Xiaomi 15 Unboxing, First Impressions, First Photo Samples - The best small Android phone?

The new global version of the Xiaomi 15 is now official and it is one of the most interesting mobile phones in the world for us right now.

Meet Xiaomi 15, the best small phone today?

With a 6.36-inch display and measuring at 152.3 x 72.2 x 8.08 mm, the Xiaomi 15 is considered tiny for a modern smartphone.

But despite its small size, it could be big in performance. On paper, the Xiaomi is equipped with strong specs, highly capable Leica-tuned cameras, and plenty of GenAI capabilities making it a good all-rounder on paper.

Let's unbox it, and here's what we initially thought about it.

Unboxing/Accessories

The box and what's inside

Xiaomi kept the box and packaging simple. It arrived in a white box with Xiaomi 15 text print with Leica logo.

The case freebie

Inside the box, you will immediately find the phone itself. The handset comes with a pre-installed screen protector to protect it from unwanted scratches, which is a good thing.

After that, you will see that they included a thin and light TPU case that fits perfectly to the phone, paper documentations, and SIM ejector tool. It also has a USB-C data and charging cable.

We got the EU version of the phone so it has no charging brick included. But if Xiaomi ever brings to the country, it'll have a power brick.

Build Quality/Design

Legit high-end build

The Xiaomi 15 boasts a minimalist yet ultra-premium feel and look around.

The device boasts a flat smudge-and-fingerprint-free frosted glass material at the back with a micro curved aluminum frame with 33 percent improvement in strength versus its predecessor. The back cover is flat, available in White, Black, and Green colors.

There is also a variant with Liquid Silver heat-bent glass. But we are not yet sure if it will be available in the Philippines.

Underrated design, legit premium feel

Our unit is in White and it definitely looks beautiful. Without a case, its glass camera hump might make it a little wobbly when placed on a flat surface. The boxy hump on the upper right of its back containing its large camera sensors is big, so it will really be better if you put a case.

The device also has a micro curved aluminum frame promising 33 percent improvement in strength versus its predecessor.

Moreover, it has an IP68 rating for dust and water resistance. In particular, it can be submerged in fresh water up to 1.5 meters deep for 30 minutes.

The nice display of the Xiaomi 15

The front uses the Xiaomi Shield Glass. According to the company, this offers 10x better drop resistance than regular glass. It is a 6.36-inch display with a top-center notch, super-slim bezels of 1.38 mm, and sleek corner curves. The result? It has a 94 percent screen to body ratio, allowing a nice immersive overall display experience.

The company is calling this the "Xiaomi Guardian Structure".

The handset feels really solid. But of course, only time will tell if their claims are true.

Top and bottom

The frame (right side)

The phone measures just 152.3 x 71.2 x 8.08 mm, making it very easy to hold. All of its ports and buttons are easy to reach thanks to its compact size. The Xiaomi 15 is a little hefty for its size at 191 grams.

By the way, the phone is packed with Leica-tuned 3x 50MP cameras at the back with Leica Summilux lens. The first camera is a 50MP f/1.62 Light Fusion 900 sensor with OIS paired with a 50MP f/2.2 115-degree ultra-wide sensor and a 50MP f/2.0 2.6x telephoto shooter with OIS.

First Photo Samples

1x, 0.6x ultra-wide

Portrait zooms

By default, this phone produced some of the best-looking images we've seen in this category. I particularly liked that details are crisp in different focal points like in ultra-wide, wide, and 2.6x zoom.

2.6x zoom

Colors are close to accurate, especially on the ultra-wide and 1x. The zoom adds a little more contrast and saturation, but it is still acceptable, and at least it helps in making Portraits with more accurate proportions. Food shots are impressive with this phone.

1x black and white

Ultra-wide in dim lighting

Like all Xiaomi phones, you can select different filters like the Leica Authentic, Vibrant, and more. It also has one of the nicest black and white filters around.

Even in dim lighting conditions, I'm impressed on how the ultra-wide camera on auto mode handled the highlights and colors. Grain is minimal as well.

1x low light

I mostly used the Leica Authentic for a more natural look. Anyway, you can see how crisp the photo above is even in the dark. For me, it's one of the most capable point and shoot low light photography phones so far.

32MP selfie cam 1

32MP selfie cam 2

While the selfie camera has some beautification by default, it will not over enhance your features. This ranks among the most detailed I've seen. Even dim lighting, the colors didn't fade that much and noise is minimal. The edge detection of its Portrait mode is also on point. Impressive.

I barely touched the surface on what its cameras can do. I'm pretty excited to try the rest of its features, including the several Leica filters, do more low light tests, and check how good its 4K 60fps back and front videos are.

Xiaomi 15 Specs

Display: 6.36-inch Xiaomi Shield Glass protected 12-bit LTPO AMOLED screen w/ 120Hz refresh rate, 1920Hz PWM dimming, 2670 x 1200 resolution at 460 ppi

CPU: 4.32GHz 3nm Snapdragon 8 Elite octa-core processor

GPU: Adreno

RAM: 12GB LPDDR5X

ROM: 256GB/512GB

Back Camera: 50MP f/1.62 Light Fusion 900 sensor w/ OIS + 50MP f/2.2 115-degree ultra-wide sensor + 50MP f/2.0 2.6x telephoto w/ OIS + Leica Summilux lens + LED flash

Selfie Camera: 32MP f/2.0

Battery: 5,240mAh w/ 90W fast charging, 50W magnetic wireless charging, 10W reverse wireless charging

OS: Android 15 w/ HyperOS 2

Connectivity: WiFi 7, 5G, 4G LTE, Bluetooth 5.4, OTG, NFC, GPS (L1 + L5), GLONASS, Galileo, BeiDou, NavIC, dual SIM (nano)

Sensors: Accelerometer, light, orientation, proximity, gyroscope, sound, magnetic

Others: Ultrasonic In-Display fingerprint sensor, IP68 dust and water resistance, IR Blaster, stereo speakers, Hi-Res Audio, Dolby Atmos, 4x microphones, Xiaomi Wing-type IceLoop system, USB-C, Colors:  White, Black, Green

Dimensions: 152.3 x 71.2 x 8.08 mm

Weight: 191 g

Price: PHP 45,999 (256GB), PHP 49,999 (512GB)

As of the moment

AnTuTu score of Xiaomi 15

The Xiaomi 15 is the first high-end Xiaomi smartphone in years that I'll be using as one of my primary devices for the rest of the year. Considering I have access to nearly every top-tier smartphone on the Philippine market, that speaks volumes.

It's not the company's flagship, but it delivers flagship-level performance for LESS.

So far, this handset is definitely sleek-looking and handy. The display is bright and vibrant with up to 3200 nits. The overall operation is super smooth due to its top-of-the-line chipset (super fast with bearable heating under heavy tasks) and the battery can last for an entire day.

The best feature of this device so far is its camera system. It is highly capable and enjoyable to use.

The price is also more affordable compared to most smartphones with flagship chips and high-end overall specs. The 256GB version retails for PHP 45,999 while the 512GB variant is priced at PHP 49,999.

I am excited to try all of its new GenAI features in the next few days as well.

So far, this can give other more expensive flagships a run for their money.

See you in our full review.