I like using Xiaomi's Ultra models, and I called the Xiaomi 14 Ultra my favorite phone of 2024. That may have been a bit premature considering I liked the Find X7 Ultra and Vivo X100 Ultra a bit better, but it doesn't take away from the fact that the 14 Ultra continues to be a standout phone.
Xiaomi isn't changing things too much with the 15 Ultra, which is a good thing. The phone retains a massive 1-inch main camera, and you get a new 200MP tele lens that's outstanding (it uses the same Samsung HP9 imaging sensor as the Vivo X200 Pro). There's a bigger battery that lasts over a day, all the high-res audio codecs you need, and all the extras you'd want in a 2025 flagship.
I used the Xiaomi 15 Ultra for a month, and that's a rarity in itself — I test most phones for a week or two before writing the review, so I was able to really get a feel for the device this time around. My key takeaway is that the phone has one of the best camera packages of 2025; it does a better job than its predecessor, and the introduction of the 200MP lens at the back means you get cleaner shots at 4x and much better portrait imagery.
That said, some of the issues that plagued the Xiaomi 14 Ultra are present on the 15 Ultra as well. As good as the cameras are on the phone, they can be inconsistent, particularly when shooting HDR images. Xiaomi addressed this to an extent by rolling out software updates on the 14 Ultra, and it will likely do the same with the 15 Ultra — I'll share an update once that goes live.
Outside of that and the occasional overheating, I don't have any problems with the Xiaomi 15 Ultra, and while I'm waiting to see what OPPO and Vivo do with their Ultra models, the phone sets a high bar for mobile imaging in 2025.
