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The Xiaomi 15 Ultra is designed and engineered to be the best in the business for mobile photographers, though tighter competition and a key drawback may make it harder to stake that claim.
Unlike the previous 14 Ultra, Xiaomi takes a far more iterative approach with the 15 Ultra this time, choosing to keep much from the previous model, including with the camera setup. The focus largely sticks to mobile photography, so there are few changes on that front as well, positioning this device as one of the premium options on the market.
Xiaomi 15 Ultra: Design and Build
The 15 Ultra carries over much of its predecessor’s build, styling, and camera array. That includes the same flat 6.7-inch AMOLED (3200 x 1440) screen on the front and a large camera module in the rear. The silver chrome variant is black with silver trim resembling a retro camera, further manifesting the Leica-inspired style that comes with Xiaomi’s collaboration with the German brand.
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The module’s size has limitations that will be more apparent in time as Qi2 and MagSafe compatibility grows on Android devices. While clearly not built-in, it also doesn’t seem possible passing through a case like the OnePlus 13 and Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra have done thus far. Though it may not matter as much in most cases, the 15 Ultra also doesn’t have dual IP68/IP69 dust and water resistance, leaving it at a respectable IP68.
Xiaomi also made a questionable decision to remove the f/1.63 and f/4 variable aperture previously available in the 14 Ultra’s main camera, bearing consequences when snapping images in certain situations.
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Internally, there’s plenty to like. It runs on the Snapdragon 8 Elite processor, starting at 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage., going up to 16GB and 512GB, respectively. There is a catch to get an eSIM to work on the device. If you set your region to the U.S. or Canada, the option won’t appear in settings. Set it to the U.K. or a European country, restart it, and you’ll then be able to install one when needed.
Xiaomi 15 Ultra: Camera Features
Almost the entire rear camera array carries over from the previous 14 Ultra with slight differences. That includes the same Sony LYT-900 Type 1 sensor for the 50-megapixel camera (23mm equivalent), along with the 50-megapixel 3x optical zoom (70mm) using the Sony IMX858 1/2.51-inch sensor and 50-megapixel ultra-wide (14mm over 12mm) using the Samsung Isocell JN5 sensor. The ultra-wide narrows slightly to a 115-degree field of view from the previous 122-degree FOV.
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The periscope telephoto camera and lens represent the most significant change, not just going to 200 megapixels but also using the Samsung Isocell HP9 Type 1/1.4-inch sensor — the same one Vivo chose for its outstanding periscope telephoto lens in the X200 Pro. Here, it’s a 100mm equivalent (4.3x zoom) with f/2.6 aperture. You can use it with the Ultra HD mode, which is also the only way to take shots at the full 200-megapixel resolution. Otherwise, you can shoot at pixel binned 50 megapixels or 12.5 megapixels.
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Except for the ultra-wide, all the other rear lenses have optical image stabilization. The periscope lens can also go to 200mm with a crop factor when you tap the 4.3x a second time. Zoom in further at 30x (698mm), and you crop in even further, with Xiaomi claiming its improved processing can produce better images.
All lenses are Leica Summilux with “enhanced” dual anti-reflection (AR) coating to reduce glare. This particular detail looms larger over the camera system as a whole because of how glare and clipping continue to drag on results, which I’ll dive into further down.
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If you choose the Photography Kit “Legend Edition,” you get a similar experience. The custom dial, zoom lever, and video recording button are all back, only this time, Xiaomi adds an extra piece for thumb support and a detachable shutter button. Half press to focus, and full press to snap a photo. As before, the Kit includes a filter adapter ring to accommodate 67mm filters, along with a bigger 2,000mAh battery that can give the 15 Ultra 33% longer battery life. Plus, when attached, you can enable a special interface for Fastshot mode that lets you better frame and compose your shot.
Xiaomi 15 Ultra: Software Features
By now, Xiaomi’s software bears Leica’s various offerings in the same way. You have the two main profiles (Authentic and Vibrant) and the same set of filters available in most of the camera app’s modes. While much of the menu stays the same, the layout changes to reduce steps to get to certain features.
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For example, you no longer have to swipe over to “More” to see other modes. Just swipe up, and they’ll appear from below, though you retain the option to add them to the sliding mode menu. Swipe down, and you will get additional settings specific to that mode. It’s easier to switch between JPEG and RAW, as well as resolution, in both Pro and Ultra HD. However, Xiaomi also made the odd choice to bury things like focus peaking, histogram, and exposure verification in the deeper settings menu. I never got an explanation as to why it did so while meeting with the company in Barcelona.
It is clear it wants to keep pushing forward with its HyperAI features, including editing ones, though I spent limited time with them because they weren’t fully baked until a few days before this review. They’re made up of AI Enhance, Expand, Erase, Remove reflection, and Sky. All are cloud-based, so nothing happens without a data or Wi-Fi connection. They’re also a very mixed bag, where Enhance does little to actually “enhance” a photo, while Remove reflection pales in comparison to the efficacy seen from OnePlus. Erasing objects or people also can’t match the way Google does it with Magic Eraser. These AI features act as plug-ins on the 15 Ultra, so there is potential for more or to improve and expand existing ones, but as of now, they don’t trigger much excitement.
Xiaomi 15 Ultra: Image Quality
Main Camera
The previous 14 Ultra came with newer hardware and software to feel like a bump in both performance and output. That’s less the case here with the 15 Ultra when it comes to the main lens. The good fundamentals certainly stay true, so we’re not talking about a step back by any means; it’s just more of an iterative step forward that feels like a continuation. The 1x icon on the camera app lets you switch between 23mm, 28mm, and 35mm to take advantage of the Type 1 sensor despite the crop factor with the latter two lengths.
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Losing the variable aperture poses some problems because it emphasizes shutter speed, exposure compensation, and the kind of bokeh you can get when capturing closer subjects. There’s some impressive depth of field here, but mostly if you switch to 28mm or 35mm, or else 23mm will come out looking a little too shallow. Even so, that’s not the biggest challenge facing this phone. Xiaomi claims the anti-glare coating is highly anti-reflective. Despite evidence pointing to that when capturing a subject behind glass, the more significant issue relates to dynamic range.
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Bright light sources, especially exposed bulbs or shiny reflections, still wreak havoc on the software’s ability to balance HDR by blowing out highlights. They don’t generally go as far as clipping entirely but even working in post, there’s no real way to fully reveal the detail underneath. The problem isn’t just pervasive, it’s also glaringly apparent when comparing how Vivo manages to avoid falling into the same processing trap. It’s telling when the Vivo V50, a mid-range phone, outclasses the 15 Ultra in that particular aspect.
That this phone outperforms what the likes of Apple, Samsung, and Google deliver isn’t surprising; that’s been happening for at least the last two years. It’s the competition from others like Vivo, Honor, and OnePlus that makes Xiaomi’s camera performance shortcomings easier to spot.
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I’m pointing out the negatives here to also establish how high the bar is. The previous 14 Ultra set a high benchmark, and the 15 Ultra is equally capable of taking spectacular photos for anyone at any experience level. Leica’s influence is a big reason, but it’s also how Xiaomi helps the cause. Fast focusing, face detection, color reproduction, excellent styles/filters, and an array of modes to work with. The Gallery app’s editing features are also impressively deep. If Xiaomi is willing to introduce masks and layers, it would have a very formidable suite, the HyperAI misfires notwithstanding.
Telephoto Lenses
The 200-megapixel periscope telephoto represents the biggest change for the 15 Ultra, and it shows when using it. Having seen what it can do in the Vivo X200 Pro, results aren’t all that dissimilar here.
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Even when pixel binned at 12.5- or 50-megapixels, the periscope telephoto does a solid job with sharpness and color, buoyed further by the Leica profiles and OIS. While not always a slam dunk for sharpness handheld, it’s not hard to take a stabilized image, even when you do move up to 200mm (8.6x) or 233mm (10x). Even at 698mm (30x) in good lighting, the lens can take excellent photos — provided you’re stable enough. Its versatility equally extends to various other modes, so you could use it for portraits or try to freeze action in Fastshot.
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However, it’s not a macro camera, a job set for the 3x telephoto lens that can get you to about 15 centimeters before the subject blurs. Plus, dynamic range can prove challenging in the same way it affects the main camera. This is for both telephoto lenses, so there’s no real daylight between them in output that way. The greater the contrast — especially indoors or in low light — the more likely highlights blow out.
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Despite that, both telephoto lenses do plenty to earn your trust, and that has a lot to do with how effective they are under varying conditions and with different subjects. The Samsung HP9 sensor does it again with the periscope lens, showcasing what a combination of a good sensor and quality glass can produce.
In my opinion, the secret sauce to take things further lies in the Gallery app’s editing suite. While all edits are destructive since there are no layers, you can offset a lack of punch from Leica’s presets and bring out the kind of look you want.
Ultra-Wide
I won’t say much about this lens because it’s the weakest link and shows little to separate it from the previous 14 Ultra. You can capture good photos using it, with the slightly tighter field of view displaying less distortion along the edges. But I still look at this as a step back because it’s using a less capable Samsung JN5 sensor compared to the previous Sony IMX858.
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Fastshot Mode
While not new to Xiaomi’s phones, Fastshot benefits more than other modes from the hardware and software changes. In fact, it even has its own special user interface when you use the Photography Kit. Either way, it’s a deep mode with 28mm, 35mm, 50mm, 75mm, 90mm, and 135mm focal length settings, along with letting you shoot in 1:1, 3:4, or 2:3 aspect ratio. There’s an exposure compensation slider and the option to do manual focus as well. All of the Leica presets, and other filters are equally available.
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There is a catch to how this mode works in practice. It’s best to toggle Motion Sensing on when expecting an out-of-frame moving subject to enter the frame. Snap away once you see the yellow box establish focus. If, however, the subject you want to capture is already in the frame, you can tap to focus on them or where the general action is and fire away at that time. I wish it were easier to lock onto a moving subject under these circumstances with tap and hold, though face detection can help whether Motion Sensing is on or not.
When you land a good shot, it’s obvious. The 15 Ultra won’t be perfect at freezing all movement, like how it may freeze a subject’s body with blurry arms or hands, for instance. You’re also dealing with higher ISOs to offset the high shutter speeds necessary to make all this work so that noise may be more prevalent depending on lighting conditions. We’ve seen similar outcomes from Vivo, Honor, and OnePlus, while Apple, Samsung, and Google continue to all but ignore action photography.
The Photography Kit’s grip helps tremendously because it takes less of the onus on your thumb to tap and focus. Quickly half-press the shutter once a subject appears and fully press quickly to grab the photo. You can also shoot in burst by dragging the onscreen shutter down or setting the Kit’s grip to Burst so that it just fires away every time you press the shutter. I’d like to see a way to do both instead of always having to toggle it on, but it’s still a nice feature to have both functionally and ergonomically.
Pro and 50MP
You can only shoot in RAW at full resolution with the main camera in Pro mode. Otherwise, they’ll be pixel-binned down to 12.5 megapixels for the other lenses. It is a different story for JPEGs, where you can go the full 50 megapixels on all lenses and 200 megapixels with the periscope in Ultra HD mode.
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Xiaomi streamlined both modes to break down supporting settings, but unfortunately, it placed some key ones in the settings, as I previously noted. Pro mode still allows you to save manual control presets, so you’re not constantly fiddling with white balance, exposure, shutter speed, ISO, and focus. Custom photographic styles also return, enabling you to make various composition adjustments; only Xiaomi changes it here so that you have contrast, temperature, cyan/magenta, saturation, and sharpness sliders. Seemingly gone, however, are the style presets the company allowed in the 14 Ultra, leaving no way to save a mix for yourself.
Ultra HD mode is more barebones by comparison, largely mirroring the 50MP mode from the 14 Ultra. Oddly, Xiaomi takes away the exposure compensation slider in this mode, a feature I always liked because it allowed a modicum of control over highlights without relying solely on the exposure slider attached to focus.
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Editing photos from either of these two modes can lead to excellent outcomes using Lightroom or other applicable app. While I would’ve liked the flexibility of a variable aperture, the improved periscope telephoto makes up for that with its strong performance.
Video Features
Video recording also gets a boost (without AI) by way of 4K 60fps 10-bit LOG and Dolby Vision on all rear cameras. There’s also 4K at 120fps for those scenes you want to slow down. The only catch is you can’t switch lenses when shooting in LOG, so you have to record multiple clips to get the range and angles you want using any of the other lenses. You don’t have to worry about that when recording otherwise since it’s only in LOG that you meet this limitation. If you have LUTs, you can import them straight to the phone as well.
You can also record in 8K at 30fps, and Pro mode gives you all the manual controls offered for still photos for your clips. Slow motion continues to be a separate mode, while Dual video lets you record from both the rear and front cameras simultaneously. Movie mode is a bit confusing as Xiaomi seems to have stripped it of some of its previous settings and features. More serious videographers would probably use Pro mode and LOG anyway.
Xiaomi 15 Ultra Review: Still Among the Best
I keep thinking that had Xiaomi managed to keep the variable aperture and gone with a better ultra-wide sensor, the 15 Ultra might be the best overall mobile phone camera around, even with its dynamic range issues. A superior periscope telephoto helps keep it in the conversation at the top, but it’s also because the phone captures photos rather than just snapshots.
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I’ve noted this before when comparing other phones, especially those better known in North America. I find Apple, Samsung, and Google don’t really do enough to foster more creative photography for the average user. I’m not talking about slapping on filters, just providing tools that enable users to take photos under broader conditions and versatile settings. The 15 Ultra is right at home in street photography as it would be at a sporting event. It can take lovely portraits while also capturing the mood of a scenic locale. I don’t have anything scientific to back this up, but it’s telling that now, three years running, reactions from iPhone and Galaxy users, in particular, consistently marvel at the results relative to what they’re getting.
Everyone has a camera these days, though not everyone’s a photographer. Bridging the gap in that paradigm is what a phone like this can do. Xiaomi is looking to potentially take that further with its Modular Optical System concept that would attach a Micro Four Thirds sensor and lens to a phone. I’d like to see Xiaomi find ways to improve its processing because blown-out highlights can’t keep appearing like this. I’m not sure how the company sees it when no one there will tell me, but it’s clear Vivo has its number in that regard.
Are There Alternatives?
I’ve already thrown out names, but I would include the Xiaomi 14 Ultra as a worthy alternative because it isn’t far off, save for the differences in the periscope telephoto and ultra-wide cameras. The Vivo X200 Pro is easily the closest competitor, a phone that simply produces outstanding results, with some of the best action shots I’ve seen on any handset to date.
The OnePlus 13 represents the biggest leap forward from a previous model, and is considerably cheaper to boot, whereas the Honor Magic 7 Pro is less so, yet no less a stalwart in its own right. Indeed, Honor holds an advantage in portraiture through its collaboration with Studio Harcourt in Paris.
Otherwise, the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra and Google Pixel 9 Pro are available, though both focus far more on AI-driven features than meaningful improvements in output. As for the iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max, results are predictable, which is to say you can get good photos, just not anything that exemplifies a huge improvement over the 15 series one way or the other.
Should You Buy It?
Yes, but only if you’re willing to spend some money. This is an expensive phone at north of $1,600 after converting from Euros. It won’t be hard to import from the U.K. or Europe, where the 15 Ultra has wide availability, but throw in the $200 Photography Kit, and it becomes an even pricier proposition.