Xiaomi 15T Pro review: A premium camera experience for less

Greatest Costs Immediately: Xiaomi 15T Professional

Final yr’s Xiaomi 14T Professional impressed us with its flagship-level efficiency and options at an approachable mid-range worth. Now, its successor has landed, and it’s promising extra of the identical.

The 15T Professional will get a contemporary new look, a massively upgraded telephoto digicam, and it could even shoot video at 4K 120fps on the principle digicam. In fact, there’s a more moderen, quicker chip inside, together with an even bigger battery.

On paper, it’s wanting like one in all this yr’s finest higher mid-range telephones, however what’s it prefer to stay with? I stuffed it in my pocket for the final week in an try to search out out.

Design & Construct

• Glass again, aluminium body
• 210g, Corning Gorilla Glass 7i
• IP68 rated

The Xiaomi 15T Professional has adopted a boxy design with a totally flat entrance and rear, together with flat siderails. The design is a bit iPhone-like, however that’s no unhealthy factor – it seems to be and feels extraordinarily premium.

Luke Baker

It’s an enormous cellphone, and at 194g, it’s pretty weighty, too. This provides to the premium really feel, however I can think about these with smaller paws struggling to achieve the higher finish of the 6.83-inch show.

It’s accessible in three colors: Black, Grey and Mocha Gold. I’ve the latter possibility in for testing, and I’m an enormous fan of it. It manages to face out from the group with out being garish, with its distinctive bronze/brown end that covers the rear and the perimeters.

The rear has a clean, matt really feel to it, and it’s just about resistant to fingerprint smudges, which I all the time prefer to see. There’s additionally a case included within the field, of the fundamental matte black TPU selection, which helps to maintain the cellphone wanting pristine.

Luke Baker

The cameras are organized in a sq. formation within the higher left-hand nook of the cellphone, loads just like the mainline Xiaomi 15. Nevertheless, somewhat than being coated by a single glass panel, the lenses are separated by a metallic-looking bezel with rounded corners. It’s simply an aesthetic alternative, nevertheless it provides a little bit of character to the cellphone.

In relation to sturdiness, the cellphone has an IP68 score for mud and water resistance, so it’s nicely geared up to deal with the weather. The show is roofed with Corning Gorilla Glass 7i, which ought to assist to maintain scratches at bay, and there’s a primary factory-applied display protector included as nicely.

Display screen & Audio system

• 6.83-inch, 1280 x 2772, OLED, 144Hz
• 3200 nits peak brightness, DC dimming
• Stereo audio system

The Xiaomi 15T Professional has a really spectacular show, with a blistering quick 144Hz refresh fee and a peak brightness of 3200 nits. It’s an OLED panel, and as traditional, which means wealthy, vibrant colors and deep, inky blacks.

Luke Baker

The software program offers you extra customisation choices than most, with three customisable color modes in addition to the choice to show in both DCI-P3 or sRGB color gamuts. There’s additionally assist for HDR10+ and Dolby Imaginative and prescient, which makes content material from apps like Netflix and Prime Video look excellent.

Should you’re delicate to display flicker, you’re nicely coated right here, too. The panel makes use of DC dimming to cut back flicker at decrease brightness ranges, and it additionally has a number of TUV Rheinland eye care certifications, together with Low Blue Mild, Flicker Free and Circadian Pleasant.

There’s an under-display fingerprint scanner, and it really works nicely, nevertheless it’s an optical sensor, somewhat than the flowery ultrasonic sensor on the full-fat Xiaomi 15. Nonetheless, in use, I’ve few complaints. It unlocked rapidly and reliably in most situations.

Luke Baker

The cellphone has twin audio system, with one firing from the bottom subsequent to the USB-C port whereas the opposite doubles up because the cellphone’s earpiece. These audio system are extraordinarily highly effective, and so they create a good soundstage, which may also help when taking part in cellular video games.

As traditional, although, it’s the bass that’s just a little missing. There’s sufficient low-end weight to make sure that the cellphone doesn’t sound tinny, however it could’t create a correct bassy thud like another flagship telephones. 

Specs & Efficiency

• MediaTek Dimensity 9400+
• 12GB RAM
• 256GB / 512GB / 1TB storage

The Xiaomi 15T Professional is powered by the MediaTek Dimensity 9400+, a particular overclocked model of the identical chip present in flagship gadgets such because the Oppo Discover X8 Professional and Vivo X200 Professional. We already comprehend it’s a lot highly effective, however this newer variant ought to be even higher. As well as, you get 12GB of RAM on all fashions, and you’ll choose both 256GB, 512GB or 1TB of storage.

Luke Baker

In benchmarks, it’s clear that the Dimensity 9400+ lags behind the almighty Snapdragon 8 Elite, nevertheless it’s no slouch. It typically beats the Tensor G5 in Google’s Pixel 10 gadgets, for instance. 

Actually, in use, all of those telephones are so highly effective that you just’d be hard-pressed to inform the distinction between them.

I’ve been hooked on Wuthering Waves these days, which is useful, because it’s one of the difficult Android video games to run. That mentioned, it didn’t pose a lot of a problem to the Xiaomi 15T Professional. With most settings maxed out and working at 60fps, the sport was completely clean. And whereas the handset started to warmth up a bit, it by no means grew to become uncomfortable to carry.

Luke Baker

This implies the cellphone is highly effective sufficient to breeze by nearly any title on the Play Retailer, and it’s nice for issues like video enhancing, too. In fact, in relation to easy every day duties corresponding to navigating the OS and scrolling social feeds, you’re unlikely to see a lot as a stutter.

Xiaomi 15T Professional benchmarks

Cameras

• 50 Mp f/1.62 foremost digicam (1/1.31-inch sensor)
• 50 Mp f/3.0 5x telephoto
• 12 Mp, f/2.2 ultrawide
• 32 Mp, f/2.2 selfie digicam, mounted focus

The Xiaomi 15T utilises the identical glorious Mild Fusion 900 picture sensor because the Xiaomi 15 for its foremost digicam, and we already understand how good that’s. This time, it’s paired with a 50Mp 5x periscope telephoto digicam and a 12Mp ultrawide.

Luke Baker

The telephoto is the actual star of the present; it’s one of many solely 5x periscopes you’ll discover on this worth bracket, and it’s an enormous improve over the 14T Professional‘s 2x telephoto. As you’d count on, zoom photographs at 5x and above are drastically improved, and the digicam can produce usable photographs at as much as round 20x zoom earlier than the standard degrades an excessive amount of.

The telephoto doesn’t have macro capabilities, however it could nonetheless focus fairly shut up, and it seems to be glorious when doing so. The lengthy attain of the optics creates some beautiful pure compression that makes macro-style pictures appear to be they have been taken on a mirrorless digicam, not a cellphone. The digicam app could be a bit overzealous in switching you to the principle digicam when it detects a topic that’s too shut up, however switching to Professional mode treatments that.

The ultrawide is, as traditional, the weakest hyperlink. It may possibly nonetheless take respectable pictures with strong dynamic vary, however zooming in reveals an absence of element, and there’s no autofocus. This implies it’s not the best software for group pictures, nevertheless it does a good sufficient job with panorama scenes and structure.

The selfie digicam has an ample 32Mp decision, and general, I used to be happy with the outcomes from it. Xiaomi’s portrait mode is kind of dependable too, and might produce some very realistic-looking results. There’s no autofocus, so it’s a must to watch out that you just’re not too shut or far-off from the lens, however in any other case, selfie lovers are in for a superb time.

At evening, you’ll need to persist with the principle lens as a lot as potential. It has the biggest sensor, and which means the bottom noise stage and the least movement blur of the bunch. The opposite lenses are all able to good outcomes, with a gentle hand and evening mode enabled, however it is best to count on some movement blur with transferring topics.

Video recording capabilities are surprisingly nice, too. You may shoot at as much as 4K 60fps on all of the rear cameras, and even 4K 120fps on the principle digicam – that is the primary time I’ve seen that on a mid-range machine.

There’s additionally LOG recording and the flexibility to use LUTs. It’s good for content material creators attempting to match colors between a number of cameras. The one main limitation I butted up towards was that the selfie digicam maxes out at 4K 30fps.

Battery Life & Charging

• 5500mAh battery
• 90W wired charging
• 50W wi-fi charging

The Xiaomi 15T Professional sports activities a good 5500mAh battery pack. It’s larger than you’ll discover in most mainstream flagships, however not rivalling the 6000 mAh+ that we’re beginning to see from another Chinese language manufacturers. 

In our traditional PC Mark battery drain check, the Xiaomi 15T Professional survived for 16 hours and 39 minutes, a greater rating than most of its competitors. That was my expertise in the actual world, too. I managed to make this cellphone final two days on a cost with out attempting notably laborious. Nevertheless, with frequent digicam use or high-spec gaming, you possibly can count on it to fall wanting that.

Luke Baker

If you finally run out of battery, don’t count on to be ready round for lengthy, although. Simply half an hour on the charger will convey you again as much as 80% charged, and a full cost gained’t take for much longer. It even expenses quick whenever you use a wi-fi charger, supplied you’ve gotten one which’s highly effective sufficient.

Sadly, there’s no charger within the field; you’ll want to choose up a suitably highly effective wall adapter if you’d like the highest speeds. It’s an added expense that ought to be factored in, however for my part, it’s nicely value the price. Charging this quick is all the time an expensive expertise.

Software program & Apps

• Hyper OS, primarily based on Android 15
• New Astral Communication options
• Loads of HyperAI performance

The 15T Professional runs the most recent model of Xiaomi’s HyperOS software program, constructed on Android 15. Should you’ve used a current Xiaomi, Redmi or Poco cellphone, you’ll know what to anticipate. HyperOS is kind of closely stylised, and to be trustworthy, it’s not my favorite. It may be difficult to search out issues in case you’re used to different Android manufacturers.

Luke Baker

However, it’s extremely customisable, so no matter irks you in regards to the default configuration can doubtless be modified. I really like that HyperOS permits me to cram tons of apps on my homescreen, and even take away the textual content labels for a extra streamlined look.

Sadly, there’s nonetheless loads of bloat to deal with whenever you first set it up. There are all of Xiaomi’s first-party apps, which all serve a goal, however I can’t assist however assume there are extra of them than there must be. Then there’s a load of third-party junk too, together with a folder stuffed with random issues corresponding to TikTok, WPS Workplace, LinkedIn and AliExpress. You may take away all of the third-party stuff, nevertheless it’s an added problem.

Google’s staple options are all current right here, together with Circle to Search, Gemini because the default assistant and a Uncover feed in case you swipe left from the homescreen. As well as, Xiaomi has its personal suite of AI instruments. One of the best bits are all to do with picture enhancing, however there’s all the same old AI stuff corresponding to translation, transcription and summarisation, in addition to writing help. There’s nothing notably novel right here, nevertheless it all appears to work as meant.

Luke Baker

One factor that you just aren’t going to search out wherever else is Xiaomi’s Astral Communication function. This presently solely works on 15T-series telephones, however I’d count on to see it seem on future Xiaomi handsets, too. In essence, it really works a bit like a walkie-talkie, permitting you to voice name one other Xiaomi 15T person with out the necessity for a mobile sign.

It could possibly be a game-changer for hikers or anybody who spends day out within the wilderness; it’d even assist festival-goers, too. There are limitations, after all. It appears to make use of Bluetooth to speak, and which means it really works finest when there’s a visible line of sight. It’ll nonetheless work by partitions, however the potential most distance of 1.9km will probably be severely diminished.

One factor to notice is that Xiaomi hasn’t revealed how lengthy it’ll be supporting the 15T Professional with software program updates. If the 14T Professional is something to go by, it’d get 4 years of OS updates and 5 years of safety patches, which is a way wanting the seven years of each supplied by many Samsung and Google telephones, together with the extra reasonably priced Pixel 9a.

Worth & Availability

The Xiaomi 15T Professional prices £649/€799 in its base configuration with 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage, matching the 14T Professional and the 13T Professional earlier than that.

There’s additionally a 512GB mannequin, which prices £699, and a 1TB possibility, which is able to set you again £799.

You’ll be capable to buy it from the official Xiaomi retailer in addition to retailers like Amazon. As ever, it gained’t be formally launching within the US.

Do you have to purchase the Xiaomi 15T Professional?

The Xiaomi 15T Professional goals to ship a flagship-level expertise at a extra reasonably priced worth level, and I believe it does precisely that. From gaming and productiveness to cameras and net searching, there isn’t a single space the place 15T Professional falls brief.

There are a few tells that this can be a extra budget-conscious handset. For instance, the 12Mp ultrawide isn’t going to impress anybody, particularly with no autofocus, and the quantity of bloatware that comes preinstalled could be fairly unacceptable on a flagship, too. However these are removed from dealbreakers.

As ever, HyperOS isn’t going to please everybody, however I acquired used to it fairly rapidly, and I beloved the quantity of customisation it provides. Xiaomi’s new Astral Communication function is great, however I believe it must roll out to extra gadgets earlier than it turns into a sensible answer

In relation to the competitors, the Honor 400 Professional is the primary that springs to thoughts, and there’s additionally the Vivo X200 FE (although it’s not accessible within the UK). Each provide equally spectacular cameras and gaming efficiency, at comparable worth factors, and since each have been out for longer, you may be capable to discover a strong deal. Nevertheless, neither has such a protracted zoom lens, and neither can match the 4K 120fps and LOG recording of the 15T Professional, so for video shooters, there’s a transparent winner.

Specs

• Hyper OS, primarily based on Android 15
• 6.83-inch, 1280 x 2772, OLED, 144Hz
• In-display fingerprint sensor
• MediaTek Dimensity 9400+
• 12GB RAM
• 256GB / 512GB / 1TB storage
• Digital camera:
• 50Mp foremost sensor
• 12Mp ultrawide
• 50Mp 5x telephoto
• 32Mp selfie digicam
• As much as 4K @ 120fps rear video
• Stereo audio system
• Twin-SIM + eSIM
• Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/ax
• Bluetooth 6.0
• 5500mAh battery
• 90W wired charging
• 50W wi-fi charging
• 162.7×77.9×7.96 mm
• IP68 licensed
• 210g
• Colors: Black, Grey, Mocha Gold