Xiaomi 15 Ultra

Source

極客灣 (Geekerwan)

Key Takeaways

• The monstrous camera bump packs giant sensors, creating terrible top-heavy balance that constantly levers out of the palm.
• Suffers unexplained background battery drain; losing 12% to 15% overnight during sleep with a lukewarm chassis.
• Outdoor summer video recording causes aggressive thermal throttling, locking screen brightness down to an unreadable 300 nits.
• Vegan leather corners show fraying, peeling, and dark discoloration after three months of friction against pants pockets.

✅ Pros

• One-inch main sensor with Leica tuning captures stunning night scenes
• 200MP periscope zoom resolves incredible distant text
• 90W fast charging refills the large cell in 35 minutes

❌ Cons

• Exhaustingly unbalanced top-heavy ergonomics
• Unresolved background standby battery drain
• Severe outdoor camera thermal display dimming
• Vegan leather corners fray and discolor quickly

📝 Verdict

"Xiaomi 15 Ultra is a world-class camera strapped to a deeply flawed, top-heavy, battery-draining phone."

Source

• Video: Xiaomi 15 Ultra full review
• Channel: GSMArena Official | Type: Full review | Based on: YouTube transcript

Key points

• The biggest change is the new 4.3x, 200MP periscope telephoto, along with a new flagship chip, a larger battery and an ultrasonic fingerprint sensor.
• Two-tone back (vegan leather + matte), aluminum frame and IP68, with solid build quality; the separately sold camera grip kit has a new thumb rest and a 2,000mAh battery.
• The 6.73-inch 1440p LTPO OLED switches to second-generation Xiaomi Dragon Crystal Glass, is brighter and supports HDR10+/Dolby Vision; the stereo speakers are loud and sound good.
• The ultrasonic fingerprint sensor is more responsive, except with a glass screen protector; the IR blaster remains.
• 4K video quality is consistent, and telephoto video is good too.

✅ Pros

• Excellent battery life
• Strong overall camera performance; the new telephoto is practical
• Bright screen, good speakers

❌ Cons

• Video sharpness trails some rivals
• Selfie quality below its class
• Camera grip sold separately

📝 Verdict

Recommended: as long as you can accept the minor video and selfie shortcomings, it's a well-rounded camera flagship.

Source

• Video: Xiaomi 15 Ultra FULL REVIEW - The New Camera King!? 👑
• Channel: The Tech Chap | Type: Full review | Based on: YouTube transcript

Key points

• A 1-inch main camera + 200MP telephoto, Snapdragon 8 Elite and a larger battery; the reviewer's 14 Ultra last year had overheating and battery life issues, and he wanted to see whether this generation improves.
• No charger in the box; like the 14 Ultra, the periscope camera makes a "clicking" sound when shaken.
• The main camera drops the variable aperture, and Xiaomi says it achieves a similar effect with software algorithms.
• About 0.15mm thicker and 10g heavier than the previous model; the design lacks freshness, and the reviewer misses the vegan leather feel of the previous two generations.
• The AI features are nothing special, but the overall system is fast and smooth.

✅ Pros

• Faster chip, less heat
• Greatly improved battery life
• Clear camera upgrades

❌ Cons

• Photos occasionally blurry and inconsistent
• Design lacks freshness
• Variable aperture removed

📝 Verdict

A big step forward overall: faster, cooler, longer-lasting and with better cameras; he only wishes photo results were a bit more consistent.

Source

• Video: The Beast Is Back! | Xiaomi 15 Ultra Review
• Channel: Tech Spurt | Type: Full review (one week as daily driver) | Based on: YouTube transcript

Key points

• For the past week his SIM card has been in the 15 Ultra as his daily driver; the expected UK price is about £1,249.
• At 226g it's even heavier than the S25 Ultra, but the huge camera bump actually serves as a finger rest when holding it one-handed.
• Xiaomi Dragon Crystal Glass 2.0 survived a few small drops unscathed, and a screen protector comes pre-applied; the screen curves only slightly on all four edges, so it's practically flat.
• The two-tone back resists fingerprints, and the soft-touch surface improves grip; colors are limited to black, white and silver.
• HyperOS has some minor quirks, which come down to personal taste.

✅ Pros

• Excellent performance
• Good battery life
• Top-tier camera technology
• Back panel resists smudges and is easy to grip

❌ Cons

• Big and heavy
• Very high price
• Few color options
• HyperOS has occasional minor issues

📝 Verdict

An outstanding flagship, but the reviewer notes that the OnePlus 13 offers similar performance, battery life and cameras for a few hundred pounds less.