Xiaomi Redmi Note 15 5G review: Style on a budget

Best Prices Today: Redmi Note 15 5G

The Redmi Note 15 5G steps into the crowded budget smartphone arena, aiming to deliver a compelling balance of modern features, robust performance, and accessible pricing.

Boasting a large, vibrant display, an updated chipset for smooth operation, and a claimed long battery life, the Redmi Note 15 5G seeks to prove itself as one of the most attractive options for consumers looking for powerful 5G connectivity and all-day utility in an affordable package.

But how well does the smartphone from Xiaomi’s subsidiary fare against tough competition in the budget market? Here’s what I found.

Design & Build: Slim and Stylish

When I reviewed the Redmi Note 15 Pro 5G, I complimented the way it mimicked the look of a high-end flagship, feeling both hefty and premium. Its little sibling has the same premium feel, but its slimmer, polycarbonate body feels even better in the hand and, at 178g, is considerably lighter.

It is incredibly satisfying to hold, with a curved display at the front and a curve on the back too.

The black-on-black design of our review unit makes the “squircle” rear camera housing – which I generally dislike – look surprisingly good. While it doesn’t escape all criticism, there is no doubt this is a nicely-made device.

Further thoughts

• The phone is available in Black, Glacier Blue, and Mist Purple.
• It has an IP65 rating, offering protection against dust and low-pressure water jets, though it remains less durable than the Pro versions.

Screen & Speakers: Better with Bluetooth

The 6.77″ AMOLED display is a standout, featuring a 2392 × 1080 resolution and a smooth 120Hz refresh rate. While watching The Night Manager, I noticed a high level of detail in the fabric of Tom Hiddleston’s tie, and while other phones might offer more “pop”, Redmi opts for a natural balance.

Switching to an episode of Doctor Who, I noted that this phone also does a good job in capturing the monsters in dark corners, without either giving away too much detail by making it too bright, or too little by sinking into blacks.

While other phones might offer more “pop”, Redmi opts for a natural balance

The audio is decent, but at peak volume, dialogue becomes harsh, which is a common trait among small speakers. The bass is notably lacking – Kanye West’s Love Lockdown lost the impact of its signature drumbeats. You’re better off pairing this with Bluetooth headphones, as there’s no 3.5mm headphone jack.

Further thoughts:

• The 3,200 nits peak brightness ensures the screen is perfectly visible even under harsh, direct sunlight.
• As is expected at this price, there’s no HDR support.

Specs & Performance: Everyday Reliability

Inside the Redmi Note 15 5G is Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 6 Gen 3 processor, giving the phone 8GB of RAM and up to 256GB of internal storage (plus space for a microSD card slot).

I’d avoid using this as your main device for Genshin Impact

In daily life, these specs keep the phone running smoothly. Apps open quickly and reliably, with clean animations. While I wouldn’t recommend using this phone for intensive multi-tasking or high-production editing, for everyday use there’s little to fault.

For gaming, relatively low-impact titles like Pokémon Unite won’t present any bother. However, like many other gadgets in this price bracket, I’d avoid using this as your main device for Genshin Impact or Wuthering Waves, as the chipset begins to throttle under that level of stress.

Further thoughts:

• The expandable storage up goes up to 1TB, which should be enough for anyone’s purposes.
• Other configurations of this phone include 6GB RAM/128GB ROM, 8GB RAM/512GB ROM, and 12GB RAM/ 512GB ROM.

Camera: High-Res Highs and Lows

Generally speaking, the Redmi Note 15 5G does a decent job with snaps. Photos are clear and the colours are well balanced, as long as you stick with stationary subjects — any bit of movement can make it difficult to get a sharp shot.

The phone also goes up to 20x zoom, and while there’s a definite lack of quality at that range, the results are pretty passable, especially when other budget devices produce photos that should be immediately destroyed.

Any bit of movement can make it difficult to get a sharp shot

However, there are areas for improvement: it doesn’t quite manage to pick up as much detail on textures and can be slightly too brash when it comes to shadow. While this means blacks come across as dramatically inky, the subtleties of shadow are not as natural and look a little faded in comparison.

Further thoughts:

• The 20MP front camera gives decent results in good light, featuring the expected beauty modes and filters.

Battery & Charging: Over 38 Hours Per Charge

The Redmi Note 15 5G features a 5,520mAh battery, a modest increase of 410mAh from the previous model.

However, this capacity is somewhat overshadowed by several competing smartphones released last year, which boasted batteries of 7,000mAh or larger.

Despite this, Redmi says that the Note 15 5G is optimised to provide over 38 hours of usage on a single charge. In my testing, standard use – messaging and web browsing – gave it no problems, and light use could even push towards a third day. In the box is a standard USB-A to USB-C cable, which charged the phone from zero to 11% in 15 minutes and to 21% in 30 minutes with a standard Philips adapter.

Further thoughts:

• To unlock the 45W Turbo Charging, you’ll need to purchase a separate charging plug, which generally costs around £20.

Software & Apps: Plenty of Personalisation

The Note 15 5G runs HyperOS 2, Xiaomi’s software layer built on top of Android 15, and it’s rather charming. Personalised settings are in abundance, from notification effects and icons to the in-screen fingerprint sensor and always-on display. The software is snappy, and there’s support for other Xiaomi products such as tablets and smartwatches.

But there remains a disconnect between Google and HyperOS; Xiaomi still doesn’t support the themed icons introduced by Google’s “Material You”.

There’s also the expected bloatware – third-party apps and redundant tools

There’s also the expected bloatware – third-party apps and redundant tools. Mercifully, these are a breeze to delete from the home screen, although actually uninstalling every app will take some time.

Price & Availability

The Redmi Note 15 5G has a UK RRP of £249 but at the time of writing, it’s available from Xiaomi and Amazon for £199. It’s a modest price for what is a pretty good phone but you can check how it stacks up against the competition and see our top recommendations in our round-up of the best budget phones we’ve tested.

It’s not available in the US.

Should you buy the Xiaomi Redmi Note 15 5G?

The Redmi Note 15 5G feels far more premium than its price tag suggests. The screen, battery life, and performance are all dependable and, while the experience is slightly marred by aggressive bloatware and a camera that struggles with moving subjects, having the phone in your hand remains surprisingly nice.

If you want a stylish, long-lasting phone for daily scrolling and media, this is a solid choice – just don’t expect it to be a gaming powerhouse or a professional photography tool.

Specs

• HyperOS 2, based on Android 15
• 6.77″ AMOLED, 2392 × 1080, 120Hz, 3200 nits peak brightness
• In-screen fingerprint sensor, AI face unlock
• Snapdragon 6 Gen 3 Mobile Platform (4nm), up to 2.4GHz
• 6GB / 8GB / 12GB LPDDR4X
• 128GB / 256GB / 512GB UFS 2.2 (Expandable up to 1TB)
• 108MP, f/1.76, 1/1.67″ sensor
• 8MP, f/2.2
• 20MP, f/2.2
• Rear: 4K @ 30fps; Front: 1080p @ 30fps
• Dual speakers
• Bluetooth 5.1
• 5520mAh battery
• 45W turbo charging
• 164 x 75.42 x 7.35mm
• IP66 splash, water, and dust resistant
• 178g
• Black, Glacier Blue, Mist Purple

Best Prices Today: Redmi Note 15 5G