The Xiaomi 14 continues to be a great all-round device if you want powerful hardware in a smaller chassis, and the Xiaomi 14 Ultra has one of the best camera packages of 2024. Xiaomi is building on that momentum with the introduction of the Xiaomi 15 and 15 Pro; both models are now live in China, and will be making their way to global markets shortly.
Chinese manufacturers have gotten into the habit of releasing their next-gen flagships before the end of the year in China, with a global launch usually slated for Q1 the following year. Xiaomi isn't looking to wait that long, and has stated that it will release the Xiaomi 15 globally before the end of the year, so that should be welcome news if you're looking to upgrade.
Xiaomi 15: Design
Xiaomi used to be known for its ever-changing designs, with every new device featuring an entirely new aesthetic that had to little to no resemblance to its predecessor. Thankfully, the brand is now building a cohesive design that translates across generations, and that means the Xiaomi 15 has a lot of similarities to the Xiaomi 14 — and even the Xiaomi 13.
The phone has the same flat sides, but the beveled finish should make it comfortable to hold and use. Just like last year, the device is on the smaller end of the scale, and you get 50:50 weight distribution. Xiaomi is using a glass back with a sandblasted finish to give the device a velvet-like texture, and it is available in four colors. While the overall size is the same, the Xiaomi 15 has a significantly bigger 5400mAh battery while maintaining the same weight as the Xiaomi 14, and that's great to see.
The Xiaomi 15 Pro uses the same design but has a bigger OLED panel, and the device gets enticing camera upgrades. The Pro model was limited to China last year, and it remains to be seen if Xiaomi will do something similar this time around.
What I like is that the 15 Pro comes with an absolutely massive 6100mAh battery, and that should deliver sizeable gains in daily use.
Xiaomi 15: Specs
Xiaomi has the distinction of being on stage at Qualcomm's annual summit to announce its latest phones, and that was no different with the Xiaomi 15. Both models are powered by the latest Snapdragon 8 Elite platform, and they should deliver massive gains across the board.
Although Xiaomi didn't change the screen sizes this time, the OLED panels go up to 3200 nits, and they use a custom glass solution to safeguard the panels instead of Corning's Gorilla Glass.
Xiaomi didn't change the cameras on the Xiaomi 15, and the device gets the same trio of 50MP modules at the back as last year. The Xiaomi 15 Pro gets the 50MP telephoto from the 14 Ultra, but other than that, it also uses the same camera modules elsewhere. This is a good thing, as the Xiaomi 14 nailed the cameras, and I'm interested in seeing what Xiaomi did with the tuning to deliver better shots.
Both devices get IP68 dust and water resistance, the latest connectivity features, 12GB of RAM as standard with 256GB of storage on the base models, and huge batteries.
Xiaomi 15: Availability
Xiaomi has indicated that it will release the Xiaomi 15 globally before the end of the year, so we don't have to wait too long to know more about when these devices might become available.
The change in strategy effectively allows the brand to position the Xiaomi 15 against the Galaxy S25 and other 2025 releases. I'll update this post once additional details become available, but if you're using a Xiaomi phone and are considering an upgrade, you shouldn't have to wait until 2025.
