Xiaomi 15 Ultra – A Photography-Focused Smartphone Designed by Leica

Xiaomi 15 Ultra – A Photography-Focused Smartphone Designed by Leica

Xiaomi has officially unveiled its latest flagship smartphones, the Xiaomi 15 and 15 Ultra, just ahead of the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. The company boldly claims that these devices are “the best mobile photography and videography devices for professional imaging.”

That’s a big statement, and to back it up, Xiaomi once again brought Leica CEO Matthias Harsch on stage for an extended appearance. His company is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year, and their partnership with Xiaomi continues to evolve with the latest devices. After taking a major step by launching the Xiaomi 14 Ultra  globally (excluding North America) in 2024, the Chinese brand is doubling down on this collaboration.

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Xiaomi 15 Ultra – Specifications & Features

Compared to last year’s Xiaomi 14 series, the Xiaomi 15 lineup doesn’t bring dramatic changes, but it does refine key elements.

Starting with the 15 Ultra, the device retains the 50MP Type-1 LYT-900 sensor from its predecessor, paired with a Summilux lens featuring an f/1.63 aperture and a 14EV dynamic range. Xiaomi claims the camera can now capture twice as much light as before, delivering improved low-light performance. It supports 23mm, 28mm, and 35mm equivalent focal lengths, with the latter two achieved via cropping.

However, the variable aperture (which allowed switching between f/1.63 and f/4 on the Xiaomi 14 Ultra) is notably missing. Xiaomi didn’t explain its removal or even mention it during the keynote.

For zoom, the 50MP telephoto lens offers a 70mm equivalent focal length with 3x optical zoom, alongside a 200MP periscope lens providing a 100mm equivalent focal length with 4.3x optical zoom. Xiaomi highlights a 136% improvement in light intake despite the narrower f/2.6 aperture. Hybrid zoom extends the range to 200mm and 400mm, with varying results—something that will be explored in future reviews.

One interesting detail is the use of a Samsung Isocell HP9 1/1.4-inch sensor for the periscope lens—the same sensor that performed impressively in the Vivo X200 Pro but was completely left out of the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra. The periscope lens also doubles as a macro camera, allowing close-up shots from as little as 10cm away.

The 50MP ultra-wide camera (14mm equivalent) has a slightly narrower 115° field of view (compared to the previous 122°), though Xiaomi barely mentioned this change.

Xiaomi has used a 24-layer ultra-low-reflection glass coating on the camera module to reduce glare and reflections. Since this coating covers the entire rear camera system, it benefits all lenses. While lens flare has been an issue in previous Xiaomi phones, handling bright lights remains a key challenge for achieving better dynamic range.

On the video side, Xiaomi supports Dolby Vision across all rear cameras and adds 4K recording at 120fps. The phone also includes 10-bit Log recording across all four cameras, along with optical image stabilization (OIS) and electronic image stabilization (EIS) for smoother footage.

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A Retro-Inspired Design

The Xiaomi 15 Ultra is available in three stylish colors: Black, White, and Silver Chrome. The Silver Chrome version stands out the most, thanks to a metallic strip along the side that gives the phone a retro camera look when held in landscape mode.

Xiaomi claims this is their most durable phone ever, featuring IP68 dust and water resistance, improved drop protection with Xiaomi Shield Glass 2.0, and Gorilla Glass 7i.

On the front, the phone sports a 6.7-inch AMOLED display with up to 3200 nits of brightness. While the glass is more durable this time, the display itself is quite similar to the 14 Ultra.

One welcome upgrade is the ultrasonic fingerprint sensor, which is much faster and more responsive than the previous optical sensor.

The battery capacity has also been slightly increased to 5410mAh (from 5000mAh). However, it doesn’t match the 6000mAh battery found in Xiaomi’s China-exclusive variant. It supports up to 80W wireless charging, making it one of the fastest wirelessly charging phones—provided you have a compatible charger.

Under the hood, the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite processor powers the device (just like the standard Xiaomi 15). The phone offers 12GB or 16GB of RAM and comes with storage options of 256GB, 512GB, or even 1TB, giving you plenty of space for all your needs.
Interestingly, the Ultra model also features Snapdragon Sound for high-resolution audio playback, making it easier to enjoy premium audio when using the right sources.

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Final Thoughts

With the Xiaomi 15 Ultra, the company continues its strong partnership with Leica, refining the mobile photography experience with improved sensors, better low-light performance, and enhanced video capabilities. While some expected features—like the variable aperture—are missing, the device still packs powerful camera hardware and impressive overall performance.

Xiaomi is pushing the limits of mobile imaging, and the 15 Ultra seems poised to be one of the best camera-focused smartphones of 2024.