Xiaomi 15 Ultra: Forget everything you thought you knew about smartphone photography. Xiaomi just dropped the 15 Ultra, and honestly? It’s the kind of device that makes you question why you’d ever need a standalone camera again. But here’s the twist – it’s not just another spec-heavy flagship trying to impress tech reviewers. This thing actually delivers.

That Leica Partnership Finally Makes Perfect Sense

You know how most brand partnerships feel like marketing gimmicks? Well, Xiaomi and Leica have been quietly perfecting their collaboration for three years now, and the 15 Ultra shows they’ve finally cracked the code. The cameras feature an optical design that gathers light much more effectively, taking brighter, sharper and more detailed photos in all lighting conditions compared to previous models.

The main camera rocks a massive 1-inch Sony LYT-900 sensor behind a 23mm Leica Summilux lens with an f/1.63 aperture. Translation? This thing eats light for breakfast. Night photography that used to require careful planning and steady hands now happens with a casual point-and-shoot. The results don’t have that over-processed, artificial look you get from computational photography enthusiasts – they look like actual photographs.

But here’s where things get really interesting. Xiaomi opted for a 200-megapixel periscope telephoto camera using Samsung’s HP9 sensor, offering 4.3x optical zoom. That’s not just impressive on paper – reviewers are calling it the best results for tele zoom to date, particularly impressive at long-range tele settings.

The Design That Divides Opinion

Let’s address the elephant in the room – this phone looks weird. The Silver Chrome variant especially, with its aerospace-grade glass fiber and PU leather back that screams “vintage Leica camera.” Some people love it, others think it’s trying too hard. I get both sides.

What you can’t argue with is the build quality. The high-strength aluminum frame, Xiaomi Shield Glass 2.0 for added protection and IP68 rating water and dust resistance mean this thing can handle real-world abuse. At 226-229 grams depending on the variant, it’s got some weight to it, but not enough to make your pocket sag.

The camera bump is enormous, though. Like, comically large. But there’s method to the madness – all that hardware has to go somewhere, and Xiaomi chose function over form. Fair trade, honestly.

Performance That Actually Matters

The 15 Ultra arrives running on Qualcomm’s latest Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset, accompanied by 16GB of RAM and 512GB or 1TB storage. Those are flagship specs, and they perform like flagship specs should. Apps launch instantly, multitasking doesn’t cause hiccups, and gaming performance is solid.

The 6.73-inch LTPO AMOLED display with 3200×1440 resolution looks stunning. The screen has a refresh rate of 120 Hz with peak brightness of 3200 cd/m² and contrast ratio of 8000000:1. In practical terms, it’s bright enough for outdoor use and smooth enough that scrolling feels effortless.

Battery life sits at that sweet spot where you don’t think about it. The 5,410mAh cell easily handles a full day of heavy use, and the 90W wired charging gets you back to full power in under an hour. Wireless charging at 80W is impressively fast too, though you’ll need Xiaomi’s own charger to hit those speeds.

The Camera Reality Check

Let’s be honest about what this camera system actually delivers. In good lighting, it’s exceptional. The main sensor captures detail that rivals dedicated cameras, the telephoto zoom performance is legitimately impressive, and the color reproduction feels natural rather than oversaturated.

But it’s not perfect. DxOMark noted the lack of consistency, with photos captured successively not always producing the same results, and various artifacts such as ghosting and flares. Video stabilization, while good, doesn’t quite match the best competitors.

The ultra-wide camera is where compromises become obvious. It’s decent but not groundbreaking, and the 2MP depth sensor feels like a placeholder rather than a meaningful addition to the system.

The Photography Kit: Gimmick or Game-Changer?

The brand-new photography kit features an innovative detachable shutter button and thumb support with an exclusive Fastshot mode interface. On paper, it sounds gimmicky. In practice? It’s surprisingly useful.

The kit includes a 2,000mAh battery pack that extends usage time, a proper shutter button with half-press focus, and support for 67mm filters. For serious mobile photographers, it transforms the phone into something closer to a compact camera experience.

Software: Clean But Not Perfect

HyperOS 2 based on Android 15 runs smoothly without the bloatware nightmare you get from some manufacturers. The camera app offers extensive manual controls, multiple Leica profiles, and processing options that give you room to work with your shots.

The AI features work well when they work, but they’re inconsistent. Sometimes the computational photography saves a difficult shot, other times it creates artifacts that weren’t there before. It’s improving with updates, but it’s not quite at Google or Apple’s level yet.

Oppo A60 – 5000mAh battery smartphone launch with fantastic style

The Price Reality

Starting at €1,499 (around $1,571), this isn’t budget territory. Xiaomi is continuing its push into higher end devices where it is trying to challenge market leader Samsung. The question becomes whether you’re getting enough value to justify flagship pricing.

Compared to the Galaxy S25 Ultra or iPhone 16 Pro, the 15 Ultra offers competitive performance with potentially superior camera hardware. But you’re also dealing with more limited software support and fewer accessories than the established players offer.

Xiaomi 15 Ultra The Bottom Line: Actually Impressive

The 15 Ultra is equally capable of taking spectacular photos for anyone at any experience level, with fast focusing, face detection, color reproduction, excellent styles/filters, and an array of modes to work with.

It’s not perfect – the inconsistencies in processing, the enormous camera bump, and the premium pricing all count against it. But when it works, it works brilliantly. This feels like the first phone in years that’s genuinely pushing smartphone photography forward rather than just incrementally improving existing formulas.

Sometimes the best products are the ones that swing for the fences rather than playing it safe. The Xiaomi 15 Ultra definitely swings for the fences.