Xiaomi 15 Ultra: Five Years in the Making, the Birth of a Peak Imaging Technology Flagship

Xiaomi 15 Ultra: Five Years in the Making, the Birth of a Peak Imaging Technology FlagshipAfter the launch of the Xiaomi 15 Ultra, no other competitor's Ultra can be called an Ultra anymore. Lu Weibing

Xiaomi 15 Ultra: Five Years in the Making, the Birth of a Peak Imaging Technology Flagship

After the launch of the Xiaomi 15 Ultra, no other competitor's Ultra can be called an Ultra anymore. Lu Weibing. This resounding statement showcases Xiaomi's immense confidence in the product and marks a significant victory in Xiaomi's five-year journey towards the high-end market. The Xiaomi 15 Ultra is undoubtedly Xiaomi's most satisfying achievement in its five-year high-end strategy. It's not merely a phone; it's the culmination of years of technological accumulation in the mobile imaging field.

From the inception of the collaboration with Leica on the Xiaomi 12S Ultra in 2022, to the Xiaomi 13 Ultra leading the mobile imaging optical era in 2023, and the Xiaomi 14 Ultra redefining mobile imaging in 2024, Xiaomi, hand-in-hand with Leica, has iterated through three generations of Ultra flagship phones. Each generation embodies Xiaomi's full technological prowess, striving for perfection in defining the standard of a "top flagship." However, true industry leadership isn't just about technological breakthroughs; it's about setting trends and becoming the benchmark for competitors to emulate.

The Xiaomi 15 Ultra demonstrated its leadership potential even before its release. When Xiaomi teased this flagship under the codename "Night God," it quickly triggered imitation from competitors, who rushed to launch similarly named products. This wasn't a coincidence; it's strong evidence of the Xiaomi 15 Ultra's leading position in the 2025 domestic imaging flagship market.

However, Xiaomi's ambitions extend far beyond this. The Xiaomi 15 Ultra's positioning has evolved from a simple "imaging flagship" to a "peak imaging technology flagship," reaching the pinnacle of Xiaomi's current technology in imaging, battery life, and communication capabilities.

I. Imaging System: The Pinnacle of Leica's Ultra-Pure Optical System

In terms of imaging technology, the Xiaomi 15 Ultra debuts the revolutionary "Leica Ultra-Pure Optical System," featuring a "1-inch main camera" and a "Leica 200MP super telephoto lens," forming a powerful "king and queen" imaging combination, representing the highest standard in current mobile phone imaging hardware. This quad-camera system covers a 14-400mm focal length range, akin to a pocket-sized "big three," capable of handling 99% of everyday shooting scenarios.

• 14mm f/2.2 120 Ultra-Wide-Angle Lens: This lens minimizes distortion when shooting landscapes and architecture, while boasting the highest light intake among its peers.

• 23mm f/1.6 1-inch "King" Main Camera Lens: Featuring the largest 1-inch main camera sensor and the largest aperture in a phone to date, it effortlessly captures images with a DSLR-like quality.

• 70mm f/1.8 Telephoto Lens: Utilizing a floating lens structure, it functions as a high-quality large-aperture mid-telephoto lens and also supports 10cm super macro photography.

• 100mm f/2.6 "Queen" Super Telephoto Lens: Currently the strongest super telephoto lens known, it boasts an ultra-high 200MP resolution, and its powerful cropping capabilities allow for an equivalent 400mm focal length.

This imaging system benefits from Xiaomi and Leica's latest research in mobile optics. Every detail, from the internal structure of the optical path to the external optical components, has been meticulously redesigned. Even the lens protection glass employs a new "Leica Ultra-Low Reflection Lens Glass," significantly improving image quality across all focal lengths, drastically reducing "ghosting" in night shots, and enhancing scratch resistance by 82.4%. The large sensor and large aperture design also grant it exceptional low-light and action shot capabilities.

II. Battery and Charging: 6000mAh Jinsha River Battery, Blazing-Fast Charging

The Xiaomi 15 Ultra debuts a 6000mAh Jinsha River battery with an ultra-high 10% silicon content, the largest battery capacity in the Ultra series. The company claims it offers 1000 effective charging cycles with a usable capacity remaining 90%. In terms of charging, it supports Xiaomi Surge 90W wired flash charging and 80W wireless flash charging, also reaching industry-leading levels.

III. Communication Capabilities: The Power of Xiaomi Surge Communication System

In communication, the Xiaomi 15 Ultra also demonstrates its strength. It employs a three-chip design with two T1S chips and one T1 chip, coupled with a 4 low-frequency + 6 mid-high frequency antenna array. It supports 7km off-grid calls and features BeiDou + Tianlong dual-satellite communication functionality. This technology simultaneously improves the strength of cellular network, Wi-Fi 6E, and GPS signals by 42%, achieving the highest communication standard ever in a Xiaomi phone.

IV. Exterior Design: The Perfect Fusion of Legendary Colorways and Metal

The Xiaomi 15 Ultra uses a legendary two-tone design, such as the Pine Green colorway, cleverly combining a silver metallic texture with a dark green leather texture for a striking visual contrast. The camera lens features a unique anti-reflective design, depositing multiple layers of coating on the lens surface to create countless "pyramid"-shaped surface structures, allowing light to enter without reflection for purer low-light optical performance. The large circular camera module seamlessly integrates with the overall design.

The phone's frame features a four-curved wrap-around design made of aerospace-grade 6M42 aluminum alloy, balancing durability and a thin, comfortable feel. The "Ultra" badge on the top left of the back is inspired by the rangefinder viewfinder of classic cameras, adding a touch of retro charm and high-end feel.

The front houses a 6.73-inch 2K LTPO display, supplied by Huaxing Optoelectronics, supporting a 1-120Hz adaptive refresh rate, a peak brightness of up to 3200 nits, and features a super sunlight screen, dynamic tone, and gamma mapping, ensuring clear display even in direct sunlight. The phone adopts a fully micro-curved screen design, offering the visual appeal of a flat screen with the comfortable feel of a curved screen. The screen surface uses Dragon Crystal Glass 2.0, increasing mechanical strength by 20-30% and significantly enhancing drop resistance.

V. Performance and Gaming: Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Mobile, Peak Performance Unleashed

The Xiaomi 15 Ultra is powered by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Mobile processor, paired with LPDDR5X and UFS 4.0 storage (test model: 16GB+1TB), delivering powerful performance. The Xiaomi 15 Ultra's cooling system has also been upgraded, employing a "dual-channel stereo ring cold pump" design to simultaneously cool the SoC and imaging system, ensuring stable operation even under extreme conditions.

AnTuTu benchmark score exceeds 2,738,000, with a Geekbench 6 single-core score of 3058 and a multi-core score of 9161. The sequential read speed of the flash memory reaches 3987.11 MB/s, and the sequential write speed reaches 3936.84 MB/s.

In gaming tests, Genshin Impact achieved an average frame rate of 59.8 FPS at the highest graphics settings in 60fps mode, and Honkai: Star Rail achieved an average frame rate of 54.5 FPS at the highest graphics settings in 60fps mode. While frame rate fluctuations occurred during prolonged high-load gaming, this is related to the phone's imaging-performance-oriented design, as the Xiaomi 15 Ultra prioritizes the sustained and stable output of its imaging capabilities.

VI. Charging and Battery Life: The Perfect Combination of Ultra-Long Battery Life and Blazing-Fast Charging

The Xiaomi 15 Ultra packs a 6000mAh Jinsha River battery and supports 90W wired flash charging and 80W wireless charging. Charging tests show that it takes only 45 minutes to charge from 1% to 100%. Battery life tests, simulating daily user scenarios under stress, show a battery life of approximately 9 hours.

VII. Conclusion: A Leap in Imaging Technology and Future Outlook

From the "Android Light" Xiaomi 11 Ultra to the "Night Eye" Xiaomi 15 Ultra, Xiaomi has achieved a monumental leap in mobile imaging technology in five years. The Xiaomi 15 Ultra has made groundbreaking advancements in imaging hardware, optical design, and software algorithms, transitioning from "algorithmic night scenes" to "optical night scenes." Its powerful imaging capabilities, ultra-long battery life, blazing-fast charging, and advanced communication technology make the Xiaomi 15 Ultra a truly deserving peak imaging technology flagship. Xiaomi's exploration of imaging technology continues, and the Xiaomi 15 Ultra undoubtedly sets a new benchmark for future development.