As the buzz surrounding the Xiaomi 14 series starts to fade, users’ eyes are turning to Xiaomi’s upcoming flagship series, the Xiaomi 15 series.
The most promising rumor yet is that these devices could mark the debut of Qualcomm’s next-generation Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 chipset, alongside whispers of new periscopic telephoto cameras for the Xiaomi 15 Pro and 15 Ultra.
Here’s everything we know so far about the Xiaomi 15 series, including its release date, prices and possible features.
When will the Xiaomi 15 be released?
Xiaomi has not yet revealed any news about its next generation of flagship phones. For context, this is when the previous models were launched:
- Xiaomi 13 – December 2022 (China), March 2023 (Worldwide)
- Xiaomi 12 – December 2021 (China), March 2022 (Global)
Based on this, we expect the Xiaomi 15 series to be unveiled soon December 2024 in China, ahead of a global launch in March 2025probably just before the annual Mobile World Congress trade fair in Barcelona; as the company has done before.
However, the rumors of this being the first Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 phone could change things. Qualcomm’s next flagship mobile chip will almost certainly be announced at the Snapdragon Summit on October 21 and 23, so it could arrive in China earlier than usual. GSMArena believes this could mean an October launch.
Chris Martin / Foundry
Chris Martin / Foundry
Chris Martin / Foundry
We expect to see three models: the Xiaomi 15, Xiaomi 15 Pro and Xiaomi 15 Ultra, but the Xiaomi 15 Pro may never leave China, as was the case with the Xiaomi 14 Pro.
And as with all Xiaomi phones, don’t expect any of the 15 series to ever be sold in the US. Your best bet is to try importing one.
How much will the Xiaomi 15 cost?
As with the release date, there are no details yet on how much each new model will cost, so we’re looking to the precedents for clues.
Here are the launch prices of the previous generations:
There were slight price increases in the 13 series compared to the 12 series, but the 14 series kept the same prices year after year. We think it’s likely that Xiaomi will stick to around the same levels when the Xiaomi 15 series arrives, as the price ceiling set is already quite high. That said, the Xiaomi 15, Xiaomi 15 Pro and Xiaomi 15 Ultra could in fact all be more expensive than their predecessors, according to a Chinese leaker Digital Chat Station. However, it is not clear how much more expensive.
In a recent post by Zou Jiachen on Weibo, the leaker claims that the Xiaomi 15 will start at CNY 4,599 ($632) for 12GB RAM/256GB storage and will cost up to CNY 5,499 ($756) for 16GB RAM/1TB storage. Furthermore, the Xiaomi 15 Pro could potentially start at CNY 5,299-5,499 ($728-756) for the base model, peaking at CNY 6,299-6,499 ($866-894) for the top configuration.
Chris Martin / Foundry
Chris Martin / Foundry
Chris Martin / Foundry
What specifications and features will the Xiaomi 15 have?
According to Digital Chat Station, the Xiaomi 15 series entered the next phase of internal testing in April and mass production is scheduled for September this year. Prior to this, the full spec sheets of both the Xiaomi 15 and the Xiaomi 15 Pro were leaked by Zou Jiachen on the Chinese site Weibo.
Design
Notebookcheck has revealed details about the fingerprint scanner in the 15 series, indicating a shift towards single-point ultrasonic technology; away from the optical fingerprint technology used in the Xiaomi 14 series.
Ultrasonic fingerprint recognition – functioning by means of ultrasonic waves under the screen – generally provides better security and reliability; usually faster, more accurate and more resistant to water. For context, Samsung already uses ultrasonic fingerprint sensors on its Galaxy S range. Zou Jiachen also stated that both phones (referring to the 15 and 15 Pro) will likely offer an IP68 rating for dust and water resistance.
According to a Chinese leaker Digital Chat Station on Weibo, the Xiaomi 15 Ultra will offer three different back material options: faux leather, glass and ceramic, adding more choices compared to its predecessor.
Display
In December 2023, Digital Chat Station (via Gizmochina) stated that the standard Xiaomi 15 would retain a screen size of 6.36 inches, similar to the Xiaomi 13 and Xiaomi 14. Unlike the Pro variant, Xiaomi does not plan to have a curved panel to be used for the standard model. The leak also suggests that the display will offer a peak brightness of 1,400 nits and energy-efficient 120 Hz LTPO refresh rate technology.
Chinese leaker Zou Jiachen agrees that the Xiaomi 15 will have a 6.36-inch “1.5K” touchscreen, with a 120Hz refresh rate and will offer 1,400 nits of brightness in High Brightness mode (which differs from peak brightness).
Chris Martin / Foundry
Chris Martin / Foundry
Chris Martin / Foundry
In the same post – along with the one from June 2024 (via GSMArena) – Digital Chat Station has additionally revealed details about the upcoming Xiaomi 15 Pro.
It is rumored to have a micro-curved screen with a “2K” resolution, like the Xiaomi 14 Ultra, and with even thinner bezels compared to the Xiaomi 14 Pro, from 0.9mm to an impressive 0.6mm. In more detail, Zou Jiachen states that the phone will have a 6.73-inch “2K” display, with a 120Hz refresh rate and an output of 1,400 nits in High Brightness mode.
Performance
Qualcomm’s upcoming Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 chipset is expected to debut in October and will likely power a slew of top-end mobile devices.
According to Yogesh Brar – a usually reliable source – Xiaomi apparently has an exclusive deal to be the first to use the chipset. That means the Xiaomi 15 series is likely to be the first with the Snapdragon 8 Gen 4.
Xiaomi still has the exclusive first launch rights for Snapdragon 8 Gen 4
Followed by both OnePlus & iQOO
Lineup includes Xiaomi 15 / 15 Pro, OnePlus 13, iQOO 13
— Yogesh Brar (@heyitsyogesh) April 23, 2024
According to the recent Weibo leak, we can indeed expect both the Xiaomi 15 and Xiaomi 15 Pro to be powered by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 4. Furthermore, we learned that they could offer up to 16GB of LPDDR5X RAM, paired with up to 1TB of UFS 4.0 internal storage.
Cameras
Xiaomi is reportedly planning to use the Omnivision OV64B in the Xiaomi 15 Pro: a 64Mp sensor seen in several POCO, Redmi and Xiaomi smartphones, including the Poco X6 Pro. While the Poco The Xiaomi 15 Ultra may have a 200Mp periscope camera, with a variable zoom length of 3x to 5x magnification.
Despite these changes, the primary cameras are expected to remain at 50MP. GSMArena says that “the Xiaomi 15 and 15 Pro will both feature a custom OmniVision 50mp main snapper, with a 1/1.3-inch sensor size and a large (but undisclosed) aperture,” based on Digital Chat Station’s post on May’s Weibo.
Chris Martin / Foundry
Chris Martin / Foundry
Chris Martin / Foundry
A more recent DCS Weibo post (also via GSMArena) claims that the Xiaomi 15 Pro will feature a new 50Mp single aperture main camera, with a “super-sized” sensor; replacing the variable aperture of its predecessor. Additionally, it may have a 50MP 3x telephoto periscope zoom camera and could be slightly thinner.
According to another report from Weibo, the Xiaomi 15 will feature three 50 MP snappers: an OmniVision OV50H main sensor (1/1.31 inch), 50 MP ultra-wide camera and 50 MP Samsung ISOCELL JN1 3x zoom lens (1/2.76 inches). There will be a 32Mp selfie camera on the front.
On the other hand, the Xiaomi 15 Pro will reportedly get a 50Mp OmniVision OV50N main sensor (1/1.3-inch, F/1.4 aperture), a 50Mp Samsung JN1 ultra-wide camera and an unnamed 3x optical zoom periscope telephoto 50Mp sensor (1/1.95 inch), plus a 32Mp selfie camera. Both phones may also feature a new multi-layer anti-reflective coating, which should improve light transmission and reduce glare and ghosting.
Battery and charging
According to Notebookcheck, the Xiaomi 15 and 15 Pro are said to be equipped with high-density batteries.
Specifications leaked by Zou Jiachen on Weibo specify that the Xiaomi 15 may have a 4800 to 4900 mAh battery, with 100W wired and 50W wireless charging, while the Xiaomi 15 Pro may offer a 5400 mAh cell, with 120 W wired and 80W wireless charging.
However, the Xiaomi 15 has recently been certified in the 3C database (via MySmartPrice), confirming 90W wired charging, similar to its predecessor. Details about wireless charging are not disclosed, but it could remain at 50W as with the Xiaomi 14.
Chris Martin / Foundry
Chris Martin / Foundry
Chris Martin / Foundry
To recall, the Xiaomi 14 is powered by a 4,610mAh battery, supported by 90W fast wired charging and 50W wireless charging. On the other hand, the 14 Pro packs a 4,880mAh battery and supports 120 W wired charging and 50W wireless.
A 5,300mAh battery in the 14 Ultra is significantly larger than the 14 Pro’s 4,880mAh cell, although 90W wired charging is actually slower. To compensate, there is 80W Qi wireless charging.
Software
The Xiaomi 15 series will most likely be available with Android 14 and Xiaomi’s HyperOS skin out of the box. However, given the expected release date of December in China, it is also entirely possible that it will debut with Android 15 on board.
This is everything we currently know about Xiaomi’s upcoming flagships. We will update this article if we learn anything new. In the meantime, check out our guides to the best phones and the best Xiaomi phones to see what the Xiaomi 15 series will be up against.
