Xiaomi 15 Ultra Review: The Smartphone That Surprised Us
Xiaomi 15 Ultra offers a top-tier camera, Snapdragon 8 Elite, 6.73" AMOLED, and fast charging. A powerhouse for photography lovers!
Xiaomi 15 Ultra which has Leica optics and a new 200MP periscope telephoto lens, is designed for high-end photography. It wants to be 2025’s greatest smartphone camera.
Key features include a 6.73″ LTPO AMOLED display (120Hz, 3200 nits), a Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset, and up to 1TB storage with 16GB RAM. It supports 8K and 4K video at 120fps with Dolby Vision HDR.
The 5410mAh battery (6000mAh in China) offers 90W wired and 80W wireless charging. It also includes 5G, Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6.0, NFC, stereo speakers, and an ultrasonic fingerprint scanner.
Released on February 27, 2025, for around €1500, the Xiaomi 15 Ultra is a powerhouse. Would you buy it?
Xiaomi 15 Ultra Specifications
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| 📅 Release Date | February 27, 2025 |
| ⚖️ Weight | 226g or 229g |
| 📏 Thickness | 9.4mm |
| 🛠️ Operating System | Android 15, HyperOS 2 (up to 4 major upgrades) |
| 💾 Storage Options | 256GB / 512GB / 1TB (No card slot) |
| 🎮 RAM Options | 12GB / 16GB |
| 📺 Display Type | LTPO AMOLED, 120Hz, Dolby Vision, HDR10+, HDR Vivid |
| 📐 Display Size | 6.73 inches |
| 🔍 Resolution | 1440 x 3200 pixels (~522 ppi) |
| 🛡️ Screen Protection | Xiaomi Shield Glass 2.0 |
| ⚙️ Processor | Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite (3 nm) |
| 🔢 CPU | Octa-core (2×4.32 GHz + 6×3.53 GHz Oryon V2 Phoenix) |
| 🎨 GPU | Adreno 830 |
| 📷 Main Camera Setup | Quad Camera: |
| 🔹 Wide Camera | 50 MP, f/1.6, 23mm, OIS, dual pixel PDAF |
| 🔹 Telephoto Camera | 50 MP, f/1.8, 70mm, OIS, dual pixel PDAF, 3x optical zoom |
| 🔹 Periscope Camera | 200 MP, f/2.6, 100mm, OIS, multi-directional PDAF, 4.3x optical zoom |
| 🔹 Ultrawide Camera | 50 MP, f/2.2, 14mm, 115˚, dual pixel PDAF |
| 🌫️ Depth Sensor | TOF 3D |
| 🎞️ Camera Features | Leica lenses, Dual-LED flash, HDR, panorama, Laser AF, color spectrum sensor, 67mm filter ring holder (optional) |
| 🎬 Main Camera Video | 8K@30fps, 4K@30/60/120fps, 1080p@30/60/120/240/480/960/1920fps, gyro-EIS, Dolby Vision HDR 10-bit (4K@60fps, 1080p) |
| 🤳 Selfie Camera | 32 MP, f/2.0, 21mm (wide), HDR, panorama |
| 📹 Selfie Camera Video | 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60fps, gyro-EIS |
| 🔊 Audio | Stereo speakers, No 3.5mm jack, 24-bit/192kHz Hi-Res audio, Qualcomm XPAN (24-bit/96kHz audio) |
| 🌐 Network Support | GSM / HSPA / LTE / 5G |
| 📶 SIM Options | Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM or Nano-SIM + eSIM (max 2 active at a time) |
| 💦 Water & Dust Resistance | IP68 (immersible up to 1.5m for 30 min) |
| 🏗️ Build Material | Glass front, glass-fiber or silicone polymer back, aluminum frame |
| 📡 Wi-Fi | Wi-Fi 7, Wi-Fi Direct |
| 🔗 Bluetooth | v6.0, aptX HD, aptX Adaptive, LHDC 5 |
| 🛰️ GPS & Navigation | GPS, BDS, GALILEO, QZSS, NavIC, GLONASS |
| 📲 NFC | Yes |
| 📡 Infrared Port | Yes |
| 🔌 USB Port | USB Type-C 3.2 Gen 2, DisplayPort, OTG |
| 🔋 Battery (Global) | 5410mAh, Si/C Li-Ion |
| 🔋 Battery (China) | 6000mAh, Si/C Li-Ion |
| ⚡ Charging Speed | 90W wired (PD3.0, QC3+), 80W wireless, 10W reverse wireless |
| 🎨 Available Colors | Black, White, Silver Chrome, Green |
| 💰 Price | About 1500 EUR |
| 📢 Speaker Test | -23.9 LUFS (Very good) |
| ⏳ Battery Life (Active Use Score) | 16 hours 13 minutes |
Xiaomi 15 Ultra Design, build quality and handling
Xiaomi 15 Ultra features a larger camera bump, making its circular camera module even more prominent. This bold design emphasizes its professional photography capabilities.
Inspired by classic rangefinder cameras, the phone’s hero design combines smooth plastic and synthetic leather with a Leica emblem. Wavy White with a glass fiber back, Satin Black with a red camera ring and a unique Green version that is only available in China are some more color choices.
The curved display is protected by Xiaomi Shield Glass 2.0 and has gentle curves on all sides, enhancing the premium feel. It is also IP68-rated for water and dust resistance, but lacks the IP69 certification seen in some competitors.
A key upgrade this year is the ultrasonic fingerprint scanner, which is more reliable in different conditions compared to last year’s optical sensor. The aluminum frame is slightly thicker for a better grip, and the power button is knurled for easy identification.
Xiaomi is also launching a Photography Kit (Legend Edition), which includes a 2,000mAh battery grip, a shutter button, a zoom rocker, and a customizable dial. The kit also features a swappable camera ring compatible with 67mm filters, a lanyard and a thumb grip for a more camera-like experience.
Xiaomi 15 Ultra is made for those who desire a truly professional mobile photography experience thanks to its high-quality materials, ergonomic upgrades, and cutting-edge photography features.
Xiaomi 15 Ultra: Display, Battery, Charging & Speakers
Xiaomi 15 Ultra has a 6.73-inch QHD OLED display with a 1-120Hz adaptive refresh rate, 1920Hz PWM dimming, and support for HDR10+ and Dolby Vision. It reaches 1,599 nits brightness in auto mode, making it easy to use outdoors.
The 5,410mAh battery offers excellent battery life:
- 13h 18m web browsing
- 19h 25m video playback
- 10h 41m gaming
- 40h 51m voice calls
Charging is fast with 90W wired charging (72% in 30 min, full in 51 min), but no charger is included. It also supports 80W wireless charging with Xiaomi’s charger.
Stereo speakers provide loud, clear sound, ranking among the best.
With a stunning display, long battery life, fast charging, and great audio, the Xiaomi 15 Ultra is a top-tier flagship.
Xiaomi 15 Ultra Software, performance
Xiaomi 15 Ultra runs on Android 15 with HyperOS 2.0 and will get four major updates and six years of security patches.
HyperOS 2.0 keeps the familiar design but adds improvements, AI features, and system optimizations. It includes an app drawer, a “light” UX mode for accessibility, and a redesigned -1 home screen with Google Discover instead of Xiaomi’s App Vault.
Google Gemini is built-in, offering AI-powered image generation, “Circle to Search,” and conversations. Xiaomi’s AI features include translation, proofreading, and summarization in the Notes app. The Gallery app supports object removal, background expansion, and AI short videos, while the Recorder app offers transcription, speaker detection, and translations.
Other AI features include AI subtitles, live translations, and advanced image editing tools. Despite the powerful Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset, many AI functions rely on cloud processing, and Xiaomi currently offers them for free.
The Xiaomi 15 Ultra comes in two versions: 16GB RAM / 512GB storage and 16GB RAM / 1TB storage. It uses LPDDR5X RAM and UFS 4.1 storage for fast performance.
It performs well in benchmarks but shows some thermal throttling in stress tests and failed the 3DMark Wild Life Extreme stress test. However, everyday performance remains smooth and competitive with other flagship phones.
Xiaomi 15 Ultra Camera, photo and video quality
Xiaomi 15 Ultra’s camera brings a major upgrade with a new 200MP telephoto lens, though the rest of the setup stays mostly the same. The 200MP lens has a 100mm focal length, offering a 4.3x zoom, which is longer than the previous model’s 120mm telephoto lens. To balance this, the second telephoto lens is now at 70mm, offering a 3x zoom. This change ensures smooth zoom transitions between the lenses.
The camera setup includes a main 50MP camera, a 50MP ultrawide, and two telephoto lenses—one at 3x and the other at 4.3x. While the new telephoto lenses offer great detail, the 4.3x camera can focus only from 40cm onwards, and the 3x camera focuses as close as 8.5cm.
The main camera delivers impressive photos with good detail, dynamic range, and vivid colors. Daylight shots look natural with no noise. The 2x zoom is great for portraits, and the telephoto lenses excel in detailed shots of people.
The ultrawide camera still performs well, though the 50MP mode is not as useful. Selfies are decent but not exceptional due to the lack of autofocus.
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Pros and Cons of Xiaomi 15 Ultra
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| 📷 Stylish camera-inspired design | 🚫 Lower water resistance (IP68, not IP69) |
| 🎛 Optional photography kit for a better experience | 🔋 Needs specific chargers for fast charging |
| 🌟 Bright display with Dolby Vision | 🔥 Can overheat with heavy use |
| 🔋 Long battery life, fast charging | 🎥 Video quality could be sharper |
| 🔊 Loud and clear speakers | 🤳 Selfie camera isn’t the best |
| ⚡ Smooth performance with feature-rich software | 🚫 |
| 🔭 Excellent zoom and macro photography | 🚫 |
Conclusion
Xiaomi 15 Ultra is one of the best phones for photography. It has two telephoto cameras for better zoom and a large 1-inch main sensor that few others use.
There are some downsides—selfies could be better, video needs improvement, and it can get hot with heavy use. It’s also less water-resistant than some rivals and doesn’t come with a fast charger.
Despite this, its camera performance makes it a top choice for photography lovers.
