Xiaomi Redmi Note 15 Pro review: More of the same

Best Prices Today: Xiaomi Redmi Note 15 Pro

The Redmi Note 15 Pro 5G sits in an interesting middle ground, even for affordable Android smartphones. It’s a category known for its competitiveness, with companies jostling and shoving for every extra inch of market share.

On the one hand, the Note 15 Pro looks more sophisticated than other cut-price devices, hiding its plastic construction behind a smooth, glass-like finish and a premium, high-resolution 120Hz display.

It positions itself as a marathon runner in the mid-range space, boasting a massive 6580mAh battery and a headline-grabbing 200Mp main camera.

But many other smartphones promise similar specs these days – can Xiaomi hold up against the competition? Here are my thoughts after some in-depth testing.

The device has a reassuring density, feeling substantial without becoming a brick in your pocket

Design & Build: Flagship-esque, but plastic

The Redmi Note 15 Pro 5G makes a good first impression. It mimics the look of a high-end flagship, and while the back is constructed from plastic rather than glass, the material is polished to a high sheen that feels smooth in the hand.

At 210g, the device has a reassuring density, feeling substantial without becoming a brick in your pocket.

However, the rear camera housing is significantly oversized and placed right where your fingers naturally rest, which is far from ideal.

Further thoughts

• You have three colour options: titanium, glacier blue, and mist purple
• IP66, IP68, and IP69/IP69K dust and water resistance should keep it protected against the elements

Screen & Speakers: Bold and brash

The Note 15 Pro has a decent 6.83-inch flat display that is one of the better screens at this price point. However, it’s also short of being among the best on the market.

Most impressive is how it handles whites: these are glaringly bright, and give me no doubt that once summer rolls around, everything on the screen will stay visible even under the glare of the summer sun.

However, this intensity comes with a trade-off in colour accuracy. The balance is dramatic to the point of being overblown. When watching Poor Things (2023), the azure dress worn by Emma Stone hits the eye with too much force, and the water scenes appear inky and artificial, lacking the natural nuance found in competitors like Motorola’s Moto G86 Power.

It’s a similar story with sound quality. There is a genuine sense of texture and urgency when listening to tracks like I Am The Doctor, where the initial guitar plucks resonate with a solid weight.

Unfortunately, pushing the volume to the limit undoes this good work; the sound becomes harsh, and the spatial separation between instruments collapses into a muddled mix that loses the track’s intended detail.

Further thoughts

• The panel has a resolution of 2772 x 1280 and can reach a massive 3200 nits of peak brightness
• To ensure smooth scrolling and responsive gameplay, the screen also supports a 120Hz refresh rate

Specs & Performance: Smooth running

At the heart of the Redmi Note 15 Pro 5G lies the MediaTek Dimensity 7400-Ultra chipset, paired in our review unit with 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage.

The interface remains fluid and responsive, managing routine workloads without any stutter or glitches

We put this hardware through its paces with the game Dead Cells, and for the most part, the device handled the fast-paced hack-and-slash action admirably. There were occasional moments where it could have been smoother, but the phone generally kept up with the action.

Outside of gaming, the experience is impressively reliable. For standard daily activities – opening apps, scrolling through feeds, or drafting emails and messages – there is very little to complain about.

The interface remains fluid and responsive, managing routine workloads without any stutter or glitches.

Redmi Note 15 Pro benchmarks

Further thoughts

• The phone is available in multiple configurations, starting at 8GB of RAM with 256GB of storage and scaling up to a 12GB RAM and 512GB storage option.
• It also features dual physical SIM support, plus eSIM, but no Micro-SD expandable storage

Cameras: Devil in the detail

The most impressive feature of this device is the 200Mp main camera, which is supported by an 8Mp ultra-wide lens. This primary sensor is exceptionally capable at capturing fine textures, such as the delicate brushstrokes on a canvas or the intricate patterns on a leaf, often outperforming rivals in raw detail.

Generally, Xiaomi has opted for a warmer, lighter colour balance here. This choice avoids the cold, high-contrast dramatism favoured by other Chinese manufacturers, resulting in photos that look more natural, even if they still lean into a specific stylistic “look” rather than the clinical fidelity of a Google Pixel or an iPhone.

However, the camera system isn’t without its quirks. When shooting into the light, the Note 15 Pro is surprisingly adept at sniffing out detail and colour in the shadows, but in standard daylight, the difference is rarely noticeable.

The specialised high-resolution modes can be hit-or-miss; the increase in sharpness is often marginal at best, and the processing can occasionally ‘crush’ shades of grey in an attempt to create a more striking, high-contrast image.

Further thoughts

• The software includes an “AI Beautify” mode that softens features and boosts exposure – it makes every shot look as though it were taken under an artificial summer sun
• On the front, a 20Mp selfie camera provides sharp and clear results

Battery Life & Charging: Two days for almost everyone

With a 6580mAh capacity, the Note 15 Pro has really impressive longevity. If you’re looking for something that can act as a potent workhorse, this device might be it.

This phone gets two days on a single charge easily, despite using it as an intense daily driver.

While the phone does have fast-charging capabilities, it does not get the 100W charger that Xiaomi’s more premium devices do. Instead, customers will have to make do with the 45W charger that comes in the box, but that is still more than many smartphone makers provide.

Testing the EU charger and its USB-C to USB-A cable with a Philips adapter, the Note 15 Pro reached 29% in 15 minutes and 53% in 30 minutes, which is respectable.

Further thoughts

• 22.5W reverse wireless charging allows you to use the phone for quick-charging earbuds and other Qi devices

Software & Apps: The biggest downside

The Note 15 Pro runs HyperOS 2, Xiaomi’s latest software layer built on top of Android 15.

The standout feature here is the sheer breadth of personalisation settings available; users can tweak everything from notification effects and icons to the animation of the in-screen fingerprint sensor, which can be swapped from a minimalist liquid ripple to a vibrant neon butterfly.

The experience is frequently marred by a lack of polish and the presence of unwanted ‘bloatware’ apps

When the software works well, it feels modern and snappy, with apps and pages loading quickly. There is also the expected support for the Xiaomi ecosystem that allows for easy interconnectivity with other products like tablets and smartwatches.

However, the experience is frequently marred by a lack of polish and the presence of unwanted ‘bloatware’ apps. While some customisation options are excellent, others feel half-baked. The themed icon settings introduced by Google’s “Material You” fail to apply to several of Xiaomi’s own default apps, resulting in a cluttered and inconsistent home screen.

Similarly, some of the wallpapers and themes look garishly AI-generated, which cheapens the overall feel of the device, as does the bloatware that comes pre-installed on this phone. Xiaomi could certainly do more to make that easier to delete, even if that’s what helps keep the cost of the phone down.

Further thoughts

• The entire Redmi Note 15 series will receive 4 major OS updates and 6 years of security patches
• While the AI-driven photo editing tools show promise with decent subject and sky manipulation, more advanced features like Ultra HD upscaling are frequently hindered by frustrating server errors

Price & Availability

In the UK, the Redmi Note 15 is currently only available via Amazon, where it starts at £349.

You can pre-order one now, ahead of its release on 6 January. After that date, it’s also likely to be available on Xiaomi’s UK site.

Rivals at this lower mid-range price point include the Samsung Galaxy A36 (£399), Nothing Phone (3a) (£329) and Honor 400 (£399.99).

Should you buy the Xiaomi Redmi Note 15 Pro?

Despite an affordable price tag, the Redmi Note 15 Pro has a lot of strings to its bow.

An impressive 200Mp camera, superb battery life and a bright, vivid display are the highlights, while the performance is more than up to scratch.

But it is balanced by a few notable compromises where other Chinese manufacturers perform better, with regard to design, software, and screen. Another coat of polish could see this phone step up from good to great, but right now, there is still a way to go.

Specs

• HyperOS 2, based on Android 15
• 6.83-inch, 1280 x 2772 AMOLED, 120Hz   
• Optical fingerprint scanner   
• Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chipset 
• 8/12 GB RAM   
• 256/512GB storage  
• 200Mp, f/1.7 main camera  
• 8Mp, f/2.2 ultrawide   
• 20Mp, f/2.2 selfie   
• Up to 1080p @ 60fps rear video   
• Stereo speakers
• Wi-Fi 6 
• Bluetooth 5.4
• 6580mAh battery   
• 45W wired charging   
• 22.5W reverse wired charging   
• 163.6 x 78.1 x 8 mm
• IP68/IP69K certified   
• 210g
• Colours: Black, Blue, Titanium

Best Prices Today: Xiaomi Redmi Note 15 Pro