The camera fight
The Xiaomi 14 Ultra and the Galaxy S24 Ultra are the two phones that enthusiast photographers fight about online. The Xiaomi 14 Ultra has a physical hardware advantage: a 1-inch sensor gathers dramatically more light than the Galaxy S24 Ultra's smaller main camera. The Galaxy S24 Ultra fights back with 200MP resolution and a more versatile zoom system. See both full spec pages: Xiaomi 14 Ultra and Galaxy S24 Ultra.
Main sensor: 1-inch vs 200MP
The Xiaomi 14 Ultra uses a Sony LYT-900 with 1-inch physical size — the largest sensor in any mainstream flagship. In low light this is a meaningful advantage: shallower depth of field, more natural bokeh, cleaner shadow detail. The Galaxy S24 Ultra's 200MP sensor wins for extreme cropping and daylight resolution but loses in physics-driven low-light quality.
Zoom: consistency vs range
The Xiaomi 14 Ultra uses four 50MP lenses at different focal lengths — unusually consistent quality across the full range from ultrawide to 5x. The Galaxy S24 Ultra covers more range with 3x and 5x optical zoom and clean crops to 10x. For versatility, Samsung; for even quality at every focal length, Xiaomi.
Everything else
The Galaxy S24 Ultra has an S Pen, IP68, seven OS updates and is far easier to buy globally. The Xiaomi 14 Ultra has 90W wired + 80W wireless and is typically $200–$300 cheaper in markets where it is sold. For non-camera features, the Galaxy S24 Ultra wins on software longevity and ecosystem depth.
Verdict
Camera-first buyers who shoot in low light or value sensor size: Xiaomi 14 Ultra. S Pen users, those who want more zoom range and longer software support: Galaxy S24 Ultra. Both are superb — the decision comes down to whether the 1-inch sensor or the S Pen is more useful in your life.