The Xiaomi 14 Ultra was one of the best phones of 2024, thanks in no small part to an awesome camera system that took some of the best photos I’ve ever seen from a camera phone. At the heart of this was its 1-inch type image sensor ,which is physically larger than the sensors found in almost any other phone. The result? Great-looking images in a variety of conditions.
But it’s 2025 now and the Xiaomi 15 Ultra is here to try and tempt more photographers away from Apple’s clutches.
The phone has had a variety of updates, including the powerful Snapdragon 8 Elite processor and a host of new AI skills — because apparently all phones need to have AI built in whether you like it or not. And while the camera hasn’t seen many updates, there are a few tweaks to keep photographers interested.
The Xiaomi 15 Ultra global version was announced at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. It goes on sale in the UK and wider Europe later this month for £1,299 with 512GB of storage or £1,499 if you want 1TB. As with other Xiaomi phones, the 15 Ultra will not be available to buy in the US but for reference that base UK price converts to $1,630 or AU$2,630.
Here are the most important things to know about the Xiaomi 15 Ultra.
The Xiaomi 15 Ultra comes with four generations of OS updates along with six years of security support.
The camera hasn’t changed much, but it’s still good
I was bowled over by the massive image sensor inside the 14 Ultra’s main camera, so I suppose I should be pleased that the 15 Ultra has kept it. But I am a bit disappointed that it’s literally the same model — the Sony LYT-900. Sure, it’s a great sensor and not that old, but I had hoped to see Xiaomi take its winning formula from last year and make it even better.
Here’s the 15 Ultra’s camera app.
Those starbursts are probably a niche thing to be excited about, but they truly transformed the look of night photos and the effect was one of my favorite things about shooting with the 14 Ultra. To see this kind of innovation chucked out in favor of a software-based “solution” is frustrating. It’s also exactly what I complained so much about last year, with AI being the only area where companies are innovating now. Ironically, in that article, I applauded Xiaomi for the 14 Ultra, but I won’t be able to with this new model.
It’s also odd to see that the ultrawide camera’s aperture has been dropped from f/1.8 to f/2.2. The only actual upgrade to the cameras I can see is that the telephoto zoom resolution is higher for better-looking zoomed-in shots.
It’s still a powerful camera setup though and I’ve taken some shots in my testing that I like. As with the 14 Ultra, the camera is certified by Leica, and there are some Leica-approved color styles to choose from, my favorite of which remains the high contrast black and white mode. It’s great for punchy monochrome street photography.
You can see a selection of my test images here, but also check out my longer gallery of examples if you’re keen to see more of this camera in action.
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