I am a fan of Xiaomi’s new 15 and 15 Extremely flagship telephones—even when they solely carry incremental enhancements over their predecessors. The Xiaomi 15 is a cultured, compact competitor to the iPhone 16 or Pixel 9, however the Xiaomi 15 Extremely is a photographer’s dream. Each are extraordinarily well-rounded smartphones with distinctive {hardware}, and Xiaomi has polished its HyperOS software program and infused it with AI—identical to everybody else out there.
However there’s nonetheless room for enchancment. Unwelcome bloatware feels cheeky on smartphones this costly, the design of the 15 is downright boring and similar to final 12 months’s Xiaomi 14, and there’s no Qi2 help, which is unhappy as a result of we’re craving magnetic equipment for our Android telephones. Neither telephone is formally offered within the US.
Stylish and Succesful
It’s in no way uncommon for the most recent model of a telephone to be indistinguishable from the one earlier than. (Samsung and Apple, I’m taking a look at you.) However the Xiaomi 15 is similar. Even the colours are the identical; I obtained a black evaluate unit, but it surely additionally is available in white or inexperienced. That mentioned, I do just like the design. It’s a compact telephone that’s straightforward to handle one-handed, the matte end is fingerprint-resistant, and all the pieces is gently rounded, making it very snug to carry.
The 15 Extremely is a completely completely different beast, dominated by that colossal digicam on the again. It’s top-heavy, and, as I discovered with the 14 Extremely, you want a case to keep away from harm and scratches on that huge module. It typically catches whenever you slip it into your pocket, and the bump makes utilizing some wi-fi chargers difficult as a result of the telephone can’t lie flat. Fortunately, that is all justified for images followers (extra on that later).
Pleasingly, Xiaomi has jazzed up the 15 Extremely finishes, leaning into its digicam prowess and Leica partnership with a beautiful two-tone silver chrome and faux black leather-based paint job. It additionally is available in black with a purple spotlight across the digicam module. Sadly, I obtained the white mannequin, which has a refined marbled impact however is the dullest of the bunch. The 15 and 15 Extremely rating an IP68 score for water resistance and are protected by Xiaomi’s Protect Glass, although the Extremely will get the improved model 2.0.
The Xiaomi 15 has a 6.36-inch flat AMOLED display at 3670 X 1200 pixels, and the 15 Extremely jumps as much as a 6.73-inch at 3200 X 1440 pixels, with a really slight bevel on the edges. Each have a variable 1 to 120-Hz refresh price for easy scrolling and energy effectivity, can hit 3,200 nits peak brightness, and help Dolby Imaginative and prescient and HDR10+. That’s a slight brightness improve over final 12 months’s telephones, and these are top-notch, sharp, wealthy shows, nearly as good as any I’ve seen. The sound high quality from the stereo audio system is above common.
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