Xiaomi 15 Ultra Review

Announced in China on 27 February 2025 and shown globally at MWC on 2 March at 1,499 euros for 16GB/512GB, roughly $1,600, the 15 Ultra never came to the US; the price here is that conversion. Two things changed from the 14 Ultra. The 1-inch LYT-900 lost its variable aperture and sits at a fixed f/1.63, and the 120mm periscope was replaced by a 100mm f/2.6 unit with a 200MP Samsung HP9 sensor at 1/1.4-inch, big enough that a 200mm crop still looks like a photograph.

The 70mm f/1.8 IMX858 stays, while the ultrawide steps down to a 50MP Samsung JN5 at f/2.2, a real loss for anyone who used the 14 Ultra's wide end. The results are the best long-lens shots on any phone that year. The other change is the battery: 6000mAh in China, 5410mAh silicon-carbon in the global unit, and even the smaller one posted over sixteen hours in GSMArena's active use test, with a 90W charge to full in about fifty minutes.

Snapdragon 8 Elite runs cool in the 226-gram body, the 6.73-inch 1440p LTPO panel is bright enough for direct sun, and IP68 plus Xiaomi Shield Glass 2.0 cover the basics. HyperOS 2 on Android 15 is cleaner than a year earlier and still ships with apps you did not ask for. Xiaomi promised four Android versions and six years of security patches, though the Android 16 build did not reach global phones until December 2025. The camera bump is enormous and the phone is proud of it.