Xiaomi 15 Ultra is here with a HUGE camera bump

Xiaomi has officially launched the Xiaomi 15 Ultra, a smartphone designed to elevate mobile photography with its impressive camera capabilities and bold design. The device features a striking camera bump that harkens back to traditional 35mm film cameras.

The Xiaomi 15 Ultra is powered by a Snapdragon 8 Elite SoC, with options for 12GB or 16GB of RAM. It sports a 6.73-inch AMOLED display offering a resolution of 3200 x 1440 and a refresh rate of up to 120Hz.

The camera setup on the Xiaomi 15 Ultra consists of four lenses: a main wide-angle, an ultra-wide, and a telephoto unit, each featuring a 50MP sensor. The standout feature, however, is the 200MP periscope telephoto lens, which enhances low-light performance and captures higher-resolution images.

This device reflects Xiaomi’s homage to film cameras, characterized by its silver stripe and a design that brings a unique touch to the camera array, made up of a black faux leather bottom and a top silver portion. Branding on the camera includes “Ultra” in the corner, lending a Leica aesthetic.

The Xiaomi 15 Ultra houses a 6,000mAh battery, complemented by 90W wired charging and 80W wireless charging capabilities. It runs on Android 15 with Xiaomi’s HyperOS 2.0 interface.

In terms of specifications, the Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset delivers up to 45% better performance and reduces power consumption by 52%. The battery features 10% silicon carbide content and has increased its capacity by 17% compared to its predecessor. Global variants of the phone are expected to have a battery capacity of 5,410mAh.

The display also boasts impressive brightness of up to 3,200 nits. The frame of the smartphone is crafted from CNC aluminum, while the glass is Xiaomi’s Shield Glass 2.0, which claims 16 times improved drop resistance. The Xiaomi 15 Ultra is available in Black, White, and a special Silver Chrome Edition with aerospace-grade glass fiber and PU leather.

The camera system retains a Leica-tuned quad camera setup, with modifications to the main, mid-zoom, and ultra-wide camera specifications. The main camera features a fixed f/1.63 aperture instead of a variable aperture, and the mid-zoom camera’s lens focal length has changed from 75mm to 70mm, while the ultrawide camera’s lens has slightly increased in length. The newly introduced 100mm zoom camera employs the 200MP Samsung HP9 sensor, resulting in 136% better light capture compared to the previous model’s setup.

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All four rear cameras support 8K video recording at 30 frames per second (fps), while all cameras, including the 32MP selfie camera, can record in 4K up to 60fps. The main and 100mm telephoto cameras also provide 4K recording at up to 120fps.

HyperOS 2.0 features an updated lock screen, home screen, and system applications, along with enhanced performance through HyperCore technology focusing on graphics, networking, and privacy. HyperAI includes tools for writing assistance, summarizing texts, and translating content.

Xiaomi commits to providing four generations of Android system updates and six years of security updates for the Xiaomi 15 series. The Xiaomi 15 Ultra is priced at CNY 6,499 (€854, £700, INR 78,000, $895) for the 12GB/256GB variant, CNY 6,999 (€920, £760, INR 84,000, $960) for the 16GB/512GB model, and CNY 7,799 (€1,025, £850, INR 93,600, $1,070) for the 16GB/1TB version. A Professional imaging kit accessory is available for CNY 999 (€130, £110, INR 12,000, $140).

The device is set to expand to global markets on March 2.

Featured image credit: Xiaomi