Officially announced! The Xiaomi 15 series, Pengpai OS 2, and the Xiaomi SU7 Ultra mass-produced version will be released at 7 PM on October 29. Lei Technology will be on site to bring you first-hand professional coverage.

(Image source: Weibo screenshot)

In fact, before Qualcomm announced the Snapdragon 8 Ultimate Edition, major domestic mobile phone manufacturers had already begun preheating their new flagship models and successively announced their launch dates. Surprisingly, Xiaomi, which has been the first to launch Snapdragon flagship chips for many years, did not rush to make an official announcement this time. Fortunately, Xiaomi 15 finally has news now.

Good things come to those who wait, and Xiaomi is still Xiaomi. Once the news of Xiaomi 15 was released, it immediately entered the top five trending topics on Weibo. Although Xiaomi has not done much preheating, major media outlets and tech bloggers have already exposed most of the configuration details of the Xiaomi 15 series.

(Image source: Weibo screenshot)

Lei Jun said at the Xiaomi 14 series launch event that it would be Xiaomi's last flagship model starting at 3,999 yuan, and the next generation would increase in price with upgraded configurations. Is the price-increased Xiaomi 15 series still worth buying? After reviewing the phone's specifications and price predictions with Lei Technology, perhaps you'll have your own answer.

Routine hardware upgrades, but Pengpai OS is the biggest highlight of Xiaomi 15?

Like the Xiaomi 14 series, the Xiaomi 15 series initially only includes the standard and Pro versions, both of which adopt a metal frame with rounded chamfered corners and a lens design without Parisian studs. @Digital Gossip Station said that the Xiaomi 15 feels much better than the Xiaomi 13 and is several levels higher than the Xiaomi 14.

(Image source: Weibo screenshot)

In terms of hardware configuration, the Xiaomi 15 features a 6.36-inch 1.5K screen with a bezel of only 1.38mm, supports ultrasonic fingerprint recognition, is equipped with 90W wired fast charging and 50W wireless fast charging, has a battery capacity of 5400mAh, and has three 50MP rear cameras, including a 2.6x telephoto lens.

The Xiaomi 15 Pro, on the other hand, features a 2K full-depth micro-curved screen, also supports ultrasonic fingerprint recognition, 90W wired fast charging, and 50W wireless fast charging. Its battery capacity is expected to range from 5500mAh to 6000mAh, weighs 213g, and covers Xiaomi Dragon Crystal Glass 2.0. The main camera of the Xiaomi 15 Pro will be upgraded to an OV50K sensor and equipped with a periscope telephoto lens supporting 5x optical zoom.

(Image source: Weibo screenshot)

Strictly speaking, the Xiaomi 15 series only offers routine hardware upgrades. This is true not just for the Xiaomi 15 series but also for almost all flagship phones. Over the past few years, manufacturers have continually packed their flagship phones with features, and now screen quality, camera CMOS size and aperture, and fast charging power have basically reached the limits of mobile phones. Manufacturers are exploring breakthroughs in eye protection and lightweight designs.

The Snapdragon 8 Ultimate Edition and Dimensity 9400 flagships that have been released or scheduled for release at this stage mainly focus on three upgrades: firstly, improved performance brought about by chip upgrades; secondly, significantly increased battery capacity for better endurance; and thirdly, AI-based reconstruction of the system's underlying architecture and enhancement of smartphone assistants to improve daily usage experience.

(Image source: Xiaomi)

In the Android phone market, MIUI once led the way in user experience, and many users of other brands would even flash their devices to run MIUI. Some even claimed that a OnePlus hardware + MIUI combination was the perfect phone. Today, however, MIUI is no longer ahead of systems like ColorOS and OriginOS in terms of user experience and is often criticized for bugs and lag.

At the Double 11 launch ceremony, Lu Weibing, President of Xiaomi Group, Mobile Phone Division, and Brand Management, said, "As President of the Mobile Phone Division, I promise you that Xiaomi Pengpai OS will definitely deliver this time!" Lu Weibing revealed that the mission of Xiaomi Pengpai OS 2 is not just to add some AI features to phones but to reconstruct the system based on a large AI model to create a true AI phone. It is reported that Pengpai OS 2 will categorize and optimize over 25,000 usage scenarios to improve smoothness, startup speed, and reduce power consumption.

In terms of pricing, based on Lei Jun's statements and the specifications of the Xiaomi 15, Lei Technology predicts that the Xiaomi 15 will retail for 4,299-5,299 yuan, while the Xiaomi 15 Pro will retail for 5,299-6,599 yuan. Users of the Xiaomi 14 series may not experience a significant upgrade after upgrading to the Xiaomi 15 series, but for users of earlier Xiaomi phones, the Xiaomi 15 series is worth considering.

In today's highly competitive industry, the price difference between mid-range and high-end flagship phones from different manufacturers is not significant, and the deciding factor for the user experience often lies in the system. Whether Pengpai OS can live up to Lu Weibing's promotion remains to be seen, and Lei Technology will conduct an in-depth review once the new phones are available.

Of course, in addition to mid-range and high-end flagship phones, manufacturers also offer ultra-high-end flagship models. These ultra-high-end models spare no cost in pursuit of the ultimate user experience and are often the first to adopt the latest technologies developed by the manufacturer. Recently, the Xiaomi 15 Ultra has been certified, and those with sufficient budgets can continue reading.

Xiaomi 15 Ultra Exposure: Compromising Aesthetics for Ultimate Experience?

Recently, foreign media outlet smartprix released renderings of the Xiaomi 15 Ultra, which show that the front still features an equal-depth quad-curved screen similar to the previous generation, while the back still has a circular camera module but with a horizontally flipped "L"-shaped camera arrangement.

(Image source: smartprix)

Upon seeing the design of the Xiaomi 15 Ultra, many seasoned Xiaomi fans around me expressed disbelief and confusion. Indeed, the asymmetric camera layout gives an odd impression and is not as harmonious as the Xiaomi 14 Ultra. However, upon learning the camera specifications of the Xiaomi 15 Ultra, I understand why the camera arrangement is designed this way.

(Image source: WeChat screenshot)

The bottom three cameras of the Xiaomi 15 Ultra's camera module are all 50MP, including a Sony 1-inch main camera, an ultra-wide-angle camera, and a 2x telephoto camera. The camera in the top right corner is a 200MP periscope telephoto camera with a Samsung ISOCELL HP9 1/1.4 CMOS sensor supporting 4.3x optical zoom and an f/2.6 aperture. The large-sensor periscope telephoto camera naturally takes up more space.

In terms of other specifications, the Xiaomi 15 Ultra will be equipped with the Snapdragon 8 Ultimate Edition, offer up to 16GB+1TB of storage, support 90W wired fast charging and 80W wireless fast charging, have a battery capacity of up to 6000mAh, and feature a 2K resolution screen with a 120Hz refresh rate.

Compared to the previous generation, the Xiaomi 15 Ultra also features mostly routine hardware upgrades, with the main changes being the SoC and periscope telephoto camera. It is expected to maintain the same 6,499 yuan launch price as the previous generation.

(Image source: Lei Technology)

It is worth noting that while the specifications exposed for the Xiaomi 15 Ultra are likely to be accurate, the camera module layout is still uncertain. Several renderings of the Xiaomi 15 Ultra with varying camera module designs have been exposed online in the past.

The Xiaomi 15 Ultra has been certified overseas and is expected to be released in January next year. Those with sufficient budgets and a pursuit of the ultimate experience can wait and see. In addition to the Xiaomi 15 Ultra, the OPPO Find X8 series, vivo X200 series, and Honor Magic 7 series will also release Ultra versions at that time.

With the launch of the Snapdragon 8 Ultimate Edition and Dimensity 9400, a new round of flagship competitions is about to begin. Since the Xiaomi 10, Xiaomi phones have made significant inroads into the high-end market, but their share in this segment is still far behind that of Huawei and Apple. With minimal upgrades in this year's iPhone 16 series and a relatively slow pace in AI feature adoption, brands like Xiaomi, OPPO, vivo, and Honor are all striving to gain more market share in the high-end segment. Will Xiaomi succeed this time?

Sincerity in the 15 Series: Another Tough Battle for Xiaomi's High-End Aspirations

Although Xiaomi has shed its image as a cost-effective brand, its products are still among the best in their price range. Take the Xiaomi 15 as an example; many flagship phones at a similar price range still use short-focus fingerprint unlocking, do not support wireless charging or have low wireless charging power. In contrast, the Xiaomi 15 comes standard with ultrasonic fingerprint recognition and 50W wireless charging, demonstrating greater sincerity in its hardware configuration.

At the system level, iOS is no longer the only game in town. In recent years, many new features and designs have already been introduced in Android. While OPPO and vivo's new systems perform well, MIUI still retains its influence, and Lu Weibing is highly confident in Pengpai OS 2, believing that it will bring surprises to Xiaomi fans.

Xiaomi is more aggressive than Apple in integrating AI into its underlying architecture. Apple Intelligence will not enter the Chinese market for the time being, giving domestic flagship phones a temporary advantage in AI experience over Apple. Only after Apple Intelligence enters the Chinese market and its performance is compared with that of domestic flagship phones can a conclusion be drawn.

(Image source: Apple)

As for the Xiaomi 15 Ultra, more than two months remain until its release, and the exposed renderings may not be accurate. The specific specifications and design remain to be further explored. In Xiaomi's product line, the Xiaomi 15 is positioned against the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus, while the Xiaomi 15 Pro targets the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max. The Xiaomi 15 Ultra, on the other hand, aims to surpass itself rather than competing with products from other manufacturers.

In summary, the Xiaomi 15 series primarily features routine hardware upgrades but still maintains a certain lead over similar products in terms of configurations, making it worth considering for consumers.

In today's ultra-competitive hardware landscape, the system will be the key factor that determines the winner among mobile phone manufacturers. Whether Pengpai OS 2 can reestablish the glory of MIUI remains to be seen, and Lei Technology will conduct an in-depth review once the new phones are available.

Source: Lei Technology