Xiaomi 15 Ultra Rumors: What the Next Photography Powerhouse Might Bring

The Xiaomi 14 Ultra was one of the most exciting phone launches of 2024. It had flagship-level processor performance and a great screen, of course, but the real heart of this phone was its camera. It packed a 1-inch type image sensor, which is physically larger than almost any other smartphone camera sensor, and it made all the difference. That bigger size, together with the wide, variable aperture, let it capture more light to produce some of the best results I’ve ever seen from a camera phone. 

But the tech world doesn’t hang around for long and already there are rumors circulating around what we might see from its successor, the Xiaomi 15 Ultra. Here then is what we know about this potential photography powerhouse. We’ll be updating this article over the coming weeks and months as more rumors surface, so make sure to check back regularly to find out more about the phone.

Xiaomi 15 Ultra release date and price

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

It’s already taken the wraps off the base Xiaomi 15 and 15 Pro for the Chinese market — again, following the same schedule as the 14 and 14 Pro last year. The 14 Ultra went on sale in the UK for £1,299 and while it’s not officially on sale in the US, that price equates to $1,640. There’s been no word on any significant changes in the company’s pricing so we’d expect the 15 Ultra to sit in that ballpark. 

Xiaomi 15 Ultra cameras

Xiaomi’s Ultra line has always focused on photography, with the 14 Ultra packing not just a massive image sensor, but a variable aperture and an impressive 5x optical zoom. We firmly expect the 15 Ultra to be similarly aimed towards photographers and indeed early leaks support that. 

Known tipster Ice Universe reported that the 15 Ultra’s periscope telephoto camera will feature a whopping 200-megapixel image sensor. That’s a huge step up from the 50-megapixel sensor found on the 14 Ultra. The downside? Ice Universe also says the optical zoom will drop from 5x to 4.4x, although the extra resolution will presumably allow for further digital zoom without a noticeable loss in quality. 

This change to the telephoto camera unit is apparently backed up by leaked renders of the phone from SmartPrix, which show an off-center camera unit at the top. A further leaked image (via GSM Arena) purportedly showing the internals of the camera setup indicates that it’s off center in order to make room for its large periscope unit. The renders, if accurate, also confirm the continued relationship between Xiaomi and Leica, so expect high-quality lens optics and various Leica color presets to spice up your images.

So far there are few other rumors around the rest of the cameras, including any changes to the main camera and its 1-inch type sensor. I’d certainly hope that Xiaomi continues using at least this sensor size — if not going even larger — and maintaining its variable aperture, which can go from wide open at f/1.6 to more closed down at f/4, resulting in attractive starbursts around 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 took the wraps off the Snapdragon 8 Elite in October, and we expect to start seeing it in most flagship phones launching within the next six months.

Apart from an expected overall increase in speed, the 8 Elite processor promises improved web browsing speed and is particularly geared towards AI tasks, including powering on-device AI tools like Samsung’s Galaxy AI. At its launch event, Qualcomm showed off an AI-powered tool that adds artificial lighting to your selfies, which CNET’s David Lumb called “delightfully fun and helpful” when he tried it for himself. We expect to see a variety of AI tools on board Xiaomi’s 15 Ultra, for both image manipulation and virtual assistance. 

Rumors tentatively suggest that the 15 Ultra’s display will remain at 6.7 inches, like the 14 Ultra, although the battery may be expanded to 6,000 mAh, up from 5,000 mAh. Whether this remains the case on models outside of China remains to be seen as the 14 Ultra did have a slightly larger battery size for models sold within China. 

It’s expected that the phone will continue to offer 90W wired charging, although I’d like to see the company take this further. Some of Xiaomi’s other phones — including the 11T Pro, released back in 2021 — offer 120W fast charging and it’s disappointing not to see such speeds on the company’s flashiest, most expensive model.