Xiaomi 15 vs Xiaomi 15 Pro: Xiaomi’s latest go head to head
Xiaomi has just announced a new series of smartphones, which includes the flagship 15 and more premium 15 Pro.
Considering the two handsets both sport the same chipset, what are the differences between them? Should you opt for the Pro model to guarantee the best features?
To help you decide, we’ve compared the specs of both the Xiaomi 15 and Xiaomi 15 Pro and highlighted the key differences between the two here.
Keep reading to find out the differences between the Xiaomi 15 and Xiaomi 15 Pro.
Price
Both handsets are currently only available in China however we expect they’ll launch globally in the coming weeks.
The Xiaomi 15 has a starting RRP of 4499 RMB (Chinese yuan) for the standard 12GB and 256GB handset which roughly equates to around £490/$635.
Perhaps to be expected, the Xiaomi 15 Pro has a slightly pricier RRP of 5299 RMB for the standard 12GB and 256GB model. At the time of writing, this converts to approximately £575/$746.
Both run on Snapdragon 8 Elite chipsets
Both handsets are among the first to run on Qualcomm’s new flagship processor, the Snapdragon 8 Elite. An upgrade to last year’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset which powered many of the best Android phones, Snapdragon 8 Elite promises “unparalleled processing power, ground-breaking AI enhancements, and an array of never-before-seen mobile innovations.”
Qualcomm explains that the Snapdragon 8 Elite shares the same foundation as its flagship PC platform, Snapdragon X Elite, and brings an increased CPU and GPU performance which delivers up to 80 TOPS of comprehensive computer power for on-device AI functions.
The Xiaomi 15 Pro also has a self-developed HyperCore system kernel for “even more incredible performance potential” and an “upgraded cooling system” to enable faster cooling of high-temperature areas.
The Xiaomi 15 Pro offers 10x lossless zoom
Both handsets are fitted with three Leica rear lenses, with the Xiaomi 15 Pro sporting a 50MP main, 50MP periscope telephoto and 50MP ultrawide. The main lens offers a background blur which Xiaomi explains creates an enhanced “main character effect” in portrait shots, which we’re keen to test ourselves.
Its telephoto lens is the same one in the Xiaomi 14 Ultra and can achieve 10x lossless zoom. Considering in our early verdict of the Xiaomi 14 Ultra we concluded that its camera was the star of the show, this bodes well for the Xiaomi 15 Pro.
The Xiaomi 15 also sports three rear lenses which cover 14mm, 23mm and 60mm focal lengths. In addition, the Xiaomi AISP 2.0 platform has been upgraded and can compute up to 4.3 billion pixels per second to help speed up the shooting process and capture complex scenes.
The Xiaomi 15 Pro has a larger battery
Although the Xiaomi 15 Pro is 10g lighter than the previous generation, the battery capacity has increased by a whopping 1220mAh and is now sporting a 6100mAh cell.
The battery of the Xiaomi 15 is slightly smaller than the Pro alternative, however it is still impressively large for its price point, at 5400mAh. This puts it in line with OnePlus 12 yet it is significantly larger than the more expensive Google Pixel 9 which has just a 4700mAh battery.
Both handsets support 90W HyperCharge (wired) and 50W HyperCharge (wireless) charging too.
The Xiaomi 15 Pro has a larger screen
If you’re someone who prefers a larger handset then you might be tempted by the Xiaomi 15 Pro as it sports a 6.73-inch AMOLED micro-curved display. The display also boasts a refresh rate of up to 120Hz and can reach a max brightness of 3200 nits.
Otherwise the Xiaomi 15 features a 6.36-inch display that’s fitted with an ultra-narrow 1.38mm bezel, which should make it an ideal handset for streaming content. Like the 15 Pro, the 15 can reach a max brightness of up to 3200 nits while LTPO technology means it has a variable refresh rate of 1-120Hz to help reduce power consumption.
The two handsets are available in different colours
The Xiaomi 15 is available in five finishes in total, including a Liquid Silver Edition which features a rear glass panel that Xiaomi explains has “undergone an exceptionally refined hot-pressing process to create a textured ripple effect.” Otherwise, the handset is available in White, Black, Green and Purple.
Alongside its own Liquid Silver Edition, the Xiaomi 15 Pro is available in three other colours: Grey, Green and White.
Early verdict
As it’s titled as a Pro model, it’s easy to assume the Xiaomi 15 Pro is the better option of the two. However, as both handsets sport the new Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset, a capable-sounding trio of rear cameras and can support up to 90W of wired charging, the deciding factor may be down to price and whether you would prefer a larger display or not.
Having said that, we’ll need to review both handsets before making a definitive statement. We’ll update this article accordingly once we’ve spent time with the Xiaomi 15 and Xiaomi 15 Pro.