Xiaomi 15 Ultra Rumors: It Could Be the Best Camera Phone of 2025

The Xiaomi 14 Ultra was one of the most exciting phones launched in 2024 thanks to its stellar camera setup that allowed it to take amazing photos. It packs a 1-inch type image sensor, physically larger than any other smartphone camera sensor, and it makes a difference. That larger size, along with a wider, more flexible aperture, allows it to capture more light to produce some of the best results I’ve ever seen on a camera phone.

It also packs a high-end processor for super-fast performance, a vibrant display and a battery that lasts for the better part of the day. All in all, it was a great Android phone for those who want to focus on their photography.

But the tech world doesn’t last long and there are rumors swirling around what we might see in its successor, the Xiaomi 15 Ultra. Here’s what we know about this power house of photography. We’ll be updating this article in the coming weeks and months as rumors emerge, so be sure to check back often for more on the phone.

Xiaomi 15 Ultra release date and price

The 14 Ultra was announced in China in February and was first shown to Western media — including CNET — at the Mobile World Congress 2024 in Barcelona in February. It wasn’t until later in March that I was able to get my hands on it for testing. While Xiaomi has not yet confirmed the phone’s launch date, all signs indicate that the company is planning a similar follow-up time.

It has already taken the base of the Xiaomi 15 and 15 Pro for the Chinese market – again, it follows the same principle as the 14 and 14 Pro last year. The 14 Ultra has been sold in the UK for £1,299 and although it is not officially sold in the US, that price is equivalent to $1,640. There hasn’t been any word of any significant changes in the company’s pricing so we’d expect the 15 Ultra to stay in that ballpark.

Xiaomi 15 Ultra cameras

Xiaomi’s Ultra line has always focused on photography, with the 14 Ultra packing not only a large image sensor, but variable aperture and an impressive 5x optical zoom. We strongly expect the 15 Ultra to be similarly targeted at photographers and early leaks support that.

Well-known tipster Ice Universe reported that the 15 Ultra telephoto periscope camera will feature a 200-megapixel image sensor. This is a big step up from the 50-megapixel sensor found on the 14 Ultra. Evil? Ice Universe also says that the optical zoom will drop from 5x to 4.4x, although the additional resolution will allow for more digital zoom without significant loss of quality.

This change to the telephoto camera unit is apparently supported by a leaked rendering of the phone from SmartPrix, which shows a mid-mounted camera unit at the top. Another leaked image (via GSM Arena) purportedly showing the inside of the camera setup shows that it is not centered to make room for its larger periscope unit. The offer, if accurate, also confirms the ongoing relationship between Xiaomi and Leica, so expect high-quality lens optics and various Leica color presets to spice up your photos.

So far there are few other rumors surrounding all the cameras, including any changes to the main camera and its 1-inch type sensor. I really hope that Xiaomi will continue to use at least this sensor size — if not go too far — and keep its dynamic range, which can go from wide open at f/1.6 to tighter at f/4, resulting in attractive stars around the points of light at night .

Xiaomi 15 Ultra processor, display and battery

Given that the 14 Ultra packed the latest Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 processor when it launched, it’s safe to assume that Xiaomi will equip its new model with Qualcomm’s next-generation silicon. Qualcomm released the Snapdragon 8 Elite in October, and we expect to start seeing it in many flagship phones that will be launched in the next six months.

Besides the expected overall increase in speed, the 8 Elite processor promises improved web browsing speed and is specifically targeted at AI tasks, including powering on-device AI tools such as the Samsung Galaxy AI. At its launch event, Qualcomm showed off an AI-powered tool that adds artificial lighting to selfies, which CNET’s David Lumb called “delightfully fun and useful” when he tried it himself. We expect to see various AI tools in Xiaomi’s 15 Ultra, both for image manipulation and visual assistance.

Rumors suggest that the display of the 15 Ultra will remain 6.7 inches, like the 14 Ultra, although the battery can be expanded to 6,000 mAh, up from 5,000 mAh. Whether this remains the case for models outside of China remains to be seen as the 14 Ultra had a larger battery size than the models sold within China.

The phone is expected to continue with 90W wireless charging, although I would like to see the company push this further. Some of Xiaomi’s phones — including the 11T Pro, released in 2021 — offer 120W fast charging and it’s disappointing not to see such a speed in the company’s lightest, most expensive model.