While it takes others months or even a year before releasing their phones into the PH market, Xiaomi, on the other hand, released their flagship phone in the Philippines just weeks after debuting it in the Chinese market.
And boy oh boy, Xiaomi did not disappoint. Releasing a device packed with features while being packed in a smooth and sleek design, it’s definitely worthy of its flagship moniker. However, no device is made perfect. Not to worry, we’ll give you five reasons to buy (or not) the Xiaomi 15.
Why the Xiaomi 15 is a great buy
1. Powerful performance
Packed with the latest and greatest that Qualcomm has to offer, coupled with a state-of-the-art Ice Loop cooling system and 12GB of RAM. The Xiaomi 15 will always deliver seamless multitasking and high performance while maintaining its sleek form factor.
2. Stunning display
The 6.36-inch LTPO AMOLED display is the perfect candidate for media consumption; it gives off accurate and vibrant colors while maintaining efficiency. And the 120Hz refresh rate ensures that you’ll always have buttery smooth graphics, whether you’re gaming or just binge-watching.
3. Battery life that lasts
While the 5240mAh battery may seem average compared to its competitors, the Silicon Carbide battery technology that Xiaomi has employed will rival those of smartphones containing 6000mAh batteries while maintaining its sleek form factor.
4. Camera capabilities
This is where the Xiaomi 15 really shines. Partnering with renowned camera maker Leica to engineer their triple camera setup and combining it with a new and improved AI-leveraged AISP 2.0, it can go toe-to-toe with industry leaders such as Apple and Samsung.
5. Durable build
The Xiaomi 15 is built from aircraft-grade aluminum alloy, ensuring durable protection while still being amazing to hold. On top of that, it also has Xiaomi Shield Glass protection and an IP68 dust and water resistance, providing peace of mind against accidental spills.
Why the Xiaomi 15 might not be for you
1. HyperOS experience
While the Xiaomi 15 does ship with HyperOS 2.0 out of the box, and it does introduce a host of new features that improve quality of life, there’s still a lot more room for improvement. Users have complained of bloatware apps, intrusive ads, and occasional glitches.
2. No expandable storage
It would definitely be wonderful to have the ability to expand the internal storage using a microSD card; however, given the industry’s direction towards non-expandable storage, it really isn’t surprising to see it here.
3. Software support
Four years of major Android updates and six years of security updates is still something to brag about. However, in a time where industry leaders such as Samsung and Apple offer five to six years of major updates, it would’ve been nice if Xiaomi matched that. Heck, even HONOR pledged to offer seven years of major updates to their flagship lineup.
4. Lack of 3.5mm Headphone Jack
We know, we know… It isn’t just Xiaomi that has done away with the headphone jack. Still, a man can dream, and the appearance of a 3.5mm headphone jack in such a sleek device should make for a great selling point.
5. Price
While it is true that the Xiaomi 15 undercuts industry leaders such as Samsung and Apple, it still doesn’t take away the fact that there have been newcomers in the flagship space that offer the same kind of performance at a much more affordable price. Some users might be fine with having an inferior build quality or camera capability in favor of performance.
Xiaomi has really made the best and improved it with the Xiaomi 15, bringing world-class performance and stunning design at a lower price than industry leaders. It certainly deserves its title as a flagship device. However, not everyone has that kind of money, and even if they do, there are much more affordable alternatives from manufacturers such as HONOR, vivo, and many more.
That being said, there’s no doubt that the Xiaomi 15 is a great device. The question remains, would you buy the Xiaomi 15?
If you liked this article, try reading our full review on the Xiaomi 15.