The Xiaomi 14 Ultra was one of Best phones Since 2024, thanks to no small part of a beautiful cameras system that has taken some of the best photos I have seen from A. Camera phone. At the heart of this was his 1 -inch image sensor, which is physically larger than the sensors in almost every other phone. The result? Pictures with great looks in different conditions.
But now it's 2025 and the Xiaomi 15 Ultra is here to try and tempt more photographers than Apple clutches.
The phone had different updates, including the powerful Snapdragon 8 elite processor And a number of new AI skills – because obviously all phones should have built -in AI regarding whether you like it or not. And until the camera has seen a lot of updates, there are several changes to interest the photographers.
Ultra Global version of Xiaomi 15 was posted on Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. For sale in the UK and wider Europe later this month for £ 1,299 with 512 GB of storage or £ 1TB if you want 1TB. As with other Xiaomi phones, the 15 ultra will not be available for purchase in the United States, but to call that the UK price is turning into $ 1,630 or $ 2,630.
Here are the most important things you need to know about the Xiaomi 15 Ultra.
The Xiaomi 15 Ultra comes with four generations of operating system updates, along with six years of security support.
The camera has not changed much but still good
I was worshiped by the massive image sensor within the main camera of 14 ultra, so I suppose I should be pleased that 15 ultra was retained. But I'm a little disappointed that it's virtually the same model-Sony LYT-900. Of course, it's a great sensor, not so old, but I hoped to see Xiaomi Winning formula Since last year and do it even better.
Maybe the lenses are better? On paper, I would actually argue that there was degradation. 14 Ultra had a rare variable grid, which passed from widely open to F/1.6 and can be closed to f/4. It allowed the attractive effects of the Starwar when shooting spots of light in the dark. 15 Ultra got rid of this and instead has a fixed opening F/1.6 – Xiaomi says it can achieve the same effects “by optimizing software and algorithm updates”. Sigh.
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While you can adjust the depth of the field (the amount of blurring of the background behind your subject) in the portrait mode, I found a few things in order. First, the blurring image does not save when you take it, so it looks the same no matter what fake opening you set up. This is probably just early software problems and I'm sure they will be fixed. But the lack of a real adjustable grid also means you don't get the beautiful starvers of the street lights at night.
Here's the 15 -ultra camera application.
They stars are probably a niche work to be excited about, but they really transformed the look of night photos and the effect was one of my favorite things for shooting with 14 ultra. To see this kind of innovation ejected in favor of the “solution” software based is frustrating. Is also exactly what I complained so much for last yearBy being the only area where companies are now innovating. Ironically, in that article, I applauded Xiaomi for 14 ultra, but I wouldn't be able to do it with this new model.
It is also strange to see that the ultravid camera rack is reduced from f/1.8 to f/2.2. The only real upgrade to the cameras I can see is that the zoom -in resolution is greater for better -looking shots.
However, however, it is a powerful installation of the camera and I made a few shots in my test that I like. As with the 14 ultra, the camera is authorized by Leica, and there are some color-approved color styles, of which favorites remain black and white with high contrast. Great for street street photography.
You can see a selection of my test pictures here, but also Check my longer gallery with examples If you want to see more of this camera in action.
Vivid colors and excellent exposure and details of this external footage taken on the main camera.
I loved to use the black -and -white leiska regime with high contrast for street photography in Edinburgh.
Taken into the cruel and changed in Lightroom, the ability of the camera to catch beautiful light and shade resulted in a beautiful pick on my stunning ball of a wonderful fur miracle.
This night night shot from the main camera looks gorgeous, though I would like even more with a subtle starvet burst in the street light.
Using the zooming lenses of the phone, I managed to fill the frame with the inconvenience of this street artist by forcing two foreigners to hold their hands for a longer period.
And here, the zoom has captured a beautiful natural book about this couple.
The photography kit is a great addition
Yes, you can buy the 15 ultra with the same photography kit offered with last year's model. Includes a case, powered with a roller button and a fastening ring that allows you to use regular 67mm photography filters. The intake is wonderful. Click in neatly, adds an extra life to the phone battery and the shutter button and the settings wheel allow you to record just as you used a compact camera. It is much more convenient than to take pictures without it.
It is also updated, with a new attachment to the thumb to make it a little easier to stick. There is also a soft touch, a shutter release button, which is larger and easier to quickly find and hit the original button in which it sticks. If you are interested in using your phone for street or road photography, the photography kit is worth getting.
Ultra Xiaomi 15 carries its photographer selection kit.
The CPU is a plant
The elite chip Snapdragon 8 found within the Xiaomi 15 Ultra has already impressed us on phones such as OnePlus 13 And its power is noticeable here. Put significant results on our benchmark tests, while the daily operation is fast and without lagging.
It is also great for gamers, too, looking for titles like Genshin Impact to play smoothly in Max settings and 60 frames per second. 8 The elite chip of Qualcomm is not just designed for crude power, it is built for better processing of you. What brings me neatly to…
There are a bunch of new Ai skills
Google Bemini and Bemini Advanced are embedded as standard, including live talking twins and search circle. But Xiaomi threw some of its features. There is a general text tool for creating a text block based on your instructions, along with a useful tool that creates text transcriptions from speech records – great for a busy technology journalist.
There are also different AI tools focused on image expansion using generative AI, removing things on stage or simply tightening the image. The AI tools are all working as well as hoping, but it is worth keeping in mind that they are all looking for an internet connection to use – including the transcript tool for some reason.
Ultra Xiaomi 15 runs on Android 15.
An acceptable software support period
The 15 Ultra launches Android 15 on the ship, and Xiaomi promises to get four generations of Android updates, along with six years of security support. That's less than what both Samsung and Google provide for their leaders (seven years of software and security support) and I would certainly like to see the Xiaomi match, or even beat their rivals here, especially given the high price of the phone.
However, a shelf life of six years is decent enough (a Third of people keep their phones Three years or longer) and responds to what OnePlus offers for its recent OnePlus 13 flagship.
The rest of the phone is also solid
The battery life is good, but not remarkable. On our test that requires video streaming, it was held better than OnePlus 13, but did not do just like Galaxy S25 Ultra. You can safely expect a day of use, but like with all phones, you will probably want to give it a full overnight charge. The 6.7 -inch screen is bright, vibrant and needle sharp. The videos look great, like colorful mobile games.
The phone is an IP68 rated to help keep it safe from spilled drinks. All in all, it's a phone that marks every box that you would expect from one of today's leaders. I just wish I saw more innovation in the cameras for this year's model. However, there is no doubt that top -notch images are still needed to rival any of today's leaders. If you are looking for an Android high -performance phone to use it as the main camera of your trips, it is certainly worth considering.