Expect a similar camera system as the 14 Ultra, but with an upgraded periscope camera.
Xiaomi debuted the impressive Xiaomi 14 Ultra in February 2024, cementing its status as one of the premier camera phones available. Now, early whispers about the Xiaomi 15 Ultra are starting to emerge.
According to leaks from Weibo's Digital Chat Station, an upcoming top-tier Xiaomi handset will continue the tradition of featuring four rear cameras, including a pair of telephoto lenses. This strongly hints at the Xiaomi 15 Ultra, given its predecessor's quad-rear camera setup, which notably included two telephoto lenses. In contrast, the Xiaomi 14 and 14 Pro were equipped with triple-camera configurations.
The leak suggests that the Xiaomi 15 Ultra will deliver enhanced performance in the 10x to 30x zoom range, implying improvements in image quality and other aspects. However, the leaker cautioned in a subsequent comment that the device will still house a periscope camera offering approximately 5x zoom. This might leave those anticipating a dedicated 10x periscope lens feeling somewhat disappointed.
We're eagerly anticipating Xiaomi's enhancements to the already impressive cameras featured in the Xiaomi 14 Ultra, particularly considering the high praise from our colleague Rob Triggs, who described it as capable of capturing "some of the best photos ever taken by a smartphone." Additionally, our colleague Aamir Siddiqui found Xiaomi's device to outperform his Galaxy S24 Ultra in terms of camera performance.
However, Rob expressed concerns about aggressive image processing at longer zoom ranges, alongside criticisms of battery life and the presence of bloatware. Aamir also noted shortcomings in how the phone's AI-powered camera zoom handled images of people. Thus, we're hopeful that Xiaomi will address these issues in their upcoming releases.
