Xiaomi 15 Full Review: Is It Worth the Upgrade?
Xiaomi 15 brings flagship power in a compact size with Snapdragon 8 Elite, 50MP triple cameras, a 6.36" OLED display, and fast charging.
Xiaomi 15 was introduced in China in October and has been performing well in local markets. Now, it’s headed to international markets, while the 15 Pro may not be released outside China. We also get the Xiaomi 15 Ultra.
Even though the Xiaomi 15 is the smallest and least expensive model, it’s still a flagship with great features. It comes with the Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset and a large 5,240 mAh battery.
Size & Build: Compact, lightweight, glass front, aluminum frame, IP68 water-resistantDisplay: 6.36” OLED, 120Hz refresh rate, HDR10+, very bright screenPerformance: Snapdragon 8 Elite, up to 1TB storage, up to 16GB RAMCameras:
- Rear: 50 MP main, 50 MP 3x zoom, 50 MP ultra-wide
- Front: 32 MP selfie
- Video: 8K and 4K recording, slow-motion support
Battery: 5,240 mAh, 90W fast charging, 50W wireless chargingExtras: 5G, Wi-Fi 7, in-display fingerprint sensor, stereo speakers
Xiaomi 15 Specifications
| 🔥 Feature | 📌 Details |
|---|---|
| 📅 Release Date | October 29, 2024 |
| ⚖️ Weight | 189g / 191g / 192g |
| 📏 Thickness | 8.1mm |
| 📱 Operating System | Android 15, HyperOS 2 (Up to 4 major upgrades) |
| 💾 Storage Options | 256GB, 512GB, 1TB (No card slot) |
| 🎨 Display Type | LTPO AMOLED, 68B colors, 120Hz, Dolby Vision, HDR10+ |
| 📏 Screen Size | 6.36 inches (~90% screen-to-body ratio) |
| 🔍 Resolution | 1200 x 2670 pixels (20:9 ratio, ~460 ppi) |
| 🛡️ Screen Protection | Xiaomi Shield Glass |
| ⚙️ Chipset | Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite (3 nm) |
| 🚀 CPU | Octa-core (2×4.32 GHz Oryon V2 Phoenix L + 6×3.53 GHz Oryon V2 Phoenix M) |
| 🎮 GPU | Adreno 830 |
| 🏎️ RAM Options | 12GB / 16GB |
| 📷 Main Camera Setup | 📸 Triple Camera |
| 📷 Main Camera 1 | 50 MP, f/1.6 (wide), OIS, PDAF |
| 🔭 Main Camera 2 | 50 MP, f/2.0 (telephoto), OIS, 3x optical zoom |
| 🌄 Main Camera 3 | 50 MP, f/2.2 (ultrawide), 115° FOV |
| 🎥 Main Camera Video | 8K@24/30fps, 4K@24/30/60fps (HDR10+, 10-bit Dolby Vision), 1080p@30/60/120/240/960fps, 720p@1920fps, gyro-EIS |
| 🤳 Selfie Camera | 32 MP, f/2.0, 21mm (wide) |
| 🎞️ Selfie Camera Video | 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60fps, HDR10+, gyro-EIS |
| 🔊 Audio | Stereo speakers, ❌ No 3.5mm jack, Hi-Res audio |
| 📡 Connectivity | Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.4/6.0, NFC, Infrared port, USB-C 3.2 Gen2, DisplayPort, OTG |
| 🛰️ Positioning | GPS, GLONASS, BDS, GALILEO, QZSS |
| 📻 Radio | ❌ No |
| 🔐 Security | Under-display fingerprint sensor (ultrasonic) |
| 🎛️ Other Sensors | Accelerometer, proximity, gyro, compass, barometer |
| 🔋 Battery (Global) | 5240 mAh (Si/C Li-Ion) |
| 🔋 Battery (China) | 5400 mAh (Si/C Li-Ion) |
| ⚡ Wired Charging | 90W (PD3.0, QC3+) |
| 📡 Wireless Charging | 50W |
| 🔄 Reverse Wireless Charging | 10W |
| 💧 Water & Dust Resistance | IP68 (up to 1.5m for 30 min) |
| 📶 SIM Options | Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM / eSIM (max 2 active) |
| 🎨 Colors Available | 🖤 Black, 🤍 White, 🪩 Liquid Silver, 💚 Green, 💜 Lilac |
| 🆔 Models | 24129PN74G, 24129PN74I, 24129PN74C |
| 💰 Price | About €1000 |
Xiaomi 15 Design, build quality and handling
Xiaomi 15 has a classic design with a large square camera module but no standout features. Its rounded middle frame makes it comfortable to hold, and its compact size ensures an easy grip without stretching your thumb.
From the front, the phone looks sleek and minimal, with thin bezels and hidden sensors. The matte-textured back resists fingerprints, and the color options include black, white, green, and silver, with Lilac and red exclusive to China.
Buttons are well-placed and clicky, with the volume and power buttons on the right. The bottom houses a USB-C port, SIM tray, and speaker, while the front has no visible controls, as sensors are hidden beneath the display.
The ultrasonic in-display fingerprint sensor is fast and accurate. The aluminum frame and Xiaomi Shield Glass provide durability, though the Xiaomi 15 Ultra gets an upgraded version of the glass. The phone is IP68-rated, making it water-resistant for up to 30 minutes in 1.5 meters of fresh water.
Xiaomi 15 Display, battery life, charging speed and speaker
The Xiaomi 15 features a 6.36-inch OLED display with 120Hz refresh rate, 10-bit colors, and Dolby Vision support. It’s compact and has excellent brightness, reaching up to 3,200 nits in peak brightness (we measured 1,517 nits). It automatically adjusts to DC dimming for a better visual experience at different brightness levels. The LTPO OLED panel helps conserve battery by adjusting the refresh rate from 10Hz to 120Hz based on activity.
The 5,240 mAh battery in the global model provides excellent battery life, offering 16:28 hours of active use. The Snapdragon 8 Elite chip ensures efficiency, making the phone last long with a mix of tasks.
The Xiaomi 15 supports 90W HyperCharge charging, capable of reaching 83% in 15 minutes. The charging performance is strong, although the Xiaomi 14 charges faster due to a smaller battery.
The phone features hybrid stereo speakers with a bottom-facing speaker and an earpiece. Both are loud and well-balanced, producing clear mids and vocals, though the bass is less prominent.
The Xiaomi 15 supports dual-SIM 5G with eSIM support and tri-band Wi-Fi 7. It includes Bluetooth 5.4, NFC, and an IR blaster. The USB Type-C port offers USB 3.2 Gen 2 data transfer and DisplayPort video output. It also includes a wide range of sensors for an enhanced experience.
Xiaomi 15 Software and performance
Xiaomi 15 comes with HyperOS 2, based on Android 15, unlike many Redmi devices still running HyperOS 1 and Android 14. It promises four years of major updates and six years of security patches, a step up from typical Redmi phones.
HyperOS 2 feels familiar to MIUI users, with minor refinements and new AI features. It includes an app drawer by default, but you can disable it. The interface supports split-screen apps, pop-up windows, and a variety of AI functions, such as Google Gemini for content creation, AI-powered text transformation in Notes, and AI-enhanced image editing in the Gallery. System-wide AI subtitles and real-time translations are also available.
Despite the powerful Snapdragon 8 Elite processor, many AI features rely on cloud processing. The phone comes with 12GB of RAM and 256GB or 512GB of storage, but lacks a 16GB RAM or 1TB variant globally.
Performance is excellent in short bursts, but thermal issues arise under prolonged load, leading to significant throttling. The phone struggles with extended 3DMark stress tests and exhibits performance dips in long CPU tests.
Xiaomi 15 Camera, photo and video quality
Xiaomi 15 features a familiar triple-camera setup, with an upgraded telephoto sensor. While it uses the same main and ultrawide cameras as the Xiaomi 14, the telephoto sensor has been upgraded from the Samsung ISOCELL JN1 to the JN5, offering 2.6x optical zoom instead of 3.2x.
The main camera, telephoto, and ultrawide sensors capture great detail, color, and dynamic range. The telephoto lens produces sharp, detailed images with excellent contrast and color matching. The ultrawide camera, however, isn’t as impressive with noticeable softness at the edges and limited dynamic range.
For portraits, the Xiaomi 15 offers excellent subject detection and separation with good background blur, especially at the 60mm and 75mm zoom levels. The 32MP selfie camera delivers sharp, detailed images with great contrast and color.
In low light, the main and telephoto cameras perform well, with clean, sharp images. The ultrawide camera struggles a bit more in low light but still delivers acceptable results.
Video recording is top-notch, with 8K at 30fps from the main camera and 4K at 60fps from the other cameras. The video quality is detailed, with great colors and dynamic range, even in low light. The telephoto and ultrawide cameras also offer excellent video performance, with minimal noise and impressive detail.
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Pros and Cons of Xiaomi 15
| ✅ Pros | ❌ Cons |
|---|---|
| 📏 Compact and premium design | 🔋 Smaller battery than the Chinese model |
| 📱 Smooth 120Hz LTPO OLED display | 🔥 Throttles under heavy load |
| 🔋 Long battery life | 📸 Digital zoom is not great |
| ⚡ Fast charging | ❌ No charger in some regions (EU) |
| 🔊 Stereo speakers | |
| 📡 Great connectivity (Wi-Fi 7, eSIM, USB 10Gbps) | |
| 🤖 Feature-rich HyperOS 2 | |
| 📷 Great camera and video quality |
Conclusion
Xiaomi 15 is an incremental upgrade rather than a major leap forward. The larger battery is the most significant change, while the Snapdragon 8 Elite offers better performance but still struggles with heat under heavy loads. Camera improvements are minimal, and the ultrawide lens still lacks autofocus.
Despite this, the Xiaomi 15 remains one of the best compact flagship phones, packing premium features into a small form factor. Aside from its cooling issues, there are no major drawbacks. If you’re looking for a powerful, modern, and compact device, the Xiaomi 15 is an excellent choice—if the price suits you.
