Best of MWC 2025: Xiaomi 15

All the power you need in a compact package.

The Xiaomi 15 was announced during the Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2025 in Barcelona. In other words, very recently. That phone definitely deserves the spotlight, but it managed to get overshadowed by its ‘Ultra’ sibling. With that being said, our Xiaomi 15 review is already up, and we can say, with confidence that this is a great phone. Sending one of our Best of MWC 2025 awards to Xiaomi for this smartphone was a no-brainer after the time we’ve spent with the device. If you’re in the market for a compact high-end smartphone, the Xiaomi 15 deserves to be considered.

The Xiaomi 15 is a powerful phone with an ideal size

It’s hard to argue that smartphones have become very large. I’m not saying people don’t like that, in general, but many of them prefer more manageable sizes. That’s where the Xiaomi 15 comes in. This is a compact smartphone with a flagship heart. It has flagship specs under the box, and even though it’s inferior to the Xiaomi 15 Ultra in some ways, it’s a high-end smartphone still. If you like using your phone with one hand, and simply hate doing hand gymnastics, this one could be for you.

Don’t get me wrong, though, the Xiaomi 15 is not small, not at all, it’s just… compact. You’re still getting a 6.36-inch display here, so it won’t feel cramped at all. It will just be easier to use it on a daily basis without having to hold it with two hands most of the time. It also looks the part, as a high-end phone, with thin bezels and a glass sandwich design. It’s not all about size, though, as the specs this thing offers are also great.

Just because it’s smaller doesn’t mean it’s not high-end

You’re getting the same processor here as in the ‘Ultra’ model. The Snapdragon 8 Elite SoC from Qualcomm is used. Xiaomi is also offering up to 16GB of LPDDR5X RAM and UFS 4.0 flash storage too. There is also a 5,240mAh silicon-carbon battery included in the global model. It is slightly smaller than the one in the Chinese variant, but considering the size of this phone, this is plenty. We’ve tested teh battery during our review, and it more than delivered, so you really don’t have to worry about it. Even if you run out, 90W wired and 50W wireless charging will make sure you can top up quickly.

There are three cameras included on the back of the Xiaomi 15. Unfortunately, there is no periscope telephoto camera, but that telephoto shooter is quite capable still. The emphasis is on the main camera, with a 1/1.31-inch sensor. This sensor, combined with Leica’s tuning and shooting modes, can capture some truly stunning photos. The Xiaomi 15 is a really nice, compact smartphone with a number of flagship features. It’s amongst the best compact devices on the market now.