Xiaomi 15 Ultra review

Competition

The 15 Ultra continues in the footsteps of previous Xiaomi Ultras and delivers industry-leading camera performance in a package that's also thoroughly capable in every other area. That may sound like a standout proposition, but in fact there are plenty of options that more or less fit that bill.

Take the vivo X200 Pro, for example. Packing another one of those 200MP telephotos, it takes a slightly different approach to zooming in (single tele camera), but arrives at more or less the same destination doing a small tradeoff between reach and closeup capabilities. The Xiaomi is doing better at the ultrawide end and at 1x, but all of the camera comparisons will return small and quite specific differences. The rest is pretty much tied as well, so it's looking like this can be decided on personal preference, and possibly on regional availability.

It's the same story, but different, but also kind of the same with the Oppo Find X8 Pro. The Oppo has expert cameras with small differences between it and the Xiaomi, though it's still a small edge for Xiaomi overall, we reckon. And, well, a few more minor specifics that you just need to sort and find out for yourselves.

There are more significant gaps in personality between the Xiaomi Ultra and the Galaxy Ultra. The S25 Ultra is a capable cameraphone, sure, but it's geared differently - a productivity workhorse with a solid camera on top. The Xiaomi wins the camera part comfortably if you ask us, but perhaps the Galaxy would be the better choice as an all-rounder (solid 'maybe' that hangs on the S Pen's usefulness in your life).

You could also entertain a comparison with the Honor Magic7 Pro. This one also has kind of the same telephoto camera as the Xiaomi 4.3x unit, but with a shorter lens and... unorthodox approach to processing (some cropping is going on). We'd prefer the Xiaomi camera system overall, but if the Magic is a lot cheaper where you are or if it's the only path to a 200MP telephoto, it could make a case for itself.

vivo X200 Pro • Oppo Find X8 Pro • Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra • Honor Magic7 Pro

Verdict

The Xiaomi 15 Ultra didn't exactly surprise us - for another generation it's one of our favorite cameraphones. And when you start trying to put it into context, it may very well emerge as the uncontested number one for photography this year.

The pairing of two telephotos with different strengths beats having just one telephoto, transformative as it may be (we're looking at you, vivos). Meanwhile, the 1-inch type main camera becomes an unexpected differentiator in a year when no one else seems to want to use this type of sensor, much less in a globally available model. So yeah, the Xiaomi 15 Ultra seems like an easy recommendation for the photography buffs among you, and the new and improved accessory kit does make it an even sweeter package (if you spend the extra cash, that is).

Sure, selfies aren't exactly to our liking, and the video processing could use some fine tuning. Then there's the throttling flagship chipsets - while it is a fact of life that we've learned to accept, the Xiaomi is one bit more prone to overheating if you stress it hard enough. You'll probably also survive just fine without pressure washing this one, though the lack of the IPX9 rating does make it look bad next to the vivos and Oppos of this world. The disappearing in-box chargers have shed more light on the fact that getting actually fast charging isn't easy or guaranteed - though that too isn't really exclusive to the 15 Ultra.

In our world, the 15 Ultra's failings are small and relatively unimportant. Its strong points, on the other hand, are many and wide-reaching. At this point in time, it's the cameraphone to beat.

Pros

• Classic camera-inspired design.
• Optional photography kit can add a layer of excitement to your picturetaking.
• Great display with plenty of nits and Dolby Vision.
• Class-leading battery life; decently fast charging.
• Loud and very nice-sounding speakers.
• Feature-rich HyperOS; Elite-level performance.
• Thoroughly great stills camera experience with excellent zoom and closeup results.

Cons

• Base level IP68 rating - other Androids get IP69.
• Phone can be picky about chargers when it comes to getting peak power.
• Tendency to overheat under prolonged load.
• Video output is a notch below optimal sharpness.
• Selfies could be better.