Xiaomi 15 Ultra review: a complete package

When Xiaomi launched the Xiaomi 14 Ultra (review) in India last year, it completely changed how I perceived smartphone cameras. Not only did the phone impress me with a fully functional quad-camera setup on the back, but its colour-tuning was equally spot-on, even in the trickiest lighting conditions.

This year, the latest Xiaomi 15 Ultra carries the legacy forward but with an upgraded 200MP camera while retaining the 1-inch-like sensor for the primary shooter. Mind you, we still get the goodness from Leica, Xiaomi’s long-time camera partner. With Qualcomm’s latest and greatest Snapdragon 8 Elite, it’s a total powerhouse – catering not only to your photography needs but also to gaming.

Do these features make the Xiaomi 15 Ultra the ultimate ‘Ultra’ smartphone in the flagship tier? Let’s find out.

Verdict

The Xiaomi 15 Ultra, paired with the Photography Kit (sold separately), exemplifies what a great smartphone camera system should be. Even with the Snapdragon 8 Elite on board, it meets most of the demands of performance-focused users. The larger battery ensures longer and more reliable usage. However, to stand out in the competitive flagship market, Xiaomi must further explore AI, particularly generative AI features.

Design and display

Based on build and dimensions, the Xiaomi 15 Ultra is almost identical to last year’s Xiaomi 14 Ultra. The new iteration is slightly heavier, likely due to the bigger 5,410mAh battery. Otherwise, the design remains familiar, with the large camera module occupying the top half. There’s a fair bit of protrusion, which seldom bothers me. I don’t mind the large camera module and the rings surrounding it to match DSLR-like aesthetics.

Sadly, the Xiaomi 15 Ultra has a single Silver Chrome colour option featuring a mix of glass and vegan material, unlike the previous-generation model, which comes in black and white finishes. Typically, I prefer having more options in the flagship segment, like what Apple, Google, and Samsung offer. The current colour option doesn’t look bad by any metric; however, Xiaomi could have explored a green or blue variant, which would look splendid with this finish.

Ergonomically, I like the Xiaomi 15 Ultra (a lot). Despite the heavy build, the phone feels robust and well-balanced. The button placement on the side is equally friendly to my grip. The leather texture on the back offers a good grip, while the glass material has a smooth finish for the palm. Xiaomi has yet to opt for an additional button like the camera shutter on the iPhone 16 series and OPPO Find X8 Pro (review), but it’s a matter of time before that might change.

It’s equally important to note that the Xiaomi 15 Ultra’s size may not be everyone’s cup of tea. If you prefer phones with smaller screens, the regular Xiaomi 15 offers a good mix of compact and big smartphone worlds. Both phones offer the same button and port selection. It’s great to see that they provide a highly responsive ultrasonic in-screen fingerprint sensor, even with the considerable price difference between the two.

The 6.73-inch quad-curved display (3,200 x 1,440-pixel resolution) features razor-thin bezels for a more intuitive viewing experience. Our lab tests show that the Xiaomi 15 Ultra achieves incredible brightness with HDR enabled and disabled. Its stereo speakers deliver a loud and punchy output. So far, the Galaxy S25 Ultra (review) remains the only ‘Ultra’ phone on the market with a unique anti-glare coating on the display that doesn’t impact the colours. If that’s not a deal-breaker, the Xiaomi 15 Ultra offers a vibrant viewing experience for reading or watching content indoors and outdoors.

The phone also supports multiple formats, including HDR and Dolby Vision, and features wet-touch support, enhancing the overall multimedia experience. The display gets Xiaomi’s latest-gen Xiaomi Shield Glass 2 with an additional layer to ensure extra protection against scratches.

Cameras

The highlight of the quad-camera setup is the new OIS-enabled 200MP telephoto lens that kicks in at 4.3x zoom. Once you get the right distance from the subject, the image is rich with details, and the edge detection is among the best I’ve seen on any smartphone.

Xiaomi also boasts the 1-inch 50MP LYT-900 sensor with f/1.63 fixed aperture, which seems odd as the Xiaomi 14 Ultra offers variable apertures. In theory, it is not as versatile as its predecessor, though I did not notice a significant difference in performance. The setup also comprises a 50MP ultra-wide camera and an additional 50MP telephoto shooter with a periscope lens, capable of capturing shots at 120X zoom.

The Xiaomi 15 series continues to offer Leica Authentic and Vibrant photography modes, allowing users to switch between cool and warm tones effortlessly. Regardless of the mode, details remain rich and sharp in daylight and low-light conditions. Xiaomi has also incorporated Leica Summilux lenses, which do an impressive job of managing light in various scenarios. However, in some instances, the cameras struggle to lock focus on the subject, resulting in slightly blurry or shaky shots. But when everything aligns, the results are nothing short of stunning.

That said, there’s one caveat to the photography experience. Much like the Vivo X200 Pro, the Xiaomi 15 Ultra heavily boosts images to create a more dramatic effect. While this may not appeal to everyone, most users (myself included) will likely appreciate the social media-ready output. Many of the photos I captured required little to no editing, which makes this a great option for content creators who love shooting on the go. The experience is further enhanced with the Xiaomi Photography Kit, which replicates the feel of a professional-grade camera. It features dedicated buttons for capturing images and videos, along with a dial to fine-tune exposure settings, whether you’re using the regular or Pro mode. (more details below)

Video and selfies

Recording videos with the Xiaomi 15 Ultra in regular mode is a mixed experience. While stabilisation is excellent, colours can sometimes appear slightly oversaturated. However, switching to Pro mode unlocks cinematic shots with various lenses in Log mode, which is undoubtedly my favourite feature of its camera system. The phone also supports 4K at 120fps, adding versatility to the video experience.

Other features include a teleprompter mode for the front camera, which supports 4K recording at 60fps. The 32MP front camera captures crisp selfies under controlled lighting conditions. However, the front camera often tends to over-smooth facial details, which I’m not particularly fond of.

Meanwhile, here’s a quick comparison between the Xiaomi 15 Ultra’s cameras against Vivo X200 Pro (review) and iPhone 16 Pro Max (review).

Daylight

Aesthetically, all three images appear on point, but the daylight shot from the Xiaomi 15 Ultra has the warmest tones. The iPhone 16 Pro Max, on the other hand, offers the most natural colour reproduction.

Meanwhile, Vivo’s image closely resembles Xiaomi’s but with fewer shadows and less contrast, resulting in a better dynamic range.

Ultra-Wide

The good news is that all three smartphones maintain consistent colour science between their primary and ultra-wide cameras. The iPhone continues to favour a natural look, while Xiaomi’s image may remind you of a warm summer afternoon.

Among the three, the Vivo X200 Pro’s shot is the most boosted, though it still retains an aesthetic appeal suited for social media-forward users.

Portrait

For this round, we assessed portrait shots taken with each phone’s telephoto camera, which unlocks at different zoom levels. As a result, the focal lengths vary slightly between the three.

The Xiaomi 15 Ultra’s shot has the most saturation but does a great job of preserving facial details. The same applies to the other two cameras, though the iPhone 16 Pro captures my complexion most accurately.

The Vivo X200 Pro sits somewhere in between, and I found its image the most social media-ready. All three phones deliver exceptional edge detection in daylight conditions.

Selfie

As mentioned earlier, the Xiaomi 15 Ultra tends to smoothen facial details, which is evident in this shot. Otherwise, the iPhone 16 Pro Max remains ahead with the most accurate skin tone detection.

However, the Vivo X200 Pro offers the best dynamic range.

Low-Light (Night mode-enabled)

All three smartphones perform exceptionally well in preserving details under low-light conditions. The Xiaomi 15 Ultra’s image is the warmest but also the closest to reality.

Both the iPhone and Vivo boost the sky without ruining the overall aesthetics. The Vivo X200 Pro’s image features higher brightness and lower contrast.

Xiaomi Photography Kit

While sold separately, the Xiaomi Photography Kit is perhaps one of the most exciting additions to the Xiaomi 15 Ultra’s camera system. As mentioned, it provides the feel of a professional-grade camera with physical buttons.

Xiaomi has also been thoughtful with the design; the leather texture enhances grip, while the button features contours that mimic the feel of classic Canon DSLRs. The kit connects to the phone via a Type-C port, and there’s an additional Type-C port for the built-in 2,000mAh battery. Xiaomi even includes interchangeable rings (red and grey) in the box for customisation.

Of course, the kit adds a fair bit of weight to the smartphone. However, the packaging also includes a lanyard, allowing users to carry the phone with the kit more comfortably.

Performance and software

Like the Xiaomi 14 Ultra, the Xiaomi 15 series opts for Qualcomm’s latest flagship chipset. Powered by the Snapdragon 8 Elite SoC and 16GB of LPDDR5X RAM, the phone runs smoothly with silky-smooth Android 15-based HyperOS 2 animations. Based on benchmarks (table below), it also delivers some solid numbers in the segment.

Being a camera-focused smartphone, the Xiaomi 15 Ultra performs surprisingly well in gaming, delivering promising results based on our lab test. In BMGI, extreme frame rates are supported with smooth graphics, while Ultra HDR combined with ultra frame rates deliver an average FPS of 37.5 after 30 minutes of gaming. Battery management could have been better (8 percent drop after 30 minutes of BGMI), though that’s understandable given the phone’s bright and punchy display.

We also played COD: Mobile for 30 minutes at Max graphics, with the average FPS reaching nearly 59.1 – a solid performance, considering the gaming-focused Realme GT 7 Pro delivered around 58 FPS.

As mentioned, HyperOS 2 offers smooth animations, and apps open instantly, including the Camera app, which captures multiple shots in rapid succession without stuttering. Xiaomi has also done a commendable job of minimising third-party apps, with only four pre-installed. While not perfect, it’s still impressive. The UI does resemble iOS slightly, but it remains intuitive and features like Reading mode and Mi Remote continue to be among my favourites.

Xiaomi also boasts its “new” AI features under the HyperAI umbrella, though there’s still plenty of room for improvement in generative AI capabilities. Currently, AI Write and Summary are available within the Notes app, but beyond that, there isn’t much to explore. A closer collaboration with Google for AI-powered tools, such as AI Write integrated into the keyboard or a Samsung-style Now Brief, would have been thoughtful additions. Google’s AI-enhanced Screenshot app is an exceptional tool worth considering, and it remains exclusive to the latest Pixel 9 series.

Battery and charging

As mentioned, the Xiaomi 15 Ultra is heavier than its predecessor due to the larger battery unit. Our benchmarks showed promising results, and while battery consumption during gaming was decent, if not the best. However, for daily usage, the Xiaomi 15 Ultra easily provides all-day battery life.

During my review, the phone lasted over 15 hours with the highest settings enabled, including Always-On Display and 120Hz refresh rate enabled, along with intense camera sessions. Notably, the latest-generation Xiaomi Photography Legend Kit doubles as a power bank with an additional 2,000mAh battery. This extends battery life by several hours, allowing you to go nearly a day and a half without recharging.

Charging speeds are equally impressive, with the phone reaching 100 per cent in just 47 minutes using the bundled 90W charger. On rare occasions, charging stopped while using the Photography Legend Kit, though this only happened outdoors during Delhi’s warm spring afternoons.

Final verdict

The Xiaomi 15 Ultra remains one of the best camera-focused smartphones on the market. Its unique Photography Kit is a treat for camera lovers. Beyond cameras, the phone is a powerhouse and provides a reliable gaming experience with the Snapdragon 8 Elite. The new HyperOS 2 unlocks smoother animations, but Xiaomi still has a way to go with AI, particularly Gen AI-backed features.

In that case, the Galaxy S25 Ultra remains the champ for productivity-leaning customers with its Galaxy AI innovations and in-built stylus (SPen). The iPhone 16 Pro Max is another top choice for people already familiar with the Apple ecosystem and iOS.

However, the Xiaomi 15 Ultra is equally worth considering, thanks to its relatively more affordable price tag and top-notch hardware.

Editor’s rating: 8.3 / 10

Reasons to buy

• The Xiaomi 15 Ultra offers a stunning display and speakers.
• The Leica cameras perform reliably in different lighting conditions.
• The phone provides a solid battery backup.
• The Photography Kit adds loads of versatility to the camera system.

Reasons to not buy

• The Xiaomi 15 Ultra features limited productivity-focused Gen AI features.
• It has only one colour option.