Today I am going to review Xiaomi’s camera king smartphone Xiaomi 15. The hype for the OnePlus 13s is at its peak, but when a compact powerhouse like the Xiaomi 15 is already in the market, why wait? I am not saying that the Xiaomi 15 is better than the OnePlus 13s – for that I would have to test OnePlus thoroughly, and I haven’t done it yet.
Or maybe? The point is that the Xiaomi 15 is an awesome compact flagship that a lot of people are forgetting. We used this phone daily for 2 months – several team members did, and this is its long-term review. Should I buy Xiaomi 15 or wait for OnePlus 13s? Let’s start!
Xiaomi 15 Review:
Design: Premium and Durable
This phone looks really premium! The combo of glass back and aluminium frame makes it solid and classy. Even after using it for 2 months, this phone feels like new. Initially, we used it without a case, but it is a bit slippery – it fell once, but there is no scratch on the frame or body. There is a small dent on the camera module, which is hardly visible. Good news? A silicone case with a matte texture is available in the box – with a rubbery grip, which feels good in the hand. There is a little smudging from oily hands, but the case is so good that there is no need to buy anything separately.
Compact size (6.36-inch) is its greatest strength – fits perfectly in the hand. IP68 rating and Xiaomi Shield 2.0 Z glass keep it safe from water and dust. No problems even after 2 months – this phone is durable! There is also a USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C port, which provides fast data transfer – I have heard that OnePlus 13s will have USB 2.0 only, so note that.
Display: Small but great
The 6.36-inch AMOLED panel is absolutely great – 120Hz LTPO, 12-bit colours, and Dolby Vision support. Watching HDR content on Netflix and YouTube is a pleasure – colours are vibrant, contrast is deep. The 3200 nits peak brightness is for HDR, which is absolutely clear for indoor use. The original ProColor mode keeps colours accurate. But outdoors, when the sun is strong, the ~1000 nits HBM mode falls short – visibility struggles a bit. Still, the display is top-notch for this price.
The sound from the stereo speakers is rich and clean, with Dolby Atmos. The loudness is good for its small size, but it would have been fun if it had a little more punch. For audio lovers, there are LHDC and LDAC Bluetooth codecs. The ultrasonic fingerprint scanner is extremely fast, and the haptics in the system UI are quite tight and satisfying.
Performance: Compact But Powerful
Compact flagships often face a performance compromise, but the Xiaomi 15 manages to beat it. With the Snapdragon 8 Elite chip, it also outperforms the Galaxy S25 and Pixel 9 Pro. Its scores in benchmarks are top-tier – it got the best loop score in the 3D Mark Wild Life test. CPU stability is also good, throttling is less. In gaming, like Genshin Impact, we got an average of 60fps on high settings, but the temps went up to 45-48°C. It does get a little warm in real-life use too – use the camera or Instagram for 30-40 minutes and you can feel it. But it’s not so much that you lose your hands – the trade-off is worth it for performance.
With 12GB LPDDR5X RAM and UFS 4.0 storage, apps open quickly and multitasking is smooth. Performance is absolutely flagship-level at this price point.
Battery: So much backup in a small phone?
The 5240mAh battery is quite impressive for a phone of this size. In daily use, one gets 6-6.5 hours of screen-on time comfortably, be it gaming or social media. 90W wired charging gives full charge in 30-35 minutes, and 50W wireless charging (separate adapter required) is also available. 10W reverse wireless charging is also available – can charge TWS or other phones. Battery tuning is so good that despite the compact size there is no shortage.
Camera: Leica Camera
Camera setup is absolutely solid in this – 50MP main (Light Hunter 900 sensor), 50MP 2.6x telephoto, 50MP ultra-wide, and 32MP selfie camera. Main and telephoto lenses give sharp photos both during day and night – details crisp, colors vibrant. The output of the Leica Vibrant and Leica Authentic modes is unique, but skin tones look a little off – not neutral. The HDR tuning keeps shadows dark, which looks great in landscape shots, but faces sometimes get dark. Portrait mode has 23mm, 35mm, 50mm, and 75mm focal lengths – Master Portrait mode’s output is brighter and better tuned. Semantic segmentation and bokeh are absolutely natural.
The ultra-wide camera is good during the day, but HDR is a little weak in low-light. The selfie camera is great during the day, but struggles a bit at night. In video recording, 4K 60fps is possible with all lenses, and the main camera can also make Dolby Vision videos. The video quality is quite clean, but skin tones and HDR need some improvement. Leica’s touch gives it a different vibe, which photography lovers will like.
Software: Smooth but a little old-school
HyperOS 2.0 (Android 15) – The animations are fast and fluid. You will get 4 years of OS updates and 6 years of security updates, which is perfect for the long-term. There is no bloatware, which is a big thing for a flagship. There are a lot of customization options – lock screen, home screen, everything can be set according to your needs. But the UI design seems a bit dated – a little lacking compared to a modern OS of 2025. AI features include AI Writing, AI Speech Recognition, AI Interpreter, AI Enhance, AI Image Expansion, and AI Sky Editor – all of these are useful. There is also Google Gemini support, and the Circle to Search feature is also quite useful.
Specifications
| Features | Description |
|---|---|
| Processor | Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite |
| RAM | 12GB LPDDR5X |
| Storage | 256GB / 512GB UFS 4.0 |
| Display | 6.36-inch AMOLED, 1.5K, 120Hz LTPO, 3200 nits |
| Camera | 50MP Main + 50MP Telephoto (2.6x) + 50MP Ultra-wide, 32MP Selfie |
| Battery | 5240mAh, 90W Wired, 50W Wireless, 10W Reverse Wireless |
| Operating System | HyperOS 2.0 (Android 15) |
| Build | Glass Back, Aluminium Frame, 189g, IP68 |
| Connectivity | 5G, Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.4, USB 3.2 Gen 2, NFC |
Pros and Cons
Pros:
- Premium design and IP68 rating in a compact size.
- 6.36-inch AMOLED display – Dolby Vision and vibrant colors.
- Top-tier performance with Snapdragon 8 Elite.
- 5240mAh battery and 90W charging – so much backup in a compact!
- Leica-tuned triple camera – Amazing for portraits and videos.
Cons:
- Outdoor brightness (~1000 nits) a little low.
- Camera needs improvement in skin tones and HDR tuning.
- HyperOS UI design a little dated.
- Gaming feels a little heating.
Conclusion
Xiaomi 15 is a compact flagship that can give tough competition to any big phone. For ₹55,000-60,000, it offers premium build, solid performance, good battery, and Leica cameras. If you want a small phone that is strong in every department, then this is definitely a good fit. But there is a slight lack in skin tones and outdoor brightness. Whether to wait for OnePlus 13s or not, you have to decide, but Xiaomi 15 is a very solid option in the market right now. Let me know in the comments – will you buy this phone or wait for OnePlus 13s?
