Xiaomi unveils flagship 15 Ultra phone as its 15th anniversary approaches

Xiaomi Group on Thursday held a product launch in Beijing, unveiling the Xiaomi 15 Ultra smartphone and Xiaomi SU7 Ultra car. As the company’s most advanced smartphone to date, the Xiaomi 15 Ultra boasts the latest Snapdragon 8 Elite processor, a 200MP camera, a 2K display, a 6,000mAh battery, and cutting-edge satellite communication support.

During the event, Xiaomi CEO Lei Jun noted that April 2025 will mark the company’s 15th anniversary, saying that Xiaomi will continue to focus on its long-term strategy of building a product ecosystem of intelligent devices, smart homes, and vehicles.

Why it matters: By creating a unified ecosystem, Xiaomi aims to offer intelligent integration across devices, which could drive long-term growth and position it as a dominant player in various tech sectors. 

Details: The Xiaomi 15 Ultra is available in four colors: black, white, silver-black, and green. The flagship smartphone comes at a starting price of RMB 6,499 ($892).

• The new device is equipped with the Snapdragon 8 Elite processor and a massive 6,000mAh battery. With regular use, the battery can last up to a day and a half, and supports around eight hours of video-watching, the company claimed. The phone also offers a 2K display with a brightness of 3,200 nits, LTPO 1-120Hz adaptive refresh rate, and ultrasonic fingerprint recognition.
• The 15 Ultra features a four-camera Leica set-up, including a 50MP main camera with a 1-inch sensor, a 50MP ultra-wide lens, a 50MP telephoto lens, and a 200MP periscope lens. The 200MP periscope lens, using a Samsung HP9 sensor and supporting 4.3x periscope zoom, enables the phone to capture clear photos at long distances.
• The new model allows two-way calls up to seven kilometers apart in areas without network coverage, but both parties must use Xiaomi phones that support this feature. Additionally, Xiaomi said its latest phone supports the Apple ecosystem, with the 15 Ultra enabling photo and file transfers from iPhone, iPad, and Mac devices.

Context: At the launch event, Lei announced that Xiaomi’s R&D investment for 2025 would reach RMB 30 billion ($4.12 billion), with 25% allocated to AI and related sectors. On Feb. 14, Xiaomi integrated its phone operating system, HyperOS, with the domestic AI model DeepSeek-R1.

• After integrating the DeepSeek-R1 model, Xiaomi’s phone assistant allows users to activate the service by simply saying “Open DeepSeek” in the presence of the smartphone.