Competent cameras

Review: Xiaomi 15T Pro - Flagship at a low price

An impressive camera in an affordable package now also updated to the latest software.

Published 9 December 2025 - 16:45

When we test a new phone, we want the conclusions we draw to be as close to the experience you as a consumer can expect as possible. Therefore, this test has taken the form of a long-term test and a pleasant one at that. When Xiaomi launched the 15T series at an event in Germany earlier this autumn, we were on site and also received test samples of the phones to borrow. There were several new features. Xiaomi had taken a lot of its camera technology from more expensive models to these slightly cheaper phones, and the collaboration with Leica was of course there as always. In addition, the Xiaomi 15T has a technology to make calls to another 15T phone even when there is no mobile coverage, and the 15T series is the first to feature Xiaomi's updated Hyper OS 3.

Wasn't ready, but now everything is in place

When I looked at all the news presented during the launch, however, not all of them were in the phone I tested. The reason was that many of the new features belong to the new software, and it is only now, two months after the launch, that the update has arrived, and it is possible to fully evaluate the phone.

I will not exaggerate the number of clear new features in Xiaomi's new system. The first thing I notice is that the icon for the photo gallery has changed appearance. However, there are some things that have been redone under the surface as well, and when I look through the photo gallery app, I also notice some changes there. I can customise the layout so that the selection of images I want is displayed directly when I open the app, and on the home screen and lock screen, there are also some new possibilities to customise the appearance. In general, there are both outright new features and things that have been refined but were already in the previous version of the system.

Affordable flagship

In many ways, this phone is a true flagship at a price well below normal flagships, especially now in November when many stores have sales and you can find bargains. I found the Xiaomi 15T Pro for just 7992 kronor at Xiaomi themselves when I clicked on the available discount coupons and promotions.

Not least for that price, it's a lot of phone for the money. The screen is sharp and bright, has a fast refresh rate and good brightness. There are also noticeably thin bezels around the screen, so you get a large screen without the phone itself becoming unnecessarily large. This is an oled screen, which means the black levels are good and the impression of the screen doesn't suffer even if you look at it a bit from the side instead of straight on. We also get an active lock screen, or always on display, so notifications, time and other information are constantly visible and you can take a quick glance at the screen to get updated without having to turn on the screen. All this without the battery being unnecessarily drained.

Anonymous design

The exterior of the phone doesn't promise much, it's anonymous to the point of being nondescript, but has slightly rounded edges so the grip is comfortable. It also comes with a rubber case that further softens the shapes and on the back, of course, is the camera module, which is one of the main highlights.

It's about three cameras that together make the Xiaomi 15T Pro versatile. A large sensor ensures fine and natural depth in the images as well as good colour range and dynamics in both daylight and more challenging situations. The portrait mode provides both good bokeh and fine, natural skin tones and makes use of natural light. The wide-angle is a bit weaker while the telephoto camera with periscope zoom provides sharp images up to 15 times magnification or at least certainly up to 10x. So it's about generous zoom, although the images I take with the app's maximum 100x are hardly particularly useful.

Unique communication without coverage

The phone as a whole is very useful and offers a lot for the money. The most unique feature of the phone, that I can make calls even without mobile coverage or wifi, I find limited use for, perhaps mainly because it only works with another phone in the 15T series. I have the sister model to the 15T Pro, Xiaomi 15T, so I can confirm that the communication between them works, but it is at the same time a rather limited means of communication. When I start the offline communication function, I get all 15T devices within range and it has always only been my own, other phone. I have tested both in open terrain and indoors where walls can block the signals and on the latter occasion the calls are easily broken even at shorter distances.

Questions and answers

How does the panel around the selfie camera work?

It, like a lot of other new features in Xiaomi's interface, has taken clear inspiration from the iPhone. Around the selfie camera's hole, for example, music playback, timers, voice recording, and charging information are displayed. Tap there and the information expands, and the idea is to keep track without needing to switch between apps.

What AI services does the phone offer?

Google Gemini is central, but Xiaomi also has its own features that edit photos, simultaneously interpret voice calls (though not in Swedish), and allow you to customise the lock screen. Overall, with limited usefulness for us, when I ask the AI in the notes app in Swedish, it understands the instruction but responds in German.

How is the performance?

It is clearly at flagship level, and among the new features in Hyper OS 3, Xiaomi has improved animations in the interface so it also feels like it flows better.

An alternative

Recently launched Oppo Find X9, which we are testing in parallel with this phone, has much in common, but Oppo, which is new to the Swedish market, has set the price tag slightly higher.

Camera example

Generous zoom and a fine main camera with a good sensor provide nice images with good depth and colour range.

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