Redmi Note 15 first impressions: kicking off the year in style

Redmi has kick-started smartphone launches of 2026 in India, with the introduction of Redmi Note 15 5G. The smartphone caters towards users who seek an ergonomically designed mid-range device with a slew of premium touches. The Redmi Note 15 comes with an asking price of Rs 22,999 for the base 8+128GB storage variant and Rs  24,999 for the 8+256GB option. Since we had the chance to get an early hands-on with the device, here’s what the Redmi Note 15 brings to the table:

Upgrade in design and ergonomics

Compared to the outgoing Redmi Note 14, the Redmi Note 15 sees a radical shift in design and ergonomics. The flat sideframe has been ditched in favour of a sleek frame that seamlessly blends with the curved AMOLED display. Since a similar display has been featured on the Redmi Note 13 Pro+ and Note 14 Pro+, I reckon Redmi is aiming to bring a premium touch to the standard Note this year.

At just 7.35mm thick and 178g light, it’s the slimmest and lightest Redmi Note smartphone to date. Paired with the curved edges, I found the Redmi Note 15 to sit firmly in the palms without digging into the hands. The top of the frame houses an IR Blaster for controlling smart appliances, a secondary microphone, and a speaker grille, while the bottom houses a SIM tray, a Type-C port, and a primary speaker. The speakers can output up to 300 percent volume and feature Dolby Atmos support.

Turning the phone to its back, the camera array now sits in the centre, which slightly protrudes from the panel. What I found interesting is that the shape of the camera module is highly reminiscent of the ‘Mi’ logo. That being said, the black coloured Redmi Note 15, which we received for review, is prone to finger smudges and marks. Thankfully, the marks can be wiped off easily with a cloth. Just like many midrange smartphones out there, the Note 15 bags a MIL-STD-810H certification and an IP66 rating for protection against drops, bumps, and exposure to water.

Cameras that carry high potential

The camera module features the world’s first 108MP 1/1.67-inch Samsung ISOCELL HM9 primary camera, aided by OIS for sharp images and stable recordings in up to 4K resolution at 30 FPS. Tagging along with this lens is an 8MP ultrawide camera, while up front there’s a 20MP selfie shooter. Now, here are some camera shots captured using the Redmi Note 15:

Based on our initial observation, the primary camera has high potential to capture crisp and detailed shots in daylight or well-lit conditions, while the 0.6x ultrawide lens can be useful for shooting wide perspectives of a given location. As part of the camera offerings, Redmi has bundled Dynamic Shots, the company’s version of Live Photos, to click motion-based images, multiple Portrait modes, and 112-bit colour processing for outputting as accurate colours as possible.

A revamped display experience

Coming back to the curved AMOLED display, it measures 6.67 inches and is paired with a 120Hz refresh rate, 3,200nits of peak brightness, and 3840-level PWM dimming. To ensure a strain-free experience when using the phone for extended periods, the Redmi Note 15 comes with a TÜV Rheinland Certified Eye Protection 2.0. Furthermore, the display supports 100 percent P3 colour gamut for producing richer colours and Wet Touch 2.0 to register touches even when the display is exposed to water, such as when using the device in rain.

Out of the box, the Redmi Note 15 is set to a ‘Vivid’ colour profile, and there’s a ‘Saturated’ option within the Colour scheme settings. As for brightness experience, the display seems bright enough to ensure good legibility both indoors and outdoors, especially at this price point. Just like the Redmi Note 14, there’s an in-display optical fingerprint scanner positioned at the bottom of the display.

Slight performance gain with long-supported software

Running at the helm of the Redmi Note 15 is the Qualcomm Snapdragon 6 Gen 3 processor. This is a 4nm fabricated chipset that is paired with either 8+128GB or 8+256GB storage options. After experiencing the device for a short period, I can infer that operating through the Android 15-based HyperOS 2 software is smooth for casual usage, such as when opening or closing apps or pulling down the notification shade. We’ll test the performance of the Note 15 more extensively in our review, which’ll also include assessing the gaming capabilities.

The device is promised four years of OS upgrades and six years of security updates, with the HyperOS 3 update expected shortly after launch. It’s good to see Xiaomi committing to extensive software longevity even for its midrange device.

A bigger battery cell

Lastly, coming to the battery, Redmi claims the Note 15’s 5,520mAh EV-grade battery can last for 1.6 days on a single charge. While the capacity isn’t as high as others in its price class, it sure is an upgrade over Redmi Note 14’s 5,110mAh battery. The company claims that the battery retains at least 80 to 85 percent of its original capacity even after 1,600 charge cycles.

Charging the 5,520mAh battery of the Redmi Note 15 is taken care of by a 45W charging brick for quick top-ups. Furthermore, the device supports up to 18W reverse charging to share some of its battery juice with other phones, just in case they’re low on power.

Initial takeaways

Based on my experience of using the Redmi Note 15 for a few days, it appears to have a lot going for it, especially compared to its predecessor. For a sub-Rs 25,000 smartphone, it gains a sleek and light build, a curved display that is sufficiently bright, and a primary camera that has the potential to be a reliable shooter.

On the other hand, while the Snapdragon 6 Gen 3 chipset powering the Note 15 offers enough performance gain for daily use, it’s worth seeing how it fares when pushed to its limits with gaming or heavy multitasking. For that, we’ll have a full in-depth review ready for you in a few days, covering every aspect of the phone. Stay tuned!