Xiaomi 15 Ultra; New Camera Killer?

Xiaomi 15 Ultra

Xiaomi recently launched the Xiaomi 15 Ultra globally on February 27th 2025 and on March 11th 2025 in India. The main highlights of the 15 Ultra is it's camera which is co-engineered with Leica which is a well known brand in germany which makes high-end camera's rifle scopes etc. Because of these partnership Xiaomi was able to absolutely push their limits in camera's specs.

Camera

Leica 14mm Ultra-Wide camera;50MP with 5cm super macro

Leica 23mm HDR main camera;50MP with Sony LYT-900 sensor

Leica 70mm Floating Telephoto camera;50MP with 10cm macro and (OIS)

Leica 100mm Ultra Telephoto;200MP with optical image stabilization (OIS)

The Ultra Wide camera can cover wider perspective and like vast landscapes which will expand our horizons. It also has Electronic Image Stabilization (EIS).

The HDR main camera has multiple focal lengths adjustments ranging from 23mm to 135mm with large apertures which give us pro level precision, even in extreme low-light conditions the 15 Ultra still manages to get ethereal portraits.

The Floating Telephoto camera give us detailed close-ups and helps us to zoom and still

get high quality photos. It is called Floating Telephoto because this design allows lens element to move internally during focusing and that is what enables close-up shots with peak quality. Where "floating" in the aspect of Xiaomi tells us it's ability to adapt it's lens structure for focusing in various distances for close-up shots while maintaining excellent quality.

The Ultra Telephoto camera is same as the 70mm Floating Telephoto camera but with more quality.70mm Telephoto is 50MP whereas the 100mm Ultra Telephoto is 200MP providing more details and quality it also has larger sensor. The (OIS) are equipped in both telephoto lenses which reduces blurry photos and videos while still providing quality zoom.

Video 

The Xiaomi 15 Ultra supports 4K 60fps 10-bit log video shooting for pro users and 4K 120fps Cinematic Slow Motion video recording with both 23mm main camera and 100mm Telephoto which gives us fascinating and immersive videography experience. It also supports Ultra Image Stabilization for shake-free videos and smooth zooming.

Xiaomi AISP 2.0

Xiaomi developed AI which can create more realistic life-like images. With computational power of AI, it will enhance photos with ease.

FusionLM 2.0

FusionLM 2.0 performs pixel-level multi-frame fusion in RAW format. The result is a significantly wider dynamic range, and also captures more detail in both the bright and dark areas of a scene of image, creating more realistic images.

ColorLM 2.0

ColorLM 2.0 ensures that the colours you see in your photos are accurate, vibrant, and have the right amount of texture. This means that if you take an image of a red flower it wouldn't be just flat red but will have variations in the depth of the colour like shadows, which make the image look more life-like and realistic and three-dimensional.

ToneLM 2.0

ToneLM 2.0 is same as ColorLM 2.0 but gives images real world lighting with cinematic and more vivid tone. This feature captures exact skin tone of a person, tone of the sky and more.

PortraitLM 2.0

PortraitLM 2.0 locks on to the subject infront of the camera and gives the background the bokeh effect (background blur). It also capture skin tone with greater accuracy just like ToneLM 2.0, with HDR support for more contrast. Even in challenging or complicated lighting conditions, it still gives us peak quality portraits. With this feature our images will have enhanced depth and detail in portraits with beutiful bokeh effect.

Photography Kit

The Xiaomi 15 Ultra also has a photography kit which we can buy seperately. This kit makes our photo session more exciting. It features a shutter button, detachable thumb support, for immersive experience. For protection we get a case which has grip and also delivers protection. Shutter button is detachable and comes in black and red colour. We can half press the button to lock focus, press it to take a photo, press and hold the button to take burst shots. We also get a customisable dial to adjust EV, shutter, ISO and white balance which makes it very easy to adjust these settings. It also has a toggle to switch from one focal length to another and we can hold it for a continuous and smooth zooming. Just left to the shutter button we get a video recorder button to quickly capture a scene. It comes with 67mm filter ring as a polarizer and other camera filters. It has a red decorative metal ring which makes the kit look moore unique.With the massive 2,000 mAh battery inside the grip provided can be used as a power bank so, that we will never run out of battery while shooting. It is chargeable with USB Type-C. The speciality of this kit is that it is IP54 splash and dust proof, so no worries of water and dust when shooting.

Overall Xiaomi 15 Ultra has one of the best camera in the smartphone industry. Thanks to Leica's partnership for their amazing work on their camera creating natural colour reproduction, sharp details across various shooting focal lengths with it's stunning zoom capabilities. For photography enthusiasts, the Xiaomi 15 Ultra presents a fascinating camera experience.