Xiaomi Redmi 15

The Xiaomi Redmi 15 is a battery-first phone. Our current lowest price is Rs. 54,799 for 8GB + 128GB. That is well above its launch price, which is why many Pakistani buyers call it overpriced.

What you get:

• A huge 7000 mAh silicon-carbon battery with 33W charging and a charger in the box
• 18W reverse wired charging, so it can top up another phone
• A large 6.9-inch Full HD+ screen with a 144Hz refresh rate
• IP64 dust and splash protection, an IR blaster and a case in the box

What you give up:

• The Snapdragon 685 is an older, modest chip
• An LCD panel where rivals offer AMOLED
• Only 128GB of storage, a single speaker, no headphone jack and no gyroscope

Both picked rivals cost less. The Itel Super 26 Ultra (Rs. 47,499) offers a 144Hz AMOLED screen and a 32 MP selfie camera, but a smaller 6000 mAh battery with 18W charging. The Honor X6c (Rs. 44,995) charges faster at 35W but has a 5300 mAh battery and a weaker Helio G81 Ultra.

Verdict: the Redmi 15 makes sense for riders, drivers and travellers who need two days away from a charger. For everyone else, it is worth waiting for a price drop.

The Redmi 15 has a 6.9-inch IPS LCD with 1080 x 2340 resolution and a 144Hz refresh rate. Scrolling and menus feel very smooth, and Full HD+ keeps text and video sharp on such a big panel. Widevine L1 support means streaming apps can play in HD.

It is brighter than older budget LCD panels, and early hands-on use reports good outdoor visibility. Wet-touch support helps when your hands or the screen are damp.

Limitations:

• LCD contrast and blacks cannot match the AMOLED panels on rivals at this price
• Bezels and chin are average, not slim
• The very large screen makes the phone hard to use with one hand

The Snapdragon 685 with LPDDR4X RAM and UFS 2.2 storage is an efficient chip, and it is a clear step up from the Helio G91 Ultra in the Redmi 13. Day-to-day apps, social media and browsing run fine, and 8GB of RAM helps keep apps open.

It is not a gaming phone. PUBG Mobile offers Smooth graphics with up to Ultra frame rates, roughly 40 fps, which suits casual players. There is no gyroscope, hardware or virtual, so gyro aiming is not available.

Reported AnTuTu scores range from about 3.5 lakh to around 5 lakh depending on the test, so treat benchmark claims with caution. Many rivals near this price use faster chips, which is the main reason the Redmi 15 feels expensive.

The Redmi 15 has a 50 MP main camera with an auxiliary lens and an 8 MP selfie camera. In good light, the rear camera gives accurate colours, good detail and clean portrait edge detection with pleasing background blur.

The selfie camera drops from the 13 MP used on the Redmi 13, though Xiaomi's processing keeps daylight selfies solid. In low light the front camera struggles; night mode helps recover some detail.

Limitations:

• Video is limited to 1080p at 30fps on both cameras
• There is no video stabilisation, so handheld clips shot while moving will shake
• There is no ultrawide or telephoto camera

The camera covers everyday photos well, but it is not a reason to buy this phone.

Battery is the reason to buy the Redmi 15. It packs a 7000 mAh silicon-carbon cell, which keeps the body at 8.6 mm and 224 g despite the capacity. Early hands-on use points to about two days on moderate use, though no full drain test is available yet.

It supports 33W wired charging, and the 33W charger comes in the box. A full charge of such a large battery will take longer than on smaller phones; no measured charging time is available yet.

Useful extras:

• 18W reverse wired charging lets it work as a power bank for another phone or small gadgets
• HyperOS ships with many power-saving settings switched on, which stretches battery life further

There is no wireless charging.

The Redmi 15 runs HyperOS 2 on Android 15. It includes Google Circle to Search and some basic Xiaomi AI tools, plus an IR blaster app for controlling TVs and air conditioners.

Bloatware is the main complaint: the phone arrives with many pre-installed apps and games. Most can be removed with a long press and uninstall, but it takes time to clean up a new phone.

Xiaomi had not announced an official update policy for the Redmi 15 at its Pakistan launch, so buyers should not expect the long update support that Samsung offers on its budget phones.