Xiaomi 15 Ultra Review: The Pinnacle of Mobile Photography Excellence

Design: Functional Elegance RedefinedIntroduction

What defines a true “Ultra” smartphone?

For Xiaomi, the answer is clear—an industry-leading mobile photography experience. Since partnering with Leica, Xiaomi has consistently pushed the boundaries of smartphone imaging, and the latest Xiaomi 15 Ultra is no exception.

With unmatched camera performance, the Xiaomi 15 Ultra sets a new benchmark in mobile photography. It’s pure, powerful, and a true flagship device.

Design & Build

At first glance, the Xiaomi 15 Ultra retains a strong family resemblance to its predecessors, making it instantly recognizable as the latest addition to the Xiaomi Ultra lineup. The device features an oversized camera module, which, while prominent, is seamlessly integrated into the back panel with a refined texture for a premium look and feel.

The white variant, which we tested, sports a unique “cloud pattern” texture on the back, enhancing grip while maintaining a lightweight appearance. The aluminum mid-frame is crafted from a single metal block, ensuring durability and structural integrity. Unlike some previous Xiaomi models, such as the MIX Fold 4, the 15 Ultra’s buttons are firm and well-constructed, avoiding the loose-button issue seen on other devices.

On the front, the Xiaomi 15 Ultra features a 6.73-inch 2K OLED LTPO panel, the same high-quality display found on the Xiaomi 15 Pro. With a resolution of 522 PPI, 120Hz adaptive refresh rate, 300Hz touch sampling rate, and an impressive peak brightness of 3200 nits, the screen delivers vibrant colors and exceptional clarity.

Professional Imaging Suite

Xiaomi continues to enhance its camera-focused accessories with the new Professional Imaging Kit. This package includes a protective case and an ergonomic grip with a dedicated shutter button, customizable control wheel, and independent recording button. The detachable finger rest and optimized quick-release lens ring further improve the user experience, making it easier to handle and operate in professional photography scenarios.

Camera Performance

Main Camera

At the core of Xiaomi 15 Ultra’s imaging prowess lies the Sony LYT-900 sensor, featuring a 1-inch sensor size with a 1.6μm pixel size (expanding to 3.2μm in pixel-binning mode). This advanced sensor ensures shorter exposure times and superior highlight control, delivering detailed, dynamic images even in challenging lighting conditions.

Periscope Telephoto Lens

One of the most significant upgrades in the Xiaomi 15 Ultra is its periscope telephoto lens, now equipped with a Samsung HP9 sensor, replacing the previous Sony IMX858. With a massive 200MP resolution, this sensor provides exceptional detail and clarity in daylight. In low-light conditions, multi-pixel binning technology ensures superior image quality.

The ultra-high resolution also enables lossless zoom capabilities, reaching an effective focal length of 400mm (17.2x optical zoom equivalent), making it one of the most versatile telephoto lenses in a smartphone.

Realistic Portraits

Portrait photography on the Xiaomi 15 Ultra is remarkably natural. The device captures authentic skin tones, subtle lighting details, and precise depth-of-field effects, delivering professional-grade portraits. Unlike many smartphones that produce overprocessed “sugar-coated” images, the Xiaomi 15 Ultra balances realism with aesthetics, avoiding excessive sharpening while preserving essential facial details.

Night Photography Excellence

Branded as the “Night God,” the Xiaomi 15 Ultra redefines night photography. While many smartphones focus solely on achieving sharp night shots, Xiaomi takes a different approach. Instead of relying on aggressive sharpening and contrast boosting to simulate daylight conditions, the Xiaomi 15 Ultra prioritizes natural tonal transitions and smooth light gradients. By minimizing excessive post-processing, the device maintains an organic, film-like aesthetic that enhances the artistic quality of night shots.

Performance & Gaming

Powered by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 Ultra, the Xiaomi 15 Ultra delivers flagship-level performance. In benchmark tests, it achieved an impressive score of 2,555,917, with CPU and GPU scores of 540,988 and 1,070,628, respectively.

For gaming, we tested Genshin Impact at maximum graphics settings in a 30-minute gameplay session. The Xiaomi 15 Ultra maintained an average frame rate of 58.5 FPS for the first 20 minutes. However, after the 22-minute mark, noticeable frame drops occurred, and by the 28th minute, the frame rate locked at 55 FPS due to thermal constraints.

Thermal readings peaked at 45.5°C on the front and 47.0°C on the back, making the device noticeably warm to the touch. While the Xiaomi 15 Ultra handles daily tasks with ease, its thermal limitations may impact sustained gaming performance.

Battery & Charging

The Xiaomi 15 Ultra features a 6,000mAh battery with a 10% silicon composition, a 700mAh increase from the previous generation. The device supports 90W wired charging and 80W wireless charging.

In real-world charging tests:

• 15 minutes → 32%

• 25 minutes → 50%

• 45 minutes → 90%

• 55 minutes → Fully charged

While the Xiaomi 15 Ultra adopts a conservative charging strategy to minimize heat, it still offers a solid balance between speed and efficiency.

Conclusion

Is the Xiaomi 15 Ultra a true “Ultra” device?

With its outstanding camera system, the Xiaomi 15 Ultra undoubtedly lives up to the “Ultra” moniker. If you’re looking for the best imaging performance on an Android smartphone, this is a top-tier choice.

However, it’s also a device built with a singular focus—mobile photography. To achieve its unparalleled camera capabilities, Xiaomi has made trade-offs in weight and sustained gaming performance.

Ultimately, if camera performance is your top priority in a flagship smartphone, the Xiaomi 15 Ultra is an exceptional choice.