If you like to take photos and you don’t have to google the word Leica, this cell phone could be what you are looking for

If there is an Android phone (available in Chile) that can compete (with good arguments) with the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra, that is the ultra xiaomi 15.

The Chinese smartphone has one of the most outstanding market camera modules, and includes an attractive GRIP of photography with shutter and software developed in collaboration with the German firm Leica.

In The third We review the model available since April 2025 in Chile. The following are our first impressions.

Xiaomi 15 Ultra Technical Card

How is the Xiaomi 15 ultra that is sold in Chile

If the Xiaomi 14 Ultra of 2024 was already a great phone, thanks to its lenses and the collaboration in the photography software with Leica, the new 15 ultra makes an even more ambitious leap.

Its telephoto lens now has 200 MP (compared to the 50 MP of the previous model), it is able to record videos in 8K to 30FPS and unleash the potential of artificial intelligence to improve portraits, color and tone.

However, the main lens remains a 1-inch Leica of 23 mm with LYT-900 50 MP image sensor, perhaps as a declaration of principles: if something works, there is no reason to change it.

Screen: Bright

Its screen is another success: Amoled WQHD+ of 6.73 inches and a panel that offers a resolution of 3200 x 1440 px, which translates into surprising sharpness to work images.

More if we add the brightness, which reaches a maximum of 3200 nits in different scenarios.

This feature guarantees optimal visualization in any lighting condition, either under direct light outside or in dark and gloomy environments.

Design: Elegant and resistant

Xiaomi bets with Garbo in the premium category, taking the classic design of analogous cameras and a robust construction and with charm.

It is available in black, white and silver chrome, a design that incorporates aerospace grade fiberglass and polyurethane leather with a retro touch and a very comfortable grip.

The manufacturer declares that the team includes Xiaomi Guardian Structure with Shield Glass 2.0, providing “additional resistance to accidental falls.”

And if the center of the team is its cameras module, the Xiaomi 15 Ultra Suma Corning Gorilla Glass 7i to offer more armor against scratches and damage by impact on the lenses.

What is Leica and what is your collaboration with Xiaomi

If you know the photos that people like Henri Cartier-Bresson took, Robert Capa, Annie Leibovitz, the Magnum agency, the writer Ernest Hemingway and the legendary Chilean photographer Sergio Larraín, then you know Leica’s significant work.

During the last five years, the Xiaomi and Leica firms worked together in the design of smartphone camera lens. In sections that include from the selection of components and coatings to optimize the capture of light, to the reduction of chromatic aberrations and improvements in the clarity of the image.

The Xiaomi 15 Ultra, for example, has an optical lens Leica Summilux in its main camera with a great opening of F/1.63 for a better light collection.

Image sensors and adjustment to work with the optics designed by Leica are another collaborations. The Xiaomi 15 Ultra uses a large 1-inch Lyt-900 sensor for its main camera, which covers focal distances from 14 mm to 200 mm.

The Xiaomi 15 ultra cameras module is also composed of three other lenses:

• An ultra telephoto of 100 mm and 200 MP.
• A 70 mm floating telephoto.
• And a 14 mm ultra angle lens, which is equivalent to a view of 115 degrees.

Another important data of the Leica/Xiaomi collaboration is the calibration of the image processing algorithms, which include color, contrast, sharpness and noise reduction.

The objective is to achieve such characteristic image aesthetics, often described as natural, vibrant and with excellent details.

Therefore, Xiaomi and Leica jointly developed some exclusive ways, which we will review below.

How Leica Authentic Look and Leica Vibrant look at Xiaomi 15 ultra

when opening the photo application we face the Leica Authentic Look modes, a natural and classic reproduction of Leica, and Leica Vibrant Look, which offers more bright and intense colors maintaining realism.

The difference is underline when activating two menus.

• The mode Prowhere we can adjust the shutter speed, ISO, white balance and focus. That is, the standard in the industry, until we find the slow shutter options (to shoot with a lot of motion blur), rapid shutter (1/1000, for catches of a lot of speed) and documentary (so that nothing is burn in the image).
• Y Camera settingswhich offers a lot of customization in photo, video and general.

With the possibility of changing:

• Expanded field depth
• Ultra zoom con IA
• Predetermined focal distance
• Exposure measurement preferences
• Type of shutter
• Approach peak
• Verify exposure (in real time)
• Waveform (real -time image shine)

In short, we are facing The most complete camera app of the current generation of cell phones. And the level rises several more steps when we connect the Photography Kit Legend Editiona GRIP (which is included in the price) with physical shutter button, video, filter ring and an external 2,000 mAh battery.

It is an ergonomic handle with physical controls made for prolonged photography sessions, for a professional grip or situations that require extending the autonomy of the equipment; A whole must For photography lovers.

Is it worth the Xiaomi 15 Ultra phone?

No, if what you are looking for is a good price. Unfortunately, the combination of cutting -edge technology in mobile cameras and collaboration with Leica increases the cost of the equipment.

No, if you are not a user interested in the world of photography. Although it has many automatic options, the Xiaomi 15 Ultra offers a lot of advanced functions and adjustments to control the cameras, which could be overwhelming for beginner users.

(A parenthesis.

In other words, cameras are the leitmotif of this phone. And if you have a profile, for example, more Gamer, maybe your option goes on the side of the Xiaomi Little F7 Ultra or Pro, or if you are looking for a cheaper team, maybe the answer is the Redmi Note 14 Pro 5g.)

Yeah, If you are an enthusiast of professional or creative photography that prioritizes image qualityif you know Leica’s aesthetic possibilities and the advanced capabilities of a mobile camera.

(Another parenthesis.

The Xiaomi 15 Ultra is also an ideal smartphone to learn to take high quality photos.)

Yes, if you are an audiovisual that needs to be recorded in Log with LUTS preview, that is, preview how the video will be seen after color gradation and final image while it is recorded.

Yes, if what you are looking for is an Android equipment that is part of the Xiaomi ecosystem (which offers several wearables and devices such as hearing aids, bands, hydrolavadores, humidifiers or electric scooters).