The Xiaomi 15 is the camera phone Samsung wishes it made

The Xiaomi 15 has been officially launched worldwide as of yesterday, 2 March. The announcement at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona follows an October 2024 announcement and release in China, so now the world can see if the successor to the Xiaomi 14 (which impressed me massively) can not only outdo its predecessor but also become a mainstream rival to the Samsung Galaxy S25 and the iPhone 16.

And I've been sent one for testing already.

While Samsung and Apple's offerings (and the Google Pixel 9 Pro) enjoy the benefits of mass-market brand awareness, Xiaomi has had to play the long game in its efforts to gain ground outside China, but instead of just offering decent products much, much cheaper, their flagship phone has had industry-leading camera specs for the last couple of generations, along with performance that outdoes its more famous rivals, while coming in at a good 15-20% cheaper. And that looks to continue with the 15, which aims for a place on our list of the best camera phones around.

The Xiaomi 15 (which will have a larger-screen 15 Ultra variant available too) looks similar to the iPhone 16 in many ways, with rounded corners, a sturdy aluminium frame and a bright 6.36-inch screen, but promises better performance and much better camera than Apple's flagship (and indeed even Samsung's too).

Continuing its collaboration with prestige camera maker Leica, the camera array here constitutes, to quote the public-relations wordsmiths at Xiaomi: "the industry-leading 23mm Leica 1-inch main camera, equipped with a 50MP Sony LYT-900 image sensor for exceptional clarity and detail. Paired with a Leica Summilux optical lens, it features a large ƒ/1.63 aperture, variable focal lengths of 23mm, 28mm, and 35mm, and an impressive 14EV high dynamic range. Together, these elements ensure stunning performance in low-light and night-time scenarios, capturing vivid and true-to-life images.

It continues:

"For portrait and street photography, a 70mm Leica floating telephoto camera operates at the golden focal length, delivering natural and flattering shots. Its large sensor also excels in macro photography, allowing users to capture intricate details from as close as 10cm. An industry-leading 100mm Leica 200MP ultra telephoto camera makes it easy to capture shots of distant objects with a focal length of 100mm, extendable to 200mm using in-sensor zoom technology. The 1/1.4" large sensor, combined with ƒ/2.6 aperture, captures 136% more light than Xiaomi 14 Ultra. Completing the quad camera system is the 14mm Leica ultra-wide camera, offering expansive perspectives for capturing breathtaking landscapes and group shots."

Tl,dr?

It's an impressive-sounding setup. With a pro-level 1-inch Sony sensor, there isn't a smartphone out there that will outdo the pure hardware offering on board here. Add to that variable focus lengths, a telephoto camera for portraits and an ultra-telephoto with an in-sensor zoom to capture things that are far away (or very small, as there is a super macro function here that I just can't wait to get started with), and a 14mm ultra-wide for landscapes.

The video camera offers up to 8K video capture at 30fps, or 4K at up to 120fps, while the AI-assisted editing features seem largely the same as in the 14, although I may encounter some interesting additions as I start my testing in earnest.

That head-scrambling photo above is of the back of the unit sent to me for testing and reviewing. Apparently, this is the Liquid Silver option (more traditional Black, White and Green are available) that has literal waves across its heat-bent glass back. Coming out of the box, it looks stunning, but I'll let you know how smudge-prone it will prove to be (my guess at the moment is "astronomically").

I've had a couple of hours with the phone this morning, and my initial impressions are that the performance is definitely flagship-level, and the camera is at least equal to its predecessor, with a huge variety of in-app features (such as a fully manual pro setting, manually available EV balance setting in all modes, a super macro, quick selection of the variable focal lengths, and even the in-camera filter preview that I first saw in the 14T Pro)

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In terms of other noteworthy components, the chipset is the latest Snapdragon 8 Elite Mobile one, with a reported "45% CPU performance boost and a 52% reduction in power consumption, along with a 44% GPU performance boost and a 46% power consumption decrease," a claim I'll be putting to the test this week.

Price info: Xiaomi 15 from £899, and the 15 Ultra will be from £1,299

Stay tuned for my full review of the Xiaomi 15, coming very very soon.

And if you have experience with Xiaomi or any opinions on the camera-phone space race between Samsung, Apple and Everyone Else, don't be afraid to voice them (respectfully) in the discussion section below!