Redmi Note 15 Pro 5G Review: Solid all-rounder with 200MP camera, big battery

Recently, Xiaomi launched the new Redmi Note 15 Pro series in India.

It comes in two variants-- Redmi Note 15 Pro 5G and Note 15 Pro+-- with prices starting at Rs 29,999.

I used the Redmi Note 15 Pro for a little over a week, and here are my thoughts on Xiaomi's new Android phone.

Design, build quality and display

The new phone retains the core design elements of the predecessor, but comes with refinded form factor. Though the backpanel is made of polycarbonate-based material, it looks very premium, and when held in hand, one can feel how sturdy it is.

Add to that, it has a super-strong aluminium alloy-based reinforced frame capable of withstanding a fall for up to 2.5 metres, and comes with seven-fold protection layers for shock absorption; very few can come close to matching it.

Redmi Note 15 Pro 5G.

On the front, it is protected by Corning's Gorilla Glass Victus 2 and comes with an IP66+IP68+IP69+IP69K dust-and-waterproof rating. It is capable of withstanding harsh weather conditions, high-pressure water jet for a few seconds and also survive a dip in a fresh water body for up to 1.5 metres (around five feet) for close to 30 minutes.

It also boasts of SGS-certified durability for full-device high-strength protection against drops, bends and crushing pressure. Further, the company offers a free silicone cover case with the phone's retail box.

In terms of build quality, there is no match for Xiaomi's Redmi Note 15 Pro in its class.

Redmi Note 15 Pro 5G.

Design-wise, it looks unique and visually pleasing, too. The big camera deco at the back comes with a curved square module, which houses two sensors and an LED flash. The back panel comes with a glossy finish. It does a decent job of repelling the sweaty fingerprint smudges.

Our review unit is silver ash and it looks lovely in the sunlight. The company also offers the device in two other colours-- carbon black and mirage blue.

The new Android phones sport a 6.83-inch 1.5K (2772×1280p) OLED display, 120Hz refresh rate, and up to 3200 nits peak brightness. The big display is great for multimedia consumption and playing games. It supports 120Hz refresh rate, which ensures a smooth browsing experience.

Redmi Note 15 Pro 5G.

It also supports several eye protection feature, which comes in handy to control blue light emissions while reading e-books or long-form news articles at night.

Redmi Note 15 Pro 5G.

The device comes with fantastic stereo speakers and an optical fingerprint sensor, which can detect the finger impression in quick time with less false rejection.

Performance

The Redmi Note 15 Pro is powered by a 4nm class MediaTek Dimensity 7400 Ultra octa-core processor, which can clock a maximum CPU speed up to 2.6GHz. It also comes paired with Mali-G615 MC2 GPU to deliver a smoother gaming experience.

The device does exceptionally well not just in terms of day-to-day activities, but also remains stable while performing heavy-duty tasks such as playing graphics-rich games, recording high-resolution videos on the phone's camera and operating generative Artificial Intelligence features such as Circle to Search, Gemini AI application and more.

The device runs Android 15-based Xiaomi Hyper OS 2. The UI is very simple and easy to navigate through the settings. That said, it is quite disappointing that the device is running old software, while other devices have the Android 16-based OS.

We hope the company rolls out the new HyperOS 3.0 soon. In total, the device is guaranteed to get four years of Android OS updates and six years of security updates for protection against emerging cyber threats.

The device comes with 8GB/12GB LPDDR4X RAM, and 256GB/512GB UFS 2.2 storage options.

Redmi Note 15 Pro 5G.

The Redmi Note 15 Pro comes with a 6,580mAh capacity Li-ion cell. During the review period, it consistently delivered more than a day of battery life under normal usage, with mixed dependency on cellular network outdoors and Wi-Fi at home.

It can support 27 hours of continuous video playback. Given the fact that it has silicon-carbon materials in the battery, the company is promising that it will be able to retain optimum power-carrying capacity for up to six years or around 1,600 charging cycles. And, it can function even at extreme temperatures up to -20-degree Celsius.

It supports 45W fast charging capability. It will take a little over 30 minutes to charge from zero to 50 per cent and will hit the 100 per cent mark in around 80 minutes. It also supports 22.5W reverse wired charging. It can come in handy to charge the TWS earbuds or your friends' phones.

Redmi Note 15 Pro 5G's camera sample.

Photography

The new Xiaomi mid-range phone houses a dual-camera module-- a 200MP camera (with a 1/1.4-inch Samsung HPE sensor, f/1.7 aperture) and an 8MP ultra-wide-angle (with Sony IMX355, f/2.2) with LED flash.

Redmi Note 15 Pro 5G's camera sample.

It takes brilliant high resolution sharp photos of the subject. Be it the human face or the flowers, the colours appear vibrant, worthy to be shared on social media platforms.

Redmi Note 15 Pro 5G's camera sample.

It also has Ultra HD mode, which ensures superior quality photos with clear details.

Redmi Note 15 Pro 5G's camera sample.

The device also supports optical zoom up to 4X, which promises lossless quality and sharp images.

It can digitally zoom up to 30X zoom. The picture quality remains good with less noise up to 10X, but beyond that point, it begins to accumulate more noise and become grainy when you hit the max zoom. That said, the quality is really compared to other brands in its class.

Redmi Note 15 Pro 5G's camera sample.

At night too, it takes really good photos with sharp details without any glaring issues of noise in the background.

Redmi Note 15 Pro 5G's camera sample.

It also supports ultra-wide-angle mode. As you can see from the sample photo, it can capture a vast area without any software tricks.

That said, it also comes with gen AI tools, which are much-needed in this day and age. It promises to enhance the photography experience. It boasts of AI Beautification, AI Erase Pro, AI Reflection Removal, Sky background changer and more. They do a phenomenal job.

Redmi Note 15 Pro 5G's camera sample.

The device can record up to 4K videos at 30 frames per second (fps), full HD 1080p at 30/60 fps and 720p HD videos at 30 fps. The video quality is praiseworthy.

On the front, it houses a 20MP (1/4-inch sensor size, f/2.2). It takes really lovely photos in natural sunlight conditions.

Redmi Note 15 Pro 5G's camera sample.

Redmi Note 15 Pro does a fantastic job with portrait mode. It supports adjustable focal length, so users can adjust the density of the blurriness of the background.

Redmi Note 15 Pro 5G's camera sample.

Final thoughts

The Redmi Note 15 Pro is bang for the buck phone. It ticks all the parameters we look for in a new mid-range phone. It comes with an impressive build quality, bright display, really good camera hardware and delivers good on long battery life.

Redmi Note 15 Pro 5G with silicone case offered free by Xiaomi.

With long software update promise and extraordinary build quality, Xiaomi has covered all bases to ensure the Redmi Note 15 Pro will be able to serve the customer for several years.

Redmi Note 15 Pro comes in two variants-- 8GB RAM + 128GB storage and 8GB RAM + 256GB storage-- for Rs 29,999 and Rs 31,999, respectively.

It is available in mirage blue, silver ash and carbon black colours.

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