Pros
- Powerful cpu.
- Camera can take spectacular footage.
- Six years of software program program help.
Cons
- Extremely expensive.
- Useful digital digital camera grasp is an costly added.
- Camera’s automobile setting will be underwhelming.
The Xiaomi 14 Ultra was among the many simplest telephones of 2024, many thanks in no tiny element to an excellent digital digital camera system that took a number of of the simplest footage I’ve ever earlier than seen from a cam telephone. The follow-up, the Xiaomi 15 Ultra, has an excellent deal to satisfy, and in a number of strategies, it does.
It’s an outright big: It’s obtained a stupendous display screen, and its digital digital camera configuration takes spectacular footage. You can nonetheless get it with the digital images set that features a maintain and shutter swap to correctly rework it proper right into a small digital digital camera, but there are some cautions holding me again from calling the 15 Ultra an total success.
After taking management of 1,000 footage with the telephone, I’ve pertained to the decision that whereas this telephone can take wonderful footage, you require to perform harder to acquire them. Simply capturing within the automobile setting isn’t the means to acquire the simplest outcomes beneath. I’ll return to this in a while. But within the meantime, really feel in a single’s bones that it is a telephone for devoted skilled photographers simply– casual snappers will definitely be a lot better off trying in direction of the apple iphone 16 Pro and even the Pixel 9 Pro.
The 15 Ultra makes use of the precise exact same 1-inch variety picture sensing unit for its main digital digital camera as its precursor, and I’m let right down to not see an gear improve, notably making an allowance for the telephone’s excessive fee. Xiaomi moreover selected to ditch the 14 Ultra’s uncommon variable aperture– amongst my favored attributes– for “software-based” choices that I can with confidence declare are usually not a super substitute.
I’ll confess, nonetheless, that the benefits of the variable aperture are marginal, and many individuals will more than likely by no means ever additionally see a distinction. Still, it annoys me to see genuine improvement discarded for software program program workarounds. It’s exactly what I grumbled relating to in 2015, with AI being the one location the place enterprise are introducing presently. Ironically, as a result of publish, I praised Xiaomi for the 14 Ultra’s dependence on gear for its implausible footage, but I can’t declare the very same relating to this brand-new design.
MWC 2025: Xiaomi’s Photography-Focused 15 Ultra Is a Powerhouse
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There’s little doubt although that the 15 Ultra is a big Android cell on the whole. Its strong effectivity, appropriate battery life and energetic display screen assist warrant its entrance runner situation. Also, its 6 years of total software program program help isn’t regrettable both. But this telephone is far from low-cost. It’s on the market within the UK and broader Europe presently for ₤ 1,299 with 16GB of RAM and 512GB of cupboard space, or ₤ 1,499 in the event you need 1TB. That’s much more expensive than each the apple iphone 16 Pro and the Samsung Galaxy S25Ultra
Like numerous different Xiaomi telephones, the 15 Ultra will definitely not be provided to get within the United States, nonetheless, for suggestion, that base UK fee converts to $1,630 or AU$ 2,630.
Is it price your cash? Let’s take a look.
Xiaomi 15 Ultra digital digital camera
I took management of 1,000 examination footage with the telephone up till now, and I anticipate I’ll take way more all through 2025. I’ve taken it to Scotland and England, to Barcelona, and in addition to an icy and winterySweden I tried to report no matter from street digital images to panorama and touring photos. In quick, I’ve really contain acknowledge this digital digital camera.
I actually really feel cozy informing you that you just can take some genuinely wonderful footage with the telephone. I’ve obtained photographs that will surely match what I’d get out of devoted knowledgeable cams, and I’d haven’t an issue with importing a number of of them to my photography portfolio to relaxation together with footage from my Canon R5, Leica Q3 43 and numerous different premium cams. At the center of the 15 Ultra coincides Sony LYT-900 1 inch-type picture sensing unit positioned within the 14Ultra It’s actually greater than the sensing items positioned in nearly any sort of assorted different telephone digital digital camera and often, an even bigger picture sensing unit permits a lot better info and vibrant selection.
The digital digital camera’s dealing with of direct publicity beneath is space on.
Crisp info and energetic shades– an occasion of when the standard digital digital camera setting toenailed the mission.
Using the excessive comparability black and white setting is only one of my favored strategies to fireside, notably for street scenes corresponding to this.
But the 15 Ultra makes you attempt to acquire your greatest efforts. In pure automobile setting, I used to be often underwhelmed. My most important downside is the white equilibrium, which errs incessantly on the stylish facet in a number of situations. Sunny scenes that have to be swamped with cozy tones quite appeared cool and unexciting.
You can’t change the white equilibrium within the typical digital digital camera setting, so I fired primarily within the Pro setting to vary the white equilibrium and numerous different setups. I often warmed up the white equilibrium up and set up the direct publicity settlement to considerably underexpose the picture, because the default direct publicity often appeared a little bit bit as properly sensible to my eye.
Taken using the standard digital digital camera setting’s automobile setups, this sunset appears as an alternative boring.
By using the Pro setting, I had the power to take hands-on management of the white equilibrium, heating this scene up and readjusting the direct publicity to acquire a a lot a lot better picture.
When I took handbook management corresponding to this, the photographs significantly boosted. You can alter the setups to be sure that every time you fill the digital digital camera, it should definitely keep your earlier capturing setups. Working by doing this actually felt much more like my process when firing on my Leica Q3 43– a slower, much more systematic technique to crafting an image, as an alternative of simply breaking away and wishing for the simplest.
I fired footage with the 15 Ultra in JPEG and DNG uncooked, the final enabling me to change my photographs moreover in functions like Adobe Lightroom to acquire precisely the looks that I desired. Following a firmware improve, uncooked information look implausible and are extraordinarily editable. I recommend capturing in each JPEG and uncooked in the event you want to press each ounce of high quality you’ll be able to from these cams.
The straight-out-of-camera JPEG appears actually darkish beneath, since I’ve readjusted the direct publicity to report the sensible skies.
But by moreover firing in DNG uncooked, I had the power to attract again quite a lot of darkness info, brightening this scene and reworking it proper into a much more eye-catching picture.
Taken using the ultra-wide lens, I fired this picture in each JPEG and uncooked, the final enabling me to make use of this movement image edit inAdobe Lightroom
Once I started using the telephone corresponding to this, I had the power to acquire some excellent footage. But in the event you’re looking for a lot better quick breaks rapidly, after that you just will surely be a lot better provided with the apple iphone 16 Pro, Galaxy S25 Ultra or Pixel 9 Pro, which might much more always take a lot better footage using fully default setups. The typical digital digital camera setting can do a superb work in some circumstances, but I positioned myself altering to the Pro setting to work out much more imaginative management.
As held true with the 14 Ultra, amongst my favored strategies to fireside is using the built-in Leica excessive comparability black and white filters. It gives a punchy mono look, which capabilities extremely properly for street digital images, notably whenever you mix the telephone with the digital digital camera grasp.
The 4.3 x optical zoom lens can report pin-sharp footage, and I notably just like the deepness of space it’s had the power to realize beneath on this black and white street scene.
Taken in Pro setting, this scene has a implausible equilibrium in between the highlights and deep darkness, resulting in a punchy, energetic sundown scene.
The Portrait setting simply capabilities when it discovers people, as an alternative of issues or animals, but it capabilities properly. I benefit from the deepness of space it’s attained beneath on this picture of Senior Editor Abrar Al-Heeti
At night, the telephone can take wonderful footage, notably whenever you by hand regulate the white equilibrium. But Xiaomi’s option to take away the variable aperture troubles me beneath. The 14 Ultra’s capability to close down its aperture enabled it to develop real star-burst impacts round components of sunshine (streetlights, and so forth) in night scenes. The 15 Ultra lacks this variable aperture, so these very same lights presently merely seem like amorphous balls, lengthy as they do on numerous different telephones.
The massive aperture and large picture sensing unit usually digital digital camera permits it to take sensible, sharp footage as the sunshine begins to discolor.
I get pleasure from using the excessive comparability setting for night-time black and white scenes, as properly.
I took this within the Pro setting with the intention to take management of the white equilibrium. I benefit from the look of it, but it’s a pity that the street mild doesn’t have a star-burst outcome.
It was amongst my favored attributes of the 14 Ultra, and I loved precisely the way it modified the looks of night footage. I’m actually let down Xiaomi has really eradicated this particular attribute. But growing tiny star-bursts on metropolis night-time footage is specific area of interest, and I presume I’m in a minority of people that had really genuinely see that it’s no extra there.
Xiaomi 15 Ultra digital images set
You can get the 15 Ultra with the very same digital images set that was used with in 2015’s design. It has a scenario, a maintain with a shutter swap and setups dial, and an attachable ring that lets you make the most of routine 67mm digital images filters. The filter ring is implausible for superior skilled photographers that want to make the most of spherical polarizers, impartial thickness filters or movement image black or gold haze filters to really craft their footage.
The grasp makes the telephone lots simpler to carry, notably whenever you’re out and relating to firing quick street footage. It clicks in properly, consists of some added battery life to the telephone, and the shutter swap and setups wheel allow you to fireside as in the event you have been using a small digital digital camera.
The digital digital camera grasp makes the telephone lots simpler to carry and make the most of like a cam.
It presently includes a brand-new thumb grasp accent to make it a little bit bit a lot simpler to carry. There’s moreover a soft-touch, screw-in shutter launch swap, which is bigger and far simpler to find and strike than the preliminary swap it screws proper into. If you want using your telephone for street or touring digital images, the digital images set deserves acquiring, although understand that it should definitely embrace a further ₤ 250 in your prices, making a presently expensive telephone way more so.
Xiaomi 15 Ultra cpu, software program program and AI
The Snapdragon 8 Elite chip positioned contained in the Xiaomi 15 Ultra has presently glad us on telephones just like the On ePlus 13, and its energy is seen beneath, as properly. It arrange excellent rankings on our customary examinations, whereas day-to-day process is fast and lag-free.
It’s implausible for gamers, as properly, with requiring titles like Genshin Impact taking part in effectively at max graphics setups and at 60 buildings per secondly. Qualcomm’s 8 Elite chip isn’t merely created for uncooked energy although, it’s developed for a lot better AI dealing with. It’s not a shock then that there’s a complete lot of AI issues baked proper into the telephone.
Xiaomi 15 Ultra cpu effectivity contrasted
Xiaomi 15 Ultra 2,971 9,115 6,378Xiaomi 14 Ultra 2,258 6,864 5,021 apple iphone 16 Pro 3,507 8,750 4,672Galaxy S25 Ultra 3,053 9,707 6,950
- Geekbench 6 (Single core).
- Geekbench 6 (Multicore).
- 3DMark Wild Life Extreme
Google Gemini and Gemini progressed get on board as typical, consisting of the conversational Gemini Live and Circle toSearch But Xiaomi has really included a number of of its very personal attributes, as properly. There’s a generative message system to develop blocks of message primarily based upon your triggers, along with a helpful system that produces message transcriptions from voice recordings– implausible for a busy know-how reporter.
The telephone runs Android 15 at its core.
There’s moreover a number of image-focused AI gadgets for broadening an image using generative AI, eliminating factors in a scene or simply growing the picture. The AI gadgets all perform together with I’d hope, but it deserves remembering that all of them want an online hyperlink with the intention to make the most of– consisting of the voice information system, someway.
The 15 Ultra releases with Android 15 aboard, and Xiaomi ensures it’ll receive 4 generations of Android updates along with 6 years of safety help. It’s a lot lower than the 7 years each Samsung and Google attend to their entrance runners, and I will surely’ve suched as to see Xiaomi go well with and even defeat its rivals beneath, notably making an allowance for the excessive fee of the telephone.
Still, a life span of 6 years is appropriate ample (a 3rd of people keep their telephones for 3 years or longer) and matches what On ePlus provides for its present On ePlus 13 entrance runner.
Despite its large 6.7 inch display screen, the telephone is kind of cozy to carry and make the most of in a single hand.
Xiaomi 15 Ultra battery, display screen and elegance
Battery life is nice, but not superior. On our requiring video clip streaming examination, it held up a lot better than the On ePlus 13 but actually didn’t do together with the Galaxy S25Ultra You can securely anticipate an entire day of utilization, but in the event you’re desiring to put it to use as your main digital digital camera in your trip, it’s most undoubtedly price lugging a battery pack to give you consolation.
As with all telephones, you’ll more than likely want to invoice it completely over night time. It sustains 90W wired fast billing, which will definitely assist you pack the facility again in a lot sooner, so long as you might have an appropriate battery charger.
The 6.7-inch display screen is sensible ample to make the most of below lunchtime Scottish daylight and it’s energetic ample to do justice to vivid cell video video games and You Tube video clips. The telephone is IP68-rated to assist keep it safe from splashed drinks, whereas its glass and metal model actually feels pleasing to carry.
Xiaomi 15 Ultra: Should you get it?
There’s little doubt that it’s a telephone that ticks principally each field you will surely get out of amongst at present’s entrance runners. It’s efficient, has a stupendous display screen, appropriate software program program help length and attributes like fast billing and water resistance. But its overpriced price is tough to miss and difficult to warrant for anyone that isn’t a die-hard skilled photographer.
The digital digital camera is the one issue to think about this telephone over any one in every of its rivals.
Like its precursor, the digital digital camera is the only issue to think about this telephone over its rivals. Those of you wanting much more casual images of your loved ones and mates on days out will doubtless be a lot better provided with possibility Android telephones– or the apple iphone– the vast majority of which might take handsome breaks in automobile settings and at decreased prices. But the Xiaomi 15 Ultra can take wonderful footage in the event you make investments the second to craft them, each within the Pro digital digital camera and in post-processing.
I would like Xiaomi had really completed a little bit bit much more with its digital digital camera over the 14 Ultra– or on the very least not eradicated amongst my favored attributes. It will surely make this telephone lots simpler for me to recommend much more usually to skilled photographers. But nonetheless, these of you that need an excellent everyday-carry digital digital camera for touring and street digital images will definitely be well-served with the 15Ultra
