Xiaomi 15 Ultra vs. 15T Pro: the camera comparison before you buy

With the 15 Ultra and the 15T Pro, Xiaomi has two heavyweights in its lineup, both with a Leica camera. At first glance, you don’t see the differences right away. Because the 15T Pro is much cheaper, the question is whether its camera isn’t completely sufficient. I go through the hardware of each lens and compare real shots. One or two results will probably surprise you.

Hardware at a glance

	Xiaomi 15 Ultra	Xiaomi 15T Pro
Camera system	Quad	Triple
Main camera	50 megapixels, OIS, 1-inch sensor	50 megapixels, OIS, smaller sensor
Ultra-wide	50 megapixels	12 megapixels
Telephoto	200 megapixels (3x) and 50 megapixel periscope (4.3x)	50 megapixels (5x)
Front camera	32 megapixels	32 megapixels

Main camera

Both use a 50-megapixel sensor with optical image stabilization. The advantage of the 15 Ultra is the 1-inch Sony sensor (LYT-900), which is much larger than the OmniVision Light Fusion 900 in the 15T Pro. A larger sensor captures more light. You can see that in the flower tips, the sky, and the flags. In the photo of Merlin, the fur and grass show that the Ultra’s sensor lets in more light. With the succulents, the 15 Ultra delivers more color depth, especially in the red wall and the plant on the left.

In good light, both phones take fantastic photos with the main camera. On its own, the 15T Pro takes really good shots. Only next to the camera monster 15 Ultra do you see what could still be better.

Low light

This is where the 15 Ultra shines with its large sensor. Its photo is noticeably brighter. What surprised me is that the 15T Pro’s shot has little image noise despite the darkness. In almost no light at all, both shots are amazingly bright. The Ultra is brighter, while the 15T Pro stays high in contrast, even if some image noise appears at the bottom right. In a dimly lit restaurant, the 15T Pro managed a detailed photo. Next to it, the Ultra’s shot is much brighter.

Ultra-wide

The 15 Ultra has a high-resolution 50-megapixel sensor. The 15T Pro only gets 12 megapixels, which leads to less detailed shots. The field of view is the same size on both and huge, perfect for landscapes, group photos, and selfies with the main camera. But the Ultra’s higher resolution produces much sharper and more detailed images.

Telephoto lenses

This is the highlight of both devices. The 15T Pro has a 50-megapixel Leica telephoto lens with 5x optical zoom. Even at five times magnification, the image is razor-sharp, and a nice background blur results. That is mega fun. The 2x zoom is really good too.

The 15 Ultra has two telephoto lenses, both from Leica:

• a 200-megapixel telephoto lens for 3x zoom
• a 50-megapixel periscope telephoto lens for 4.3x zoom

With them, you zoom up to 120x and still get really good images. This is also part of the price difference. The Ultra’s zoom shots are much better, but the 15T Pro already takes outstanding photos on its own and has its sweet spot at 5x zoom.

Macro mode

Both have a Super Macro mode that you set manually. Interestingly, the 15T Pro’s shot is a bit brighter there. Without Super Macro, you can get much closer with the 15 Ultra before it goes blurry, and the image stays rich in detail and contrast.

Portrait and front camera

Portrait mode is really good on both. Thanks to the Leica partnership and selectable presets, you get beautiful portraits with creamy bokeh that can be intensified with the zoom level, 4.3x on the Ultra and 5x on the 15T Pro. The 15 Ultra finds it a bit easier to separate individual hairs from the background, and its shots have somewhat more contrast. The 15T Pro’s are great too, though.

With the front camera, there are no notable differences. Both have a 32-megapixel sensor, and the software provides natural portraits. My selfies on Instagram are taken with the front camera of the 15 Ultra or, more recently, the 15T Pro.

Video

Both phones are beasts and film in up to 8K, even though probably very few people use that yet. In 4K, up to 120 FPS is possible, handy for slow motion. Both have a Pro mode for manual settings of focal length, white balance, and more, if you know your way around and enjoy it.

Verdict: Ultra or 15T Pro?

In line with the price difference, the Xiaomi 15 Ultra offers superior camera hardware in almost every area: larger main sensor, higher-resolution ultra-wide, and double the telephoto. If you have the highest demands, you need it.

In direct comparison, the 15T Pro doesn’t take quite such crazy shots. On its own, though, especially considering the price, it offers outstanding camera performance that no other brand offers like this in this price range. If you don’t need 120x zoom and high-resolution wide-angle shots, go for the 15T Pro and save money. If you want professional shots with crazy zoom and ultra-wide quality, invest a bit more and take the 15 Ultra.