This time around we’re taking a look at two powerful phones that are also more compact than most flagships. We’ll compare the Google Pixel 8 vs Xiaomi 14. The Xiaomi 14’s global variant launched quite recently, while the original model (for the Chinese market) launched back in October when the Pixel 8 arrived too. Both of these phones are quite powerful, but they are quite different at the same time.
They not only look different, and feel different in the hand, but they have rather different internals too. As we usually do, we’ll first list their specifications. Following that, we’ll compare their designs, displays, performance, battery life, cameras, and audio performance. That being said, let’s get to it!
Specs
Google Pixel 8 vs Xiaomi 14, respectively
– Screen size:
6.2-inch Actua AMOLED display (120Hz LTPS, HDR10+, 2,000 nits max)
6.36-inch LTPO OLED display (flat, adaptive 120Hz, 3,000 nits max brightness)
– Display resolution:
2400 x 1080
2670 x 1200
– SoC:
Google Tensor G3
Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3
– RAM:
8GB (LPDDR5X)
12GB (LPDDR5X)
– Storage:
128GB/256GB (UFS 3.1)
256GB/512GB (UFS 4.0)
– Rear cameras:
50MP (f/1.68 aperture, 82-degree FoV, 1.2um pixel size), 12MP (ultrawide, f/2.2 aperture, 1.25um pixel size, 125.8-degree FoV)
50MP (wide, f/1.6 aperture, 1.2um pixel size, OIS), 50MP (ultrawide, 115-degree FoV, f/2.2 aperture), 50MP (telephoto, f/2.0 aperture, 75mm lens, OIS, PDAF, 3.2x optical zoom)
– Front cameras:
10.5MP (f/2.2 aperture, 1.22um pixel size)
32MP (wide, f/2.0 aperture, 0.7um pixel size)
– Battery:
4,575mAh
4,610mAh
– Charging:
27W wired, 18W wireless, 5W reverse wireless (charger not included)
90W wired, 50W wireless, 10W reverse wireless (charger included)
– Dimensions:
150.5 x 70.8 x 8.9mm
152.8 x 71.5 x 8.3mm
– Weight:
187 grams
193 grams
– Connectivity:
5G, LTE, NFC, Wi-Fi, USB Type-C, Bluetooth 5.3/5.4
– Security:
In-display fingerprint scanner (optical) & facial scanning
In-display fingerprint scanner (optical) & facial scanning
– OS:
Android 14
Android 14 with HyperOS
– Price:
$699+
€999
– Buy:
Google Pixel 8 (Best Buy)
Xiaomi 14 (Amazon)
Google Pixel 8 vs Xiaomi 14: Design
Both of these smartphones are made out of metal and glass. The Xiaomi 14 does come with a vegan leather backplate too, but only in China. So, we’ll focus on its glass variant only. Both of these phones have flat displays with thin bezels, but the bezels are thinner on the Xiaomi 14, and they’re also uniform. Both devices do include a centered display camera hole at the top of their displays too.
If we flip them around, you’ll see far more differences. The Google Pixel 8 has a camera visor on the back. That visor connects to the phone’s left and right sides, the frame of the phone. There are two cameras included on the inside, and the visor is covered by metal. The Xiaomi 14 has a far more regular-looking camera island on the back. It’s located in the top-left corner, and it has a square shape. Both camera setups do protrude on the back. The Pixel 8 does not wobble on the table due to the design of its camera visor, though.
The physical buttons are located on the right-hand side of both smartphones. Their location is a bit different, as the power/lock button sits above the volume up/down buttons on the Pixel 8. It’s the other way around on the Xiaomi 14. Both devices include in-display fingerprint scanners, optical ones. They’re both also IP68 certified for water and dust resistance. The Xiaomi 14 is slightly taller, wider, and thinner. That’s not surprising considering it has a larger display than the Pixel 8. It has a higher screen-to-body ratio, though.
Both devices feel great in the hand, but also different at the same time. The Xiaomi 14 has flat sides, with chamfered edges, while the sides are rounded on the Pixel 8. Both devices are very slippery too. They do feel really good to hold and use, though, both of them.
Google Pixel 8 vs Xiaomi 14: Display
The Pixel 8 includes a 6.2-inch fullHD+ (2400 x 1080) OLED display. This panel is flat, and it has a 120Hz refresh rate. It can project HDR10+ content, while the maximum peak brightness is 2,000 nits. The display has a 20:9 aspect ratio, and the screen-to-body ratio of the device is around 85%. The Gorilla Glass Victus is applied on top of the display for protection purposes.
The Xiaomi 14, on the flip side, includes a 6.36-inch 2670 x 1200 LTPO OLED display. This display is flat too, and it has an adaptive refresh rate up to 120Hz. Dolby Vision is supported here, as is HDR10+ content. The theoretical maximum brightness of this display is 3,000 nits. We’re looking at a 20:9 display aspect ratio here, the same as on the Pixel 8. The Xiaomi 14 has a screen-to-body ratio of around 89%, and the Gorilla Glass Victus sits on top of the panel itself.
Both of these two displays are excellent, actually. They’re both vivid, have great viewing angles, and they’re more than sharp enough. The touch response is great on both panels. The Xiaomi 14’s panel does get a bit brighter, while it also has the advantage of rather high PWM dimming to protect your eyes. The blacks are deep on both displays. All in all, both displays are excellent, though the Xiaomi 14’s panel does have a couple of advantages.
Google Pixel 8 vs Xiaomi 14: Performance
Google’s Tensor G3 processor fuels the Pixel 8. That is Google’s latest chip, at the time of writing this article. It’s a 4nm processor. The Pixel 8 also utilizes 8GB of LPDDR5X RAM and UFS 3.1 flash storage. The Xiaomi 14 is fueled by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chip, a 4nm processor by Qualcomm. That is the company’s most powerful chip at the moment. The phone also takes advantage of LPDDR5X RAM and UFS 4.0 flash storage.
Both smartphones do offer really great performance, though the Xiaomi 14 did feel a bit snappier in comparison. It’s as if it can do specific actions a second faster than the Pixel 8. That’s not all that surprising considering that it utilizes a more powerful chip and faster storage. Still, if you’re not comparing them side-by-side, they both do a great job. They are great at multitasking, and basically any regular usage scenarios you can think of.
When it comes to gaming, the Xiaomi 14 is the better option of the two. The Tensor G3 is not really made for gaming, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 handles games a lot better. That even goes for the most demanding titles out there. If you’re playing non-demanding games, the Pixel 8 does a fine job too, though. Both smartphones do get rather warm during gaming, but we did not get to the point of overheating or anything of the sort.
Google Pixel 8 vs Xiaomi 14: Battery
Google’s Pixel 8 handset has a 4,575mAh battery on the inside. The Xiaomi 14 packs in a 4,610mAh unit. These battery capacities may not seem huge but do note that the display sizes on these two phones are smaller than on the vast majority of other flagship-grade devices. The battery life on both phones is good, though not outstanding. We did notice that the Xiaomi 14 offers more in the battery life department, though.
The Pixel 8 was able to provide us with 6-6.5 hours of screen-on-time on most days. At first, it was even able to go up to 7 hours, but something changed. If you’re using 5G a lot, however, the battery life does take a noticeable hit. The Xiaomi 14 is able to cross that 7-hour screen-on-time mark, but not go much beyond that, at least that was the case for us. We’ve noticed consistently better battery life on the Xiaomi 14 with similar usage, and 5G did not affect it as much.
In terms of charging, the Xiaomi 14 completely destroys the Pixel 8. It supports 90W wired, 50W wireless, and 10W reverse wireless charging. The phone also comes with a 90W charger in the box. The Pixel 8 supports 27W wired, 18W wireless, and reverse wireless charging. It does not include a charger in the box. By the time the Pixel 8 reaches the 50% charge mark, the Xiaomi 14 reaches a full charge, basically.
Google Pixel 8 vs Xiaomi 14: Cameras
The Google Pixel 8 features a 50-megapixel main camera, and a 12-megapixel ultrawide unit (126-degree FoV). The Xiaomi 14, on the flip side, has a 50-megapixel main camera, a 50-megapixel ultrawide camera (115-degree FoV), and a 50-megapixel telephoto unit (3.2x optical zoom). Xiaomi’s handset also comes with Leica’s lenses as part of the package, and also Leica’s expertise in other areas, such as image processing.
Both of these smartphones are immensely capable when it comes to photography. They do provide visibly different results. The Pixel 8 leans towards very contrasty images that end up looking quite processed and quite bright at the same time. The Xiaomi 14 goes the contrasty route too, but the images do look a bit closer to real life. You can even utilize the ‘Leica Authentic’ mode for a specific photography style. Both smartphones handle HDR conditions like champs.
In low light, the main camera on both phones do a great job. The Xiaomi 14 does handle street lights a bit better, though. It also likes to keep images a bit darker to make them look closer to real life, while the Pixel 8 will usually brighten them up. Their ultrawide cameras do a good job in both daylight and nighttime, though we did prefer the results from the Xiaomi 14’s shooter. The Xiaomi 14 easily wins the telephoto comparison, the Pixel 8 doesn’t even have a telephoto camera, though its main camera can zoom in to a certain degree and not lose much detail, especially in good lighting scenarios.
Audio
There is a set of stereo speakers on both of these smartphones. Those speakers are loud enough on both smartphones, though the Xiaomi 14 does have a small advantage in that regard. They’re well-optimized on both ends, though.
There is no audio jack on either one of these two phones. You can utilize their Type-C ports for wired headphone connections, or you can go full wireless via Bluetooth. The Pixel 8 supports Bluetooth 5.3, while the Xiaomi 14 comes with Bluetooth 5.4 support.
