The Xiaomi 15 marks an important step for the Chinese manufacturer in terms of high-end compact smartphones. While it follows on from the Xiaomi 14, this new model brings interesting new features to stay in the premium race and confirm the brand's rise to power.
Equipped with an improved carbon-silicon battery and a suite of AI tools (HyperAI), the Xiaomi 15 promises to make a difference. Find out in our review if this compact smartphone lives up to its promises and if it deserves its place among the best on the market.
| Xiaomi 15 | |
|---|---|
| Screen | - 6.36" AMOLED screen in 20:9 format - Xiaomi Shield Glass - 1.5K definition (1200x2670) - Density 460ppp - 20:9 format - Max brightness 1000 nits (Peak of 3000 nits) - Certification HDR10+ - Dolby Vision - LPTO 1-120Hz AdaptiveSync Pro - Always On Display - sRGB and DCI-P3 - TrueColor Display - Punch |
| SoC and GPU | - Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite - Adreno 830 |
| Memory | - 12GB LPDDR5X RAM - 256GB or 512GB UFS 4.0 storage - No memory expansion |
| Color | - Aluminum frame - Xiaomi Guardian Structure - 3D curved glass back - IP68 - Colors: Black, White |
| Camera | - Three cameras on the back: - Main camera: Xiaomi Light Fusion 900 in 1/1.31" format, 50 Megapixels, 23mm, F1.6, Xiaomi Pro Focus, OIS and EIS - Ultra wide-angle camera: 50 Megapixels, 115°, 14mm, F2.2 - Telephoto camera: 50 Megapixels, 75mm, F2.0, optical zoom 2.6x(5x), PDAF, OIS, Floating Camera Technology, Close-Up 10cm - Leica Vario-Summilux 1:1.6-2.2/14-75 ASPH. Lenses - Leica Authentic and Leica Vibrant Styles - Master Lenses: 35mm Black&White, 50mm Swirley Bokeh, 75mm Portrait, 90mm Soft Focus - Xiaomi ProFocus - Ultra Night Photo - Night Portrait Mode - HDR Portrait Mode - Video recording in Full HD 1080p, Ultra HD 2160p at 30fps or 60fps and 8K at 24fps - Video capture in Dolby Vision up to 4K at 60fps - Slow Motion Mode in 1080p at 240fps or in 720p at 480fps - 1080p Ultra Stabilization Video Mode - Rack Focus, 3D Tracking - Ultra Night Video - One Click AI Cinema - Motion Tracking Focus / Eye Tracking Focus / Motion Capture - Front camera with a 32 Megapixel sensor - 25mm wide-angle lens (89.6°) and F/2.0 aperture - Dynamic Framing (0.8x, 1x) - Front video recording up to 4K at 60fps - HDR10+ video capture - Portrait Video Mode - Night Selfie |
| Audio | - Dual stereo speakers - Dolby Atmos - 4 Microphones |
| Battery | - 5240mAh - Xiaomi Adaptive Charge - Xiaomi HyperCharge 90W - Wireless Charging 50W - Reverse charging 10W |
| Connectivity | - Optical fingerprint reader under the screen - Bluetooth 5.4 - WiFi 7 - 5G - 2x nano-SIM - A-GPS+GLONASS, DNLA, Miracast (WiFi Direct), Google Cast - NFC - USB 3.2 Gen 1 (Type C) - Barometer, Gyroscope, Accelerometer - Proximity and brightness sensor |
| Software | - Android 15 (4 years of UPDATED OS) - Xiaomi HyperOS 2 |
| Size and Weight | - 152.8 x 71.5 x 8.08 mm - 192g |
| Introductory price | - 1099 euros |
| Availability Date | - March 3, 2025 |
Design
The Xiaomi 15 sports a relatively classic design, close to that of its predecessor. It remains one of the rare high-end and compact models, with dimensions of 152.3 x 71.2 x 8.08 mm for 191 g. A very pleasant format that offers an excellent grip, thanks also to the care taken by Xiaomi in the construction. Everything has been designed for comfort with slightly curved edges and flat edges.
Only its camera block truly stands out and makes it easily recognizable. Xiaomi has found its style with this range and refined the final details, as evidenced by the extremely thin borders (1.38 mm) which reinforce the immersion. The manufacturer does not go so far as to offer titanium to protect its device, but the aluminum frame and glass (Xiaomi Shield Glass) clearly point us towards a high-end model. Without a false note, the Xiaomi 15 adds a matte glass back (black, white, green or silver) which prevents fingerprints.
Personally, I really liked the green version that I had for testing. Finally, the Xiaomi claims an IP68 certification which allows it to survive up to 30 minutes in 1.5 meters (maximum) of fresh water. As for the buttons, we find a classic configuration with a power and volume button on the right edge. They are easy to access while the fingerprint reader is located under the screen. There's nothing to complain about in this regard; it proves to be fast and responsive while avoiding activating a light flash. Indeed, the manufacturer opts for an ultrasonic sensor rather than an optical sensor.
Screen
Pleasant in the hand, the Xiaomi 15 integrates a 6.36-inch OLED screen. The format is rather compact if we compare it to current standards. This panel displays a comfortable definition (2670 x 1200 pixels) and ticks all the boxes, with LTPO technology for a variable refresh rate of 1 to 120 Hz and brightness up to 3200 nits. Note that this is a 12-bit (68 billion colors) Dolby Vision compatible screen.
The Xiaomi 15's screen is simply excellent in use and confirms the manufacturer's progress in this area. In fact, we didn't feel the need to go through the settings box to change the colors or fluidity. These options are still available and we can only appreciate the brightness of the panel, which allows outdoor use in excellent conditions.
Performances
No need to beat around the bush pot, the Xiaomi 15 invites itself into the top of the basket by integrating a Snapdragon 8 Elite. This is the eight-core version of Qualcomm's SoC (and not the restricted seven-core variant), coupled with 12 GB of RAM and 256 or 512 GB of RAM.
The processor is at ease in this smartphone and allows all uses, even the most advanced. We enjoy chaining applications, demanding games or launching the most resource-intensive tools (video editing, editing, etc.). Nothing scares the Xiaomi 15, well supported by the latest version of HyperOS 2 based on Android 15.
Various benchmarks testify to this great power, with results often superior to those of the Xiaomi 15 Ultra or its rivals.
| Xiaomi 15 | Xiaomi 15 Ultra | Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra | |
|---|---|---|---|
| SoC | - Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite (3 nm) - CPU: 2 x Oryon V2 Phoenix L up to 4.32 GHz, 6 x Oryon V2 Phoenix M up to 3.53 GHz - GPU: Adreno 830 | - Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite (3 nm) - CPU: 2 x Oryon V2 Phoenix L up to 4.32 GHz, 6 x Oryon V2 Phoenix M up to 3.53 GHz - GPU: Adreno 830 | - Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite (3 nm) - CPU: 2 x Oryon V2 Phoenix L up to 4.47 GHz, 6 x Oryon V2 Phoenix M up to 3.53 GHz - GPU: Adreno 830 |
| AnTuTu | - 2481274 - CPU: 569194 - GPU: 1076674 - Mem: 452895 - UX: 382511 | - 2380322 - CPU: 520164 - GPU: 985538 - Mem: 472458 - UX: 402162 | - 2428528 - CPU: 625626 - GPU: 1018082 - Mem: 422848 - UX: 361972 |
| Geekbech 6 CPU (single-core / multi-core) | 3115 / 9435 | 2797 / 8569 | 2818 / 9364 |
| Geekbech 6 GPU ( OpenCL / Vulkan) | 18624 / 24256 | 18038 | 16950 |
| WildLife Extreme (score / average fps) | 6278 / 37.60 | 6110 / 36.59 | 6082 / 36.42 |
| Steel Nomad Light (score / average fps) | 2502 / 18.54 | 2272 / 16.83 | 1923 / 14.25 |
| Solar Bay (score / average fps) | 11574 / 44.01 - Section 1 (fps): 49.19 - Section 2 (fps): 44.54 - Section 3 (fps): 37.66 | 10179 / 38.71 - Section 1 (fps): 45.58 - Section 2 (fps): 37.35 - Section 3 (fps): 32.93 | 10077 / 38.32 - Section 1 (fps): 49.91 - Section 2 (fps): 36.51 - Section 3 (fps): 28.07 |
| Test date | - March 2025 | - March 2025 | - February 2025 |
The compact size of the Xiaomi 15 is not, however, the Snapdragon 8 Elite's favorite playground. During our various tests, the smartphone occasionally tended to heat up when pushed to its limits. At this time of year, this is only verified by running benchmarks, which are not representative of real-life use. However, it is possible that you may feel a slight heating as summer approaches, if used in a hot environment or outdoors for an extended period.
In all cases, the Chinese manufacturer has taken precautions to prevent the chip from overheating. In games with a heavily used GPU, we didn't notice any performance drops and the heat was largely controlled. This can be explained by the presence of the IceLoop system, a finned thermal design that increases the contact surface between the heat pipe and the frame.
Software
Xiaomi remains faithful to its personalized interface, namely HyperOS. The Xiaomi 15 arrives directly with HyperOS 2 based on Android 15, a more mature and pleasant overlay.
Xiaomi's approach may take some getting used to, as it includes many additional features and customization options. It also has the unfortunate tendency to arrive with a few pre-installed apps, not always useful and requiring a bit of cleaning.
Thanks to the power of the Xiaomi 15, we benefit from a truly fluid and coherent experience. Long perceived as a weak point on Xiaomi's high-end models, the interface no longer has much to envy from the market benchmarks. Provided, of course, that you subscribe to this overlay, which doesn't hide a certain resemblance to iOS.
Xiaomi promises four years of Android updates and six years of security patches. The offer is fairly decent, but it falls short of what brands like Samsung, Google, and Apple offer. The manufacturer will have to do better to reach the level of the best, where it claims a place.
On the AI side, Xiaomi offers one of the best experiences on mobile right now. Now grouped under the name HyperAI, the artificial intelligence tools are easily accessible and practical. There are "must-have" functions like AI writing, AI voice recognition to transcribe audio into text, AI translation, AI interpreter, and AI subtitles. The other good news comes from the very good integration of AI tools in the gallery application, allowing access to a slew of functions: magic eraser, AI movie, image enhancement, glare removal...
The experience is complete and also includes Gemini, Google's intelligent assistant.
Photo
The Xiaomi 15 is not as obsessed with photos (and videos) as the Xiaomi 15 Ultra, but the subject remains particularly important. The compact model comes with three sensors on the back:
- A 50MP Leica wide-angle main sensor: f/1.62 aperture, OIS, 23mm equivalent
- A 50MP Leica ultra-wide-angle sensor: f/2.2 aperture, 115°, 14mm equivalent
- A 50MP Leica telephoto lens: 2.6x optical zoom, f/2.0 aperture, OIS, 60mm equivalent, 10cm macro
This configuration proves to be rather homogeneous to cover all everyday needs, with the Leica touch. The German photo specialist helped the Chinese manufacturer design the Xiaomi 15's camera section, integrating its Vibrant and Authentic filters along the way. While it remains close to the Xiaomi 14, the new model offers a new telephoto lens offering a 2.6x optical zoom instead of the 3.2x for its predecessor.
The very comprehensive Photo application manages the many modes offered by the smartphone. The different options are rather simple to use and it's a lot of fun to "play" with the modes. By day, the Xiaomi 15 clearly stands out as one of the best performers of the moment, offering beautiful sharpness, detailed shots, and faithful color reproduction. This observation is valid both outdoors and indoors and concerns all sensors.
The Leica touch is still felt
In addition to the main sensor (x1), there is a x2 zoom with a rendering comparable to what the x1 offers. The telephoto lens, while it doesn't zoom as much as last year, performs very well at x2.6 and this is also true for the x5 zoom. It even offers a macro function that is always practical. The minimum distance is around 10 cm, but the results are very good. Finally, the ultra wide-angle lens fulfills its role perfectly.
We also appreciate the quality of the portraits, with the possibility of varying between four different zooms from the interface: 23 mm, 35 mm, 60 mm and 75 mm.
Leica Vibrant on the left, Leica Authentique on the left:
In low light, the Xiaomi 15 has a Night mode and doesn't hesitate to switch to it as soon as it deems it necessary. However, we don't really notice any difference between the classic Photo mode and the Night mode. Regardless, the Xiaomi 15 is a formidable companion when the light is lacking. It offers very sharp and detailed shots, with good color management.
Only the ultra wide-angle seems a little more difficult in low light, but it remains in the upper average of its category. This module is also the one that tends to be used the least in low light.
Autonomy
The Xiaomi 15 arrives with a 5240 mAh battery, which is a nice improvement over its predecessor (4610 mAh for the Xiaomi 14). The switch to carbon silicon technology is behind this increase in power, which is achieved while maintaining a compact format. On the other hand, the international version does not perform as well as the Chinese version, which peaks at 5400 mAh. We don't really know what explains this difference of 160 mAh, but it could be a difference between the advertised capacity and the nominal capacity. It's also possible that Xiaomi will include a slightly smaller battery in the international version.
The battery life is promising on paper and it's confirmed in practice. The Xiaomi 15 is a solid partner that will easily last an intensive day and offer two days of moderate use. The powerful Snapdragon 8 Elite demonstrates its effectiveness in this smartphone.
The improved battery capacity is obviously not unrelated to this good result, but it's not the only reason. The HyperOS operating system benefits from significant optimizations and numerous options for managing the battery: performance mode, battery saver, Ultra battery saver, charging option, battery protection, smart charging, cold endurance mode, etc.
The Xiaomi 15 comes with HyperCharge technology to offer 90W wired and 90W wireless fast charging. 50W. Great versatility, plus reverse wireless charging (10W) to power other devices.
For our test, we were able to use a 90W Xiaomi charger and the results are impressive. The Xiaomi 15 charges very quickly, but this adapter is unfortunately not included with the smartphone.
Rapport qualité/prix
The Xiaomi 15 is a high-end smartphone that officially crosses the 1000 euro mark. It is priced at 1003 euros in its 12 GB of RAM and 256 GB of storage version in white, black or green. Our test version, with 12 GB of RAM and 512 GB of storage, is priced at 1103 euros in white, black, green, and silver. This last color is only available on the Xiaomi website.
For the launch, it is possible to take advantage of a 100 euro discount. This brings the starting price to around 900 euros and 1000 euros for our test variant, which remains a premium orientation. In this segment, competition is fierce with the presence of the iPhone 16, the Samsung Galaxy S25, the Google Pixel 9 Pro, and OnePlus 13. The Xiaomi 15, however, has proven that it has the weapons to compete with these smartphones.
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