Xiaomi 15T Pro review: Leica camera power without flagship price

In a world where flagship smartphones hit the headlines, and budget handsets offer some seriously impressive features, the middle ground seems like a forgotten wasteland.

Not expensive enough to stand out, lacking top-tier tech, but too pricey to lure in bargain hunters, the sub-flagship level misses out on the limelight.

Xiaomi seems determined to change that though, with the arrival of the new 15T series, which has launched today.

Among the reasonably impressive list of attributes is a camera setup that Xiaomi says could rival the flagship phones out there.

If that were to be true, it would mean the 15T series makes a strong case for itself, because this mid-tier price point is sought out by those who want the best bang for their buck - and the feature most people care about in their phones is the camera.

I've been testing the 15T Pro for a few days, and it's fair to say it's a serious contender for anyone who takes their mobile photography seriously.

It offers a triple-camera system co-engineered with Leica, including a 50MP Summilux main lens, ultra-wide lens, and a 5x Pro telephoto camera.

This setup claims to deliver everything from sweeping landscapes to sharp close-ups, with up to 20x Ultra Zoom for moments that demand precision.

There's a Light Fusion 900 sensor with 13.5 EV HDR, for low light performance, aimed at capturing vivid colours and fine detail even when the sun goes down.

Portrait and street photography are taken to the next level with Master Portrait mode — complete with creative bokeh effects — and Leica Street Photography mode, letting you shoot quickly from the lock screen with iconic focal lengths up to 135mm.

A 32MP front camera rounds out the photography package, perfect for selfies and video calls.

Video capabilities are equally impressive. The main camera handles 4K 120fps for cinematic slow-motion clips, while 4K 60fps 10-bit Log recording with LUT input offers serious post-production flexibility. HDR10+ support ensures videos stay vibrant across all focal lengths.

In practice though? Firstly the camera interface is lovely. Not too far removed from stock Android, but with some clever additions that help you quickly access the key settings.

There are some interesting Leica filters, which can add anything from film-like effect, to colour washes and interesting hues.

These can also be added in post-editing, but the in-camera Leica touches are nice.

Almost refreshingly, there's no heavy reliance on AI, or at least little mention of it, but with such decent hardware, there's less need for any software trickery.

Showing off the trick camera tech is the 15T Pro’s 6.83-inch screen, which has slim 1.5mm bezels, and there's a 144Hz refresh rate for fluid scrolling and gaming.

LIPO technology allows those slimmer bezels without increasing the phone’s footprint, giving an immersive edge-to-edge experience.

Peak brightness reaches 3200 nits, and eye-care tech plus DC dimming make it easy to use for long stretches.

The 15T Pro feels every bit as good as a high-end flagship in the hand. It's gone with the straight-edges trend, but they're slightly rounded at the extremities, and there's a unified glass fibre back which feels robust and doesn't show up fingerprints.

Strength is provided by Corning Gorilla Glass 7i and there's IP68 water and dust resistance. Xiaomi reckons you can immerse it in up to three metres of water, which is perfectly sufficient.

The handset is powered by a MediaTek Dimensity 9400+ chipset, which feels like old tech compared to some of the more powerful systems out there. And it does start to get quite hot under fairly heavy use.

Battery life is solid, though, with a 5,500mAh battery, and there's an impressive 90W wired charging capacity and 50W wireless HyperCharge.

UK pricing starts at £649 for the 12GB+256GB model and goes up to £799 for 12GB+1TB. Early buyers can grab extras like Xiaomi Pads, Fire TVs, or fast chargers, depending on the model, along with trade-in offers and a 12% student discount.

At this price, it's hardly a budget proposal, then, but it's around half the price of the most expensive smartphone royalty and its camera can hold up pretty well against them.

The Leica bling is far from a gimmick, and its strong photographic performance, coupled with cinematic video capability, and a great display means it's probably as close as you can get to flagship-level tech without spending flagship money.

The 15T Pro is a genuinely compelling choice in 2025.