict Feature-packed Xiaomi 14 deserves serious consideration if you’re looking for a top-end flagship in 2024.
■Xiaomi 14 costs €1,099 at Harvey Norman (or €54.85 per month).
DECATHLON has launched a gamechanging new LD 920 automatic E-bike that costs €3,100. And just as it is with an automatic car, there is no need to worry about manually changing the gears – the bike does all the work for you.
INSTAX Mini 99, which goes on sale today, takes the Fujifilm instant camera range to new levels of creativity.
It offers a combination of the firm’s most advanced controls for tweaking your images and the best ways to have fun with any Instax camera thanks to the LED light effects.
The new shooter has a retro chic style and uses the same design language as the Instax Mini 40, which means there are none of the bright colours of the bubbly-looking Instax Mini 12 or the boxier-looking Instax Square SQ1. Mini 99 comes in black only.
The usual Instax twist lens has undergone some changes here.
Twist three times for Macro Mode which has featured on previous Instax cameras for subjects between 0.3 metres and 0.6 metres from the camera. Twist twice for the new Standard Mode for anything in between 0.6metres and three metres. Twist once for the new Landscape Mode for everything three metres or more away.
Subject
IT’S not the sort of product that someone with as little hair as me can test out, but the newly launched Supersonic Nural is Dyson’s most intelligent hair dryer yet.
The firm said it has been equipped with new sensor technology to protect your scalp from heat damage, while giving your hair a healthy shine.
Dyson Supersonic is widely acclaimed as one of the best hair dryers you can buy, and since its introduction in 2016, the firm has been building on its awardwinning
This helps you limit the number of shots with inaccurate focus by making you think a little harder about where your subject is.
Another big change is the new manual dial on the top of the unit which allows you to apply Instagram-style colour effects.
These are applied through a series of coloured LEDs that flash inside the camera as the film is exposed. Colours include Faded Green, Warm Tone, Light Blue, Soft Magenta, Sepia and Light Leak. You don’t have to use them, of course, as there is a neutral option.
I’m chuffed with the manual control over the external flash, a much-requested feature.
Another new dial up top on the left is for exposure compensation, which is very handy.
Mini 99 gets new shooting modes such as Sports Mode, which increases the shutter speed for action shots and Indoor Mode, which balances exposure for indoor lighting.
You also get Bulb Mode, for longer exposures tech with new hair dryers based on the original.
Its latest styling tool is designed to better protect your scalp from extreme heat.
Sensors
letting in more light to deliver brighter images, and
Double-Exposure Mode, which does exactly what is says on the tin.
Another creative feature is the option to manually add vignettes to images using a physical switch on the front of the camera.
A new self-timer mode helps you get the perfect group shot.
One thing which is missing is the firm’s useful selfie mirror that is traditionally housed on the front of your Instax.
Fujifilm Instax Mini 99 features a rechargeable battery, which the firm said will last for about 100 prints, and it takes up to two hours to fully recharge.
As ever, a new camera means a new film style and this time we get Photo Slide which has been inspired by the design of motifs featured on photographic film mounts.
All of the Mini prints are available in packs of 10 or 20. the scalp and hair, while enhancing the shine and styling experience.
Nural has coloured lights too - during low heat, it will be cool blue or yellow, medium heat is orange and for high heat it turns red. The dryer also has a motion-sensing accelerometer which deactivates the heater and decreases the noise during styling passes.
■ Dyson Supersonic Nural will be available soon priced at €449.99.