Xiaomi’s annual imaging flagship actually “overturned”?
Recently, DXOMARK, a well-known professional camera evaluation organization, released the comprehensive image evaluation score of Xiaomi Mi 14 Ultra. With a score of 144 points, it ranked 13th on the list. Tied for 13th place with Xiaomi 14 Ultra is Huawei's Mate 50 Pro released in September 2022. Even OPPO's previous generation flagship Find X6 Pro scored 153 points and ranked 10th.
It is worth noting that Xiaomi Mi 14 Ultra has also become the lowest-ranked imaging flagship of this generation of Chinese brands tested by DXOMARK.
(Photo source: DXOMARK)
After the results were announced, there was a heated discussion on the Internet. Many netizens believed that even if they only looked at the hardware quality, Xiaomi Mi 14 Ultra would not be ranked 13th. However, some users said that Xiaomi Mi 14 Ultra does still have some problems that need to be improved.
Once upon a time, DXOMARK, as one of the professional evaluation organizations in the imaging field, was regarded as a treasure by countless mobile phone brands. Its evaluation data often appeared at major flagship model launches as a quantifiable indicator of imaging strength. In recent years, high-scoring models rated by DXOMARK have received mediocre reviews from users, such as the iPhone 15 Pro, which scored 154 points.
(Source: DXOMARK)
This makes people think, are DXOMARK’s scoring standards constantly changing, or is this year’s imaging flagship really moving in the wrong direction?
Don’t talk about images but talk about experience, Xiaomi is not guilty of this
DXOMARK’s review of Xiaomi Mi 14 Ultra is not too bad. In the photography evaluation, it scored 144 points, and the main reviewer also recognized its continuous zoom capability. Point deduction items mainly focus on depth of field, portraits, etc., which are almostIt’s all about computational photography.
As the annual imaging flagship, Xiaomi Mi 14 Ultra’s hardware is absolutely top-notch: the main camera uses a Sony LYT-900 1-inch sensor that supports variable aperture, and from the ultra-wide-angle, mid-focus and telephoto parts, all Sony IMX858 outsole sensor. Four sensors with similar specifications enable better color uniformity under continuous zooming, which is almost consistent with DXOMARK's evaluation.
The problem lies in the part that requires computational photography, or the photography experience. DXOMARK did not give a very high evaluation. For example, in the bokeh evaluation, DXOMARK believes that the blur of Huawei Pura 70 Ultra is more natural, or that on the preview interface, the iPhone 15 Pro Max is smoother.
(Photo source: DXOMARK)
In fact, as a professional evaluation organization, DXOMARK, even in the field of mobile imaging, still focuses on hardware foundations and software adjustments such as optical quality, color, and color accuracy. In recent years, Xiaomi and Leica, OPPO and Hasselblad, vivo and Zeiss, almost all brands have begun to pursue the development of stylized mobile imaging. Compared with "real color", shooting blockbusters casually is more in line with the actual needs of ordinary consumers. .
After reviewing the detailed evaluation report, we also discovered some problems. Since Xiaomi cooperated with Leica, its imaging flagship only provides two modes: "Leica Vivid" and "Leica Vivid" in the camera mode. In any case, these are stylized color corrections. DXOMARK mentioned that Xiaomi Mi 14 Ultra has lower exposure than competing products in some scenarios, which resulted in its points being deducted in this project.
(Photo source: DXOMARK)
The strange thing is that DXOMARK does not plan to use the professional mode to evaluate Xiaomi Mi 14 Ultra. Even in this mode, Leica tone will no longer intervene, and the imaging style, exposure control, etc. will not be affected.will not be affected.
DXOMARK, which has added more test items, has also included user experience in the scope of image scoring. Xiaomi Mi 14 Ultra’s camera smoothness has also been deducted a lot of points. From Xiaolei’s perspective, whether the operation is smooth is of course It is important, but it may be unfair to increase the score of this part in a test that compares optical quality and software algorithm.
Based on this, starting from 2022, most mobile phone brands will no longer provide products to DXOMARK for testing. In addition to the best-selling models on the list, many imaging flagships have not entered the list, such as Xiaomi Mi 14 , vivo X100, etc.
"Professional" reviews no longer needed
Xiaomi, Honor and Huawei were the first mobile phone brands to submit DXOMARK for testing. In 2017, Xiaomi Note 3 won the first place in the agency’s smartphone image performance rankings. Lei Jun also released Xiaomi Mix2S later. At the meeting, the rice fans were excitedly introduced to this achievement.
DXOMARK was first questioned because Xiaomi 9CC Pro and Huawei Mate 30 Pro obtained the same score in the initial test, tied for first place. The sensor of the subsequently released Mate 30 Pro 5G did not change, but it was even better. The high score pushed Xiaomi out of the championship. In the face of doubts, DXOMARK did not respond much, and public opinion continued to ferment, and there was even news of "buying the list."
When it comes to Xiaomi 12S Ultra, Lei Jun made it clear at the press conference that he will not send DXOMARK for testing, which means that the "professional score war" among various brands has also come to an end. By 2024, the organization has received only a few models for testing, and it seems that it no longer has the ability to produce rankings.
(Source: Xiaomi)
From a professional perspective, DXOMARK's own evaluation criteria are unpredictable. For example, whether the evaluation of moving images focuses more on optical quality and imaging quality, or on tone style and ease of use, or in other words, Why computational photography should also be included in professional reviews. On the other hand, DXOMARK has never disclosed the upper limit of the score, nor has it set a standard line for a certain test according to certain rules. This has resulted in the overall score of imaging flagships being continuously raised as soon as they are tested.
For example, the Huawei P20 Pro received a DXOMARK score of 1 for the first time01 points, the highest score at that time, and now the highest score has been won by Pura 70 Ultra, with a total of 163 points. If this "farce" had not been stopped, the score might have exceeded 200 points by now, maybe even 300 points.
(Photo source: DXOMARK)
The demands for mobile imaging are becoming increasingly diverse, and different user groups have different preferences and usage scenarios. The scoring systems of professional evaluation agencies are often based on standardized test scenarios and cannot fully cover various situations in actual use. Some users have higher requirements for color accuracy, so overly stylized tones may not be suitable for such consumers. Therefore, users are more likely to combine information from multiple channels when making purchasing decisions, rather than blindly relying on scores given by institutions that claim to be "professional" in order to make the choice that best suits their needs.
High ratings are not as good as good reputation
With the development of mobile imaging, it is no longer necessary to obtain market recognition through "running scores". Only satisfying consumers is the last word. Judging from the sales data, the initial sales of Xiaomi Mi 14 Ultra exceeded 100,000 units, leading the current generation of imaging flagships at a very high growth rate, and its sales performance in the global market is very impressive. It is enough to show that Xiaomi’s imaging capabilities are recognized by many consumers.
Samsung's Galaxy S24 Ultra did not achieve good results in DXOMARK. The sales performance of this generation of flagship "super large cup" was not far behind. Not only did it receive more than 6 million pre-orders in the initial sales period, it also caused Samsung Electronics' stock price to rise sharply. , profits soared in the second quarter.
(Source: Samsung)
On the one hand, the hardware configuration of these ultra-large imaging cups is no less than any rival. The high-performance sensors and advanced image processing technology they carry are enough to meet various challenges in daily use. More importantly, Xiaomi, vivo, OPPO and other brands have continued to improve users’ actual shooting experience through software updates and optimizations after the release of new phones. Although these efforts may not be immediately reflected in professionalrating, but it actually improves the user experience.
On the other hand, market trends in recent years also show that the importance of user reputation is surpassing professional ratings. Various channels such as social media, technology bloggers and user reviews provide consumers with rich sources of information. Users prefer to understand the actual performance of a mobile phone through real usage feedback, rather than relying solely on ratings from professional organizations. Like the iPhone 15 and Huawei P60, they have succeeded in the market precisely because they have accumulated a good reputation among users.
(Source: Apple)
Therefore, DXOMARK, which has already been controversial, only gave a lower-than-expected professional score nearly half a year after the release of Xiaomi Mi 14 Ultra. In fact, it can only represent its views from certain "professional" perspectives, such as shooting experience. Poor, insufficient highlight suppression, etc., these problems may be real, but there is no direct correlation between the image strength of the product itself and whether it can be recognized by the public.
Auf jeden Fall kann man bei der Iteration und Weiterentwicklung der Imaging-Flaggschiffe im Laufe der Jahre sagen, dass die Leistung verschiedener Marken recht ähnlich ist. Unterschieden in der Verwendung führen. Benutzer müssen nur kombinieren.The above is the extremely low image score of Xiaomi Mi 14 Ultra, only Because DXOMARK is unreliable? of detailed content. For more information, please pay attention to other related articles on the PHP Chinese website!
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<p style="display: inline-flex;float: right; color:#333333;">Source: ifeng.com</p>
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