Xiaomi's Double "Ultra" Assault: Witnessing the Flagship Phone and Supercar Showdown at the End of February

Xiaomi's Double "Ultra" Assault: Witnessing the Flagship Phone and Supercar Showdown at the End of FebruaryOn February 5th, the first working day of the Year of the Snake, Xiaomi founder, chairman, and CEO Lei Jun announced the upcoming release of the Xiaomi 15 Ultra and Xiaomi SU7 Ultra by the end of the month. This news immediately ignited the tech world, as Xiaomi is simultaneously launching its most expensive flagship smartphone the Xiaomi 15 Ultra, known for its imaging capabilities alongside its most expensive electric vehicle the supercar Xiaomi SU7 Ultra a move described as Xiaomi's own "Spring Festival Gala

Xiaomi's Double "Ultra" Assault: Witnessing the Flagship Phone and Supercar Showdown at the End of February

On February 5th, the first working day of the Year of the Snake, Xiaomi founder, chairman, and CEO Lei Jun announced the upcoming release of the Xiaomi 15 Ultra and Xiaomi SU7 Ultra by the end of the month. This news immediately ignited the tech world, as Xiaomi is simultaneously launching its most expensive flagship smartphone the Xiaomi 15 Ultra, known for its imaging capabilities alongside its most expensive electric vehicle the supercar Xiaomi SU7 Ultra a move described as Xiaomi's own "Spring Festival Gala." This article will detail the specifications and highlights of these two "Ultra" products based on currently available information.

Xiaomi 15 Ultra: Imaging Pinnacle, Leica Enhanced

As Xiaomi's highest-end flagship phone each year, many of the Xiaomi 15 Ultra's specifications have already been circulating, such as its screen, processor, and battery life, which largely maintain Xiaomi's consistently high standards and are consistent with the Xiaomi 15 Pro. Its core hardware configuration can be summarized as follows: Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy processor across the board, 12GB LPDDR5X RAM minimum, USF4.0 storage, a large 6000mAh battery, 90W wired fast charging, and 50W wireless fast charging. Furthermore, the Xiaomi 15 Ultra will feature features not found on the Xiaomi 15 Pro, including Beidou satellite messaging and a professional photography grip, further enhancing user experience.

In short, the Xiaomi 15 Ultra boasts arguably the strongest hardware configuration in the Android camp, but its biggest highlight is undoubtedly what its "Ultra" designation represents its imaging system. Compared to its predecessor, the Xiaomi 14 Ultra, all four cameras on the Xiaomi 15 Ultra have received upgrades of varying degrees.

For the main camera, the Xiaomi 15 Ultra continues to use the acclaimed 1-inch Sony IMX989 sensor, retaining the f/1.63-f/4.0 stepless adjustable aperture. As one of the industry's top CMOS sensors, the Sony IMX989 boasts powerful light sensitivity, higher purity, and dynamic range, capable of capturing clearer and more detailed images.

For the ultra-wide-angle lens, the Xiaomi 15 Ultra upgrades the Sony IMX858 from the Xiaomi 14 Ultra to the Samsung JN5. While both sensors have 50MP, the Samsung JN5, thanks to its Dual Vertical Transfer Gate (D-VTG) and Dual Slope Gain (DSG) technologies, performs significantly better in low-light conditions, effectively reducing noise and enhancing image quality in dark environments. This upgrade is a boon for users who frequently shoot night scenes of buildings with an ultra-wide-angle lens, as the night photography capabilities of many ultra-wide-angle lenses on other phones are often less than ideal. The Xiaomi 15 Ultra aims to solve this pain point.

The telephoto lens retains the previous generation's 50MP Sony IMX858 sensor, supporting 3x optical zoom, a 70mm equivalent focal length, and an f/1.8 aperture, along with macro capabilities.

The biggest upgrade to the Xiaomi 15 Ultra's imaging system lies in its periscope telephoto lens. It upgrades from the previous generation's 50MP Sony IMX858 to a 200MP Samsung ISOCELL HP9 sensor, featuring an f/2.6 aperture, a 1/1.4-inch large sensor, supporting 4.3x optical zoom and a 100mm equivalent focal length. The 200MP high resolution significantly enhances telephoto capabilities, capturing more detail and maintaining high clarity even after cropping. It also offers advantages in telephoto night and macro photography, better brightening dark areas and controlling noise.

Due to the larger size of the 200MP CMOS, the rear camera module design differs from the symmetrical arrangement of the previous generation. The 200MP periscope telephoto lens is positioned alone in the upper right corner, while the other three cameras are arranged in a line.

In summary, the Xiaomi 15 Ultra continues the Ultra series' excellent main camera performance and significantly improves capabilities in other shooting scenarios, including telephoto, ultra-wide-angle, and night photography. For serious photography enthusiasts, the Xiaomi 15 Ultra is undoubtedly a flagship worth considering.

Beyond the enhanced imaging capabilities, the Xiaomi 15 Ultra also features design improvements, introducing a two-tone back cover similar to Leica cameras, creating a strong retro feel. This reflects Xiaomi's commitment, in collaboration with Leica, to integrating Leicas brand DNA not only in technology but also in design, creating a truly refined product.

Xiaomi SU7 Ultra: Performance to Rival Million-Dollar Supercars, Aiming for Porsche and Mercedes Sales

The Xiaomi SU7 Ultra began pre-orders at the end of October last year at a pre-sale price of 814,900. Its main specifications have been largely revealed; the biggest mystery remaining is the final design and final price.

As a supercar, the powertrain is the core of the Xiaomi SU7 Ultra's competitiveness. It features a permanent magnet synchronous motor with a front-rear three-motor layout consisting of one V6s and two V8s, achieving a total output of 1138kW (approximately 1548PS) and a total torque of 1770Nm. It boasts a 0-100 km/h acceleration time of just 1.98 seconds and a top speed of 350 km/h. This powerful powertrain allows its performance to rival supercars costing millions, even tens of millions of yuan.

To match its immense power, the Xiaomi SU7 Ultra's braking system is equally impressive. It features a dual-chamber air spring damper with adjustable damping, and an Akebono high-performance braking system with six-piston calipers at the front and four-piston calipers at the rear, along with carbon ceramic brake discs, supporting high-intensity braking. Xiaomi officially claims that after 10 consecutive high-intensity braking events at 180 km/h, no thermal fading occurred.

Other specifications include a 93.7kWh ternary lithium battery provided by CATL, offering a CLTC pure electric range of 630km, and Xiaomi's self-developed Xiaomi Pilot Max assisted driving system.

In terms of appearance, the production version of the Xiaomi SU7 Ultra, to meet regulatory requirements, has removed some of the more aggressive styling elements from the prototype, such as the hood vents, front splitter, wide body, and large rear wing, resulting in a slightly more restrained visual effect. However, good news is that Lei Jun revealed in a New Year's Eve livestream that the production Xiaomi SU7 Ultra will offer an optional vented hood to cater to the needs of personalized customization.

Currently, the Xiaomi SU7 Ultra is available for static experience at 112 Xiaomi Auto stores nationwide. Lei Jun has set a sales target of 10,000 units for the year, meaning an average monthly sales volume of over 1100 units. This target is comparable to the average monthly sales of luxury cars like the Porsche Panamera and Mercedes-Benz S-Class costing over 800,000, demonstrating Xiaomi's ambition.

The "Double Ultra" Strategy: Can Cars Boost Phone Sales?

Xiaomi's decision to launch the Xiaomi 15 Ultra and Xiaomi SU7 Ultra simultaneously is clear: leverage the popularity of Xiaomi's electric vehicles to boost smartphone sales. In 2024, Xiaomi's automotive business saw rapid growth, with the Xiaomi SU7 exceeding 130,000 units sold and frequently surpassing the Tesla Model 3 in monthly sales to become the sales champion for electric vehicles over 200,000. The prototype Xiaomi SU7 Ultra also set a record for the fastest four-door car at the Nrburgring.

However, while Xiaomi's Digital series Ultra models have received positive reviews, sales have not yet reached a level to compete with rivals like Apple and Huawei. Therefore, Xiaomi hopes to leverage its automotive business to boost phone sales, but whether this will be successful remains to be seen by the market. Although the exact date of the launch event has yet to be officially announced, promotional posters circulating online suggest February 26th. We await the results with bated breath.