Xiaomi 15 Ultra Review: A Camera Beast Unleashed
In 2025, Xiaomi has once again raised the bar in smartphone photography and flagship performance with the launch of the Xiaomi 15 Ultra. Following the success of the 14 Ultra, Xiaomi has refined its formula—bringing in a powerful new chipset, an even more ambitious camera setup, and a level of polish that competes directly with the likes of Samsung’s Galaxy S25 Ultra and Apple’s iPhone 16 Pro Max.
The Xiaomi 15 Ultra is not just about spec sheets—it’s about experience. It’s the company’s boldest and most focused attempt yet to dominate the high-end smartphone market. Let’s break it down.
Design and Build Quality
The design of the Xiaomi 15 Ultra feels like a natural evolution from its predecessor. It features a premium body with a massive circular camera module on the rear—one that makes it instantly recognizable. The phone is available in elegant colors like black, white, and a striking silver-black leatherette variant that channels the aesthetic of a classic Leica camera.
The chassis is made from high-strength aluminum alloy, and the back panel is reinforced with Xiaomi’s eco-leather, offering a grippy and luxurious feel. Up front, Xiaomi uses its new-generation Shield Glass 2.0, which provides additional drop and scratch resistance compared to previous models.
With an IP68 rating, the Xiaomi 15 Ultra is fully protected against dust and water, making it just as durable as it is stylish.
Display: Bright, Vivid, and Adaptive
The Xiaomi 15 Ultra features a 6.73-inch WQHD+ AMOLED LTPO display, boasting a resolution of 3200 x 1440 pixels and a pixel density of 522 PPI. The screen supports an adaptive refresh rate between 1Hz to 120Hz, ensuring silky-smooth animations when needed and conserving battery when idle.
What truly impresses is the peak brightness of 3200 nits, which makes the display clearly visible under even the harshest sunlight. Whether you’re browsing indoors or watching HDR content on a bright day, the screen stays sharp and vibrant. It supports 68 billion colors, Dolby Vision, and HDR10+, offering a top-tier multimedia experience.
Bezels are minimal, curves are gentle, and haptics are tight and responsive, adding to the feeling of refinement.
Performance: Powerhouse With Snapdragon 8 Elite
Under the hood, the Xiaomi 15 Ultra packs Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset, built on a cutting-edge 3nm process. The octa-core processor features two high-performance cores clocked at 4.32 GHz and six efficiency cores running at 3.53 GHz.
Xiaomi pairs the chipset with up to 16GB of LPDDR5X RAM and UFS 4.1 storage configurations ranging from 512GB to 1TB. Benchmarks place the phone among the fastest Android flagships ever made. From gaming to multitasking, from 4K video editing to AI photo enhancements—the device handles everything effortlessly.
Thermal management has improved, thanks to Xiaomi’s redesigned vapor chamber cooling system, ensuring sustained performance without overheating.
Cameras: Arguably the Best in the Business
Photography is the heart of the Xiaomi 15 Ultra—and it’s where the phone truly shines. Xiaomi has again partnered with Leica to deliver one of the most ambitious smartphone camera systems yet.
Rear Camera Setup:
- Main Sensor (50MP)
Featuring a massive 1-inch Sony LYT-900 sensor with a variable aperture from f/1.63 to f/4.0, this lens excels in all lighting conditions. It captures remarkable detail, true-to-life colors, and phenomenal depth. Night photography especially stands out, with very little noise and excellent dynamic range. - Ultra-Wide Sensor (50MP)
With a 115-degree field of view and an f/2.2 aperture, the ultra-wide camera offers distortion-free landscape shots and macro-level detail. However, compared to the rest of the setup, this sensor feels less refined. Edges can sometimes blur, and it lacks the punch seen in the main lens. - 3.2x Telephoto (50MP)
Perfect for portraits and short- to mid-range zoom, this lens provides crisp, clean shots with natural depth of field. Skin tones are handled beautifully under most conditions. - 4.3x Periscope Telephoto (200MP)
This is where Xiaomi leaps ahead of its rivals. The 200MP periscope lens delivers optical zoom shots with incredible clarity, even in low light. The AI-powered night zoom function works exceptionally well, pulling in detail and light where most other phones falter.
Across all lenses, image processing stays consistent. The Leica color profiles (Authentic and Vibrant) let users tailor the visual style to their preference. Video recording goes up to 8K with excellent stabilization, while Pro Mode offers granular control for camera nerds.
Battery Life and Charging
The Xiaomi 15 Ultra is powered by a 5410mAh battery, which comfortably supports a full day of heavy use, including gaming, photography, and streaming. Power efficiency has improved, thanks in part to the 3nm chipset and dynamic refresh rate.
Wired charging is blazing fast, with 90W HyperCharge, filling the battery from 0 to 100% in about 35 minutes. Even wireless charging impresses, clocking in at 80W—among the fastest available in 2025. There’s also reverse wireless charging support for your earbuds or smartwatch.
The only drawback? The phone doesn’t support Qi2 magnetic wireless charging, which is gaining traction among accessories.
Software: HyperOS 2 on Android 15
Xiaomi’s new HyperOS 2, based on Android 15, is clean, responsive, and feature-rich. It combines stock Android’s fluidity with Xiaomi’s deep customization tools. Themes, animations, gesture controls, and multitasking all feel snappy.
There are intelligent AI features integrated throughout the system. For example, the AI Gallery can suggest photo edits or automatically clean up backgrounds. The voice recorder offers real-time transcription and translation in multiple languages.
Still, some users might find a few bloatware apps annoying—some of which can’t be removed without workarounds. HyperOS also leans heavily on Xiaomi’s ecosystem, requiring a Mi account for full feature access.
Additional Features and Accessories
- Fingerprint sensor: Ultrasonic and under-display, fast and accurate
- Audio: Dual stereo speakers tuned by Harman Kardon with Dolby Atmos support
- Connectivity: Wi-Fi 7, 5G, Bluetooth 5.4, and USB 4.0
- Optional Photography Kit: Includes attachable physical shutter button, grip, and lens filters — perfect for content creators and enthusiasts
Pricing and Availability
The Xiaomi 15 Ultra starts at £1,299 in the UK and €1,499 in European markets for the 512GB model. The 1TB variant, bundled with the Photography Kit, retails higher. Unfortunately, there’s no official release planned for the U.S. as of March 2025, but it is available through import retailers and select online platforms.
Verdict: A Masterclass in Mobile Imaging
The Xiaomi 15 Ultra cements its place as one of the best smartphones of 2025. It’s a beast in terms of performance, battery, and especially camera technology. Xiaomi has truly leaned into the photography niche and delivered a device that doesn’t just compete—it leads.
While minor shortcomings exist—like the lack of Qi2 support or slightly underwhelming ultra-wide performance—these are small prices to pay for a device that consistently performs at the top of its class.
For anyone serious about mobile photography or those seeking a premium Android phone that doesn’t follow the crowd, the Xiaomi 15 Ultra is an easy recommendation.
