Xiaomi unveiled its 15 Sequence smartphones with the Xiaomi 15 and 15 Extremely on the eve of the Cell World Congress in Barcelona, championing them as “the final word skilled imagery flagship” cell images and video gadgets.
It’s a daring assertion, and one Xiaomi selected to again up but once more with a prolonged look from Leica CEO Matthias Harsch, whose personal firm is celebrating its centenary this yr. After taking an enormous step with a world launch (not together with North America) of the Xiaomi 14 Extremely in 2024, the Chinese language model is touting the partnership as rising in sophistication inside the newest gadgets.
Xiaomi 15 Extremely Optics and Specs
Total, there aren’t too many dramatic adjustments with the 15 Sequence in comparison with the leap the 14 Sequence took final yr. Beginning with the 15 Extremely, the 50-megapixel Kind 1 LYT-900 sensor carries over from the earlier mannequin, full with a Summilux lens that retains the identical f/1.63 aperture and 14EV of dynamic vary. Xiaomi claims the digicam can soak up double the sunshine of its predecessor for higher low-light efficiency. It additionally helps 23mm, 28mm, and 35mm equal focal lengths, albeit with the latter two being crop components.
Notably lacking, nevertheless, is the variable aperture from the 14 Extremely that supplied f/4 as an alternative choice to the native f/1.63 cease. Xiaomi hasn’t defined why it’s gone nor talked about it throughout its keynote.
The 50-megapixel fundamental telephoto is natively a 70mm equal at 3x optical zoom and is joined once more by a 200-megapixel periscope telephoto (100mm equal) at 4.3x optical zoom. Right here, too, Xiaomi touts the telephoto’s light-gathering functionality by quantifying it as a 136% enchancment regardless of a tighter f/2.6 aperture. Hybrid zooms can take the lens to 200mm, 400mm, and past, with various levels of success, which I’ll be overlaying in my upcoming evaluate.
It’s value noting this lens makes use of the Samsung Isocell HP9 Kind 1/1.4-inch sensor — the identical one used so impressively within the Vivo X200 Professional and unnoticed completely within the Samsung Galaxy S25 Extremely. The telephoto additionally serves a twin function as a macro digicam with close-ups as much as 10cm away.
The 50-megapixel (14mm equal) ultra-wide digicam is barely totally different, with a tighter 115-degree discipline of view (in comparison with 122 levels earlier than), although Xiaomi barely talked about it throughout the keynote.
The corporate makes use of a 24-layer ultra-low reflection glass with particular coating for the digicam module to keep off reflections as a lot as attainable. Because it covers the entire rear array, it applies to all cameras. Glare has been a problem in previous Xiaomi telephones, although blown-out highlights stay the largest dynamic vary impediment.
On the video aspect, it’s noteworthy that Xiaomi helps Dolby Imaginative and prescient on all rear cameras and provides help for 4K at 120fps. There’s 10-bit Log recording throughout all 4 cameras, plus optical picture stabilization (OIS) and digital picture stabilization (EIS) obtainable for smoother footage.
15 Extremely Will get Retro Styling
The 15 Extremely is available in three colours: black, white, and silver chrome. It’s the latter that stands out most as a result of the silver strip working alongside one aspect makes the cellphone appear to be a retro point-and-shoot when tilted in panorama. Xiaomi claims that is probably the most sturdy cellphone it’s ever produced, with IP68 mud and water resistance and enhanced drop resistance with Xiaomi Defend Glass 2.0 and Gorilla Glass 7i.
On the entrance, the 6.7-inch AMOLED provides 3,200 nits of peak brightness. Whereas the glass is sturdier this time, the display is in any other case a lot the identical because the 14 Extremely. One good improve inside it’s the ultrasonic fingerprint sensor that’s significantly extra responsive than the earlier optical one. The battery additionally will get a slight increase to 5410mAh (from 5000) however doesn’t match the 6000mAh Xiaomi manages within the China-only variant. It’s able to wirelessly charging at as much as 80W, making it sooner than absolutely anything else on the market when you might have a wi-fi charger able to going that quick.
The Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite powers the machine’s features (because it does the common Xiaomi 15), with 12/16GB of RAM and 256/512GB or 1TB for reminiscence and storage. Curiously, the Extremely additionally has Snapdragon Sound built-in to make hi-res audio playback a lot simpler from the appropriate sources.
Software program and AI
Xiaomi will proceed to make AI a significant pillar of its software program suite with HyperOS 2. This features a slate of HyperAI modifying options inside the Gallery app, all of that are cloud-based and require a Xiaomi account. Google Gemini will play a much bigger position integrating with choose apps because it expands additional going ahead.
It additionally highlights its HyperConnect characteristic as a technique to bridge the hole between gadgets, platforms, and ecosystems, which is able to embrace iOS and Macs. With no actual demonstration, it’s arduous to know for positive how sturdy or handy that bridge will probably be, however it echoes a transfer OnePlus made when launching its latest flagship 13. One of many intriguing ones is named the Cross-device Digicam, which might permit customers to entry one other machine’s digicam whereas retaining the 15 Sequence’ imaging pipeline. This additionally goes for Mixed Cameras, a capability to mix and present video feeds from a number of gadgets concurrently.
Particulars In regards to the Xiaomi 15
Because the smaller (and cheaper) of the 2 new telephones, the Xiaomi 15 could not get as a lot consideration, however it provides a lot that’s in its Extremely sibling. The Summilux lenses characteristic an analogous anti-reflective coating. On the video aspect, that features Dolby Imaginative and prescient and 4K at 60fps throughout the rear array. For stills, the focal lengths additionally keep comparable, solely with out a periscope telephoto and a wider 60mm equal for the common telephoto lens.
The principle and telephoto cameras provide cropped choices to extend focal vary choices. That additionally performs into the twin Portrait mode made up of Leica’s personal and Xiaomi’s extra elaborate Grasp Portrait. The corporate is including a “Sundown Portrait” for glowing outcomes throughout golden hour by optimizing bokeh and pores and skin tone. All the HyperAI options apply right here the identical means, as do Gemini integrations, so the common 15 isn’t unnoticed on these fronts.
With a 6.3-inch AMOLED, the Xiaomi 15 is taken into account “small” by as we speak’s requirements and a better one-handed cellphone. It’s obtainable in black, white, inexperienced, and a brand new liquid silver popping out later than the others in 2025.
Pricing and Availability
Xiaomi is releasing one other images equipment for the 15 Extremely that’s extra fashionable and modular than earlier ones have been. It has a built-in 2000mAh battery inside that can provide the cellphone roughly one-third of its battery life again for longer taking pictures classes. It contains an adapter for 67mm filters as nicely. The zoom lever, publicity dial, and video recording button are all again as nicely.
You received’t be capable to discover both of those telephones from retailers in Canada or the U.S., however on-line distributors from totally different elements of the world will promote them and ship them abroad if you happen to’re eager. Notice that Xiaomi provides 4 years of Android updates and 6 years of safety updates — falling nicely in need of what Samsung and Google at present provide for his or her respective flagships.
Costs are 999 Euros for the Xiaomi 15 and 1,499 Euros for the 15 Extremely. That converts to roughly $1,030 and $1,550, respectively. Because it’s completed earlier than, Xiaomi additionally introduced it’s going to provide one free out of guarantee restore and one display substitute inside the first 12 months after shopping for both cellphone.
