Xiaomi’s latest flagship, the 15 Ultra, is now available on the global market. Priced at €1,500, it packs some seriously impressive hardware—a massive 200MP periscope telephoto lens and a 1-inch main sensor.
These specs put it ahead of Apple’s flagship in terms of hardware. But even with all that firepower, the 15 Ultra hasn’t cracked DXOMark’s top 10 camera rankings.
Xiaomi 15 Ultra’s DXOMark score
The 15 Ultra scored 153 points in DXOMark’s camera tests, placing it 13th globally. That’s Xiaomi’s best showing yet—last year’s 14 Ultra sits at 19th place with 149 points.
But it’s still lagging behind its biggest rivals, both in China and the West. Huawei’s Pura 70 Ultra currently leads the DXOMark rankings, followed by the Pixel 9 Pro XL and Honor Magic 6 Pro.
To be clear, this doesn’t mean the 15 Ultra has a bad camera—far from it. Even Samsung’s Galaxy S25 Ultra ranks lower at 24th place. DXOMark praised the 15 Ultra for its high texture detail, low noise, accurate exposure, wide dynamic range, and strong color rendering.
So why did it fall short?
According to DXOMark, the phone struggles with occasional warm color casts in both photos and videos, contrast inconsistencies, and noticeable artifacts that impact image quality. There are also issues with texture loss in certain conditions and autofocus stepping problems, which can make focusing feel less smooth.
Another major drawback is its narrow depth of field, which results in blurred background faces in group shots. Note that this a limitation stemming from its primary camera.
For a phone that aims to be the best of the best, these shortcomings might be disappointing. But numbers aside, the 15 Ultra still packs some of the most impressive mobile camera hardware available right now.
Our hands-on of the Xiaomi 15 Ultra is already out—be sure to check it out!
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