Xiaomi’s 15 Ultra impressed me earlier within the 12 months with its stellar digicam setup that gives excellent high quality for professional shooters. However the firm’s not completed for the 12 months simply but; the Xiaomi 15T and 15T Professional pack Leica-branded digicam programs and a number of high-end tech right into a metallic physique. I have been hands-on, and there is a lot to love.
Each the processor and the cameras put in strong performances throughout my hands-on time with them. Plus, I used to be intrigued to listen to a few distinctive new characteristic discovered solely on the Xiaomi 15T and 15T Professional: a walkie talkie mode for making device-to-device voice calls in areas the place there isn’t a cell service.
Learn extra: I Took Over 1,000 Photos With the Xiaomi 15 Ultra. Check Out My Favorites
On the time of writing, Xiaomi would not verify pricing particulars for the 15T or 15T Professional, however for reference, final 12 months’s 14T Professional began at £650 (roughly $880) within the UK and was a high-performing mid-range handset. I would anticipate the 15T Professional to come back with an identical price ticket. It is secure to imagine the bottom 15T will likely be at the least £100 cheaper. As with all of Xiaomi’s merchandise, an official US launch will not be on the playing cards.
Xiaomi 15T Professional cameras
The again of the 15T Professional is dwelling to a triple-camera array, which features a 50-megapixel major digicam, a 50-megapixel telephoto digicam with 5x optical zoom and a 12-megapixel ultrawide digicam.
Taken with the principle digicam, I like the nice and cozy tones and wealthy distinction right here.
The cellphone has stored deal with on publicity with this picture from the principle digicam.
On a sunny late summer time day in Edinburgh, I discovered the principle digicam able to taking strong pictures with even publicity, correct colours and loads of element.
There’s noticeably much less element in pictures taken with the ultrawide lens, particularly towards their edges.
Switching to the ultrawide lens, I am not fairly as impressed. The publicity steadiness is not nearly as good and the main points are noticeably poorer, particularly in direction of the sting of the body. Nonetheless, it is positive for snaps.
At 5x zoom, pictures are crisp and clear.
However the 5x optical zoom is spectacular, delivering crisp particulars and constant publicity dealing with, identical to the principle digicam.
There are numerous coloration profiles to select from on the cellphone.
As with the Xiaomi 15 Extremely, it is the Leica-branded black-and-white preset that I hold coming again to. It delivers a punchy look that I actually love.
The front-facing digicam captured a vibrant picture right here, with out an excessive amount of unnatural pores and skin smoothing.
Just like the 15 Extremely, it additionally affords a Professional mode that permits you to shoot in RAW, manually regulate settings and select from numerous coloration profiles — together with a number of of the identical Leica-branded ones discovered on Leica’s common cameras.
Xiaomi 15T Professional: Design and show
The cellphone is made with an aluminum alloy body and a glass fiber again, which feels sturdy in hand, whereas its IP68 waterproof score means the occasional splash will not be an issue. I feel the cellphone seems to be a bit plain; even its “mocha gold” coloration leans extra in direction of Seventies sofa brown. However seems to be are subjective and hardly matter for those who’re simply going to throw a case on it anyway.
The metallic and glass fiber development feels sturdy to carry.
The 6.8-inch show is brilliant sufficient to be used in direct daylight, with wealthy colours and loads of display actual property to do justice to cellular video games or YouTube movies — excellent to your commute.
Xiaomi 15T Professional: Processor, battery and extras
The 15T Professional runs on a MediaTek Dimensity 9400+ processor, which clocked some first rate scores on the Geekbench 6 benchmark take a look at. It got here in a bit shy of the Galaxy S25 Extremely, however a good manner above the Google Pixel 10 Professional XL. In on a regular basis use, I discovered it nippy and it dealt with gaming in PUBG and Future: Rising with none points.
Powering the cellphone is a 5,500-mAh battery, which ought to get you thru a full day of combined use. It helps as much as 90W wired charging, which ought to get juice again within the tank in a short time, assuming you could have a appropriate charger.
The 15T Professional’s show is fairly straightforward to view beneath direct daylight.
The cellphone runs Android 15 at its core and I am a bit peeved that it comes preinstalled with a bunch of third-party apps, together with Amazon purchasing, Amazon music, AliExpress, Fb and extra. It makes the cellphone really feel cluttered proper out of the field; I like to recommend uninstalling no matter you don’t need earlier than you even start putting in your personal apps.
An attention-grabbing new characteristic is offline communication, which lets two 15T sequence telephones make direct device-to-device voice calls from as much as 1.9 kilometers away. It primarily turns the cellphone right into a walkie-talkie, choices a solution to talk in areas the place there isn’t any cell service — like whenever you’re climbing with pals within the wilderness. It is a novel concept, and so far as I do know, distinctive to Xiaomi. That stated, it presently solely works if each you and your good friend have a Xiaomi 15T or 15T Professional, so hopefully the corporate rolls it out to extra units quickly.
The Xiaomi 15T (left) and the 15T Professional (proper).
Xiaomi 15T and 15T Professional: Are they any good?
The 15T Professional’s strong processor and digicam efficiency make it an honest all-round cellphone for what I am hoping will likely be an inexpensive mid-range price ticket. Whereas it will not offer a lot competitors to the likes of the Galaxy S25 Extremely or the brand new iPhone 17 Pro, it is acquired every thing you’d want from an on a regular basis Android cellphone.
The bottom 15T packs a lot of the similar digicam setup however makes use of a barely much less highly effective processor and misses out on the 90W quick charging present in its Professional sibling. I anticipate it to price even much less, making it a greater possibility for those who’re purchasing on a funds.
