Xiaomi 15T review: a surprisingly premium mid-ranger | Tech Radar

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The Xiaomi 15T is an impressive mid-ranger that feels way more premium than the Google Pixel 10a

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The Xiaomi 15T captures the essence of Xiaomi’s premium flagship smartphones, but without the premium price tag. It combines an excellent screen, a solid all-around camera, and a premium ergonomic feel with a decent mid-range processor and outstanding battery life. Hyper OS takes some getting used to, but if you want an affordable yet premium smartphone that does all the core things right, the Xiaomi 15T is a fantastic choice.

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Building upon the so-so Xiaomi 14T, the Xiaomi 15T brings the core features of the excellent Xiaomi 15 lineup to a lower price point and is one of the more compelling choices in its category.

If you’re coming from an Ultra-branded phone, you’ll likely be disappointed. However, look past a few mid-range indiscretions, and you have a phone that offers everything the average user needs, and at an incredibly wallet-friendly price (especially so right now, given that the Xiaomi 17T is reportedly just around the corner).

If you’re looking for the very best AI features, cutting-edge performance, or a camera that can see far into the distance, you’ll be better served by the pricier Xiaomi 15T Pro or even the flagship Xiaomi 17 Ultra. But if you’re comfortable with a few compromises, the Xiaomi 15T is absolutely a phone you should consider.

The current retail price in the UK is ~£449, although it is available from £350

The Xiaomi 15T started at £549, but at the time of writing, it's now officially available for £449, and for as low as £349 via third-party retailers.

The Xiaomi 15T features a sizeable 12GB of RAM across all models, which, considering the current premium for RAM, makes the phone's low price even more impressive.

It comes in three colors — Black, Gray, and Rose Gold — and I’ve been using the latter for my testing. It’s beautiful and quite unique, but it is more bronze gold than rose gold in tone.

6.83-inch AMOLED (1280 x 2772), 120 Hz, 3,200 nits peak brightness

50MP, f/1.9, 46mm 1/2.75-inch sensor 2x optical zoom, PDAF

The Xiaomi 15T doesn’t really stand out for its design, but that’s also by design: Xiaomi wanted to build an upper mid-range phone that blends into your daily life, not one that stands out and makes a point. And the Xiaomi 15T absolutely delivers on that front.

The phone's screen features Gorilla Glass 7i protection, while the rear of the Xiaomi 15T features a composite matte finish that’s excellent at repelling fingerprints. This unique finish allows the Rose Gold color to appear iridescent, and while it always looks Rose Gold, there’s enough uniqueness that you’ll find yourself twirling it under the light.

Measuring 7.5mm thick and weighing 194g, the Xiaomi 15T is not the heaviest, lightest, thinnest, or thickest phone that you can buy. Simply put, it’s a middle-of-the-road device that weighs about the same as the Galaxy S26 Plus, though it is taller, wider, and 0.2mm thicker than that particular phone. It's a great size overall, but I do find it slightly too large to be used comfortably one-handed: phones like the Honor Magic 8 Pro Air and i Phone Air, which both use 6.5-inch screens, are the perfect size for me.

One particularly nice feature about the Xiaomi 15T is the chamfered edge design around its rear camera module, which adds a bit of pizazz to an otherwise standard-looking handset. That said, compared to many phones at this price point — the Google Pixel 10a and Samsung Galaxy A57, for instance —the Xiaomi 15T looks and feels distinctly more premium.

Two areas in which many mid-range smartphones often make trade-offs are display and design, but Xiaomi has taken an alternative approach with the 15T. As mentioned, its design feels premium, but its display wouldn’t be out of place on a much more expensive phone, either.

The Xiaomi 15T's large 6.83-inch AMOLED display features 12-bit color depth, HDR10+ support, and Dolby Vision certification, making it an absolute joy to watch movies on. It features an advertised peak brightness of 3,200 nits and a 120 Hz refresh rate, both of which are lower than the Xiaomi 15T Pro's, but neither proved to be an issue in my day-to-day usage.

One particularly noteworthy thing about this phone's display is that, while it can refresh at up to 120 Hz, it’s not the typical dynamic LTPO refresh rate you’ll find on many phones. Instead, the Xiaomi 15T has four predetermined refresh rates — 30 Hz, 60 Hz, 90 Hz, and 120 Hz — and it chooses between them depending on what's happening on-screen. In practice, this means it’s usually at 120 Hz when you’re using it, but for movies or other static use, it’s at 60 Hz. This helps strike a balance between buttery-smooth scrolling and power consumption, but it’s worth noting nonetheless.

Overall, the display on the Xiaomi 15T is very good, especially considering the price. This is not a screen I’d complain about on a much more expensive phone, and it works well regardless of lighting conditions.

The Xiaomi 15T features three rear cameras, and this is where I felt some disappointment. The 50MP main camera has an f/1.7 aperture and a 23mm focal length, while the ultra-wide camera has a 120° field of view and an f/2.2 aperture.

Both are more than acceptable at this price point, but the 50MP telephoto is somewhat strange. The large megapixel count is paired with an impressive f/1.9 aperture, but an odd 2x optical zoom range. Having reviewed many of the best phones, this 2x optical zoom feels like a strange choice, especially since Xiaomi hasn’t added any zoom stops beyond 2x in the viewfinder.

In many ways, it feels like the telephoto lens on the Xiaomi 15T is firmly an afterthought, but that is somewhat harsh, especially since this phone offers much more photography hardware than others at this price point. The Google Pixel 10a, for instance, is similarly priced but has just two rear cameras, as does the Samsung Galaxy A57 (if you don't count the latter's 5MP macro lens).

The Xiaomi 15T camera is Leica-branded, and the phone also comes with a color spectrum sensor. Overall, images are solid but unspectacular, and while the Xiaomi 15T's camera won’t win any awards, it offers solid all-around performance that is more than acceptable at this price point.

Media Tek Dimensity 8400 Ultra chipset is fine for most use cases

12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage provide excellent value for money, especially with the current RAM shortage

The Xiaomi 15T continues a trend of Xiaomi using both Qualcomm and Media Tek chips in its phones, with the Xiaomi 15T powered by the Media Tek Dimensity 8400 Ultra chipset. Despite the nomenclature, this chipset isn’t as powerful as the Dimensity 9400 Plus in the Xiaomi 15T Pro, but during my time with the Xiaomi 15T, I had zero concerns about the all-round performance.

One area where this chipset does somewhat struggle is with high-end gaming; its Mali-G720 GPU isn’t as performant as the Adreno 750 GPU inside the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 and other Qualcomm processors. This isn’t a huge problem, especially as the core target for the Xiaomi 15T isn’t gamers — that’s the Xiaomi 15T Pro with its higher 144 Hz refresh rate — but it’s worth keeping in mind if you like to game.

The Xiaomi 15T was released eight months ago, and in that time, the current RAM and storage shortages have led many phone makers to cut back. At the time of its release, the base variant of the Xiaomi 15T with 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage already beat most of the competition, and now the phone offers even better value for money.

Considering how many OEMs are cutting back on RAM capacities, even in flagship phones, the 15T's 12GB of RAM will future-proof the phone for years to come. This RAM capacity is also noteworthy because it means the Xiaomi 15T could well support Google’s new Gemini Intelligence feature suite, which requires 12GB of RAM to function (plus Gemini Nano v 3 support, which could be added to the 15T via a future Hyper OS update).

Four years of software releases and six years of security updates

Software is where Xiaomi has a love-hate relationship with many customers in Western markets, and the Xiaomi 15T somewhat follows this mold. However, I must commend Xiaomi, as its software is considerably better than it used to be, and everything works as well as on the best Android phones.

Many of my previous experiences with Xiaomi have seen Hyper OS preloaded with many apps, which were the first things I deleted. The Xiaomi 15T provided a pleasant surprise: it’s far more reserved, with fewer preloaded apps and more intuitive options and placements. One thing I absolutely love about Xiaomi’s Hyper OS is that it is the only launcher to offer a 5x 9 layout arrangement, which is perfect for taller screens.

When it comes to Android phones, there are usually two approaches: a simpler UX with limited options and a predetermined way of using it, or options to change everything. Xiaomi fits into the latter category: it’ll take some getting used to, but the sheer volume of customizations available in Hyper OS means that, if there’s something you don’t like, you can probably change it.

The Xiaomi 15T also comes with a new Astral Communication feature that allows you to make voice calls between two Xiaomi 15T phones. Think push-to-talk, but between two specific devices. It’s limited to just the Xiaomi 15T, which makes it less useful than it otherwise could be, but there are plenty of reasons this feature needs to come to all Android phones.

The Xiaomi 15T comes with at least four years of OS updates and six years of security patches, and Xiaomi is known for reliable updates and comprehensive update scheduling. The Xiaomi 15T launched with Android 15, and while the Android 16 update is available now, this will count as one of your four OS updates.

5,500m Ah silicon-carbon battery delivers multi-day battery life

A common trait among most Xiaomi phones is excellent battery life and superfast charging, and the Xiaomi 15T is no different. The UK version comes with a charger in the box that supports Xiaomi’s 67W Hyper Charge feature — mine didn't, as it wasn't a UK sample — while EU buyers will have to buy the charger separately, as it’s not included.

The Xiaomi 15T is powered by a 5,500m Ah silicon-carbon battery, which is the same size as the one in the Xiaomi 15T Pro. Sadly, there’s no wireless charging, which is somewhat expected at this price point, but aside from that, the battery life is more than acceptable.

On a full charge, the Xiaomi 15T lasts around two days with moderate usage, and you'll get around five to six hours of screen-on time. During my two stints using the phone to empty, it never once failed to last a full day, despite heavy camera use. Overall, then, the Xiaomi 15T boasts great all-around battery life that generally won’t let you down.

Xiaomi's design isn't super unique but the chamfered edges around the camera and Rose Gold finish are memorable.

This is a great all-around screen that wouldn't be out of place in a much more expensive phone.

Solid but unspectacular performance offered by the Dimensity 8400 Ultra chipset, but 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage is a big bonus.

The main and ultra-wide cameras are good and acceptable, but don't let the big megapixel count fool you: the telephoto is a bit disappointing.

Outstanding battery life that's on par with that of many flagships. 67W charging is also faster than the competition.

Xiaomi's Hyper OS is further improved, but it won't be for everyone. However, it is among the most customizable OS packages, so you can often change the things you may not like.

Excellent value for money; this phone belies its price tag.

You don’t need the absolute best performance The Xiaomi 15T's chipset won’t win any awards, but the phone has performance to spare and generally won’t stutter, even with heavy usage.

You want great bang for your buck This is definitely among the best value-for-money phones you can buy right now. It feels far more premium than its price tag suggests.

You want an excellent all-around, no-frills phone If you want a phone that does all the basics extremely well, but doesn’t have many frills, the Xiaomi 15T is a great option.

You want the best phone that money can buy The Xiaomi 15T's specs don't stand out in any way, and that’s by design. If you’re looking for a premium, flagship-level experience, you’ll want to look elsewhere.

You need the best camera If photography is important to you, the Xiaomi 15T's camera, especially its zoom, will probably be a letdown. The main camera is more than good enough, but the same can’t be said for either of its zoom lengths.

You use a lot of AI features If you already use Gemini or other AI providers on your phone, you’ll find the Xiaomi 15T wanting, whether it’s for on-device AI performance or the general reliability of AI apps on Hyper OS.

There are three real competitors worth buying, but like the Xiaomi 15T, they all have their compromises.

Google Pixel 10a The Google Pixel 10a starts at

499 / £499 / AU

849, for which you'll get 128GB of storage. It offers the best of Google's software, and although it only has two cameras, it’s proven to be extremely capable. The problem? It doesn’t feel anywhere near as premium as the Xiaomi 15T.

Samsung Galaxy A57 Then there’s the Galaxy A57, which brings the best of Samsung’s Galaxy S26 to a more affordable price point. It costs

550 / £450 / AU

749 for 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage, and comes with three cameras, an Exynos processor, and a large 5,000 m Ah battery.

Nothing Phone 4a Pro The other phone that’s definitely worth considering is the Nothing 4a Pro. Priced at

499 / £499 / AU

949, it’s one of the most unique phones you’ll find, thanks to its glyph matrix display on the rear. Key reasons to consider the Nothing 4a Pro over the Xiaomi 15T? Better cameras, a more unique design, and longer battery life.

Testing included = Everyday usage, including navigation, web browsing, social media, photography, gaming, streaming video, music playback, and reading e-books.

Tools used = Geekbench 6, 3DMark, Cell Mark, native Android stats

I used the Xiaomi 15T for approximately three weeks across two different stints, which included over a week of consistent usage before writing this review. It was tested with two SIM cards with one roaming, while traveling between two different cities.

Nirave is a veteran tech journalist and creator at House of Tech. He's reviewed over 1,000 phones and other consumer gadgets over the past 20 years. A heart attack at 33 inspired him to consider the impact of technology on our physical, mental, and emotional health.

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The Xiaomi 15T is an impressive mid-ranger that feels way more premium than the Google Pixel 10a
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission