Xiaomi Redmi 15 5G hands-on review

Introduction

The Redmi 15 5G is the latest iteration of Xiaomi's bread-and-butter model. The humble numbered Redmi model has been a staple of the company's lineup since 2013 and continues to be a strong contender in the segment despite the changing landscape over the years.

This year's model goes big on power, plonking in a 7000mAh SiC battery that supports 33W fast charging as well as 18W reverse wired charging. The phone also gets the Snapdragon 6s Gen 3 chipset, which technically isn't that much better than the Snapdragon 4 Gen 2 on the previous generation Redmi 13 5G, regardless of what the name might suggest, but more on that later. The phone also gets up to 8GB of memory, up to 256GB of storage, and a new 144Hz display.

Xiaomi Redmi 15 specs at a glance:

• Body: 169.5x80.5x8.4mm, 217g; ; IP64 dust tight and water resistant (water splashes).
• Display: 6.90" IPS LCD, 144Hz, 600 nits (typ), 700 nits (HBM), 850 nits (peak), 1080x2340px resolution, 19.5:9 aspect ratio, 374ppi.
• Chipset: Qualcomm SM6375 Snapdragon 6s Gen 3 (6 nm): Octa-core (2x2.3 GHz Cortex-A78 & 6x2.0 GHz Cortex-A55); Adreno 619.
• Memory: 128GB 4GB RAM, 128GB 6GB RAM, 256GB 8GB RAM; UFS 2.2; microSDXC (uses shared SIM slot).
• OS/Software: Android 15, HyperOS 2.2.
• Rear camera: Wide (main): 50 MP, f/1.8, 1/2.88" 0.61μm, PDAF; Depth: Auxiliary lens.
• Front camera: 8 MP, f/2.0, (wide).
• Video capture: Rear camera: 1080p@30fps; Front camera: 1080p@30fps.
• Battery: 7000mAh; 33W wired, PD 2.0, PPS, QC3, 18W reverse wired.
• Connectivity: 5G; Wi-Fi 5; BT 5.1, aptX; NFC; Infrared port.
• Misc: Fingerprint reader (side-mounted); Virtual proximity sensing, Circle to Search.

Let's see how well Xiaomi's new budget smartphone performs.

Unboxing

The Redmi 15 5G comes with a generous package despite the phone's affordable pricing. Inside, you'll find the phone, a 33W fast charger with a cable, and a protective case for the phone. In a world where spending thousands of dollars on a phone doesn't even get you a charger, this is practically opulent.