Xiaomi is making its presence felt in the tech world in many ways, and the latest attempt has led us to this Xiaomi 15 review. The Xiaomi 15 series has secured a global launch at the Mobile World Congress 2025, after its initial release alongside the Xiaomi 15 Pro last year within domestic markets. The Xiaomi 15 Ultra was revealed in China a few days before the MWC release, and the reception has been largely positive.
While the UK and Europe are set to see the smartphone cross their borders, there is no US launch expected now or in the near future. The Xiaomi 15 MWC 2025 showcase brought two smartphones to the table, the Xiaomi 15 and the 15 Ultra. The Xiaomi 15 Pro is not expected to see a launch outside of the region.
The Xiaomi 15 has been performing well enough in the domestic markets, but will the Xiaomi 15’s availability in global markets mark it as a real competitor to the Google Pixels and Samsung Galaxies currently dominating the space? We’ll see.
Image: The majority of the Xiaomi 15 reviews appear to be in favor of the new release, even if the target audience is unclear.
Xiaomi 15 Review: The Phone Just Went Global at MWC 2025
Launches can be confusing, particularly when the devices have overlapping names and features. This time, during the Xiaomi 15 MWC 2025 showcase, the company revealed that the standard Xiaomi 15 was coming to international markets and would be accompanied by a brand new Xiaomi 15 Ultra that was just launching in China as well. The two models have similar specs but differ mainly in terms of their camera setup and design.
Powered by Snapdragon 8 Elite and fueled by an efficient battery system, the Xiaomi 15 flagship phones are expected to present a decent challenge to the smartphones dominating the market right now.
On the surface, the Xiaomi 15’s camera setup has been described as unappealing. We understand that it does take some getting used to, but once you look at the design enough, the form isn’t quite as jarring. It looks like a pretty decent smartphone, all specs considered. The liquid silver variant of the Xiaomi 15 is particularly beautiful.
Xiaomi 15 Specs: Understanding the Hardware of the New Smartphone
The Xiaomi 15’s HyperOS software and AI-powered features have both been upgraded to meet the current demands of the market, with the 15 Ultra going one step further to support advanced photography as well. With the Xiaomi 15 being equated to the iPhone 16, we have to dive deeper into the specs to see what it has to offer.
| Specifications | Xiaomi 15 |
| Size | 152.3×71.2×8.1mm |
| Weight | 189g |
| Body | Aluminum alloy frame |
| Screen | Xiaomi shield glass, 6.36″ LTPO OLED display |
| Chipset | Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite, Orion CPUs |
| OS | HyperOS 2 (based on Android 15 and upgradeable) |
| Display | 1200x2670px resolution, 120 Hz refresh rate, 3200 nits peak brightness |
| RAM | 12GB RAM, 16GB RAM |
| Storage | 256GB, 512GB, 512GB, 1TB |
| Camera | Leica lens: 50 MP wide-angle lens, 50 MP telephoto lens, 50 MP ultrawide lens |
| Front Camera | 32 MP |
| Battery | 5240 mAh (5400 mAh, China) |
| Colors | Liquid Silver, White, Black, Green, Lilac |
Xiaomi 15 Price and Availability
The Xiaomi 15 is not getting a launch in the US, but it is available in the UK and Europe. The device is priced at £899 or €999, which sets it around $1,100. The smartphone is more expensive than one would expect, but there could be a market for it considering the decision to make it available in more regions.
Xiaomi 15 hands on
Sides and back are matte now, 1.38mm bezels in front look great pic.twitter.com/flAfC0kF7s
— Chaitanya (@ChaitanyaOnTech) March 3, 2025
Top 3 Noteworthy Xiaomi 15 Features
The Xiaomi 15 makes some improvements over the Xiaomi 14, and why the differences are not substantial enough to upgrade from the older model, the Xiaomi 15 is still a really good smartphone. It’s smaller than the Xiaomi 15 Ultra, but not by large enough of a margin to label it a small phone. Just the right size, and packed with just the right capabilities, the Xiaomi 15 has a lot to offer to its growing consumer base.
The Xiaomi 15 Cameras are an Attractive Investment
The Xiaomi 15 camera setup isn’t anything that’s going to change smartphone photography as we know it, but it is impressive for a smartphone at this price. The device has a triple-lens camera set-up, with a 50MP wide-angle main lens, a 50MP 3x telephoto lens, and a 50MP ultra-wide lens. The telephoto lens, while on a lower zoom range than the previous model, is upgraded from the Samsung ISOCELL JN1 to the JN5.
The selfie camera is a humble 32MP OmniVision OV32B lens that works just fine for your daily use when it comes to selfies. The hardware is supported by the Xiaomi Imaging Engine (AISP 2.0), which will help in regulating the balance of color and light across images.
Image: The Xiaomi 15’s global launch pales a little in comparison to the Xiaomi 15 Ultra.
Xiaomi 15 Offers Android 15-based HyperOS 2
From what we saw of the Xiaomi 15’s MWC 2025 debut, the smartphone runs on Android 15 with the updated Xiaomi HyperOS 2 software to fuel its functioning. This means four years of OS updates and six years of security upgrades, which is what we would expect for a phone with this range.
The software doesn’t change significantly from older versions, but the reason we focus on it in our Xiaomi 15 review is that it does bring AI capabilities that are a top factor on most newly released smartphones. Google Gemini makes an appearance on the device, giving users easy access to natural conversations for all their queries. The Circle to Search function that we saw in the Pixel and Galaxy smartphones is also available, along with other features like AI summaries, translation, proofreading, etc.
If you’re looking at an iPhone 16 for Apple Intelligence, this works just as efficiently instead.
Xiaomi 15’s Battery Life Is Extremely Impressive
The Xiaomi 15 that gets a global launch has a slightly smaller battery than the version available in China. The smartphone released in the UK and elsewhere has a 5,240 mAh battery, as opposed to the 5,400 mAh battery in the domestic model. Still, despite the difference, it is an impressive size for the smartphone and should support your daily activities with ease.
The Xiaomi 15 has charging speeds of up to 90W, but with third-party chargers, you might see a drop in speed. It also has support for 50-watt wireless charging.
Final Thoughts on Our Xiaomi 15 Review
The Xiaomi 15’s MWC 2025 showcase was a tad bit overshadowed by the Xiaomi 15 Ultra, and we still haven’t stopped talking about the Xiaomi Ultra 14 from last year. Still, this doesn’t mean it isn’t a good phone. As we mentioned earlier in our Xiaomi 15 review, the smartphone has a great camera system, a good battery life, reliable OS updates, and AI features for those who can’t live without them.
The problem of bloatware is a very real concern with the smartphone, but it doesn’t impair it to the degree where we would recommend against buying it. Supporting the devices supports competition in the global smartphone market, which we are all for, but it also brings you a great UI experience overall. The device is priced higher than we’d expect so we’re unsure who this smartphone is targeting, but there is a userbase for it nonetheless.
The Xiaomi 15 is a pretty nice phone. But when it’s pricier (€1,099) than an equivalent Samsung Galaxy S25, without any single killer feature, I’m not sure how many people will consider buying one.
Anyway, review here: https://t.co/TLX5D3MhAo pic.twitter.com/aLl1cTA3rA
— Adrian Weckler (@adrianweckler) March 2, 2025
If you’re in the market for a smartphone, don’t let the Xiaomi 15 pass by without giving it a serious chance. The Liquid Silver variant is particularly interesting.
The Xiaomi 15’s global launch looks to be a success but what are your thoughts on the new smartphone? Let us know. Subscribe to Technowize for more updates on the world of technology.