The Xiaomi 15 (left) and Xiaomi 15 Ultra (right) are coming to the UK. (Image: Xiaomi)
If you’re tired of the usual Samsung, Google or OnePlus phones we’ve got used to seeing as regular Android smartphone options then you might be tempted by two new powerful devices from Xiaomi.
The firm has unveiled the Xiaomi 15 and its pricier, camera-orientated Xiaomi 15 Ultra at the Mobile World Congress (MWC) trade show in Barcelona, with both phones set to come to the UK.
The Xiaomi 15 starts at £899 for the model with 12GB RAM and 256GB storage, which is £100 more than the but has double the storage.
Meanwhile the Xiaomi 15 Ultra will set you back £1,299, which is £50 more than the recent , but Xiaomi’s phone could well be a better choice if camera quality is your main concern when it comes to upgrading to a new Android device.
Both phones are powered by the latest Snapdragon 8 Elite processor from Qualcomm, which promises lightning-fast performance and gains in efficiency that should mean excellent battery life.
On the back of 15 Ultra is a huge protruding circular camera module whose centrepiece is a 1-inch LYT-900 sensor. Very few phones sold in the UK have a 1-inch sensor, which is very large for a smartphone and often offers noticeably better photo shots than phones with smaller lenses. This is because the larger the sensor, the more light and more data the phone is able to capture and process.
The S25 Ultra does not have an image sensor this large, and Xiaomi is building on in 2024, crowning it the best phone camera of the year.
The 15 Ultra has two telephoto cameras, including one noticeable upgrade from the 14 Ultra thanks to a new 4.3x optical 200MP periscope telephoto camera that promises better, sharper zoom results thanks to improved light capture. The other is a 50MP 3x optical zoom, following the growing trend for so-called ‘ultra’ phones to have two different zoom lenses for better camera versatility – see also the S25 Ultra and .
You also get a 50MP ultrawide lens and a 32MP selfie camera, and there’s even an optional camera kit you can buy that clips on as a case and camera-style handle, offering a shutter, zoom controls, and additional battery pack.
The phone comes in several colours including a two-tone black and silver option that recalls classic Leica film cameras. Leica branding adorns the phone, and the famed camera firm worked with Xiaomi to tune the look of the photos the device produces, with Leica filter options in the camera app.
Around the front is a 6.73-inch WQHD+ OLED display with 120Hz refresh rate and an ultrasonic fingerprint sensor. You also get a large 5,410mAh battery with fast 90W charging and even compatibility for 80W wireless charging, the latter being faster than you can charge any Samsung phone with a USB-C cable.
The Xiaomi 15 Ultra (Image: Xiaomi)
If that all sounds too much for you, you can get a slightly toned down version of that phone with the regular Xiaomi 15, a smaller, slimmer device with a 6.36-inch OLED screen. The triple rather than quadruple cameras are a step down, with a smaller main 50MP sensor alongside a 50MP 3x optical zoom and 50MP ultrawide plus the same 32MP selfie shooter.
The battery is a shade smaller too at 5,240mAh (compared to 5,410mAh) but the green version of the phone, to our eyes, is the best-looking of the whole line up. Green is clearly in for smartphones, with the mint Galaxy S25 and Teal iPhone 16 proving direct competitors to the phone. Those rivals cost £799, £100 less than the Xiaomi 15.
Both new Xiaomi phones are up-to-date with Wi-Fi 7 capabilities, dual SIM, eSIM and Bluetooth 6.0, making them very futureproof. They run HyperOS 2, Xiaomi’s version of Android 15, and are available to pre-order starting today.
At an event at MWC, Xiaomi also unveiled the Xiaomi Pad 7 and 7 Pro, Xiaomi Buds 5 Pro and Buds 5 Pro, Xiaomi Watch S4, and Xiaomi Smart Band 9 Pro in a new Cream White colour.