The Xiaomi 14 Civi might be a camera-focused smartphone, but it is no slouch in terms of performance. The handset is equipped with the latest Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 chipset, which is built on a similar framework as Qualcomm’s top-of-the-line Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 SoC and aims to deliver flagship-grade performance. Does it make the Xiaomi 14 Civi a better performer than the performance-focused iQOO Neo 9 Pro (review) in its segment? Read this comparison to find out.
| Smartphone | Xiaomi 14 Civi | iQOO Neo 9 Pro |
| Processor | Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 SoC | Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 |
| Graphics | Adreno 735 GPU | Adreno 740 GPU |
| RAM and storage | up to 12GB of LPDDR5x RAM and 512GB of UFS 4.0 storage | up to 12GB of LPDDR5x RAM and 256GB of UFS 4.0 storage |
AnTuTu
The iQOO Neo 9 Pro wins this round by achieving a significantly higher score of 16,11,015 on AnTuTu, compared to the Xiaomi 14 Civi’s score of 14,43,011. This means that the iQOO smartphone should be more capable of handling graphically demanding tasks such as gaming.
Winner: iQOO Neo 9 Pro
Geekbench
The iQOO Neo 9 Pro scores over the Xiaomi 14 Civi in the Geekbench test as well. While the difference in the single-core test between the two devices is minimal, the Xiaomi smartphone loses to the iQOO by a margin in the multi-core test. This should give the Neo 9 Pro an edge over its counterpart when it comes to completing complex tasks.
Winner: iQOO Neo 9 Pro
Throttling test
The iQOO Neo 9 Pro throttles less in our Burnout test, which puts the phone’s chipset under some strenuous load. The handset performs around 54 percent of its peak performance. In comparison, the Xiaomi 14 Civi throttles to a worrisome 40 percent of its peak performance in a similar test.
Winner: iQOO Neo 9 Pro
Gaming
The gaming performance remains more or less the same on both devices. The Xiaomi 14 Civi and iQOO Neo 9 Pro manage our go-to titles, namely Call of Duty and BGMI, equally well. However, if you are wondering which smartphone is more efficient, then the iQOO smartphone seems to be winning. The handset registers a marginal drop in frame rate, with its thermals heating up by roughly 19 degrees after playing each game for 30 minutes. The Xiaomi 14 Civi, on the contrary, saw a 23-degree spike in its thermals after the test.
Winner: iQOO Neo 9 Pro
Verdict
Overall, the iQOO Neo 9 Pro emerges as a clear choice if you prioritise raw performance and efficiency. The handset outperforms the Xiaomi 14 Civi in both synthetic benchmarks and real-world performance. Additionally, it is more affordable than its counterpart, starting at Rs 35,999 compared to the Xiaomi 14 Civi’s starting price of Rs 42,999.
Although the Xiaomi smartphone consistently ranks second to the iQOO Neo 9 Pro, it still offers respectable performance. It could be a decent choice for casual gamers.
