Xiaomi 15 Ultra: Elevating Smartphone Photography to New Heights

4th March 2025 at 1:40 PM

2 minutes read

Xiaomi’s latest flagship, the 15 Ultra, builds on an already impressive legacy, refining its camera capabilities with an industry-leading telephoto lens. Known for its Leica-powered imaging system, this model has the potential to be the best photography smartphone of 2025.

A Game-Changing Zoom Camera

One of the standout features of the Xiaomi 15 Ultra is its upgraded long-range telephoto camera. Equipped with a 1/1.4-inch 200MP sensor and a 100mm-equivalent lens (4.3x zoom), it differs from the setups found in competing models like the vivo X100 Ultra, X200 Pro, and Honor Magic7 Pro. These unique choices ensure a fresh photography experience with plenty of surprises in store.

To accommodate this change, Xiaomi has restructured its zoom system. The shorter telephoto lens now offers a 3x zoom, compared to the 3.2x zoom on last year’s 14 Ultra. The primary camera remains largely unchanged, still featuring a 1-inch sensor, though Xiaomi has opted for a fixed-aperture lens instead of the previous variable-aperture design. Meanwhile, the ultrawide lens specs suggest a slight downgrade on paper, but real-world performance will be the true test. Selfie enthusiasts may be disappointed, as the front camera doesn’t seem to bring major improvements.

Xiaomi 15 Ultra specs at a glance:

Body: 161.3×75.3×9.4mm, 226g; Glass front, glass-fiber back or silicone polymer back (eco leather), aluminum frame; IP68 dust tight and water resistant (immersible up to 1.5m for 30 min).
Display: 6.73″ LTPO AMOLED, 68B colors, 120Hz, Dolby Vision, HDR10+, HDR Vivid, 3200 nits (peak), 1440x3200px resolution, 20:9 aspect ratio, 522ppi.
Chipset: Qualcomm SM8750-AB Snapdragon 8 Elite (3 nm): Octa-core (2×4.32 GHz Oryon V2 Phoenix L + 6×3.53 GHz Oryon V2 Phoenix M); Adreno 830.
Memory: 256GB 12GB RAM, 512GB 16GB RAM, 1TB 16GB RAM; UFS 4.1.
OS/Software: Android 15, up to 4 major Android upgrades, HyperOS 2.
Rear camera: Wide (main): 50 MP, f/1.6, 23mm, 1.0″-type, 1.6µm, dual-pixel PDAF, OIS; Telephoto: 50 MP, f/1.8, 70mm, 1/2.51″, 0.7µm, dual pixel PDAF (10cm – ∞), OIS, 3x optical zoom; Telephoto: 200 MP, f/2.6, 100mm, 1/1.4″, 0.56µm, multi-directional PDAF, OIS, 4.3x optical zoom; Ultra wide angle: 50 MP, f/2.2, 14mm, 115˚, 1/2.76″, 0.64µm, dual pixel PDAF; Depth: TOF 3D.
Front camera: 32 MP, f/2.0, 21mm (wide), 1/3.14″, 0.7µm.
Video capture: Rear camera: 8K@30fps, 4K@30/60/120fps,
1080p@30/60/120/240/480/960/1920fps, gyro-EIS, Dolby Vision HDR 10-bit rec. (4K@60fps, 1080p); Front camera: 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60fps, gyro-EIS.
Battery: 5410mAh (6000mAh in China); 90W wired, PD3.0, QC3+, 80W wireless, 10W reverse wireless.
Connectivity: 5G; eSIM; Wi-Fi 7; BT 6.0, aptX HD, aptX Adaptive, LHDC 5; NFC; Infrared port.
Misc: Fingerprint reader (under display, ultrasonic); stereo speakers; Two-way satellite communication.

Performance and Hardware Upgrades

Xiaomi sticks with the Qualcomm flagship chipset for the 15 Ultra, while rivals vivo and Oppo have begun integrating MediaTek processors into their high-end devices. A larger battery is a welcome addition, providing extended power, while the switch from an optical to ultrasonic fingerprint scanner enhances security and speed.

Pricing In India

Given the fluctuation in the Euro, there hasn’t been a drastic spike in pricing between the Xiaomi 14 Ultra and 15 Ultra if we directly convert Euro 1,499 to INR. That said, if the Xiaomi 14 Ultra launched at Rs 99,999 — and also considering inflation — I’d guess the Xiaomi 15 Ultra could be priced around Rs 1,10,000. At which point, it begs the question: who is going to buy a high-end Xiaomi phone at a budget usually commanded by Apple or Samsung? For now, though, the Xiaomi 15 Ultra has left a strong first impression on me.