Redmi 15 5G Review: A Marathon Runner in a Sprinter’s World
Introduction
The budget smartphone market is a fierce battleground. To stand out, brands often focus on one key feature. Xiaomi’s strategy for the new Redmi 15 5G is clear: it prioritizes endurance above all else. This phone makes a bold statement with its massive 7000mAh battery. The company pairs this power cell with a new Snapdragon chipset and a large 144Hz display. Do these upgrades create a balanced champion, or did Xiaomi make too many compromises? We put it to the test.
Our review of the Redmi 15 5G. Its huge 7000mAh battery delivers epic life, but it falters in camera and performance. Is this budget phone worth buying?
Design and Build: A Fresh Look
Xiaomi gives the Redmi 15 5G a welcome design overhaul. It feels genuinely new, breaking the trend of minor annual updates. You can choose from three finishes: Sandy Purple, Frosted White, and a simple Midnight Black.
A new rectangular camera island stands out on the back. An aluminum frame surrounds the module, adding a premium touch to the plastic body. Inside, you will see three camera rings. However, only the top one is a real camera. The second is a depth sensor, while the third is purely for looks.
This new design makes the phone harder to hold. To fit the huge battery, Xiaomi made the Redmi 15 5G much wider than its predecessor. This makes one-handed use a real challenge. On the plus side, the phone feels solid and now has an IP64 rating for dust and splash resistance, which is a great practical addition.
Display: Big and Bright, with a Catch
A large 6.9-inch IPS LCD panel dominates the front of the phone. The screen has a crisp 1080x2340px resolution. For a budget device, the display performs well with good colors and contrast. Xiaomi also improved the screen’s brightness, making it much easier to see outdoors.
However, the display has the usual limits of LCD technology. Colors can shift when you view the screen from an angle. You may also notice some minor light bleed around the edges. These are common issues in this price range and not deal-breakers.
The 144Hz refresh rate is a headline feature, but it comes with a major catch. The phone only activates this peak rate in a few system apps like the calculator. For everything else, including browsing and gaming, the display maxes out at 120Hz. The 144Hz claim is more of a marketing point than a real user benefit.
Battery Life and Charging: The Undisputed Champion
The battery is the star of the show. The enormous 7000mAh Silicon-Carbon (SiC) cell is a huge upgrade over competitors. This phone is an endurance beast. It easily lasts two full days of regular use, and sometimes even longer.
Xiaomi includes a 33W fast charger in the box. However, filling such a large battery takes time. It reaches 36% charge in 30 minutes, which is slower than some rivals. Most users will happily accept this trade-off for multi-day battery life.
The phone also supports 18W reverse wired charging. This feature turns your Redmi 15 5G into a portable power bank. You can charge another phone or your accessories without worry, making it incredibly useful for travel.
Software and User Experience
The Redmi 15 5G runs on Xiaomi’s HyperOS 2, based on Android 15. Xiaomi promises two major Android updates and four years of security patches. Previous Xiaomi users will find the interface familiar. It offers many customization options but can feel a bit stale. In India, the phone comes with many pre-installed apps and ads. This “bloatware” is part of the cost of an affordable device.
Chipset Performance and Gaming
The Redmi 15 5G uses the Qualcomm Snapdragon 6s Gen 3 chipset. The name sounds new, but the CPU cores are the same as those in the last two generations of Redmi phones. This means day-to-day performance has not improved in two years, which is disappointing.
The good news is the upgraded Adreno 619 GPU. It delivers a graphics performance boost of nearly 2.5 times over the older model. This makes a real difference in games and other graphic-heavy tasks.
Even with the GPU boost, the phone is not a gaming powerhouse. In a demanding game like BGMI, it delivers around 40-50fps on low settings. This is better than before, but still not the smooth 60fps gamers want. Thankfully, the phone handles heat well and does not throttle under pressure.
Cameras: A Sideways Step
The camera specs might seem like a step back. The phone has a 50MP main camera, replacing the 108MP sensor from last year. In good daylight, the camera takes nice pictures with good color and exposure.
Its biggest weakness is detail. Photos often look soft when you zoom in. This is a clear downgrade from the sharper images of the Redmi 13 5G. As a result, digital zoom quality is poor. The 8MP front camera takes decent selfies, though colors can look a bit muted.
Video recording is the camera’s biggest weakness. The phone lacks any form of stabilization. This makes moving footage shaky and almost unusable.
Speaker and Audio
Xiaomi removed the 3.5mm headphone jack, which is a letdown. A single, bottom-firing speaker handles all audio. The sound is tinny and lacks depth. It becomes harsh at higher volumes. You will need wireless headphones or a USB-C adapter for good sound quality.
Verdict
The Redmi 15 5G is a phone of extremes. Its incredible 7000mAh battery is the best in its class and a massive selling point. The modern design and bright display are also welcome upgrades.
However, significant weaknesses balance these strengths. The CPU performance is stagnant, and the camera quality has dropped in key areas. Unusable video stabilization and the removal of the headphone jack are further drawbacks.
If you need a phone that will last for days and battery life is your only priority, the Redmi 15 5G is a great choice. For everyone else, the compromises may be too great. You might find better overall value in a different device or even a discounted Redmi 13 5G.
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