This is the second year that Xiaomi has done an excellent job in the photography field with its flagship smartphone – the 15 Ultra. Thanks to its collaboration with the German photography company – LEICA, Xiaomi brings LEICA’s optics and software tuning, resulting in stunning photos.
The camera system of the 15 Ultra includes four lenses. The main sensor comes with a resolution of 50 megapixels and combines an optical lens with a 1-inch sensor, which, according to the company, enables better nighttime results and more realistic street photography filled with people.
Another 50-megapixel sensor is designated for telephoto photography with 3x optical zoom, alongside a 200-megapixel periscope sensor (allowing for optical zoom while keeping the device relatively slim) with 4.3x optical zoom, and another 50-megapixel sensor for wide-angle shots (115 degrees).
This is a camera that produces sharp images with clearly visible small details. The colors look great, whether they are rich or more neutral. The camera responds quickly, so even photos of kids jumping on a trampoline turned out very well. I managed to capture excellent photos both indoors and at night. The zoom performance, tested up to 4.3x, maintained high quality.
The selfie camera comes with a 32-megapixel sensor. The results here are also good, but not fast enough, and when I took selfies with moving children, some shots came out blurry.
Like the 14 Ultra, Xiaomi offers its photography kit in various deals, which includes: A protective case that gives the phone the appearance of a professional camera with a red frame around the lens and the device itself – which I think looks really good. In addition, there’s also a grip that attaches to the smartphone via USB-C and provides manual buttons for camera control. It includes a zoom and brightness control wheel, as well as manual buttons for photo and video capture. I really liked this feature, which enhances the photography experience and offers better control. On the other hand, like most external accessories for smartphones, it’s likely to be forgotten at home when needed – just like it happened to me on a multi-day trip.
Design: Xiaomi 15 Ultra – Looks Like a Classic Camera
The 15 Ultra looks like a classic camera. It’s designed to be held horizontally rather than vertically. It features black leather-like material that gives a retro feel, and the large prominent frame around the lenses screams “camera.” One advantage of the lens layout is that it’s designed in a way that allows you to continue using the screen when the phone is placed on a table without it wobbling.
In terms of protection, the Ultra comes with a reinforced aluminum frame that combines energy-absorbing materials and Xiaomi Shield Glass 2.0, along with IP68-rated water and dust resistance. The lenses are coated with Gorilla 7i glass from Corning. The smartphone itself is not light, weighing 226 grams, and it's not thin either – 9.35 mm.
Display: Xiaomi 15 Ultra – The Display Remains Similar
Like the 14 Ultra, the 15 Ultra features a 6.73-inch AMOLED LTPO display offering rich colors and automatic refresh rate adjustment up to 120Hz, which provides smooth interface motion. The display quality is solid, though when compared to the Galaxy S25 Ultra, I think Samsung’s display is slightly better. This screen can be used with wet fingers, and unlike the previous generation, the light sensor responded quickly and adjusted brightness without delay. Peak brightness reaches 3200 nits, making the screen visible even in direct sunlight.
Interface: Xiaomi Continues to Improve Its UI
The operating system here is Android 15, topped with Xiaomi’s new interface – HyperOS 2. It provides a smoother user experience and better connectivity to other Xiaomi devices like tablets through HyperConnect, which allows for energy savings and faster syncing. Another nice feature is converting videos into lock screen wallpapers (AI Cinematic Lock Screen), and there’s even an option to turn landscape photos into animated lock screen videos, which works nicely. By the way, if you have a MacBook, you can use the HyperConnect app to wirelessly transfer files between devices.
Naturally, Xiaomi also focuses on AI. A side physical button launches Google’s AI assistant – Gemini, and a long press at the bottom of the screen activates Google’s convenient Circle to Search feature. Xiaomi’s own AI features include AI-generated texts in the Notes app (including in Hebrew) and image editing tools that can remove objects and people from photos – a feature that works well. One downside of Xiaomi’s interface is that during call recording, both sides receive an audible notification about the recording.
Hardware: Xiaomi 15 Ultra – This Time It Has eSIM
Xiaomi included Qualcomm’s flagship processor – Snapdragon 8 Elite, with a massive 16 GB of RAM. The device supports WiFi 7 for those who have already upgraded their home routers, and Bluetooth 6.0, which supports two devices simultaneously. A welcome addition – unlike the 14 Ultra, this model supports eSIM.
Battery: Underwhelming Performance
The battery has a large 5410 mAh capacity, but despite that, the phone’s energy runs out too quickly. For me, it lasted from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m., with only 18% battery remaining and a relatively short screen-on time of about 3 hours.
The 15 Ultra supports charging up to 90W (a charger is included). Wireless charging is 80W, but due to the large lens array on the back of the device, you won’t be able to place it on every charging pad.
Price: NIS 5,500 for 512 GB (official importer – Hamilton)
Bottom line, the Xiaomi 15 Ultra is an impressive flagship smartphone. The camera is clearly its standout feature, both in terms of image quality and design tailored for photography. On the flip side, it’s worth noting that the battery performance is underwhelming.
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