Xiaomi 15T Pro Review: A Not-So-Pricey All-Around Phone

Xiaomi’s “T” series, which sits cozily between its flagship and mid-range offerings, has long been known for its excellent balance of features and accessibility.

From the Mi 9T to last year’s 14T, the phones of each series proved to be noteworthy outings that delivered premium experiences at relatively affordable prices. And the same is true for one of the latest additions to the “T” family, the 15T Pro.

This phone has almost everything you could possibly want in a modern smartphone: solid performance, an elegant design, a big and bright display, a versatile camera system, and a long-lasting battery. It’s not without some compromises, sure, but in terms of value alone, you’d be hard-pressed to find a stronger alternative.

Design & Display

Design-wise, the 15T Pro is not a huge departure from the 14T Pro. However, this new iteration is a tad bit more refined with smoother edges that give it a more ergonomic in-hand feel. I like the overall look, especially the matte glass back and the aluminum frame. Not only does it look good but it feels premium as well.

Looking at it, the phone’s design language does remind me of an iPhone, with its soft rounded edges, flat display panel, and squircle camera array. It’s not an outright copy, which is great, but it’s rather close, in my opinion. Then again, I do think the design is good as it’s both functional and attractive.

As for the display, the 15T Pro comes equipped with a 6.83-inch AMOLED panel with a 1.5K resolution and up to 144Hz refresh rate. I love huge displays on phones, and the one here is massive, making for more immersive viewing. Add to that how the bezels are slimmer than they were on the 14T at only 1.5mm. It also gets plenty bright, with maximum peak brightness of up to 3,200 nits, enabling you to use it in sunny outdoor areas without too much issue.

Performance

Under the hood, the 15T Pro packs a MediaTek Dimensity 9400+ processor, alongside 12GB of RAM and a whopping 1TB of storage, punching well above its weight in terms of raw performance power and capabilities. You can throw any task at this phone, and it’ll likely handle it with ease, from gaming to multitasking.

As far as every day performance goes, I didn’t run into any issues on this phone. Both apps and games are able to run smoothly. Opening and closing them also feel snappy and responsive.

Camera

What’s equally impressive is the phone’s triple-rear camera system, which was co-engineered with German optics maker Leica. The system is not only versatile, offering focal lengths from 15mm to 230mm, but also performs exceptionally well when it comes to color fidelity and accuracy.

The package’s main attraction is none other than the 50MP main camera where the Leica Summilux optical lens lies. This main lens is excellent at taking rich and detailed photos with good color reproduction and contrast. Its ƒ/1.62 also helps it perform better in low-light shooting scenarios, enabling you to capture more detail in the darker environments with little to no blur.

Meanwhile, the new 50MP Leica telephoto lens with 5x optical zoom is fairly capable. Last year’s model capped the optical zoom at 2.5x, so the added magnification allows you to get even closer to your subject without compromising image quality. And it works very well. Photos I took at 5x zoom came out clear and with plenty of detail.

Beyond that, however, the lens’ performance becomes hit-or-miss. You can probably still get usable photos at 10x zoom. Anything higher than that though is not very good.

Rounding up the trio is a 13MP ultra-wide lens, which is serviceable at best. It works if you’re trying to fit more in the frame, but don’t expect the richness of the photos taken with the other two lenses.

Overall, the 15T Pro’s camera performance is very strong. I’d even go as far to say that it’s perhaps one of the best among these so-called “flagship killers”.

Software & Features

The 15T Pro runs HyperOS 2, based on Android 15, out of the box. I can’t say I’m a fan of Xiaomi's HyperOS operating system, but I do think the current iteration is a lot better than previous versions. The overall interface is not only more aesthetically-pleasing and more intuitive but it also feels more stable, granted you don’t go poking around your phone’s settings. I also didn’t run into any significant issues with regards to the operating system, so that’s a win.

Xiaomi also promises to roll out HyperOS 3.11 soon, which will bring a bunch of design upgrades and interconnectivity features. For example, the update will introduce

Enhanced multitasking and quick app launches, as well as revamp the notification design. I’m looking forward to those changes and appreciate Xiaomi’s commitment to improving the experience on the software side.

I do wish this phone shipped with Android 16 out of the box. Additionally, I didn’t like how much bloatware it came pre-installed with. You can, of course, uninstall them yourself, but it remains a minor annoyance that you have to deal with when you start up the phone for the first time.

Also worth noting is that the 15T series launches Xiaomi Astral Communication in the global market. This is a suite of integrated systems that expand your options for communication. One such feature is Xiaomi Offline Communication, which enables direct device-to-device voice communication between 15T Pro devices over distances of up to 1.9km, without the need for cellular data or Wi-Fi networks. While I don’t think I’ll ever find a use for this feature in my current day-to-day life, I’m glad that it’s there in case I do find myself in an emergency where a traditional signal fails.

Battery Life

When it comes to battery life, the 15T Pro performs incredibly well. During my review period, I averaged about five or six hours of screen time and usually still had about 40% remaining at the end of the day. If you’re only using basic functions and cap the display’s refresh rate to 60Hz, you could probably push the phone’s 5,500mAh cell to last up to a day and a half, maybe even two days.

Once the battery does run out, you’ll be glad to know that the phone supports speedy top ups with up to 90W wired charging and 50W wireless charging. I do want to mention though that to take advantage of these numbers, you’ll need the proper charging hardware. And the 15T Pro only includes a cable out of the package, not a charging brick.

Conclusion

Overall, the 15T Pro is an impressive all-around phone that comes at a no-so-steep price tag. While it’s not perfect, it does have everything someone looking for a functional Android could possibly need, from speedy performance to great cameras to a resilient battery pack. It’s not a huge leap from last year’s 14T Pro, but if you’re on a tight budget and think Apple and Samsung’s flagships are too expensive, this is a solid alternative. When you factor in everything it brings, it’s just in a league of its own with regards to value for money.

The Xiaomi 15T Pro is already available for pre-order at the starting price of S$799.