Redmi Note 15 review: Incremental upgrade with elegant design

In the mid-range segment, the Redmi Note 15 competes with Nothing (3a) Lite, iQOO Z10, CMF Phone 2 Pro, and Samsung Galaxy A17, among others.

Last week, Xiaomi launched the Redmi Note 15 along with the Redmi Pad 2 Pro in India.

The new Redmi Note 15 comes with a big upgrade not just in terms of internal hardware, but also exterior looks.

Design, build quality and display

Compared to the Redmi Note 14, the successor has undergone a lot of design changes. It has a visually pleasing curved display, which cascades up to the mid-frame.

Redmi Note 15 5G.

On the back, it has a curvaceous square-shaped camera deco at the top. It houses dual-camera sensors and an LED flash.

The device features a slim body measuring just 7.35 mm in thickness and weighing 178g. One hardly feels its presence when kept in the pocket, and if you commute on mass transit vehicles, it does bring anxiety and has to be checked frequently to reassure yourself that the device is still there.

Besides the black colour variant, Xiaomi offers the Redmi Note 15 in glacier blue and mist purple options. The latter is said to be a little thicker (7.40mm)

Only qualm is that the device's camera module protrudes a bit, and a lot of dust gets settled around the edges. I had a really hard time getting the nice cover photo for this review article.

Redmi Note 15 5G.

The Redmi Note 15 comes with MIL-STD-810H military-grade durability and an IP65+IP66 water-and-dust resistant rating. It can survive water jets for a few seconds and moderate rain. Ensure it is completely dry before being connected to a power outlet.

The company also pre-fits a screen guard for protection against scratches. It comes in handy when the phone is kept along with articles like keys, coins and a pen in the pocket or in the backpack.

That said, the curved display always carries a risk of getting damaged during an accidental fall on a rough surface. So, it is better to put the free silicone case offered by Xiaomi. It comes with thick lips around the edges, which promise to protect the device's screen from cracking in most cases on ceramic floors at home and office. It has tested to survive from 1.7 metres (around 5.57 feet), unless it gets dropped on a rugged surface of a footpath or gets run over by a vehicle.

Redmi Note 15 5G.

On the front, it features a 6.77-inch full HD+ AMOLED display with a screen-to-body ratio of 92 per cent. It supports a 120Hz refresh rate and a peak brightness of 3,200nits.

It is great for consuming multimedia content and doomscrolling on social media apps. Even under direct sunlight, the readability on the display was really good compared to rival brands in its class.

At night, the display offers options to reduce the emission of blue light rays and lessen the strain on the eyes while reading long-form articles or binge-watching TV series episodes during a long journey.

The device also comes with a Type-C port and a hybrid dual-SIM slot. Here, the customer has to choose between the storage and the second SIM.

The in-display fingerprint sensor works fine without any pressing issues to complain about. The dual speakers on the Redmi Note 15 are really good too. Like other Redmi phones, it supports a 300 per cent volume boost feature to make it more enjoyable while playing a game at home. If you are watching multimedia content, better to use earphones and not disturb others around you.

Performance

The Redmi Note 15 is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 6 Gen 3 processor with 8GB RAM.

It is not the most powerful processor in its segment, but it manages to deliver smooth performance with day-to-day activities. It can even handle most of the games available on the Google Play Store. Also, it supports generative Artificial Intelligence features such as Google's Circle to Search and Gemini app.

It runs Android 15-based HyperOS 2. It will soon receive Android 16-based HyperOS 3 via OTA (Over-The-Air).

Redmi Note 15 5G.

It comes with several third-party apps, but this is not a deal breaker, as there is enough space to install the user's favourite apps and even store thousands of photos and videos captured on the phone's camera. It is available in 128GB and 256GB storage options.

The company has confirmed to offer four years of Android OS updates up to 2030 and six years of security patches for protection against emerging cyber threats up to 2032.

Despite the slim design limitation, Xiaomi has managed to put in a large 5,520mAh battery. It is good enough to keep the phone running for an entire day under normal usage with Wi-Fi connectivity at home and the office.

The device supports 45W fast charging and 18W reverse charging capability.

Redmi Note 15 5G's camera sample.

Photography

Xiaomi Redmi Note 15 sports a dual-camera module-- a main 108MP Master Pixel sensor with an 8MP ultra-wide camera with LED flash on the back.

Redmi Note 15 5G's camera sample.

It is the first mid-range phone to feature Samsung ISOCELL HM9, and as advertised, the Redmi Note 15 lives up to the reputation.

Redmi Note 15 5G's camera sample.

Redmi Note 15 takes good photos in the sunlight. The images are crisp with vibrant colours, worthy of being shared on social media platforms.

Redmi Note 15 5G's camera sample.

With ultra-wide-angle mode, it can capture a vast area of the landscape clearly without any glaring issues of colour fringing.

Redmi Note 15 5G's camera sample.

Redmi Note 15 5G's camera sample.

In macro mode, it does a fine job of capturing minute details of the subject in the close range.

Redmi Note 15 5G's camera sample.

It can digitally zoom up to 20X. However, the photo begins to collect noise and become grainy beyond 5X zoom.

Redmi Note 15 5G's camera sample.

At night, the photo quality is decent, on par with rival brands in its class.

Redmi Note 15 5G's camera sample.

With portrait mode, it does a fine job with sharp focus on the subject and artfully blurs the background to deliver a bokeh effect.

Redmi Note 15 5G's camera sample.

It can record decent-quality 4K videos in well-lit conditions.

Redmi Note 15 5G's camera sample.

On the front, it houses a 20MP camera. It takes pretty nice selfies in the sunlit conditions. It can record full HD 1080p at 30 frames per second.

Redmi Note 15 5G's camera sample.

Final thoughts

Overall, Redmi Note 15 is an incremental upgrade over the predecessor. It has a bigger, brighter display, a reliable Qualcomm chipset to deliver smooth performance, a noticeably improved camera and a large battery, enough for the phone run a whole day under normal usage.

Redmi Note 15 5G.

In the mid-range segment, the Redmi Note 15 competes with Nothing (3a) Lite (review), iQOO Z10 (review), CMF Phone 2 Pro (review), and Samsung Galaxy A17 (review), among others.

The Redmi Note 15 comes in two configurations-- 8GB RAM + 128GB storage and 8GB RAM + 256GB storage-- for Rs 22,999 and Rs 24,999, respectively.