Xiaomi 15 Ultra: Can it be the "Light of Android"?

Xiaomi 15 Ultra: Can it be the "Light of Android"?Months have passed since the Xiaomi 14 series saw a surge in sales, pushing Mi fans' anticipation for its successor to its peak. Now, the Xiaomi 15 series is finally starting to surface

Xiaomi 15 Ultra: Can it be the "Light of Android"?

Months have passed since the Xiaomi 14 series saw a surge in sales, pushing Mi fans' anticipation for its successor to its peak. Now, the Xiaomi 15 series is finally starting to surface. On August 22nd, the internal codenames for four models in the Xiaomi 15 series were revealed: the standard Xiaomi 15, codenamed "Dada," the Xiaomi 15 Pro, codenamed "Haotian," the Xiaomi 15 SPro, codenamed "Dijun," and the Xiaomi 15 Ultra, bearing the name "Xuanyuan." This name, symbolizing the ancestor of the Chinese people and the first emperor of the Xia Dynasty, undeniably signifies Xiaomi's high hopes for the new Ultra, hinting at its incredibly powerful configuration. So, can the Xiaomi 15 Ultra reverse its predecessor's reputation and become the new "Light of Android"?

Image Upgrade: Leica Imaging Evolves Again?

Since Xiaomi's 11 series established "Ultra" as the designation for its top-of-the-line models, the suffix has become synonymous with "imaging flagship" in the smartphone market. Brands like Xiaomi, OPPO, vivo, and Huawei have all adopted the "Ultra" suffix for their imaging flagships, highlighting its significant influence.

The Xiaomi 15 Ultra continues its predecessor's quad-camera setup, with its main lens remaining the Sony LYT-900, a 1-inch sensor with a large surface area. However, reports suggest that Xiaomi might abandon its stepless variable aperture design. Specific configuration details are yet to be confirmed.

For telephoto capabilities, the Xiaomi 15 Ultra will reportedly utilize the Samsung ISOCELL HP9 sensor, a 200MP periscope telephoto lens that made its debut on the vivo X100 Ultra. This telephoto lens boasts exceptionally high resolution, a massive sensor area, and cutting-edge reflective coating technology, undoubtedly aiming for the title of the strongest telephoto lens currently available. Additionally, another telephoto lens might be chosen, potentially the Sony LYT-600, filling the gap in focal lengths between 23mm and 85mm.

On the ultra-wide-angle front, the Xiaomi 15 Ultra maintains its predecessor's approach, with sensor model, aperture, and other parameters largely unchanged.

However, the Xiaomi 15 Ultra faces challenges in its imaging capabilities. Dismantling the Xiaomi 14 Ultra revealed that its internal hardware is reaching its limits, with four lenses occupying nearly the entire upper half of the device, leaving minimal room for improvements. To accommodate the Samsung HP9 sensor, the vivo X100 Ultra even abandoned its quad-camera design.

Xiaomi's ambition with the 15 Ultra is to "pack it with power" and maintain its title of the "Light of Android Imaging." However, the quad-camera setup in the Xiaomi 14 Ultra offers minimal improvement compared to its predecessor. Xiaomi's attempt to use AI imaging models to compensate for hardware deficiencies has yielded less-than-ideal results. If Xiaomi does manage to incorporate a quad-camera setup featuring the Samsung HP9 periscope telephoto lens, the imaging flagship battles in 2025 will become even more fierce.

Performance and Design: Powered by Snapdragon 8 Gen4, Battery Life May be a Challenge

Beyond imaging upgrades, the Xiaomi 15 Ultra will be equipped with the Snapdragon 8 Gen4 mobile platform, supporting the latest satellite communication technology and offering up to 1TB of storage space. The highly praised deep curved display from its predecessor will be retained, maintaining its 2K resolution. Peak brightness is expected to see significant improvement.

However, with such an extensive array of hardware features, the Xiaomi 15 Ultra faces a major challenge in managing its dimensions. Balancing imaging, display, performance, and cooling while integrating a battery exceeding 6000mAh might lead to an overall weight exceeding 230g.

Pangu OS 2.0: Anticipation for System-Level Breakthroughs

Apart from hardware upgrades, the most anticipated aspect of the Xiaomi 15 series is the Pangu OS 2.0 update. Earlier, rumors of Jin Fan, responsible for Xiaomi MIUI (now Pangu) clearing his social media accounts sparked concern about his potential resignation. However, official statements clarified that he was merely taking a break to focus on development. The first system update released after Jin Fan's "retreat" addressed numerous issues and introduced a new AI-powered XiaoAi assistant. Therefore, Pangu OS 2.0 is highly anticipated.

Xiaomi 15 Ultra: Can it Achieve the "Mi Charge Up" Dream?

Xiaomi has been chanting the "Mi Charge Up" slogan for years, and each Ultra model seems to encounter some unexpected hurdles. The Xiaomi 14 Ultra reached new heights in hardware, software, and market presence but suffered a rapid decline in reputation due to marketing missteps.

Xiaomi's Q2 2024 financial report showed stellar results in its mobile phone business, achieving milestones in Japan, Africa, and various other countries/regions outside China. Lu Weibing, president of Xiaomi Group, stated that Xiaomi successfully attracted users from Apple, Huawei, and other smartphone brands, adding 15 million net new users, marking one of the best performances in recent years. Notably, the Xiaomi MIX Flip received a positive market reception, with reportedly 42% of iPhone users opting to purchase it.

In reality, Xiaomi's most successful models remain its numbered series. Since Xiaomi's collaboration with Leica began with the 12S series, its imaging flagship journey has found its target and direction. The Xiaomi 12S is also a testament to Xiaomi's efforts in the small-screen market. Subsequently, the Xiaomi 13 and Xiaomi 14, both "small-screen flagships," garnered significant user support. Data from market research firm Canalys revealed that the Xiaomi 13 shipped approximately 900,000 units in Q2 2023, representing 10.5% of Xiaomi's total shipments for that quarter, which stood at 8.6 million units.

Compared to the success of the standard models in the numbered series, the Ultra models have experienced a more challenging path. The Xiaomi 13 Ultra failed to continue the success of its standard counterpart, primarily because it lacked a significant differentiation from the 13 Pro in terms of image capabilities, as both featured the IMX989 1-inch sensor. Consequently, most consumers opted for the Xiaomi 13 Pro instead of the heavily equipped Xiaomi 13 Ultra. The subsequent Xiaomi 14 Ultra faced similar issues. Amidst the intense imaging flagship battles in the first half of this year, the Xiaomi 14 Ultra, despite being the most balanced model with a largely uncontroversial imaging setup and tonality, lacked a standout presence against the backdrop of negative reviews for the OPPO Find X7 Ultra, vivo X100 Ultra, and Huawei P60 Ultra.

This sheds light on why Xiaomi chose to include the Samsung HP9, a "giant" periscope telephoto lens, as a potential option for the Xiaomi 15 Ultra, hoping to generate excitement in a seemingly stagnant smartphone market with a powerful feature. However, the reputation and sales of flagship ultra models often depend on factors beyond mere hardware specifications. Understanding the genuine needs of the target audience is crucial. Whether the Xiaomi 15 Ultra can succeed remains to be seen and will be determined by time.

Global Sales Champion Aspirations: Heavy Burden on Xiaomi 15 Ultra's Shoulders

Following the publication of its Q2 financial report, Xiaomi has set its sights on becoming the world's top smartphone seller. Data from TechInsights, a market research firm, revealed that the top three global smartphone manufacturers in Q2 2024 were Samsung, Apple, and Xiaomi, with Apple experiencing a significant decline and Xiaomi witnessing a steep upward trend. Although Xiaomi's momentum is strong, a substantial gap still persists between it and Apple.

While Xiaomi's Q2 mobile phone business witnessed significant revenue and overall sales growth, exhibiting strong performance in overseas markets, its domestic market performance remained relatively average. Despite increasing its market share in the high-end segment, Xiaomi's mobile phone gross margin experienced a decline. The upcoming release of powerful high-end models like the Xiaomi 15 series is expected to drive an improvement in Xiaomi's mobile phone gross margin. Therefore, the Xiaomi 15 Ultra carries a heavy responsibility, as it will determine Xiaomi's position in the high-end market, its overseas market momentum, and its place in the imaging phone arena, directly influenced by the performance of the new generation of Leica imaging technology.

Regardless of the outcome, the Xiaomi 15 series is now on its way. Time will tell if it truly lives up to the hype. We'll be sure to provide you with a hands-on review of the Xiaomi 15 series as soon as it becomes available. Stay tuned!