Satellite connectivity was something that was rumored about the Xiaomi 14 Pro, but the models that were launched in China back in November didn’t have it. That is because the feature is limited to the Titanium clad special edition model. This model is now up on Xiaomi’s online store in China at a price of CNY 7,000 with 16GB of RAM and 1TB storage. For comparison, the regular 16GB/1TB model costs CNY 6,000. Even the base Xiaomi 14 Ultra is CNY 6,500, though the titanium variant of that is CNY 8,800.
The two-way satellite connectivity is
there in case of emergency outside of the usual network coverage for carriers.
The system communicates with China’s Tiantong satellites. Xiaomi hasn’t changed
its mind and the Pro model will not be available outside of China. That’s not
true of the Xiaomi 14 Ultra, which will be widely available and it too has
satellite communication on board. Whether any carrier outside of China will
support it is another question, however.
Both phones rely on the Xiaomi Pengpai T1
chip. Xiaomi even posted a demo video of the 14 Ultra establishing a call over
satellite in the South China Sea. As for the material that this edition of the
Xiaomi 14 Pro is named after, the company says that it used 99% pure
aerospace-grade titanium for the middle frame along with high-strength aluminum
alloy. Additionally, Xiaomi Dragon Crystal Glass was used for the front and
back of the phone. You will recognize it by the orange trim highlight around
the camera.
That camera is the same triple 50MP module
as on the regular Pro. In short, a 1/1.31” sensor in the main with OIS and a
variable f/1.4-f/4.0 aperture, a 3.2x 75mm telephoto lens and a 115° ultra wide
(with AF). The phone has a 6.73” 120Hz 12-bit LTPO display with QHD+ resolution
and a 32MP front-facing camera. It’s powered by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 and a
4,880mAh battery with 120W wired and 50W wireless charging.
