1 week Ago
Xiaomi 15 Ultra is the new flagship model from the brand with its Leica-totting cameras but how is the all-round value of this new device? Xiaomi 15 Ultra is one of the most awaited products in 2025 and it finally came to our shores in March. The 15 Ultra is part of a unique clan that eyes the premium tier and looks to show that brands outside of Apple and Samsung are worth their attention. The Xiaomi 15 Ultra continues the Leica-integrated hardware that has been around for a few years and has gradually delivered on the high promise.
The 15 Ultra is priced over Rs 1,09,000 which is far less than its global launch price and some offers let you buy it for under Rs 1 lakh which is still a lot of money. But does Xiaomi have enough pull, even with the Leica upgrades and other flagship features to be in the reckoning with the best? We give you the honest answer. The Leica-able Design You have often seen this phrase used for the cameras, but the Xiaomi 15 Ultra takes it a notch further and implements this identity into the design of the new model.
The grey variant of the 15 Ultra exudes class and the build quality is as premium as you would expect. The dual-tone finish with a mix of textured and glass material neatly wrapped around the giant camera module gives it the un-Xiaomi like appeal. And yes, the new Ultra branding on the side in the Leica font is just another highlight of a good looking device.
The phone weighs around 225 grams which never sounds ideal but Xiaomi has somehow managed to make it feel lighter compared to the official numbers and the 9.4 mm frame is just part of that design engineering. Having said that, the IP68 rating for the 15 Ultra would have been a better deal if it was clubbed with IP69 support like many premium devices these days.
Raw Power Under The Hood Xiaomi has upgraded the cameras but the hardware of the 15 Ultra is no slouch either. You get it powered by the latest Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset paired with 16GB RAM by default and 512GB storage. The benchmark scores were evidently going to tell us clearly that the 15 Ultra is a powerhouse device and even the real-time usage strengthened our belief in its overall capability.
Having the latest SoC not only makes a performance device but also assures you that spending over a lakh will give you good dividends in the long run, as long as the hardware holds on to its promise. Xiaomi is giving you Android 15 out of the box with the HyperOS 2.0 version and is promising 4 OS upgrades for the device which is not ideal for flagships in 2025.
The company is also not the most active with its security updates, so pushing the 15 Ultra to just Android 19 when you have phones in the sub Rs 30,000 bracket getting support up to Android 21 feels a bit underwhelming. The HyperOS itself feels a lot more polished and the AI additions have improved even though it is still early days like most brands. Next Up, The Cameras Any talk about an Ultra model remains incomplete without giving a thorough look at its cameras.
The new Leica system introduced with the Xiaomi 15 Ultra also features four sensors which includes a 200MP periscope telephoto with OIS, a 50MP wide with OIS, a 50MP telephotos lens with OIS and a 50MP ultra wide lens. The power of Leica on the Xiaomi phone has been evident in the last few launches, and the 15 Ultra just takes it further and is one of the rare devices to still offer a 1-inch sensor. The 200MP telephoto along with the varied Leica filters show the Ultra-quality of the device and barring the ultra wide lens, all other sensors get OIS support which helps with improved low-light imaging.
The Vivo X200 Pro is the obvious comparison to the 15 UItra and the results from both the devices are hard to judge. Having said that, Xiaomi has given up on variable aperture with the 15 Ultra in favour of the newer 200MP sensor that is able to do close-up shots better. The Photography Kit is part of the Xiaomi 15 Ultra sale package (free for those who pre-ordered the phone).
This unit basically gives you the real-life impression of the 15 Ultra as a hard-core camera. It has the shutter button, a zoom scroll and a built-in battery. You attach the kit with the 15 Ultra via the USB C port that can be charged to double up as a power bank in emergencies.
It does add further heft to the 225 grams weighing Xiaomi 15 Ultra but there is definite appeal of using the phone in the kit avatar. Coming to the front, you have a 32MP shooter which tries to get the right skin tones but the results are not the best in the segment. Display Shines Just because we are talking about the display on the Xiaomi 15 Ultra so late does not mean it is bad or has issues.
In fact, the 6.73-inch LTPO AMOLED display is crisp for viewing, sharp for the image details and bright when you are outdoors. Granted, the peak brightness is limited to 3200 nits but real life usage will not make you feel like falling short on the standards.
Xiaomi has opted for its in-house Shield Glass 2.0 protection which did a good job in handling the keys and coins in our pocket and bag, but we are still not sure about the long term durability. The Long Road Horse Xiaomi 15 Ultra packs a 5,410mAh battery which is lower than what the model gets in China.
It does use the Silicon carbon battery tech on both the versions but you get them with 90W wired and 80W wireless charging support. The PCMark test score of over 22 hours makes for an impressive reading and the overall usability becomes very practical thanks to the 8 hours+ screen-on-time offered with moderate to high usage. The charging speed is good but we would have liked Xiaomi push the envelope and offer 120W if not 100W support for its flagship model.
Xiaomi 15 Ultra is a premium device that thrives on the Leica camera system but still manages enough credit in the bank with its all-round flagship traits. The 200MP shooter does show its Ultra effect, the hardware is there to last the yard, and you even have some AI features sprinkled to be part of the rat race. The price is always going to be subject matter in these cases but the value is definitely there.
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