No Man's Land: Xiaomi Unveils the 15T and 15T Pro
With the 15T and the 15T Pro, Xiaomi introduces two new smartphones. They were designed to appeal to users who want more than a mid-range model can offer, but are not prepared to pay high-end prices.
Flagship smartphones are anything but cheap purchases. The recently launched iPhone 17 Pro Max, with the largest possible memory configuration of two terabytes, costs a whopping $2,500. In contrast, the Pixel 10 Pro XL with one terabyte of storage space is reportedly priced at $1,549. However, simple mid-range smartphones are inadequate for many people. The cameras in cheaper models have a reputation for being unable to keep up in terms of image quality most of the time.
Xiaomi recognized this gap early on. The T-series smartphones, in particular, were designed to impress with an attractive performance package that is hardly inferior to the high-end models, without entering into flagship price territory.
Xiaomi 15T Relies on Leica for its Cameras
This is particularly evident in the new Xiaomi 15T. The model features a rather conservatively designed chassis with a classic metal frame. It is available in three different colors—black, grey, and rose gold—as well as in 256 GB and 512 GB memory configurations from just €649. Why is the pricing in euros? Xiaomi doesn't officially release its phones in the US.
The high standards that the manufacturer has set for the series are particularly evident in the camera. The rear of the 15T houses a combination of three sensors developed by the camera specialist, Leica. The main camera, equipped with optical image stabilization, captures images at a maximum resolution of 50 megapixels. The same applies to the telephoto camera. The performance is said to be comparable to a classic lens with a focal length of 46 millimeters.
For panoramic images with a viewing angle of up to 120°, Leica relies on a sensor with a resolution of twelve megapixels in the Xiaomi 15T. Selfies are taken with a resolution of 32 megapixels.
Mediatek SoC Runs Beneath the AMOLED Display
The smartphone's AMOLED display should also leave nothing to be desired. Let's first take a look at the size: measuring 6.83 inches, the viewing area is generous with a refresh rate of up to 120 Hz. Maximum brightness is specified at 3,200 nits, which means that the content shown should remain easy to view even when you are under bright sunlight. Xiaomi is not chasing records when it comes to resolution. However, at 2,772 × 1,280 pixels—which corresponds to a pixel density of 447 ppi—it is at a level that will hardly leave even the most discerning eyes wanting more.
The fact that the 15T is not yet a high-end device is clear from the processor. The Mediatek SoC Dimensity 8400 Ultra is not the flagship of the x.400 series. The processor has eight CPU cores, all of which are based on the ARM Cortex-A725 architecture. Nevertheless, there are subtle differences: the most powerful core in the 1-3-4 order has an L2 cache with a size of one megabyte. For the three following cores, the memory allocated to each core is reduced to 512 kilobytes, and for the "weakest" cores to 256 kilobytes. A Mali-G720 graphics unit with seven cores is available for graphical calculations, and Mediatek also integrated an NPU for artificial intelligence processes.
15T Pro: Same Design, but Everything Else is Slightly Better
The 15T Pro can hardly be distinguished visually from the smaller model, but delivers a little more in many areas. This is already evident in the battery, which has a capacity of 5,500 mAh in both versions. However, only the Pro version can handle 90 watts wired via a dedicated charging cable; otherwise, it charges at 67 watts. Wireless charging—at 50 watts—is also unavailable on the basic 15T.
A similar picture emerges with the camera sensors, which, as with the smaller model, were developed by Leica. They feature the same resolution on the back, and only the light sensitivity of the main camera is slightly higher. On the other hand, the telephoto camera should enable magnifications that would only be possible with a lens with a focal length of 115 millimeters on a classic camera. The sensors used for handling ultra-wide-angle shots and selfies are identical to those on the 15T.
The displays of both Xiaomi models are also similar in terms of size, resolution, and color reproduction. However, the display of the Pro version is slightly faster with a refresh rate of 144 Hz.
The Processor Makes a Difference
A key argument in favor of the Pro version of the 15T is undeniably the processor. With the Mediatek Dimensity 9400, Xiaomi opted for a higher performance level. A few days after the unveiling of the successor, the manufacturer would have liked to have been able to fall back on this—the Dimensity 9,500 SoC.
Although the CPUs of the system-on-a-chip have a 1-3-4 structure, similar to the Dimensity 8.400, the ARM X925 core, which operates at a clock frequency of up to 3.62 GHz, is top-notch. This is followed by three X4 cores from the British chip developer; four A720 cores are sufficient for less demanding tasks. With the Immortalis-G725, the graphics unit installed by Mediatek also hails from ARM. However, it has twelve cores instead of just seven. The NPU should also deliver slightly more performance.
As with the smaller model, the processor also has 12 gigabytes of RAM at its disposal. Data storage, on the other hand, is a step up—in addition to 256 and 512 gigabytes, a volume of one terabyte is also available.
However, the Chinese manufacturer's pricing policy is unfavorable at this point: While the storage upgrade for the 15T is offered for €50, buyers of the Pro version, which costs at least €799, pay €100 for each additional storage level. Penny pinchers should also consider the Xiaomi 15, which is currently available for around €700 with 512 GB of memory and shares many of the same features, except for the Qualcomm processor, if they are looking for a decent alternative.
