Xiaomi Redmi Note 15 Pro+ 5G review: Cheap mid-range phone with surprising durability

Greatest Costs As we speak: Xiaomi Redmi Notice 15 Professional Plus

Xiaomi has simply launched new telephones in its Redmi Notice sequence. That is the producer’s mid-range, between the funds Redmi and flagship Xiaomi telephones.

The brand new telephones are the Redmi Notice 15, Redmi Notice 15 Professional and Redmi Notice 15 Professional+. The primary two can be found in each 4G and 5G variations, however the Plus mannequin on evaluation right here is simply offered with 5G. I’ve been testing it for couple of weeks to see if it might probably go toe-to-toe with the Google Pixel 9a and Samsung Galaxy S25 FE.

It’s a likeable cellphone in some ways, providing most of what you can probably want for a really cheap £429 – earlier than Xiaomi’s normal reductions and gives. It may well’t challege the most effective mid-range telephones, however is an efficient worth possibility if it’s essential prioritise sturdiness, battery life and a sensible on a regular basis expertise.

Design & Construct

• Three colors
• Two rear supplies
• Spectacular sturdiness

With a slim chassis, barely rounded on the edges each at the front and back, it’s snug to carry regardless of its pretty massive display and extensive dimensions. The again is made from matt fibreglass, or artificial leather-based should you purchase the Mocha Brown colourway.

The body is made from aluminium and provides the cellular additional stability and the entrance is Gorilla Glass Victus 2, not usually discovered on cheaper telephones.

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The Redmi Notice 15 Professional+ doesn’t instantly give the impression of rugged sturdiness, however the reality is that it’s extra sturdy than most. With an IP66/68 score, it might probably face up to greater than many mid-range opponents. It also needs to face up to being dropped on the bottom from a top of as much as 2.5 metres. Whether or not this is applicable when it lands straight on the glass floor of the display, I can’t say.

Display & Audio system

• Giant AMOLED display
• Adaptive refresh fee
• Stereo audio system with Dolby Atmos

The beneficiant 6.83-inch display has sharp decision, a 120Hz refresh fee and is constructed on a wonderful AMOLED panel. The brightness is excessive sufficient that I by no means have any issues with out of doors gentle. It helps each Dolby Imaginative and prescient and HDR10, and with a peak brightness of two,300 nits, film viewing is very nice.

The body fee isn’t totally adaptive, however runs at 60Hz by default and switches as much as 120Hz when wanted. It really works as marketed; I skilled a constantly clean picture and no choppiness associated to the display.

Mattias Inghe

Audio system on the brief sides present clear sound with additional stereo unfold, however the bass and a few heat within the midrange disappear.

So if you wish to get pleasure from a movie or hearken to music, headphones are a good suggestion. Nonetheless, the audio system work excellently for voice, each with the cellphone to your ear and as a speakerphone on the desk or throughout a video name.

Specs & Efficiency

• Mid-range Qualcomm chip
• Two fashions to select from
• Trendy wi-fi specs

The cellphone is powered by Snapdragon 7s Gen 4, which supplies reasonable energy. It’s sufficient for on a regular basis duties resembling browsing the net, scrolling by means of Instagram, streaming movies and managing messages, however it struggles a bit with some heavier apps, particularly if I attempt to break up the display and multitask.

I’m testing the model of the cellphone that has 12GB of RAM and 512GB of storage, whereas the entry-level mannequin is 8/256GB.

The latter ought to be sufficient for many customers, however the value distinction is small, simply £50, so I’d suggest selecting the upper spec mannequin should you can. With reminiscence costs about to skyrocket, it could be clever to get the worth when you can.

Different core specs embody Bluetooth 5.4, Wi-Fi 6E, NFC and, after all, 5G. The cellphone is dual-SIM and you’ll both use two nano-SIM playing cards or one paired with an eSIM.

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Redmi Notice 15+ 5G benchmarks

• Antutu Benchmark 10, basic efficiency: 1,081,688 factors
• Geekbench 6, CPU single core: 1,259 factors
• Geekbench 6, CPU multi-core: 3,284 factors
• Geekbench 6 compute, GPU: 4,701 factors
• 3DMark Wild Life Excessive, gaming: 1,060 factors
• Learn pace, storage: 1,094 MB/s
• Write pace, storage: 1,085.3 MB/s

Cameras

• Seems like triple rear cameras
• Solely two in actuality
• Excessive decision selfie digicam

Now let’s try the cellphone’s cameras. First, there’s a completely usable however not wonderful selfie digicam on the entrance. 32Mp with a large angle, good gentle sensitivity and 1080p video recording at finest.

The digicam panel on the again seems to be designed for a 3rd sensor, because it consists of 4 rings. The fourth homes an LED flash, however the third lacks each optics and a sensor.

There are two cameras, a big 200Mp predominant sensor complemented by a less complicated 8Mp wide-angle with mounted focus. Neither of them is especially spectacular, however they don’t disappoint both.

With such a dense sensor, you’ll be able to zoom in digitally at each 2x and 4x, that are presets within the digicam app. They’re sharp and have well-balanced colors, so long as the lighting circumstances are good.

In dim lighting, a protracted publicity mode kicks in, which sadly doesn’t have sufficient picture stabilisation behind it to work optimally. It movies in as much as 4K and 30fps. Though 60fps would have been welcome, let’s not get grasping – that is mid-range, in any case.

The digicam makes use of some AI to automate taking pictures and optimise the picture, and you are able to do extra of that in Xiaomi’s gallery app, in addition to in Google Photographs. For instance, you’ll be able to take away reflections and optimise the sunshine within the picture.

Mattias Inghe

Software program & Battery Life

• HyperOS 2 with Android 15
• 4 OS updates promised
• Giant Si-C battery
• 100W wired quick charging

The system within the cellphone is HyperOS 2, sadly, with Android 15 as a substitute of Android 16. One of many 4 promised Android updates could subsequently be used to catch up.

There are some small AI instruments, resembling writing help in a note-taking app, however nothing that feels very essential.

The system contains Xiaomi’s normal abundance of its personal apps and pre-installed third-party apps, from workplace apps to mini-games, which irritates me greater than it feels beneficiant. However that’s apparently how they need it. Perhaps I’m alone in considering that.

A 6500mAh battery, constructed on new silicon-carbon expertise, supplies quite a lot of vitality in a small quantity. It delivers respectable working time, though I had hoped for extra. Related batteries in new, costly top-of-the-line mobiles carry out higher.

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However the battery life remains to be good – I can simply use the cellphone for a complete day with out having to cost it. Generally two days. Charging may be fast, taking lower than an hour with one of many producer’s personal 100W Hypercharge chargers. Or one other UFCS-compatible charger.

I discovered it charged 31% in 15 min and 52% in 30 min utilizing a 120W charger.

Nonetheless, as at all times nowadays, it’s important to purchase this individually.

Value & Availability

Xiaomi is asking for £429 to bag you the Redmi Notice 15+ 5G. That’s the beginning value and will get you the 8/256GB mannequin.

As talked about earlier, the worth bounce to the 12/512GB isn’t a lot so it’s price upgrading should you can afford it – simply £479 is great worth.

These costs are earlier than the Xiaomi Retailer’s reductions. You’ll be able to at present get the fashions for £349 and £399 respectively, with extra perks too, such asa trade-in bonus and three months of Google One 100GB storage without cost.

You should purchase it from the official retailer in addition to the likes of Amazon.

Compared, the Google Pixel 9a prices £499 for 128GB storage and the Samsung Galaxy S25 FE is extra of a stretch at £649, additionally for 128GB.

Try our record of the most effective mid-range telephones proper now.

Xiaomi Redmi Notice 15+ 5G: Is it price it?

What speaks in Xiaomi’s favour is the promised sturdiness and longer battery life, even when the digicam and efficiency imply a slight compromise.

This can be a trade-off that many are prepared to make if they are often affected person with Xiaomi’s generally demanding software program.

The likes of Google and Samsung supply higher all-around expertise,s however the Redmi Notice 15+ gives higher worth for cash.

Specs

• Software program: Android 15, HyperOS 2, 4 years of updates
• Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 7s Gen 4
• Graphics: Adreno 810
• Reminiscence: 8/12GB
• Storage: 256/512GB
• Show: 6.83-inch AMOLED, 1280 x 2772 pixels, 120Hz adaptive, 3200 nits (peak)
• Cameras: 200Mp predominant, 8Mp wideangle, 32Mp entrance
• Ports: USB-C 2.0
• Communication: 5G, Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.4, dual-namd GPS, Galileo, NFC, IR
• Different: In-screen fingerprint reader, twin nano-SIM, e-SIM, waterproof (IP66/68)
• Battery: 6500mAh, approx. 19 hours of video streaming (excessive brightness, 60 Hz
• Battery charging: As much as 100W
• Measurement: 16.33 x 7.83 x 0.82cm
• Weight: 207g