Xiaomi 15 Review: Its relatively compact size will attract attention, and its cameras made in collaboration with the legendary Leica might grab headlines, but there is so much more to the Xiaomi 15. The phone packs in enough to be one of the best value for money flagships in the market, irrespective of size and sensors.
Xiaomi 15 Review: Quick Pointers
What we love:
- Compact, elegant design
- Smooth flagship-level performance
- Cameras with typical Leica tuning
- Good battery life with fast charging
What we don’t:
- The design is too similar to the Xiaomi 14
- Ultrawide and selfie cameras not in the same league as the main and telephoto/portrait
Looks like Xiaomi 14, which isn’t problematic
The Xiaomi 15 looks exactly like its predecessor, the Xiaomi 14. Which is good and bad, depending on your perspective. Those expecting something new will feel a little disappointed, but folks like us who liked the sleek, compact feel and elegant finish of the Xiaomi 14 will be happy to see that Xiaomi has not attempted to fix what was not broken.
You still get a refreshing compact form factor that is only 152.3 mm tall, making it smaller than the 152.8 mm of the Pixel 9, although taller than the 146.7 mm of the iPhone 16e. The phone is just 71.2 mm wide (the iPhone 16e is 71.5 mm) and is impressively thin at 8.08 mm.
It seems a little heavy for its size at 191 grams, but has a very solid feel to it with Xiaomi’s own Shield Glass in front and an aluminium frame and a glass back, with IP68 dust and water resistance ensuring it stays safe even after a dunking in the water. The front is a tall, flat AMOLED display, the back is flat with a protruding, square-ish camera unit with Leica branding, while the sides are straight but curve slightly towards the back and front to ensure that they do not feel ‘sharp.’
We got the black model, and it had excellent handfeel, thanks to its compact size and clean finish. In design terms, the Xiaomi 15 is more of a tuxedo suit than an IPL jersey – it is unlikely to scream for attention or turn heads, but those who look at it are likely to nod in approval and respect.
Proper flagship spec sheet
Within that compact and slim frame lies some seriously formidable hardware. The Xiaomi 15 ticks pretty much every premium flagship spec box out there – the 6.36 AMOLED display is one of the smallest in its segment, but has a 2670 x 1200 resolution, 120 Hz refresh rate and a peak brightness of 3200 nits.
The phone runs on the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite processor, similar to the one seen on the Samsung Galaxy S25 series, and is accompanied by 12GB of LPDDR5X RAM and 512GB of UFS 4.0 storage. Like its predecessor, it too boasts cameras designed in collaboration with the legendary Leica.
There are three 50 megapixel cameras on its back – a 50 megapixel main camera with a LightFusion 900 sensor and OIS, a 50 megapixel floating telephoto with OIS and 2.6x optical zoom, and a 50 megapixel ultrawide.
A 32 megapixel camera in front handles selfies. Also on board are stereo speakers with support for Dolby Atmos, NFC connectivity, and Xiaomi’s HyperOS 2 on top of Android 15, with a wide array of AI tools.
The real surprise package for us, however, is that this rather compact and slim phone actually packs in a massive 5240 mm battery with support for 90W wired and 50W wireless charging, with a 90W charger in the box. Just for context, the Galaxy S25 Ultra comes with a 5000 mAh battery.
Typically Leica Cameras… & The Phone’s A Powerhouse Too
Most of the attention on the Xiaomi 15, as in the case of its predecessor, has revolved around its Leica camera setup. The cameras deliver a very impressive performance. You can choose between Leica Authentic for more realistic colours or make them pop a little in Leica Vibrant, and still be assured of images rich in detail and with that slightly exaggerated contrast that makes Leica photography special, irrespective of light conditions (we got some super low light snaps too).
The absence of autofocus in the ultrawide is a bit disappointing, but the main sensor and telephoto deliver outstanding images and videos as well (there is support for 8K video).
There are special Leica filters (including those famous black and white ones) and portrait modes, and you also get four focal lengths for portraits – 23 mm, 35 mm, 60 mm and 75 mm – and while results at 60 mm and 75 mm can be a little inconsistent, the 23 mm and especially the 35 mm deliver some of the best portrait photographs we have seen.
You also get the special watermarked Xiaomi frames, which remain the best implementation of the ‘frame concept’ we have seen on phones yet (OnePlus needs work on its Hasselblad-branded set, which is a little overwhelming in terms of variety).
We expected a bit more from the ultrawide and selfie sensors, which are not quite in the league of the other two cameras in terms of detail, and more zoom on the telephoto would have helped. You get lossless zoom up to 5x, but digital zoom is not the greatest unless light conditions are very good. All said and done, the Xiaomi 15 cameras are easily the best in their segment, especially if you are looking at street and portrait photography. There are also plenty of AI and shooting tools to let you do more with your content.
The Xiaomi 15 turns in a proper flagship-level performance in non-camera fields too. That processor and RAM combination make it very good for high-end gaming – it can easily handle Genshin Impact and Call of Duty at maxed out settings. Serious gamers might find the display a little on the smaller side, but the combination of a bright display and stereo speakers makes this a great device for consuming content and watching shows.
There are plenty of AI tools on board, ranging from writing to search and editing, and they all work briskly too, on top of Xiaomi’s HyperOS which sails along smoothly on top of Android 15. That larger battery also means that the Xiaomi 15 fixes the biggest shortcoming of the Xiaomi 14 – the 5240 mAh battery will easily see you through slightly more than a day of hefty use and the bundled 90W gets it fully charged from zero in about 45-50 minutes, and charges it up to 50 per cent in about 15-20 minutes. This is a proper flagship, with no compromises, and thanks to its size, it is easy to use and carry!
Xiaomi 15 Review: Final Verdict
The Xiaomi 15 is available in a single RAM and storage variant of 12 GB/ 512 GB for Rs 64,999, which is down from the Rs 69,999 price of the Xiaomi 14, quite an achievement.
At that price, it is a great value for money for anyone looking for a high-end flagship in the market, even if you ignore the Leica angle (why would you? But just saying…).
It is more affordable than even the OnePlus 13, which starts at Rs 69,999 for a 12 GB/ 256 GB model. The Leica cameras might get highlighted in the marketing, and they are very good performers too, especially if you are into street photography and love the deep contrasts that are typical of the brand, but we think that they are just a part of what is a very good flagship at a very competitive price.
The Xiaomi 15 is therefore a very compelling proposition for not just anyone looking for a compact phone with great cameras, but actually for anyone looking for a premium flagship on a relatively tight budget. It is pocket-friendly in every sense of the term.
