The first Snapdragon 8 Elite phones have arrived

Xiaomi is typically the first brand to launch a phone with new high-end Snapdragon silicon. The company recently confirmed that the Snapdragon 8 Elite chip would debut in the Xiaomi 15 series, and that day has finally arrived.

The Xiaomi 15 and Xiaomi 15 Pro are powered by the Snapdragon 8 Elite processor but share a few other features. This includes the Hyper OS 2 skin, 12GB of base RAM, an ultrasonic in-display fingerprint sensor, flat edges, and an IP68 rating.

Xiaomi 15: Smaller but still powerful

The standard Xiaomi 15 maintains the same relatively compact form factor as its predecessor thanks to a 6.36-inch OLED screen (2,670 x 1,200, 3,200 nits peak brightness) and 152.3mm height. Xiaomi says this display also comes with its own so-called Dragon Crystal Glass, previously seen on the Xiaomi 14 Pro.

Another upgrade this year is a 5,400mAh silicon battery, which is a significant increase from the Xiaomi 14’s 4,610mAh capacity. Once you’ve drained the battery, you can get back up to speed with 90W wired and 50W wireless charging.

We’ve already seen OPPO and OnePlus offering magnetic wireless charging, and the Xiaomi 15 jumps on this bandwagon too. Much like OPPO and OnePlus, you’ll need a case for the Xiaomi phone, and the company says you can expect 30W speeds via supported magnetic wireless chargers. The company is also selling a magnetic cooling fan accessory. It’s unclear if the Xiaomi 15 Pro supports this functionality too.

The phone also packs a flexible Leica-branded triple rear camera system, consisting of a 50MP Light Hunter 900 main camera (f/1.62), a 50MP 2.6x telephoto lens (f/2.0), and a 50MP ultrawide camera (115-degree field-of-view). It’s strange to see a 2.6x 50MP camera here instead of the Xiaomi 14’s 3.2x 50MP camera, though, suggesting a downgrade. But there’s no word on the specific sensor used.

Xiaomi 15 Pro: More money, more features

The Pro model earns its moniker thanks to several premium additions, starting with a 6,100mAh battery. That’s a notable upgrade over the 14 Pro’s 4,880mAh battery. Need to charge your phone? Then you can take advantage of 90W wired and 50W wireless charging.

The phone also packs a 6.73-inch micro-curved OLED screen with a WQHD+ resolution and 3,200 nits of peak brightness. Xiaomi says you can expect Dragon Crystal Glass 2.0 on the front as well, which should deliver improved drop resistance compared to the standard model.

The Xiaomi 15 Pro also has premium camera hardware on paper. Expect a 50MP main camera (Light Hunter 900, f/1.44), a 50MP ultrawide lens (115-degree field-of-view, f/2.2), and a 50MP 5x periscope shooter (IMX858, f/2.5).

We previously saw vivo announce long-range Bluetooth SOS and voice communication over a few kilometers, and Xiaomi has now revealed the ability to make calls over a distance of up to 3.5 kilometers without network reception. It’s not immediately clear what technology the company is using to make these calls.

Xiaomi 15 series price and availability

The vanilla Xiaomi 15 costs 4,499 yuan (~$630) for the base 12GB/256GB model. By contrast, the Xiaomi 14 launched at 3,999 yuan (~$560) for the 8GB/256GB variant and 4,299 yuan (~$602) for the 12GB/256GB variant.

Want the Xiaomi 15 Pro? Expect a starting price of 5,299 yuan (~$743) for the 12GB/256GB model. For what it’s worth, the Xiaomi 14 Pro launched at 4,999 yuan (~$700) for the 12GB/256GB variant.

The phones are only available in China right now, but Xiaomi has traditionally offered a global launch at MWC each year (in late February). It’s worth noting that the company didn’t release the Xiaomi 14 Pro outside China, opting to launch the Xiaomi 14 and Xiaomi 14 Ultra instead. So don’t be surprised if the Xiaomi 15 Pro is missing in action in February 2025.