I’ve been using Xiaomi for years, and I genuinely love what the Leica experience can do on phones like this—so this isn’t a hate video. But after spending real time with the Xiaomi 15 Ultra, I’ve got some big questions, because it does come with issues that affect how much I can actually rely on it day to day. I break down what I like, what I don’t, and why some of Xiaomi’s choices here feel a bit weird. Camera-wise, one of the biggest changes for me is the lack of variable aperture. That sounds minor until you’re in a real shooting situation—like trying to capture movement in water—where I now need an ND filter to get the look I want, and that’s frustrating. I also talk about how exposure can be inconsistent: shots often come out brighter than I want, and I’m having to manually adjust EV more than I ever did on the Xiaomi 14 Ultra or even the Xiaomi 13 Pro. On top of that, I’m seeing artificial sharpening (especially on the new periscope), which can make images look “sharper” without actually adding detail. But the biggest practical problem is battery and heat. Once you start actually using the phone—gaming, camera use, general heavy use—it drains fast and heats up enough to get uncomfortable. There’s potential here, and I do think updates can improve it, but right now battery life, heat management, and camera brightness behavior are holding the 15 Ultra back for me.