Xiaomi 15 and 15 Ultra harness Leica for a photographer's kit bag of cameras

Xiaomi's new flagship phones have just been revealed at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. The Xiaomi 15 (a compact model) and the Xiaomi 15 Ultra (the fully fledged pro model) are both impressive in their own right, but its the spec on the Ultra that is likely to drop some jaws.

Described by Xiaomi as the 'next pinnacle', the 15 Ultra is built for professional photographers, according to the presentation. That's in reference to the quad-camera array on the back of this device that includes not just a 1-inch sensor for its 'main camera' but also a 200MP 1/1.4 sensor on its telephoto lens.

The four cameras are designed to mimic the range of lenses carried by professional photographers. The ultra wide 0.6x gives you a 14mm, while the main 1x camera also crops in to 2x, giving you 23mm and 46mm options. Then on the telephoto end, the 3x camera gives you a 70mm, while the longer 4.3x gives you 100mm, up to 200mm when cropped in.

Xiaomi 15

For those just looking for a high-end compact android phone, the Xiaomi 15 is impressive. With a 6.36-inch display and ultra-thin 1.36mm bezels, the phone sits nicely in your hand and features an aluminium frame. That display is a CrystalRes dynamic AMOLED with 1 to 120Hz refresh and 3200 nits of brightness.

While not quite to the level of the Ultra, the Xiaomi 15's camera array is also very capable. It features a triple array of 50MP cameras, including a 0.6x, 1x and 2.6x. These can also crop in, giving you a 2x and 5x telephoto option too.

The phone is powered by the Snapdragon 8 Elite chip – the same as in the Xiaomi 15 Ultra, and there's a larger battery too. You get a 5240mAh battery here for upto 25 hours of playback. You also get fast charging, with 90W wired charging and 50W wireless charging.

Xiaomi 15 Ultra

The Ultra really leans into its photography focus. Aside from the white and black versions of the phone, a silver chrome model gives a two-tone back with a vegan leather texture to mimic a classic Leica look.

The larger 6.7-inch display also has 3200 nits of brightness and a 1-120Hz refresh from what it calls its 'all around liquid display. It now has strengthening on all four sides with the Xiaomi Guardian structure 2.0 as well as the Shield Glass 2.0.

The use of the Snapdragon 8 Elite shows the amount of power this phone has, and it uses a 3D dual-channel iceloop cooling process to ensure that the chip runs at its optimum temperature.

One fun addition is the Photography kit for the Ultra, called the Legend Edition. This attaches to the phone, giving you a handgrip with a shutter button and lens ring adapters to allow you to attach filters in front of the rear cameras. It also includes a power bank in the grip to provide an additional 2000mAh of battery.

Prices for the two handsets have also been revealed – in Euros at least. The Xiaomi 15 will retail for 999 Euro, while the 15 Ultra will cost 1499 Euro. I expect the GBP prices will be close to the direct conversions, so around £899 and £1299.