Xiaomi 15 Ultra Review: Does It Live Up to the Leica Hype?

Contents

Design and Build Quality
Display and Everyday Use
Xiaomi 15 Ultra Camera Experience with Leica
Performance and Heat Management
Xiaomi 15 Ultra Battery Life: The Main Weakness
Software and User Experience
Xiaomi 15 Ultra vs Xiaomi 14 Ultra
Price and Availability in Nigeria
Should You Buy the Xiaomi 15 Ultra?

The Xiaomi 15 Ultra is one of the most anticipated smartphones of 2025, and it has stirred plenty of excitement, especially because of its ongoing partnership with Leica. After spending time with the device in real situations,, from travelling across Europe to daily use in Nigeria, it’s clear this phone has strengths that stand out, but it also has shortcomings you can’t ignore.

If you’re searching for a Xiaomi 15 Ultra review that goes beyond specifications, this breakdown will help you decide if it’s worth your money.

Design and Build Quality

Xiaomi is known for sleek devices, and the Xiaomi 15 Ultra doesn’t disappoint when it comes to premium design. It feels substantial in hand without being too heavy. The matte finish helps reduce fingerprint smudges, while the camera module remains large but iconic, signalling Xiaomi’s focus on photography.

Carrying it around on long days out in Switzerland and Germany, the phone managed to feel both stylish and durable, which is crucial for users who rely on their devices for travel, content creation, and everyday navigation.

Display and Everyday Use

The display is another highlight of the Xiaomi 15 Ultra. Bright, sharp, and colour-accurate, it holds up impressively under direct sunlight. Streaming shows, scrolling through social media, and using maps for navigation all feel smooth and visually pleasing.

Compared to other flagship displays in 2025, the Xiaomi 15 Ultra holds its ground firmly. For anyone who consumes a lot of video content or edits photos on their phone, this screen will not disappoint.

Xiaomi 15 Ultra Camera Experience with Leica

The camera is the heart of the Xiaomi 15 Ultra review, and for good reason. Xiaomi has deepened its partnership with Leica, and you can tell immediately. The colours look natural and cinematic, greens in particular appear true-to-life, and saturation is toned down compared with most smartphones.

Photographers will appreciate the Leica look, especially in log video mode, which allows more flexibility when editing. Photos shot on the Xiaomi 15 Ultra tell stories in a way that few smartphones can manage.

Skin tones, however, remain inconsistent, sometimes appearing too smooth or oddly tinted. Sharpening can also feel excessive at times, which affects the authenticity of portraits.

Users have praised its crisp picture quality

Asides the picture quality, its zoom quality is also topnutch

When compared directly with the Xiaomi 14 Ultra, the 15 Ultra is a bit of a mixed bag. The Xiaomi 14 Ultra’s variable aperture offered more consistency in auto mode, producing predictable results.

The Xiaomi 15 Ultra, on the other hand, sometimes captures breathtaking shots but can also feel unpredictable. If you care deeply about reliable results straight out of the camera, this may be something to think about.

Still, when it gets things right, the Xiaomi 15 Ultra camera ranks among the most impressive smartphone cameras in 2025. It especially shines in landscapes, low-saturation scenes, and creative video shooting.

Performance and Heat Management

Under the hood, the Xiaomi 15 Ultra is powered by the latest Snapdragon processor, making multitasking seamless. Running apps, video editing, and playing mobile games all feel fluid. However, heat management isn’t perfect. Extended camera use or gaming can make the device warm, and occasionally this affects performance.

For Nigerian users who deal with hot weather, this could be noticeable. It doesn’t make the phone unusable, but it’s something to keep in mind if you’re the type to push your device to the limit with heavy apps or long photography sessions.

Xiaomi 15 Ultra Battery Life: The Main Weakness

Now, let’s address the main drawback in this Xiaomi 15 Ultra review, the battery life. For a phone that costs this much and is marketed at power users, the inconsistency here is disappointing. On paper, the battery should easily last through the day, but in real-world usage it struggles. Long days of travel, using navigation, or extended photography sessions drain it much quicker than expected.

Interestingly, some users outside Nigeria report that battery life is acceptable, which suggests global units may perform differently. Still, many who have tested the phone early in Nigeria note that the battery feels unreliable. Fast charging helps, but constantly needing a power bank takes away from the convenience of having a flagship.

For Nigerian users relying on their phones for navigation, banking apps, or long commutes, this weakness could be a deal breaker.

Software and User Experience

The Xiaomi 15 Ultra runs on HyperOS, Xiaomi’s refined operating system. The interface is smooth, with thoughtful customisation options. However, there’s been some confusion with the camera app versions, some units ship with version 6.0 while others get 6.2. This inconsistency affects how users experience certain photography features.

Overall, the software feels polished, but Xiaomi needs to ensure updates roll out consistently worldwide.

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Xiaomi 15 Ultra vs Xiaomi 14 Ultra

When comparing the Xiaomi 15 Ultra vs Xiaomi 14 Ultra, there are some clear differences.

The Xiaomi 14 Ultra had a variable aperture system that made it more consistent in automatic photography.
The Xiaomi 15 Ultra delivers more striking results in some scenarios but is less predictable.
In battery life, the 14 Ultra often feels more dependable than its successor.

So, should you upgrade if you already own the Xiaomi 14 Ultra? The improvements in colour science and log video might tempt photography enthusiasts, but if you prioritise stability and battery performance, the 14 Ultra still holds its ground.

Price and Availability in Nigeria

Now to the part that matters most: how much does the Xiaomi 15 Ultra cost in Nigeria? Prices vary by retailer, but it retails around ₦1.1 million to ₦2 million, depending on storage options. You can expect it at Slot, Jumia, and other authorised Xiaomi stores across major cities.