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Verdict on the Xiaomi 15: Solid flagship with top hardware

The Xiaomi 15 is currently only available via import and starts at around $800 (Image source: Notebookcheck)
The Xiaomi 15 is currently only available via import and starts at around $800 (Image source: Notebookcheck)
With the Xiaomi 15, Xiaomi is steadfastly sticking to its policy of offering small flagship smartphones. The 6.36-inch device is extremely fast with Snapdragon 8 Elite, impresses with very long battery life and the 120 Hz display delivers over 3,500 nits. However, there are small compromises with the triple camera.

Form factors of 6.7 inches and larger are common among flagship smartphones. The Xiaomi 15 bucks this trend, because at 6.36 inches it can be considered small by today's standards. But this does not necessarily equate to compromises on performance and features, as it is one of the top flagship contenders and is also characterized by an enormous battery life.

New Snapdragon 8 Elite performance leader

The Xiaomi 15 is the first flagship smartphone to utilize the Snapdragon 8 Elite, Qualcomm's new high-end SoC. The eight-core processor, manufactured with a 3 nanometer structure width, helps the device achieve raw performance that not only clearly surpasses its predecessor, but also leaves the preceding Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 in the dust. For example, the Xiaomi 15 achieves an impressive 2,677,100 points in AnTuTu v10.

In our tests, the Xiaomi 15 also stands out with its bright LTPO OLED panel. In HDR mode, it scores well over 3,500 cd/m² and is thus even brighter than the already very bright display of the Xiaomi 14. 

Outstanding battery life thanks to silicon-carbon anode

Another advantage over the predecessor, which is practically the same size, is the much larger battery, which has grown from 4,610 to 5,400 mAh. This has been made possible by a silicon-carbon anode, which allows for smaller batteries with higher energy density. Accordingly, the Xiaomi 15 achieves excellent battery runtimes and lasted almost 23 hours in our simulated web surfing test, 4+ hours more than the Xiaomi 14.

The Xiaomi 15 has regressed in only one area: the telephoto zoom of the triple camera has been reduced to 2.6x optical magnification (Xiaomi 14: 3.2x), which robs the Leica camera system of some of its flexibility. The limitations of our China test model, namely no eSIM support and the 12-month warranty, are expected to be eliminated in the global model planned for the first quarter of 2025.

Read the full review of the Xiaomi 15 here.

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> Expert Reviews and News on Laptops, Smartphones and Tech Innovations > News > News Archive > Newsarchive 2024 12 > Verdict on the Xiaomi 15: Solid flagship with top hardware
Manuel Masiero, 2024-12-15 (Update: 2024-12-15)