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So I have a Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra and I’m looking forward to switch to a Xiaomi 15 Ultra. I’m aware of the Chinese bloatware as I own a Vivo X200 Pro. The question is, do you all think I should switch over? Give me some pros and cons of the 15 Ultra.
Are you happy and satisfied with the Camera quality and Camera output such as Photos and videos you get out of your S25 ultra?
I don’t have an S25 Ultra but the cameras are the most important thing for me and I switched from Pixel 9 Pro to 15 Ultra because I was so disappointed with the cameras of the Pixel 9 Pro.
My dad has the S25 Ultra and myself the 15 Ultra.
The only area the Samsung is better is is software. OneUI is more polished and mature. Seemingly less bugs than the Xiaomi and more promised OS updates. However, HyperOS manages to feel much more fluid and responsive than OneUI.
Almost everything else, is in the Xiaomi’s court.
Camera? Xiaomi.
Battery life? I get better endurance than my dad
Charging? Xiaomi is years ahead
Haptics? Xiaomi
Network holding strength? Somehow Xiaomi
Aesthetic? In my opinion, again the Xiaomi
Speakers? Probably a tossup
I imported my phone to Canada for around $1,800. My dad bought his Samsung locally for almost $2,200 new. Both 512 GB. Value unquestionably goes to Xiaomi though I understand other parts of the world may differ.
How often do you need an S pen?
Are you okay with slower charging speed of S25U than 15 Ultra?
If you say often and have no problem with slower speed then go with S25U. otherwise (like camera and relatively cheaper 15U) then go with 15U.
I had both and the Xiaomi destroys it. Samsung has more bloatware.
The main proposition is the camera module of the 15 ultra.
Otherwise I do not think it is worth the lateral move.
I jumped from a Pixel 7 pro, the image jump was huge.
What are you looking for from Xiaomi 15 Ultra over S25 U and Vivo x200 Pro? All 3 are top phones, any differences will be incremental.
I don’t have Vivo X200 Pro but from all accounts, apart from funtouch OS being less mature, seems to be highly rated.
S25 Ultra’s strengths :
– one UI 7 is full featured, very polished and less buggy Some features, you can’t get on HyperOS such as folders in app drawers, good lock endless customisation, better widgets, scrolling page screenshots across different apps etc
– S-pen is a wonderful tool and very useful for things like translating words on apps, writing over screenshots
– Anti reflective coating on display
– Software support – OS updates are for 7 years and more consistent in update frequency
– Easier to sell as Samsung is more well known and accepted by masses and buy back stores
– Camera is consistent and generally has good exposure, good hdr performance. Point and shoot is more consistent. Changing lenses during video capture is less jarring. Selfie camera is one of the best.
– DEX mode
– Speaker is a bit louder
– Bluetooth volume seems to be higher
– Phone heat management is great but quicker to throttle
– Easier to get accessories outside of China and maybe some countries in Asia.
15U’s strengths
– Display is top notch and whilst it does not have anti reflective coating, has excellent visibility in bright outdoor conditions
– Camera – outstanding if you can manage the inconsistencies in exposure for example dialling down the EV. Most DSLR like in terms of photo qualities. No excessing lifting of shadows unlike other phones which makes photos look like captured by smartphone. 1inch sensor and HP9 telephoto sensor are the best. Presets functions are fantastic. Leica colour science is outstanding.
– Ability to use Nd or CPL filters via photography kit
– Better battery life generally but camera use uses quite a bit of battery juice
– Bluetooth codecs – every codecs under the sun is available as Xiaomi does not gimp them like Samsung or Apple. In fact it is the only brand to support XPAN and the earbuds (buds 5 Pro wifi) to take advantange of wifi connection to the phone.
– Software whilst not as feature rich is very smooth and responsive.
– Network connections seems to be stronger
– Charging is very rapid, wired and wireless if you use the Xiaomi or cuktech chargers
-File sharing with iOS devices with Xiaomi developed software.
TBH both phones are enjoyable and have strength and weaknesses. Depends on what is important to you. If Camera is more important and you like adjusting parameters then Xiaomi is a great choice. If you want a better all-rounder, can’t go past S25U.
Edited to add more.
what’s the purpose of this switch? I’m assuming you’re using your X200 Pro for photos anyways?
Xiaomi does not have more bloatware than samsung. Between these 2 I will always would pick the 15 ultra. Samsung needs to step up their game, display, camera, pwm wise. One ui isn’t enough anymore.
Great summary! Brings it to the point! I decide for the X15U because of the design and camera. The Samsung is a bit boring – although it would be the better all-rounder.
What is this thing with the not working rolling screenshots? My Huawei could do it all the time with a momorable gesture.
just moved from s24u to xiaomi 15 ultra global version. i switched because of the camera upgrade.
hardware wise i think all the 2025 phones offer very little real upgrades. X15U was interesting for me due to the 1″ sensor which is vastly superior and you can do more with the RAW file in post processing. Also, the other camera focal lengths are different so make sure you try before you buy. oh the photography kit with auxillary battery is the other advantage for an avid photographer like me.
software wise, Xiaomi OS is a more stripped down version compared to Samsung OS – a bit of set up required to make it pretty much the same. Of use to me: secured folder, dual apps, double click power button to open camera, universal app/file finder, app cleaner, various gestures to access menus, all exist in some way or another.
loss of s pen is made up with a narrower phone that fits better in my hand and pants pockets. without s pen writing i have moved on to voice input and that has been the one major change/improvement for me (it works well!).
screen wise there are differences but they are insignificant to me. as is hardware cpu/gpu – you can find reviews for tests but in real world situations i had 30% battery life at end of day with my 24U now its more like 45% with the Xiaomi 15U. of course it depends on usage.
the most significant change is the camera bump which is huge in the Xiaomi 15 ultra because of the camera sensors. I am not so much affected in overall handling, in fact i find it easier to intuitively locate where to grip the phone and the notch provides a guide for resting a finger or two for consistent grip so thats a positive to me. However, it doesn’t lay flat and may affect wireless charging. Strangely enough i had to upgrade from an OEM wireless stand charger that worked on the s24U for a similar xiaomi 55w one. On the other hand, the Xiaomi charged faster in my car’s wireless charging pad.
Thanks. Yes with HyperOS it does not work with all apps and browsers. Weird and frustrating!
Sorry for the offtopic, but how do you switch from one to another? You just seel one and get another?
How would you compare the x200 pro and s25u? Especially the battery life and call quality/reception/signal strengh
And how’s the camera on X15U compared to Pixel?
How would you compare the X15U pro and s25u? Especially the battery life and call quality/reception/signal strengh
Really the battery is better on Xiaomi? It is one of the few things it loses to samsung in reviews.
How would you compare the gps signal strengh in low reception areas?
And didn’t you observe any overheating on Xiaomi? It apparently its main weak point
On the Xiaomi advantade? How about portraits in a good daylight?
Have not used much portrait mode shooting, I usually just shoot the focal lengths of the 1 inch sensor for family pics.
I absolutely hate the post-processing of the Pixel 9 Pro, especially the sharpening and lighting. I tried using a modded GCam to reduce the sharpening, but it still messes with the lighting; highlights are reduced while shadows are brightened. I know I can use RAW, but it’s just not convenient to edit every photo. The 15 Ultra’s post-processing, on the other hand, is what I expected for a Google phone (renowned for its ‘photography’). The 15 Ultra’s post-processing is so perfect for my liking; the sharpening looks natural, the lighting is perfect, and I also have the option to turn HDR off, which is a big deal to me when I don’t want the lighting to be altered.
Xiaomi does everything equal or better except maybe some software polish and complexity.
Yes pixel is so bloody overrated. 110% agree with you. Photos looked over hdr’ed and oversharpened. Night mode looks so fake and over brightened. Hardware is stuck in year 2019.Appeals to people who have no idea about photography, dslr and only care about posting to social media.
Also plenty of YouTube reviewers and Android sites sing it”s praises due to Google’s market power as a tech company. When a a reviewer like Ben Sin claims that all the flagship Chinese phones destroy the likes of pixels and phones, Google removed him from the pixel fan club. He posted it on X the email received from Google.
Cons:
\- no pen anymore
\- thirdparty launchers can’t do circle to search with long-press home
\- thirdparty launchers can’t “pin this app”
\- thirdparty launchers can’t do split screen
\- no 50MP Pro Mode other than on the main camera
\- shutter speed presets don’t work with raw (it switches back to jpg)
\- dng has missing and wrong metadata (ISO, locaition)
\- dng files are overexposed compared to what you seen on screen, in histogram or the jpg
\- no routines (but you can use tasker to replace them partly)
\- wrong technical specs, HP9 camera is apparently not 100mm but 96mm
\- no anti reflective display
Pro:
\- Camera with raw support
\- Camera with autofocus for human and animals
\- Camera detects movements and adjusts the shutter speed accordingly
\- Tracking AF regardless of selected resolution
\- better bigger cameras with better noise and low light capabilities
\- really fast charging
\- supports APTX HD codecs
You can use filter with any phone, just need to get a case (as you need to do with the X15U too).
huh?
Trade in IG?
Wireless charging- I was worried about wireless charging efficiency with the camera bump, but the X15U works fine on both of my Samsung wireless chargers. The bottom of the camera bump raises the back off the surface a bit, but it still wirelessly charges, even with the small gap between the phone and surface. After all, contact is not required, just proximity.
Sorry totally forgot about your reply.
Yes on the battery life. My Xiaomi seems to have much better standby retention than his Samsung. Overnight, I’ll loose only 1-2% while he will loose maybe 5%. During the day, he uses his phone less than I do for a typical work day, but I’ll come home usually with more battery left unless I’ve been taking photos on my site visits (camera does drain the battery heavily).
GPS reception strength appears to be somewhat equal between the two but we are also on different carriers. His carrier has slightly better signal in our house than I do but I have better coverage on rural areas due to more frequency bands. Overall, still equal in performance.
Never has my Xiaomi overheated once. Gotten warm, yes but not hot. Even while fast charging and using the phone at the same time. I don’t play games on my phone so I can’t comment in that scenario.
”HDR” for photo’s looks terrible in so many cases. Took a while for me to realise that, generally speaking, HDR for video? Big yes, when watching back on an HDR capable display. ”HDR” photo’s? No. It’s basically just a ”contrast equalizer” while maintaining detail, but really does nothing for color quality and it destroys contrast.
Honestly, I’d still like to see video-HDR for digital photographs when shown on an HDR display. Now that I would be interested in. Seeing an actually bright sunset on a photograph instead of just on video. But I’ve never seen that before. It’s like everyone’s still like ”BUT WE SHOULD BE ABLE TO PRINT THIS AS IS” despite 90% of people never looking at photo’s outside of screens.