Xiaomi 15 Ultra: The Beginning of the 2025 Flagship Imaging War?

Xiaomi 15 Ultra: The Beginning of the 2025 Flagship Imaging War?Xiaomi will hold a global launch event on March 2nd, 2025, officially unveiling the Xiaomi 15 series, with the highly anticipated "ultra-premium" imaging flagship, the Xiaomi 15 Ultra, taking center stage. This has been confirmed by Xiaomi Group's Lu Weibing

Xiaomi 15 Ultra: The Beginning of the 2025 Flagship Imaging War?

Xiaomi will hold a global launch event on March 2nd, 2025, officially unveiling the Xiaomi 15 series, with the highly anticipated "ultra-premium" imaging flagship, the Xiaomi 15 Ultra, taking center stage. This has been confirmed by Xiaomi Group's Lu Weibing. Coincidentally, the launch event takes place the day before MWC2025 (Mobile World Congress) kicks off on March 3rd, and the Xiaomi 15 Ultra is expected to have its global launch in Barcelona, Spain, during MWC. This isn't Xiaomi's first time launching products at MWC; they've frequently held global launches there, receiving extensive media coverage. Lei Technology will also send a reporting team to provide first-hand coverage of the Xiaomi 15 Ultra. Notably, the Chinese release of the Xiaomi 15 Ultra is expected to be slightly earlier, potentially at the end of February, but official details are yet to be announced.

As a first-to-market device, the Xiaomi 15 Ultra faces significant market pressure. Competing flagship devices at a similar level haven't yet been released, allowing Xiaomi 15 Ultra to adjust pricing and configurations based on market feedback, exploiting a "latecomer advantage." But can the Xiaomi 15 Ultra stand out in fierce competition and win the 2025 flagship imaging battle?

200MP Large-Sensor Camera, Long-Range Focus No Longer a Gamble

As an "ultra-premium" imaging flagship, the Xiaomi 15 Ultra's core competitiveness undoubtedly centers on its camera system. The "giant Oreo" camera module design remains a signature element of the Xiaomi Ultra series, but this generation seems to employ a unique stitching scheme, paying homage to classic Leica camera designs. The top left corner features the "Ultra" branding, similar to the Xiaomi SU7 Ultra, rather than the traditional Leica "Leica" logo.

Compared to the Xiaomi 14 Ultra, the camera module layout of the Xiaomi 15 Ultra has changed significantly. Three cameras are located at the bottom of the module, with only one periscope lens aperture at the top. This change is related to the adjusted imaging hardware of the Xiaomi 15 Ultra. Digital Chat Station previously leaked that the Xiaomi 15 Ultra will feature a 200MP periscope lens with a 1/1.4-inch sensor, f/2.6 aperture, and a 100mm equivalent focal length (4.3x zoom). This makes it the model with the longest native focal length in the current "200MP periscope club."

The large-sensor periscope lens is substantial; the 200MP periscope lens on the vivo X100 Ultra already significantly increased its thickness. The Xiaomi 15 Ultra's 100mm native focal length theoretically requires even more horizontal space. The advantages of a large sensor and ultra-high pixel count are evident in nighttime photography, resolution, and cropping capabilities key upgrade areas for the Xiaomi 15 Ultra.

The Xiaomi 15 Ultra retains a telephoto lens for zoom relay, expected to use a Sony IMX858 sensor with an increased aperture of f/1.8, maintaining macro shooting capabilities. Furthermore, a 1-inch super-large main sensor further solidifies the Xiaomi 15 Ultra's position as a top-tier imaging phone. Previously released Xiaomi 15 Ultra night scene dual telephoto sample images, shown in conjunction with the Xiaomi SU7 Ultra, clearly depict tiny water droplets on a car, showcasing rich image detail. While the shooting environment might have been professionally lit, the actual imaging results are still promising.

Due to the large size of the 200MP periscope lens, the Xiaomi 15 Ultra cannot maintain the symmetrical layout of the Xiaomi 14 Ultra, forcing the remaining camera modules to be repositioned lower. While the imaging results are highly anticipated, and the focal length relay between the multiple cameras appears seamless, the effect of this layout on zoom performance remains to be seen.

Official details on AI computational photography are still unavailable, but the goal for an Ultra imaging flagship should be to "remove the traces of algorithms using algorithms." Computational photography relies on optical hardware; the more raw information the native hardware provides, the higher the accuracy of AI calculations.

Besides the camera system, the Xiaomi 15 Ultra's core specifications are expected to be on par with the Xiaomi 15 Pro, including the latest Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, a 6.73-inch 2K resolution four-curved OLED screen, etc. Digital Chat Station also suggests that the top configuration of the Xiaomi 15 Ultra will offer Beidou short messaging and satellite communication capabilities.

In short, the Xiaomi 15 Ultra's biggest highlight is its camera system, particularly its ultra-large sensor and ultra-high pixel periscope solution, achieving a transition from "capturing the image" to "capturing it well." Telephoto lenses, crucial for expanding shooting scenarios, are increasingly valued by manufacturers, and Xiaomi is no exception.

Surrounded by Strong Competitors, Can the Xiaomi 15 Ultra Prevail?

The first half of 2025 will see intense competition in the flagship imaging market. Although the Xiaomi 15 Ultra boasts strong capabilities,Xiaomi isn't the only contender for the title of "best imaging phone of the year." Various manufacturers are readying their own "ultra-premium" imaging flagships, promising an exciting battle, with the Xiaomi 15 Ultra's chances of victory not being particularly high; a single dominant player in the imaging phone market is unlikely.

Currently available information indicates that the vivo X200 Ultra, OPPO Find X8 Ultra, and Huawei Pura 80 Ultra will all be released in the first half of 2025. The vivo X200 Ultra maintains the previous generation's triple-camera setup, but the main camera no longer uses a 1-inch sensor, opting instead for the newer LYT-818 sensor (1/1.28-inch), with a 35mm native focal length. The ultrawide camera also uses the same sensor as the main camera, and the telephoto lens maintains the 200MP periscope design.

The OPPO Find X6 Pro utilized a similar "triple main camera" concept, aiming for balanced capabilities across three focal lengths. The value of a 35mm focal length is increasingly recognized, and similar solutions are relatively rare in the industry, representing a unique approach. The OPPO Find X8 Ultra maintains the previous generation's quad-camera setup with dual periscope lenses, compensating for the insufficient light sensitivity of the 6x telephoto lens. OPPO's Zhou Yi Bao also revealed that the new phone will offer telephoto macro functionality. Digital Chat Station has leaked that the OPPO Find X8 Ultra will feature a multispectral sensor, the purpose of which remains to be confirmed by OPPO, but may be similar to Huawei's XD Fusion Pro image engine. In terms of core specifications, the OPPO Find X8 Ultra will boast a 6000mAh battery and single-point ultrasonic screen fingerprint recognition, standard for top-tier imaging flagships.

Information on the Huawei Pura 80 series is currently limited. Digital Chat Station has suggested the new phone might feature a 1/1.3-inch RYYB periscope lens group, a 1-inch RYYB main camera with a physical variable aperture, and the XMAGE image engine technology from the Mate 70 series, potentially debuting additional undisclosed technologies. As a series focused on imaging, Huawei is expected to make waves once again with its long-range capabilities. Rumors suggest that the Pura 80 series might adopt a dual-layer light-emitting OLED display technology, although this might be limited to the Pro+ or Ultra models due to yield rate considerations.

It's clear that, in addition to the Xiaomi 15 Ultra, other manufacturers' top imaging flagships are focusing on the telephoto segment, addressing previous shortcomings regarding light sensitivity and clarity, making it a versatile focal length suitable for various scenes and lighting conditions.

AI Computational Photography Reigns Supreme, But Should Phones Sacrifice Thinness and Grip?

The direction of flagship imaging phones is clear: computational photography relies on optics; hardware determines the lower limit of image quality, while algorithms determine the upper limit. For flagship imaging phones, large sensors and high pixel counts remain the correct path. The Xiaomi 15 Ultra targeted the 200MP periscope solution from its inception. While the main and ultrawide cameras are frequently used focal lengths, it's difficult to differentiate them beyond imaging style. The telephoto lens is key to expanding the breadth of mobile photography. It requires excellent focal length selection, robust hardware support, and sophisticated AI algorithms; telephoto capability directly determines the final level of mobile imaging.

The Challenges and Opportunities for the Xiaomi Ultra Series

Xiaomi's most successful phone products remain the numbered series. Since the collaboration with Leica on the Xiaomi 12S series, the paths of flagship imaging and compact flagships have broadened. The Xiaomi 13 and Xiaomi 14 laid a solid foundation for compact flagships, and sales of the Xiaomi 15 series experienced a boom. To date, the Xiaomi 1