The Xiaomi 15 series might be the first to get the Snapdragon 8 Gen 4

With the buzz surrounding the Xiaomi 14 series starting to fade away, users’ eyes are turning to Xiaomi’s forthcoming flagship range, the Xiaomi 15 series.

The most promising rumour so far is that these devices could mark the debut of Qualcomm’s next-gen Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 chipset. However, there’s also some whispers about new periscope cameras for the Xiaomi 15 Pro and 15 Ultra.

Here’s everything we know so far about the Xiaomi 15 series, including its release date, pricing and potential features.

When will the Xiaomi 15 be released?

Xiaomi is yet to reveal any news regarding its next generation of flagships. For context, here’s when the previous models launched:

• Xiaomi 13 – December 2022 (China), March 2023 (global)
• Xiaomi 12 – December 2021 (China), March 2022 (global)

Based on this, we’d expect Xiaomi 15 series to be unveiled in December 2024 in China, before a global launch in March 2025.

However, the rumours about it being the first Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 phone could change things. Qualcomm’s next flagship phone chip is almost certain to be announced at the Snapdragon Summit on 21-23 October, so it could arrive sooner the usual in China. GSMArena believes that could mean an October launch.

Chris Martin / Foundry

Chris Martin / Foundry

Chris Martin / Foundry

We expect to see three models: the Xiaomi 15, Xiaomi 15 Pro and Xiaomi 15 Ultra. However, the Xiaomi 15 Pro might never leave China, as was the case with the Xiaomi 14 Pro.

And as with all Xiaomi phones, don’t expect any of the 15 series phones to ever be sold in the US. Your best bet there will be to try and import one.

How much will the Xiaomi 15 cost?

As with the release date, there’s been no details regarding what the new models will cost, so we look to the precedents for clues.

Here are launch prices of the previous generations:

There were slight price increases in the 13 range compared to the 12 series, but the 14 series kept the same pricing. We think it’s likely that Xiaomi will stick to around the same tiers when the Xiaomi 15 range arrives.

However, according to a Chinese leaker Digital Chat Station, the Xiaomi 15, Xiaomi 15 Pro, and Xiaomi 15 Ultra could be pricier than their predecessors. It’s not clear how much more expensive, though.

Chris Martin / Foundry

Chris Martin / Foundry

Chris Martin / Foundry

What specs and features will the Xiaomi 15 have? 

At this point, there haven’t been many rumours and leaks about the Xiaomi 15 series.

However, according to Digital Chat Station, the Xiaomi 15 series entered the next phase of internal testing in April and its mass production will start in September this year.

This means that we could find out lots more about these devices soon.

Design 

Notebookcheck unveiled details about the fingerprint scanner in the 15 series, indicating a shift to single-point ultrasonic technology from the optical fingerprint technology used in the Xiaomi 14 series. 

Ultrasonic fingerprint recognition, functioning through ultrasonic waves beneath the screen, generally delivers better security and reliability, with it usually being faster, more accurate and more resistant to water.

Display 

In December 2023, Digital Chat Station stated (via Gizmochina) that the standard Xiaomi 15 would maintain its 6.36-inch display size, akin to the Xiaomi 13 and Xiaomi 14. Unlike the Pro variant, Xiaomi doesn’t intend to adopt a curved panel for the standard model. 

The leak also suggests the screen will offer a peak brightness of 1400 nits and a power-efficient 120Hz LTPO refresh rate technology.

Chris Martin / Foundry

Chris Martin / Foundry

Chris Martin / Foundry

In the same post from and also the one from June 2024 (via GSMArena), Digital Chat Station has additionally disclosed details about the forthcoming Xiaomi 15 Pro. 

It’s rumoured to feature a “2K” resolution micro-curved screen like the Xiaomi 14 Ultra and with even slimmer bezels compared to the Xiaomi 14 Pro, reducing from 0.9mm to an impressive 0.6mm.

Performance 

Qualcomm’s upcoming Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 chipset is anticipated to debut in October, likely powering top-tier mobile devices. 

According to Yogesh Brar, a usually reliable source, Xiaomi apparently has an exclusive deal to use the chipset first. That means the Xiaomi 15 series is likely to be the first to feature the Snapdragon 8 Gen 4. 

Cameras 

Reportedly, Xiaomi plans to employ the Omnivision OV64B in the Xiaomi 15 Pro, a 64Mp sensor seen in various POCO, Redmi and Xiaomi smartphones, including the Poco X6 Pro.  However, while the Poco X6 Pro uses this sensor as its primary camera, the Xiaomi 15 Pro is rumored to utilise it for periscope telephoto capabilities instead.

The Xiaomi 15 Ultra may feature a 200Mp periscope camera with a variable zoom length of 3x to 5x.

Despite these changes, it’s expected that the primary cameras will remain at 50Mp. GSMArena says “the Xiaomi 15 and 15 Pro will both feature a customised OmniVision 50mp main snapper with a 1/1.3-inch sensor size and a large (but undisclosed) aperture”, which was based on Digital Chat Station’s post on Weibo from May.

Chris Martin / Foundry

Chris Martin / Foundry

Chris Martin / Foundry

A more recent post from the leaker (also via GSMArena) claims the Xiaomi 15 Pro will include a new 50Mp single aperture main camera with a “super large” sensor, replacing the variable aperture of its predecessor. Additionally, it might have a 50Mp 3x telephoto periscope zoom camera and could be slightly thinner.

Both phones might also feature a new multi-layer anti-reflection coating, which is supposed to enhance light transmittance and reduce glare and ghosting.

Battery & charging 

According to Notebookcheck, the Xiaomi 15 and 15 Pro are said to be equipped with high-density batteries, but their capacities are not known for now. 

As a reminder, the Xiaomi 14 is powered by a 4,610mAh battery, supported by a speedy 90W wired charging option and 50W wireless charging.

Chris Martin / Foundry

Chris Martin / Foundry

Chris Martin / Foundry

On the other hand, the 14 Pro is equipped with a 4,880mAh battery and supports 120W wired charging and 50W wireless.

A 5300mAh battery in the 14 Ultra is significantly larger than the 14 Pro’s 4880mAh cell, though 90W wired charging is actually slower. To compensate, there’s 80W Qi wireless charging. 

Software 

The Xiaomi 15 series will most likely be available with Android 14 and Xiaomi’s HyperOS skin out of the box. However, given the expected December release date in China, it is also very possible that it will debut with Android 15 on board.

This is all we currently know about Xiaomi’s upcoming flagships. We will update this article when we learn something new. 

In the meantime, see our guides to the best phones and the best Xiaomi phones to see what the Xiaomi 15 series will be up against.