Not an iPhone, this is the super smartphone that experts are waiting for

While the iPhone 17 Air is quite exciting and the iPhone 16 Pro Max is very popular, there is one smartphone that is attracting experts more than anything. That is the Xiaomi 15 Ultra, the next version of the phone with a great camera - Xiaomi 14 Ultra.

The best combination of Leica and Xiaomi

Xiaomi is collaborating with camera maker Leica and the Xiaomi 14 Ultra represents the capabilities of both when working together.

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Xiaomi 14 Ultra offers impressive photography capabilities.

But it's not just Leica pushing the Xiaomi 14 Ultra's camera to the limit, it's Xiaomi's ingenuity with the Camera Kit, a camera-centric accessory kit that adds an external battery inside a custom camera grip and a cool adapter ring - allowing for full-size filters. This has transformed the Xiaomi 14 Ultra from a phone into a camera.

According to experts, this is also the most creatively inspiring smartphone to date.

Attractive design

The weak point of the Xiaomi 14 Ultra is its design with a synthetic leather back. This style is less eye-catching than other high-end smartphones.

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Rumored design of Xiaomi 15 Ultra.

The rumored images of the Xiaomi 15 Ultra show that they will have a change in design. The manufacturer will honor the style of the Leica camera. This design is quite amazing and gives the Xiaomi 15 Ultra a character that the Xiaomi 14 Ultra lacks.

According to rumors, the Xiaomi 15 Ultra's quad rear camera specs will include — a 1-inch 50-megapixel main camera, a wide-angle camera with 3x telephoto zoom, and a 200MP telephoto camera with 4.3x zoom. This layout is slightly different from the Xiaomi 14 Ultra's setup.

What's so great about the software?

As for AI, this technology is increasingly present in phones. Currently, Chinese smartphone brands in particular are keen to use this technology because domestic buyers see it as a significant benefit.

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Xiaomi 15 Ultra will emphasize the design on the rear camera.

With over a century of experience in photography, Leica will be using a lot of AI in its cameras. The Xiaomi 14 Ultra was launched just before the smartphone AI wave hit, but it still offers a surprising experience, especially when used with a camera grip and filters. Even if Xiaomi didn't use AI, tweaking the controls and tones - which are already great for Leica - the Xiaomi 15 Ultra has a chance to be even better.

When will Xiaomi 14 Ultra launch?

If Xiaomi can improve on the Xiaomi 14 Ultra's excellent camera, use an attractive design, and create another photography accessory, the Xiaomi 15 Ultra has a very good chance of winning the best camera phone award in 2025. The Galaxy S25 Ultra's camera is very good, on par with the OnePlus 13, but it can still be "beaten". The combination of Xiaomi and Leica is fully capable of doing that.

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Xiaomi 14 Ultra.

Xiaomi is expected to launch the Xiaomi 15 Ultra in China on February 26. Therefore, the product may be announced globally at the MWC - Mobile World Congress 2025 event in early March. Let's wait and see if the Xiaomi 15 Ultra is capable of becoming the phone with the best camera.

Samuel Daniel

Update 12 February 2025