Xiaomi brings its 15 and 15 Ultra flagships to Europe — but the US misses out

Just days after revealing the 15 Ultra in China, Xiaomi has announced a UK and European launch for its latest flagship phone, together with the base Xiaomi 15. There’s no sign of the Pro model, but there is an array of tablets, earbuds, and fitness trackers appearing alongside the phones.

The 15 and 15 Ultra are available to order from today, starting at £1,299 / €1,499 (around $1,600) for the Ultra and £899 / €999 (around $1,100) for the 15. Both are powered by the Snapdragon 8 Elite and include big batteries, fast wired and wireless charging, and IP68 ratings.

The cameras are really where the two phones diverge. While both phones feature similar sounding sets of 50-megapixel main, telephoto, and ultrawide cameras, the Ultra actually uses different sensors on every lens, so should net superior results. It also features a fourth lens: a 200-megapixel, 4.3x periscope lens that dominates the already large camera module on the phone’s back. Xiaomi is also selling a Photography Kit add-on for £179 (around $225), which includes a functional camera grip accessory complete with a shutter button, zoom lever, and exposure dial.

The two phones are joined by the Xiaomi Pad 7 and Pad 7 Pro, a pair of 11.2-inch Android tablets with 3.2K 144Hz displays. The two tablets are similarly specced, but the Pro model uses a faster Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 chip (compared to a 7 Plus Gen 3 on the 7) and has higher resolution cameras. They go on sale from £369 /€399 (around $465) and £449 / €499 ($565) respectively. The Pro also ships in a “Matte Glass” version which should offer reduced screen glare for £549 / €649 ($690).

Xiaomi has also announced European releases for the Buds 5 Pro, which come in a Bluetooth model and a separate Wi-Fi version for improved quality when paired with a compatible Xiaomi phone, which for the moment is only the 15 and 15 Ultra. Finally, there are two wearables too: the Smart Band 9 Pro features improved health tracking compared to last year’s model, while the Watch S4 is a simple smartwatch that features a return of the swappable bezels introduced this time last year in the Watch S3.

Photography by Dominic Preston / The Verge

Update, February 2nd: Added prices in Euros for more products, and clarified compatibility of the Buds 5 Pro Wi-Fi.