Ahead of the launch of its flagship Xiaomi 17 series in China later today, tech giant Xiaomi has unveiled its latest sub-flagship lineup, the Xiaomi 15T series, in Munich, Germany. The T-series phones historically focus on bringing the company’s acclaimed optics tie-up with Leica at a more affordable price point.
Consistent with that ideology, the Xiaomi 15T series features a Leica co-engineered triple camera system, comprising main, ultra-wide and telephoto sensors on both the phones. The Xiaomi 15T Pro comes with 50MP main and ultra-wide sensors, plus a 50MP 5x telephoto lens with superior zoom capability. The vanilla Xiaomi 15T has the same setup, but with 2x telephoto zoom. Both phones come with upgraded computational photography and videography, especially the Pro variant which supports 4K 120fps video recording. When compared to the predecessors, the Xiaomi 14T series, the 15T cameras have significant upgrades, especially in zoom capabilities and video processing. The camera prowess puts the phones on par with most top-end flagships, though how they’ll compare with Xiaomi’s own 17 series, is something we’ll find out later today. In line with industry trends with regarding to AI use in photography, there is the AI Creativity Assistant to support users in content creation.
The upgrades are not really limited to the camera department, with both the new phones sporting larger displays, bigger batteries plus coming in a thinner form factor. In fact, the Xiaomi 15T series sports the biggest display yet among Xiaomi smartphones. The 6.83″ OLED screens have 1280 x 2772px resolution and cap at 3200 nits brightness (a downgrade from the 4000 nits on the 14T Pro). The 15T Pro has slimmer bezels this time and boasts of a 144Hz refresh rate, up from the standard 120Hz. There’s HDR10+ and Dolby Vision, plus Dolby Atmos for the stereo speakers.
Expect better endurance too as battery capacity has increased from 5,000mAh on the 14T series to 5,500mAh on the 15T series. Charging speeds remain at 67W for base models but the 15T Pro supports faster 90W charging compared to 67W on 14T Pro.
The Xiaomi 15T Pro is powered by the 3nm MediaTek Dimensity 9400+ chipset that launched last year, but that doesn’t mean it’s underwhelming by any standards. The 15T, meanwhile, packs the MediaTek Dimensity 8400-Ultra. The phones are equipped with 12GB of LPDDR5X RAM, and the Pro variant offers up to 1TB of UFS 4.1 storage. They come with HyperOS3 out of the box. The presence of Xiaomi’s 3D IceLoop System for thermal management could add some cheer for gamers.
As is evident, the Xiaomi 15T series is a solid upgraded package from its predecessors, and therefore commands a not-so-modest EUR 100. The Xiaomi 15T series now starts at EUR 649, while the Pro variant starts at EUR 799, going up to EUR 999 with the 1TB version. This pricing puts the phones in direct competition with the Samsung Galaxy S25 FE, Honor 400 Pro and OnePlus 13s.
As the Xiaomi 15T series is heavily camera-focused, its closest competitor turns out to be the Honor 400 Pro, which has standout camera specs with a 200MP+12MP+50MP setup. Photography enthusiasts who prioritise high resolution sensors might prefer the Honor 400 Pro, but may miss out on wireless charging, faster UFS 4.1 storage and a 1TB storage option. OnePlus 13s is more of a compact flagship, so if your choice is larger screen estate, the Xiaomi 15T phones are the clearer choice. In terms of an overall package, the Xiaomi 15T is a solid option for those who value good performance and cameras without the premium flagship pricing.
Strategically, Xiaomi continues to use the T-series to deliver flagship-grade imaging and hardware at a lower price than its true flagships, carving out a sub-premium niche against rivals like Samsung’s FE line. That said, the lack of India availability could frustrate buyers here, suggesting that Xiaomi’s current global strategy is more focused on Europe and China than the Indian mid-premium market.
