Lava Play Ultra or Redmi 15: which phone should you pick for Rs 14,999?
Lava Play Ultra and Redmi 15 are two of the latest smartphones priced at Rs 14,999, but they target very different users. The Play Ultra marks Lava’s entry into the gaming category, while the Redmi 15 focuses on delivering a large-screen experience backed by a massive battery. At this Rs 14,999 price point, buyers get access to flagship-grade features and capable hardware without stretching their budget. We reviewed both phones to determine which one makes more sense for you and where each device stands out.
Table of Contents
Display & multimedia experience
The Redmi 15 stands out with its 6.9-inch LCD, the largest display on a smartphone today. It’s ideal for binge-watching and multi-tasking, complemented by a loud single speaker. However, the bezels are on the thicker side, and the sound output is one-directional. The panel supports a 144Hz refresh rate, though only in select apps (not officially listed yet).
The Lava Play Ultra opts for a more conventional 6.67-inch screen but with an AMOLED panel. While smaller than the Redmi 15, it delivers richer colours, deeper blacks, and a peak brightness of 1,000 nits, higher than the Redmi’s 800 nits. For most users, this offers a more balanced and premium viewing experience.
Verdict: Redmi 15 for those who want a phablet-sized screen; Lava Play Ultra for a brighter, more vibrant AMOLED display.
Performance and gaming
Lava positions the Play Ultra as a gaming phone, and it largely lives up to the promise. Powered by the MediaTek Dimensity 7300 (4nm), it handles titles smoothly, with stable FPS and solid thermal efficiency. In our tests, the phone’s temperature dropped by an average of 3.3 degrees Celsius after 30 minutes of continuous gaming, which is among the best in this segment. On AnTuTu, it posted a score of 6,90,352, the second-highest just after the iQOO Z10x.
AnTuTu score
Lava Play Ultra
MediaTek Dimensity 7300
690,352
Xiaomi Redmi 15
Qualcomm Snapdragon 6s Gen 3
463,289
AnTuTu assesses a smartphone's CPU, GPU, memory, and overall user experience (higher is better)
The Redmi 15 runs on the Snapdragon 6s Gen 3, built on the older 6nm process. While fine for day-to-day use, it lags in benchmarks (4,63,289 on AnTuTu) and shows occasional stutters in gaming. Thermal performance is still decent, but it’s clearly not meant for hardcore gamers.
Verdict: Lava Play Ultra for performance and gaming; Redmi 15 if you just need a capable daily driver.
5,000mAh or 7,000mAh battery?
The Redmi 15’s defining feature is its mammoth 7,000mAh battery, which easily lasts two days with moderate use. Even heavy users can expect a full day of backup. It also doubles as a power bank thanks to 18W reverse charging support.
The Lava Play Ultra sticks to a 5,000mAh unit. It delivers a day of use on regular workloads, but heavier users might need a top-up by evening. With 7,000mAh batteries becoming more common in this price range, Lava’s offering feels modest in comparison.
Verdict: Redmi 15 is the clear choice for battery longevity.
Clean software or customisable UI?
The Lava Play Ultra provides a clean, near-stock Android experience with minimal pre-loaded apps, which include Google services and Lava’s own tools. The handset promises two OS updates and three years of security patches. The trade-off is fewer customisation options.
Redmi 15, on the other hand, ships with 66 pre-installed apps (including 19 third-party ones, removable). While this adds clutter, it offers extensive customisation and AI features like AI Sky and AI Erase within the gallery app. Redmi also commits to an extra year of security updates over Lava.
Verdict: Lava Play Ultra for a clean UI; Redmi 15 for customisation and longer software support.
Both offer decent cameras at best
Neither phone is a photography powerhouse, but both deliver acceptable results. Lava Play Ultra features a 50MP OIS primary and a 5MP macro camera, with a 13MP front camera. Daylight and portraits are decent, but low-light struggles with overexposure and inconsistent colours in selfies.
Lava Play Ultra
Redmi 15
Redmi 15 also has a 50MP primary camera, including an unspecified secondary sensor, with an 8MP selfie camera. The smartphone fares slightly better with portraits and selfies, offering more natural skin tones, but lacks sharpness and detail in regular shots. Night mode is also underwhelming.
Verdict: Marginal win for Redmi 15 on selfies; overall, both are average at best.
Which smartphone should you buy?
Both Lava Play Ultra and Redmi 15 offer solid value at Rs 14,999, but they cater to very different needs. Pick Lava Play Ultra if you want a gaming-friendly device with clean software, an AMOLED screen, and smooth performance. Pick Redmi 15 if you value a massive display, unmatched battery life, and a more feature-packed UI. In the end, it boils down to your priorities: gaming and clean UI vs battery and big-screen entertainment.
