The Realme GT 6 (review) and the Xiaomi 14 Civi (review) are some of the recently launched smartphones in the affordable flagship segment. Both phones are priced quite closely, starting at Rs 40,999 and Rs 42,999, respectively. Since both phones compete directly with each other due to their price, we conducted a performance and battery comparison to determine which phone offers better performance and battery life. We’ll finally be comparing the camera prowess of both smartphones to gauge which device offers a better camera experience.
Here are the camera specifications of both smartphones:
| Realme GT 6 | Xiaomi 14 Civi |
| 50MP Sony LYT-808 primary camera with OIS | 50MP Leica Light Hunter 800 primary camera with OIS |
| 8MP ultrawide lens | 12MP Leica ultrawide lens |
| 50MP 2x telephoto lens | 50MP Leica 2x telephoto lens |
| 32MP selfie camera | 32MP primary selfie lens + 32MP ultrawide selfie lens |
Table of Contents
Daylight
Both phones capture daylight shots using their primary 50MP cameras. The Realme GT 6 reproduces images with more natural colours that represent the scene more closely compared to the Xiaomi 14 Civi, which leans towards warmer hues.
The former also captures sharper images, which preserve more details compared to the Xiaomi 14 Civi, which tends to soften the details, particularly visible in the titles on the ground and the detail level of the building’s walls. The dynamic range is also slightly better on the Realme GT 6.
Winner: Realme GT 6
Ultra-wide
For ultra-wide shots, the Realme GT 6 relies on the 8MP lens with a FOV of 112 degrees, while the Xiaomi 14 Civi uses the 12MP Leica ultra-wide lens with a 120-degree FOV. There’s a stark difference visible in both photos, with Xiaomi 14 Civi capturing a larger view of the area, albeit with a noticeable frame warping around the edges.
Both ultra-wide lenses reproduce colours similar to their primary counterparts, with the Xiaomi 14 Civi maintaining a higher contrast, which makes the scene look more dramatic. The Realme GT 6’s image is more illuminated, but it blows out the shadows, which are preserved in the Xiaomi 14 Civi’s image. I personally prefer the more dramatic shot of the Xiaomi 14 Civi.
Winner: Xiaomi 14 Civi
Portrait
Both phones feature a dedicated 50MP portrait lens, and we took images at 2x resolution to gauge how both phones capture portrait shots. The Realme GT 6 captures a vibrant image with a high brightness level. It also preserves better details on the subject’s shirt fabric. However, it struggles a little when it comes to edge detection.
The Xiaomi 14 Civi captures a drastically different image, with a high contrast level and visible vignetting effect around the edges with a DSLR-like bokeh effect. It also preserves more skin texture and has a natural skin tone compared to the Realme GT 6, which smooths out the skin. I personally prefer the Xiaomi 14 Civi’s portrait image to the Realme GT 6.
Winner: Xiaomi 14 Civi
Selfie
In selfies, the Realme GT 6 captures pleasing images with natural colour reproduction and a decent level of detail. The device, however, smooths out the skin texture, which the Xiaomi 14 Civi manages to preserve. Unlike the Realme GT 6, the Xiaomi 14 Civi captures a sharper image with slightly boosted colours but with near-accurate skin tone reproduction.
Winner: Xiaomi 14 Civi
Low-light (night mode off)
We took low-light images in both phones with night mode disabled to gauge how they take images without artificial processing. The Realme GT 6 captures a lot of light due to its larger aperture, but the image is overexposed with significant lens flare around light sources.
The Xiaomi 14 Civi has a more subdued approach with illumination and a more realistic representation of the actual scene. It also handles lens flare rather well, but the scene appears slightly dull due to the lack of brightness.
Winner: Xiaomi 14 Civi
Lowlight (night mode on)
With night mode enabled, the images on both phones undergo slight improvements. The Realme GT 6 slightly minimises lens flares and handles exposure levels better. However, the phone still struggles to preserve shadows and overexposes them. In contrast, the Xiaomi 14 Civi has a slightly better exposure level while carefully maintaining exposure to avoid overwhelming shadows.
The Xiaomi 14 Civi, however, softens the darker areas, which reduces the level of detail compared to the Realme GT 6. In the end, the choice boils down to personal preference, and I personally still prefer the Xiaomi 14 Civi’s contrasty images to the Realme GT 6.
Winner: Tied
Verdict
The camera comparison so far marks the Xiaomi 14 Civi as the clear winner. Its Leica-tuned cameras capture better low-light images, ultra-wide shots and more appealing portraits compared to the Realme GT 6. If camera capabilities are non-negotiable and you’re someone who’s often out at night shooting images, the Xiaomi 14 Civi is the better choice between the two.
While the Realme GT 6 did lose out to the Xiaomi 14 Civi, it captures better daylight shots and is only slightly less capable when it comes to lowlight photography. If you want a phone that’s more focused on performance and battery life with a decent set of cameras, the Realme GT 6 will not disappoint.
