Xiaomi has officially taken the wraps off its latest flagship smartphone series, the Xiaomi 15 and Xiaomi 15 Pro, at an event in China.

The new models, as previously reported, are equipped with Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset and boast promising photography capabilities, thanks to a collaboration with legendary German camera maker Leica. In fact, the Xiaomi 15 and Xiaomi 15 Pro are the first phones in the world to wield the Snapdragon 8 Elite. Even more tantalizing is the promise that these devices will be the most affordable to feature Qualcomm’s top-tier silicon — at least for the remainder of 2024.

At the launch, Xiaomi CEO Lei Jun also confirmed that the newly launched lineup will get an international release soon. “What’s more, I’m thrilled to announce that we’re bringing the Xiaomi 15 series to global markets soon. This new series represents our next frontier, pushing the boundaries of innovation and design. Can’t wait to share it with you all,” he posted on X (formerly Twitter).

What’s more, I’m thrilled to announce that we’re bringing the Xiaomi 15 Series to global markets soon. This new series represents our next frontier, pushing the boundaries of innovation and design. Can’t wait to share it with you all. pic.twitter.com/ruAaY4Qb6e

— Lei Jun (@leijun) October 29, 2024

Xiaomi CEO Lei Jun’s announcement

While the exact timeline remains shrouded in mystery, rumors suggest a late 2024 or early 2025 global release. In the Philippines, the company launched the vanilla Xiaomi 14 in March 2024.

And the price? Xiaomi’s apparently staying true to its reputation for value. In China, the Xiaomi 15 Pro starts at a surprisingly reasonable ¥5,299 (around $744 or P43,341) for the 12GB/256GB configuration, climbing to ¥6,499 ($912 or P53,156) for the top-of-the-line 16GB/1TB variant. Meanwhile, the base Xiaomi 15 with 12GB/256GB will set you back ¥4,499 ($632 or P36,798), with the 16GB/1TB decked-out option topping out at ¥5,499 ($772 or P44,977).

The regular Xiaomi 15 offers an unprecedented level of personalization, with 20 distinct back-panel options and two frame choices, resulting in 40 possible configurations. For the truly extravagant, there’s the Diamond Edition. This limited-edition variant swaps out the standard back for crocodile-grain leather and embeds an actual 57-facet diamond on the side (because, why not?). Oh, and the camera island gets a sparkly makeover, too. Whether this blinged-out version will make it outside of China remains to be seen.

Xiaomi 15 comes in 20 customized colors 👀#Xiaomi #Xiaomi15 pic.twitter.com/17qKaHxCnt

— Mukul Sharma (@stufflistings) October 29, 2024

Show us your true color! 😍

If you prefer your flagships a bit more understated, the Xiaomi 15 Pro keeps things classic with four elegant colorways — Bright Silver, Rock Gray, White, and Spruce Green.

The Xiaomi 15 keeps things comfortably compact, retaining the compact size of its predecessor and boasting a 6.36-inch OLED display with a crisp 1.5K resolution. Bezels are practically nonexistent at a mere 1.38mm, maximizing that screen real estate. And because nobody wants a smartphone that dies before happy hour, Xiaomi’s crammed in a hefty 5,500mAh battery with blazing-fast 90-watt wired and 50-watt wireless charging.

For optics, the Xiaomi 15 rocks a Leica-powered triple-camera system with a 50-megapixel main sensor, ready to capture all your Instagram-worthy moments. There’s also a 32-megapixel front-facing camera for selfies and video calls.

Stepping up to the Xiaomi 15 Pro gets you a more expansive 6.73-inch 2K display with curved edges. Battery life gets a boost as well, with a 6,100mAh capacity powering this whole assembly and the same rapid-charging speeds.

Both phones share that impressive 50-megapixel triple-camera array, but the Pro model pulls ahead with a periscope-style telephoto lens capable of 5x optical zoom, besting the standard model’s 3x zoom. On the software side, the two models boot the brand’s own Android 15-based HyperOS 2.0 skin out of the box.

Xiaomi 15 Pro specs

• 6.73-inch LTPO OLED curved display, 1440p resolution, 1-120Hz variable refresh rate, 3,200 nits peak brightness, second-gen Xiaomi Longjing Glass
• 3nm Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite 5G processor
• Adreno 830 GPU
• 12GB/16GB RAM
• 256GB/512GB/1TB UFS 4.0 storage
• Triple 50-megapixel main with OIS, 50-megapixel telephoto with 5x zoom and OIS, 50-megapixel ultrawide rear cameras with Leica lens and tuning
• 32-megapixel front camera
• Ultrasonic under-display fingerprint reader
• 6,100mAh battery with 90-watt fast wired charging, 50-watt fast wireless charging
• HyperOS 2.0 based on Android 15
• IP68 certification
• Color options: Bright Silver, Rock Gray, White, and Spruce Green

Xiaomi 15 specs

• 6.36-inch LTPO OLED curved display, 1200p resolution, 1-120Hz variable refresh rate, 3,200 nits peak brightness, second-gen Xiaomi Longjing Glass
• 3nm Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite 5G processor
• Adreno 830 GPU
• 12GB/16GB RAM
• 256GB/512GB/1TB UFS 4.0 storage
• Triple 50-megapixel main with OIS, 50-megapixel telephoto with 3x zoom and OIS, 50-megapixel ultrawide rear cameras with Leica lens and tuning
• 32-megapixel front camera
• Ultrasonic under-display fingerprint reader
• 5,400mAh battery with 90-watt fast wired charging, 50-watt fast wireless charging
• HyperOS 2.0 based on Android 15
• IP68 certification
• Color options: black, white, silver, green, lilac

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