After Qualcomm unveiled the Snapdragon 8 Elite, several companies lined up to launch flagships based on the new chipset. Xiaomi did that, or rather, it unveiled two-thirds of its new flagship series – the vanilla and Pro models, while the expected Ultra model should arrive a few months later.
The common features between the two Xiaomi models are of course the new chipset and the much larger battery capacity compared to the 14 series, thanks to Silicon-Carbon technology.
Xiaomi 15 and 15 Pro at a glance
The Xiaomi 15 Pro also shows off a new 120mm periscope (5x) for its 50MP telephoto camera, up from 75mm on the previous generation. The battery has a capacity of 6,100 mAh, 220 mAh larger than the previous model. Wired charging slowed down slightly to 90W (from 120W), but it shouldn’t make that much of a difference. Wireless charging remains at 50W.
A few more things to mention: Xiaomi uses internally reinforced glass for the screen and the two new phones now support video recording in 8K @ 30 fps (the previous generation could only do this at 24 fps). Additionally, both phones ditched the optical fingerprint reader in favor of an ultrasonic one.
The vanilla Xiaomi-15 also got a bigger battery – 5,400 mAh (an impressive 790 mAh added to the capacity of its predecessor). That’s an impressive amount of energy to put into a phone with a 6.36-inch screen. With its slim bezels, this is one of the smaller Android flagships out there, comparable to the Pixel 9 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro. The vanilla model missed out on the telephoto camera upgrade and only has a 60mm lens.
There are multiple versions available, but the standard Xiaomi 15 (12/256GB) costs CNY 4,500 ($630), while the Xiaomi 15 Pro (12/256GB) costs CNY 5,300 ($745). These two will almost certainly be available worldwide, we just don’t know when or how much they will cost.
Xiaomi 15 • Xiaomi 15 Pro
The Xiaomis will compete with other Snapdragon 8 Elite-based flagships, as well as those who opted for the Dimensity 9400.
Such as the vivo X200 Pro and Pro mini. The X200 Pro has a shorter lens (85mm) but a higher resolution of 200 MP in the telephoto camera, allowing for smooth zooming. The main camera is comparable to a 50MP 1/1.28” sensor. It also has a 6000mAh battery with 90W/30W charging power.
Slightly smaller than the Xiaomi 15, the vivo The battery is 300mAh larger at 5,600mAh and supports 90W/30W charging.
The vivo X200 Pro (12/256GB) matches its Xiaomi rival at CNY 5,300 ($745), while the vivo
vivo X200 Pro • vivo X200 Pro mini
The Oppo Find X8 and X8 Pro also opted for the Dimensity 9400. The Oppo Find It has a 5,910mAh battery with 80W/50W charging power.
The Oppo Find It has a triple 50MP camera (losing the 135mm telescope but keeping the 73mm telescope). The battery has a capacity of 5,630 mAh and supports 80W/50W charging.
The Oppo Find X8 Pro (12/256GB) starts at the same CNY 5,300 ($745) as the others, while the Oppo Find
Oppo Find X8 Pro • Oppo Find X8
We also expect the OnePlus 13, Realme GT7 Pro and iQOO 13 to be unveiled soon, all with the Snapdragon 8 Elite.
OnePlus 13 • Realme GT7 Pro • vivo iQOO 13
What do you think of the Xiaomi 15 Pro – your next phone or maybe you want to wait until the Xiaomi 15 Ultra is unveiled? Or do you skip the Xiaomis altogether?
What about the Xiaomi 15? It’s not small, but it’s small by Android flagship standards. Also, at least on paper, it has better cameras, bigger batteries and faster charging than you get with a Galaxy S24 (and the latter two if you go for a Pixel 9 Pro instead).