At a glance
Expert’s Rating
Pros
- Incredible camera performance
- Excellent screen
- Solid battery life & fast charging
- Silky performance
Cons
- Some design backsteps
- Not the best Android skin
- Mixed bag of AI features
Our Verdict
The Xiaomi 15 Ultra is another excellent flagship smartphone and comes with a number of upgrades at the same price as its predecessor. It’s another photography wizard and this should be the main reason to buy it over the likes of Samsung, Apple and Google. It’s not all plain sailing with some questionable design changes and software issues. Still, when you factor the Photography Kit, this is still the best camera phone you can buy.
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Xiaomi’s top-of-the-line smartphone once again gets a global launch and the 15 Ultra claims to be the pinnacle of mobile photography.
It has a lot to live up to following the excellent Xiaomi 14 Ultra, as well as strong competition from the likes of the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra and Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max.
Like many 2025 flagships, it’s not an overhaul in any way compared to its predecessor, but the Xiaomi 15 Ultra is one of the best phones you can buy, and not just in terms of photography – and whether you decide to buy the optional Photography Kit, which is its superpower.
These refinements on an already brilliant phone come at the same price, £1,299 with double the storage by default than key rivals.
Design & Build
- New colourway
- Still a beast
- Optional Photography Kit
On the whole, the Xiaomi 15 Ultra looks and feels like its predecessor. Like a lot of rivals, a case of small tweaks rather than a design overhaul.
As you would expect, the design revolves around the huge circular ‘volcano’ camera module on the back. In general, I prefer a smaller camera bump but really the whole point of this handset is its photography prowess, so it gets a free pass.
Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry
The camera bump itself, apart from being big, is one piece of Gorilla Glass 7i surrounded by a nano-texture bezel and a red ring. At least that’s the case on my black model. The white option and the new two-tone Silver Chrome colourway don’t have a red ring.
Still, I’d wager the nano-texture, watch-like bezel will have the same issue, which is attracting and trapping tiny bits of dirt. I also prefer the trapezoid layout of the lenses on the 14 Ultra but this is a minor gripe.
While I think the Xiaomi 15 Ultra is another striking looking phone, I’m not so keen on the black or white colours this year. The black of my sample is a tad sparkly and the new glass fibre surface is extremely slippery.
It’s a shame after the superior, camera-like vegan leather of the 14 Ultra, which you’ll only get on the two-tone model this time. Even then, a former colleague who’s testing that model reports that the silver section feels very plasticky.
Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry
The likelihood of users keeping it in a case seems high though, and elsewhere, things are as high-end as you’d expect. I like the cross-hatched power key, the matt black aluminium frame (silver on the others) with its beveled edges avoiding the trend of completely flat sides, which I’m not so keen on.
If you’re wondering if the 15 Ultra has some kind of built-in camera button like the iPhone 16, it does not. This is because Xiaomi offers a Photography Kit. This year it’s a ‘Legend Edition’ – more on this later.
You get Xiaomi Shield Glass 2.0 at the front and an IP68 dust and water resistance rating. Overall, the phone feels well-made and very durable. A clear silicone case is included in the box.
Of course, it is a bit of a beast at 226g (or an extra 3g for Silver Chrome) so keep this in mind.
Screen & Speakers
- 6.73-inch AMOLED
- 1-120Hz refresh rate
- All Around Liquid Display
- Stereo speakers
The display in the Xiaomi 15 Ultra is effectively the same as its predecessor. You get a large 6.73-inch AMOLED panel with a 3200×1400 resolution (making it 522ppi), a 1-120Hz dynamic refresh rate and plenty of other impressive specs.
A small upgrade this year is a higher peak brightness of 3200 nits but that’s up from 3000, so it’s not noticeable.
Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry
It’s hardly a surprise Xiaomi has stuck with this excellent display though, and I still love the All Around Liquid Display which essentially means the glass at the front is curved at the edges, but the panel underneath is flat, giving you the best of both worlds.
It’s crisp as you like with punchy colours, excellent contrast and bags of brightness. I’d say the main thing to ask yourself is whether you want a screen this large. If not, the Xiaomi 15 might suit better with its more manageable 6.36-inch display.
One key upgrade to the phone is the addition of an ultrasonic fingerprint scanner. I found the 14 Ultra’s very good already, but the 15 Ultra’s is undoubtedly super quick and reliable.
As with the 14 Ultra, the stereo speakers are formidable with excellent clarity and power. They’re among the best speakers I’ve ever tested on a phone and the 15 Ultra has Hi-Res and Hi-Res Audio Wireless certifications.
Specs & Performance
- Snapdragon 8 Elite
- 16GB RAM
- 512GB/1TB storage
- The latest connectivity
It’s no surprise to see that the Xiaomi 15 Ultra comes packing a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset like other flagship Android phones in 2025.
You still get a very healthy 16GB of RAM and the choice of 512GB or 1TB of speedy UFS 4.1 storage, depending on where you live. I won’t be surprised if the UK just gets the smaller storage option again.
You won’t be shocked when I tell you performance is top-notch and the 15 Ultra can handle day-to-day tasks without breaking a sweat. Everything is silky smooth and lightning fast.
The phone has a RAM extension feature which can add, theoretically, an additional 6GB. This is on by default on my sample.
Chris Martin / Foundry
Of course, it’s focused on camera abilities but with the combination of its excellent screen and powerful core specs, the 15 Ultra is an excellent gaming phone as well. The main downside in this respect is the camera bump getting in the way when holding it in portrait orientation.
The 3D Dual-Channel IceLoop cooling system does a good job of stopping the phone getting too hot during demanding tasks.
Remaining core specs are strong starting with Wi-Fi 7, an upgrade to Bluetooth 6.0 and Dual-SIM which now includes eSIM (optionally for both).
You also once again get an IR blaster which I personally find to be a real boon for controlling my TV when remote controls are kept out of reach of a toddler or are simply lost.
Xiaomi 15 Ultra benchmarks
Cameras
- Four rear cameras
- New 200Mp periscope telephoto
- 32Mp front camera
- Photography Kit accessory is a secret weapon
The camera-led design isn’t just for show, the Xiaomi 15 Ultra aims to be the pinnacle of mobile photography with its barrage of five cameras, four of which are on the rear.
Everything here has once again been co-engineered with Leica, the iconic German camera and lenses company.
Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry
True to 2025 flagship form, there’s not a huge amount of change from the 14 Ultra. The main one is the new 200Mp periscope telephoto lens. It has a shorter 4.3x zoom than the 14 Ultra’s 5x but it’s got a larger sensor, a higher resolution and a faster aperture. Xiaomi says the overall result is better, particularly in low light situations.
The other three rear cameras remain at 50Mp, offering you the combination of a main camera, ultrawide and floating telephoto. They’re essentially the same as last year, although the variable aperture of the main camera has gone, in favour of a fixed f/1.63.
The idea here is to give you a DSLR-like experience where you’ve got multiple different focal lengths (or lenses) at your disposal but without the hassle (and cost) of carrying all that kit and swapping lenses over for different shots.
Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry
Once again, Xiaomi has done a good job with the camera app, providing both an easy to use set of buttons and tools and also a Pro mode for those who want to tinker. You don’t need to be a photography expert to get great shots from the 15 Ultra, just play around with the different available focal lengths depending on what you’re trying to capture.
To some extent, the phone will choose the right camera for you. For example, automatically switching into macro mode so it doesn’t necessarily matter if you don’t know what the difference between 23mm and 35mm means on the main camera when tapping the 1x.
Just like the 14 Ultra, results are very impressive here indeed. Xiaomi and Leica have done a particularly great job of consistency across the four cameras, particularly with colour accuracy which is an issue we’ve seen in various phones over the years.
You can snap away with any camera with confidence you’re going to get a detailed, well-exposed image with excellent dynamic range – all with the option of shooting in Leica Authentic or Vibrant modes.
I’d say the ultrawide is the weakest of the four but that’s unsurprising as it’s the only one without OIS (optical image stabilisation) and some weaker specs when you dive into the details. It’s by no means bad, but the others are more impressive and are likely to get more use anyway.
I personally found myself using the main camera and 3x floating telephoto the most, though I’m disappointed that the variable aperture of the main lens is gone. The f/1.63 aperture gives an extremely short depth of field which can be overkill for a lot of situations. It does often mean you don’t need to use a portrait mode, though, and if you do there’s both Master Portrait and Leica Portrait with various settings available.
As mentioned, the new 200Mp periscope telephoto is the main change this year and though it offers 4.3x zoom rather than 5x, I didn’t find this a problem. The detail on offer is potentially fantastic (if you can hold the phone still enough) and can be the difference between getting a shot or not – eg, capturing wildlife.
It’s equivalent to 100mm and you can digitally zoom a lot further with usable results if you need to. Its low light performance is very good, as shown in the examples where I was standing at the back of a gig venue, yet able to get some great snaps of band members.
Once again, the front camera is solid with lots of detail, an automatic crop depending on how many people are in the shot, adjustable portrait mode and more. The phone is also no slouch when it comes to video, able to record in up to 8K/30fps and various settings available to you. My test footage was incredibly smooth, detailed and colourful.
A note on the Photography Kit, which I’ve briefly tested and will review separately soon. This year it’s called the ‘Legend Edition’ although there is no regular model or otherwise, I’m told. It’s essentially the same as the 14 Ultra version and also comes in at £179.
You add a case to the phone, then slide the camera grip onto the end of the phone and it plugs into the USB-C port. This adds not only a proper way to hold the phone as if it were a camera but adds features like a spring-loaded zoom, two-stage shutter, customisable wheel and video record button.
There are also a selection of detachable rings and this time around there’s also a detachable thumb grip, two different optional shutter button add-ons and the battery which tops the phone up is larger at 2000mAh.
I had some small niggles with early testing such as the zoom control being a bit wobbly (which I didn’t find on the previous version) and the fact it only comes in this jazzy red accent colour.
However, it’s still a standout feature which really transforms the 15 Ultra into what feels like a proper camera. And if you’re not bothered, then you don’t have to buy one.
Battery Life & Charging
- 5410mAh battery
- 90W wired charging
- 80W wireless charging
Things are mostly the same when it comes to this section of the review. The charging speeds at 90- and 80W for wired and wireless charging are identical to last year’s 14 Ultra.
The battery itself is larger at 5410mAh (up from 5000mAh) – though the Chinese version has 6000mAh – and the PCMark battery test improvement is better than that additional capacity would suggest. It lasted a very impressive 17 hours which is over four and a half hours more than its predecessor.
It would be nice, of course, to see Xiaomi using more silicon carbide (SiC) technology to push the capacity further – like the OnePlus 13 – but stamina is solid here with the 10% included. I can easily get two days from the phone if I’m not using it excessively for demanding tasks.
Chris Martin / Foundry
Back to charging and it’s understandable that Xiaomi has kept the speeds the same. There are faster phones out there for wired but 90W is plenty fast enough for most people, and way ahead of the likes of Apple and Google.
In my testing, using Xiaomi’s 90W HyperCharge adapter, it went from dead to 42% in just 15 minutes and to 72% in 30. Not as impressive as the 14 Ultra but that has a smaller battery, of course.
There’s no charger in the box this time around, at least not with my sample. So an official 120W charger is £59 (90W model is awol) while the 80W Adaptive Wireless Charging Stand is £79.
Once again, bear in mind that the camera bump could cause an issue with non-Xiaomi wireless chargers.
Software & Apps
- HyperOS 2
- Android 15
- Four OS updates
With the Xiaomi 15 Ultra, you get HyperOS 2 – this is Xiaomi’s skin over the top of Android 15 and is essentially the new version of MiUI.
Overall, the interface looks and feels the same as the first version of HyperOS. This is to say that it’s fairly clean looking, operates very quickly and is mostly intuitive depending on which OS you’re moving from.
Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry
If you’re new to this UI then you’ll have to spend a while getting used to things like the split notification and quick settings panes which sit either side of the punch hole camera, like iPhones.
The recent apps view is also alternative, with a grid and apps that must be flung sideways to close rather than upwards. Xiaomi still adds a fair bit of bloatware with apps like Spotify, Facebook, AliExpress, LinkedIn, TikTok and others all pre-installed.
Xiaomi also has plenty of its own apps, many of which duplicate the Google suite, so feel superfluous.
As you might expect, AI is the big news here with a long list of features from help writing, interpreting, image editing and more. My overarching problem with these is figuring out where and how they work, or even knowing they exist.
There’s little in the way of guidance from the software and you might not even see the HyperAI section of the settings menu. Even here, there’s not really enough explanation of how to use some of the features, but fortunately, Google Gemini and features like Circle to Search are built into the phone, so I unsurprisingly ended up using these far more.
For my money, considering the camera-forward design of the phone, the AI tools in the Gallery Editor are the most useful. Annoyingly, they require downloading plug-ins to work as well as signing into a Xiaomi account. Once the faff is out of the way, you get things like enhance, expand, erase and more.
Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry
It’s a mixed bag in terms of usability and results. The Erase plug-in, for example, wouldn’t initialise properly for starters. The Expand option contains typically AI errors if you look closely, whereas altering the sky (with loads of different options) worked very well in my testing.
I imagine, for most people, simply using the Enhance option as a one-tap way of making snaps look better will be the most popular. But like the Gemini issue, Google already has better and more refined AI image editing tools available, not to mention the plethora of photo editing apps out there.
The situation with software support remains at four years of OS updates and six years of security updates. It’s a bit behind the likes of Samsung, Google and Apple so if this is important to you then consider options with longer support.
Price & Availability
There’s good news here as Xiaomi has kept the price of the Xiaomi 15 Ultra the same as its predecessor.
This means you can get one from £1,299 if you’re happy with the 512GB model, which I imagine will be fine for most people. However, if you’re worried about filling that with photos – a legitimate worry for this phone – then you can splash out on the 1TB model for £1,499.
The caveat here is that you need to spend extra to get the Photography Kit, though I think that’s well worth it if you’re into the photography side of things – especially since no rivals have anything equivalent.
Comparing the Xiaomi 15 Ultra to the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra and it’s a little more expensive, but the cheapest S25 Ultra at £1,249 only has 256GB of storage. The 512GB is £1,349 so Xiaomi offers good value here.
The cheapest iPhone 16 Pro Max is £1,199 but again it’s got 256GB storage and the 512GB is £1,399.
You can buy the Xiaomi 15 Ultra from the official Mi store and it’ll likely be available from the likes of Amazon, too.
Chris Martin / Foundry
Should you buy the Xiaomi 15 Ultra?
On the whole, the Xiaomi 15 Ultra is another excellent flagship smartphone, which arrives with a number of upgrades.
It’s iterative compared to the 14 Ultra but that’s very much a trend of 2025 flagships, so it’s no different if you look at other Android rivals from the likes of Samsung.
The 15 Ultra is another masterclass of smartphone photography, now boasting a 200Mp periscope telephoto camera along with three other excellent rear cameras – though it’s a shame the main camera has lost its variable aperture feature.
Once again, the optional Photography Kit is the Ultra’s secret weapon compared to rivals. It really does feel like a DSLR and produces many results to the level.
Elsewhere, the 15 Ultra offers just about everything you could ask for from a flagship if you’re ok with a chunky handset. The screen is excellent, battery life is improved, charging is still speedy and performance is silky smooth. Smaller details like an IR blaster and the latest connectivity, along with Hi Res audio also add value.
HyperOS isn’t the best Android skin and Xiaomi doesn’t offer support as long as the likes of Samsung and Google, so bear this in mind. It’s also a shame to find only one colourway with the vegan leather rear cover.
Still, the 15 Ultra is a formidable and highly desirable flagship. I would just consider getting a 14 Ultra at a lower price considering how similar the two are.
Specs
- Android 15 w/ HyperOS 2.0
- 6.73in WQHD+ AMOLED 1-120Hz display, 300Hz touch sampling, Dolby Vision, HDR10+
- In-display ultrasonic fingerprint sensor
- Xiaomi Shield 2.0 glass front
- Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite
- 16GB RAM LPDDR5X
- 512GB/1TB UFS 4.1 non-expandable storage
- 50Mp, f/1.63 main camera with OIS
- 50Mp, f/2.2 ultrawide camera
- 50Mp, f/1.8 telephoto 3x camera with OIS
- 200Mp, f/2.6 periscope 4.3x cameras with OIS
- 32Mp, f/2.0 front-facing camera
- Dual speakers with Dolby Atmos
- Hi-Res & Hi-Res Audio Wireless certification
- 5G
- WiFi 7
- Bluetooth 6.0
- USB-C port
- IR blaster
- NFC
- Dual-SIM (inc eSIM)
- 5410mAh battery
- 90W fast charging
- 80W wireless charging
- 10W reverse wireless charging
- IP68
- 161.3 x 75.3 x 9.35mm
- 236g
- Launch colours: Black, White, Silver Chrome
