Xiaomi 15 Ultra Leica camera test: King of zoom performance but fails to break into DxOMark's top 10
Xiaomi typically has a rather tough time at DxOMark. No Xiaomi smartphone has made it into DxOMark’s top ten by camera score so far, and the Xiaomi 15 Ultra is no exception. Nonetheless, the phone managed to achieve two to three decent results in the camera test performed by the French company. Despite being ranked much lower than the Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max, the Google Pixel 9 Pro and the current top dog Huawei Pura 70 Ultra at 13th place, the new Xiaomi flagship with a Leica camera system was at least able to secure first place in both zoom and texture performance.
Triumph foiled by detail-related issues
According to DxOMark, the Xiaomi 15 Ultra offers a high level of detail across all focal lengths, a high dynamic range in photos and videos, and great performance in texture and noise levels. Unfortunately, DxOMark’s analysis revealed that Xiaomi faltered in a few other disciplines. For instance, the testers criticised the lack of consistency, noting that photos captured successively don’t always produce the same results. Another complaint relates to the presence of various artefacts, such as ghosting and flares, despite Xiaomi highlighting Leica Ultrapure Optics in its marketing. Video stabilisation is apparently also not as good as on some competitors.
Telephoto zoom comparison with competitors
The comprehensive review features many sample photos and videos to help you compare the phone with other devices. In a separate social media post by DxOMark, you can also find several side-by-side telephoto zoom comparisons that favour the Xiaomi Ultra 15. Incidentally, some commentators don’t agree with the scores awarded by DxOMark, and its reviews are definitely often criticised. Whether these criticisms are justified or not is anyone’s guess.
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