With the hype surrounding the Xiaomi 14 series now fading, attention is shifting towards Xiaomi’s upcoming flagship lineup, the Xiaomi 15 series.
The most exciting rumor so far suggests that these devices could introduce Qualcomm’s next-generation Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 chipset, along with rumors of new periscopic telephoto cameras for the Xiaomi 15 Pro and 15 Ultra.
Here’s everything we currently know about the Xiaomi 15 series, including its potential release date, pricing, and features.
When will the Xiaomi 15 be released?
Xiaomi has not yet provided any official information about its next flagship phone lineup. Looking back at previous models, here are the launch timelines:
- Xiaomi 13 – December 2022 (China), March 2023 (global)
- Xiaomi 12 – December 2021 (China), March 2022 (global)
Based on this pattern, we can expect the Xiaomi 15 series to be announced in December 2024 in China, followed by a global launch in March 2025, likely preceding the annual Mobile World Congress trade show in Barcelona, as done previously by the company.
However, the speculation about it being the first Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 phone could alter these plans. Qualcomm’s next flagship mobile chip is expected to be unveiled at the Snapdragon Summit from October 21-23, suggesting a potential October launch for the Xiaomi 15 series, as noted by GSMArena.
We anticipate the release of three models: Xiaomi 15, Xiaomi 15 Pro, and Xiaomi 15 Ultra. However, the Xiaomi 15 Pro might remain exclusive to China, similar to the Xiaomi 14 Pro.
As with previous Xiaomi phones, none of the 15 series models are likely to be officially available in the US. Interested buyers may have to consider importing one.
How much will the Xiaomi 15 cost?
Similar to the release date, pricing details for the new models have not been revealed yet. Looking at past generations can give us some hints:
While the Xiaomi 13 series saw slight price increases compared to the 12 series, the 14 series maintained the same pricing year-over-year. It is expected that Xiaomi will likely maintain similar pricing tiers for the Xiaomi 15 range, considering their already high price ceiling. However, according to a leak from Chinese source Digital Chat Station, the Xiaomi 15, 15 Pro, and 15 Ultra could be priced higher than their predecessors, although the exact increase is not specified.
According to a Weibo post by Zou Jiachen, the Xiaomi 15 might start at CNY 4,599 ($632) for the 12GB RAM/256GB storage variant, with the top configuration reaching up to CNY 5,499 ($756) for 16GB RAM/1TB storage. Additionally, the Xiaomi 15 Pro could potentially start at CNY 5,299-5,499 ($728-756) for the base model, going up to CNY 6,299-6,499 ($866-894) for the top-end configuration.
What specs and features will the Xiaomi 15 have?
According to reports, the Xiaomi 15 series entered the next phase of internal testing in April, with mass production scheduled to begin in September this year. Ahead of this, the full specifications of both the Xiaomi 15 and Xiaomi 15 Pro were leaked by Zou Jiachen on the Chinese site Weibo.
Design
Information from Notebookcheck suggests a shift to single-point ultrasonic technology for the fingerprint scanner in the 15 series, moving away from the optical fingerprint technology used in the Xiaomi 14 series.
Ultrasonic fingerprint recognition, which operates using ultrasonic waves under the screen, typically offers improved security and reliability, being faster, more accurate, and more water-resistant. Samsung already utilizes ultrasonic fingerprint sensors in its Galaxy S lineup. Zou Jiachen also mentioned that both phones (referring to the 15 and 15 Pro) are likely to feature an IP68 rating for dust and water resistance.
According to Digital Chat Station, the Xiaomi 15 Ultra will provide three back material options: fake leather, glass, and ceramic, offering more choices compared to its predecessor.
Display
Reports from December 2023 indicated that the standard Xiaomi 15 would retain a 6.36-inch display size, similar to the Xiaomi 13 and Xiaomi 14. Unlike the Pro variant, the standard model is not expected to adopt a curved panel. The leak also suggests the screen will offer a peak brightness of 1,400 nits and a power-efficient 120Hz LTPO refresh rate.
Chinese leaker Zou Jiachen concurs that the Xiaomi 15 will feature a 6.36-inch “1.5K” touchscreen with a 120Hz refresh rate and 1,400-nit brightness in High Brightness Mode.
In the same post, Digital Chat Station also revealed details about the upcoming Xiaomi 15 Pro.
Rumors suggest it will feature a “2K” resolution micro-curved screen similar to the Xiaomi 14 Ultra, with even slimmer bezels compared to the Xiaomi 14 Pro, reducing from 0.9mm to an impressive 0.6mm. Zou Jiachen specifies that the phone will sport a 6.73-inch “2K” screen with a 120Hz refresh rate and 1,400-nit output in High Brightness Mode.
Performance
Qualcomm’s upcoming Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 chipset is expected to debut in October, likely powering several high-end mobile devices.
According to Yogesh Brar, Xiaomi reportedly has an exclusive agreement to be the first to utilize the chipset. This suggests that the Xiaomi 15 series will likely be the first to feature 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 leak from Weibo, both the Xiaomi 15 and Xiaomi 15 Pro are expected to be powered by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 4. Additionally, they might offer up to 16GB of LPDDR5X RAM paired with up to 1TB of UFS 4.0 internal storage.
Cameras
Reports suggest that Xiaomi plans to utilize the Omnivision OV64B sensor in the Xiaomi 15 Pro, a 64MP sensor seen in various POCO, Redmi, and Xiaomi smartphones, including the Poco X6 Pro. However, while the Poco X6 Pro uses this sensor as its primary camera, the Xiaomi 15 Pro is rumored to use it for periscope telephoto capabilities instead. The Xiaomi 15 Ultra may feature a 200MP periscope camera with a variable zoom length of 3x to 5x magnification.
Despite these changes, it is expected that the primary cameras will remain at 50MP. GSMArena states that “the Xiaomi 15 and 15 Pro will both feature a customized OmniVision 50MP main snapper with a 1/1.3-inch sensor size and a large (but undisclosed) aperture,” based on a post by Digital Chat Station on Weibo from May.
A recent Weibo post, also via GSMArena, claims that the Xiaomi 15 Pro will feature a new 50MP single aperture main camera with a “super large” sensor, replacing the variable aperture of its predecessor. Additionally, it might include a 50MP 3x telephoto periscope zoom camera and could be slightly thinner.
According to another Weibo post, the Xiaomi 15 will feature three 50MP sensors: an OmniVision OV50H main sensor (1/1.31-inch), a 50MP ultrawide camera, and a 50MP Samsung ISOCELL JN1 3x zoom lens (1/2.76-inch). The front camera will be a 32MP selfie shooter.
On the other hand, the Xiaomi 15 Pro is rumored to come with a 50MP OmniVision OV50N main sensor (1/1.3-inch, f/1.4 aperture), a 50MP Samsung JN1 ultrawide camera, an unnamed 3x optical zoom periscope telephoto 50MP sensor (1/1.95-inch), and a 32MP selfie camera. Both phones may also feature a new multi-layer anti-reflective coating designed to improve light transmittance and reduce glare and ghosting.
Battery & charging
According to Notebookcheck, the Xiaomi 15 and 15 Pro are expected to come with high-density batteries.
Leaked specifications from Zou Jiachen on Weibo suggest that the Xiaomi 15 could feature a 4800 to 4900mAh battery with 100W wired charging and 50W wireless charging, while the Xiaomi 15 Pro may offer a 5400mAh battery with 120W wired charging and 80W wireless charging.
However, the Xiaomi 15 recently received certification in the 3C database, confirming its 90W wired charging, matching the previous model. Details on wireless charging have not been disclosed, but it might remain at 50W like the Xiaomi 14.
As a reminder, the Xiaomi 14 is powered by a 4,610mAh battery with 90W wired charging and 50W wireless charging. In comparison, the 14 Pro features a 4,880mAh battery with 120W wired charging and 50W wireless charging.
The 14 Ultra boasts a significantly larger 5,300mAh battery than the 14 Pro, with 80W Qi wireless charging complementing the slightly slower 90W wired charging.
Software
The Xiaomi 15 series is expected to ship with Android 14 and Xiaomi’s HyperOS skin out of the box. However, considering the anticipated December release date in China, it’s also possible that the devices will debut with Android 15 pre-installed.
This summarizes what is currently known about Xiaomi’s upcoming flagship devices. The article will be updated as new information becomes available. In the meantime, check out our guides to the best phones and best Xiaomi phones to see how the Xiaomi 15 series stacks up against the competition.
