Xiaomi 15 Ultra vs. Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra
There's more than one way to skin a cat make an Ultra-grade smartphone and the Samsung way isn't the Xiaomi way. The Galaxy S25 Ultra is aiming to be the most feature-rich Android while, in the process, having a camera that's very good. The Xiaomi 15 Ultra, on the other hand, is more of a camera-with-a-phone-attached type of deal. We'll try to compare the two on all the metrics and then look at some pictures to help you decide which one is best for you.
Table of Contents:
For starters, you can compare the complete specs sheets or directly continue with our editor's assessment in the following text.
Size comparison
All the top-of-the-line models are full-size handsets with no real aspirations for compactness. But there are nuances between these two. The Galaxy S25 Ultra is notably boxier than the Xiaomi - flat display and back, flat sides, sharp corners - it makes quite a bulky impression. Sure, it's somewhat significantly thinner and marginally lighter, but it's the 2.3mm of extra width that are a lot more easily felt. Meanwhile, the Xiaomi's more fluid shapes tend to be a lot easier on both your hands and your pocket. That said, the 15 Ultra's huge camera assembly can get in the way all by itself - the almost hidden cameras of the Galaxy barely register.
The Galaxy's display is protected by an exclusive type of Corning-made glass-ceramic, the Gorilla Armor 2. The handset's back is an older variety - Gorilla Glass Victus 2. The S25 Ultra is the second-gen Galaxy with titanium used for its frame and it's a higher grade too this year.
In contrast, the Xiaomi 15 Ultra uses its house-branded Shield Glass 2.0 for its display. The backs are either eco leather or glass fiber and the frame is aluminum. We're not exactly sure how much better the Galaxy's materials are from a longevity standpoint, but it sure does sound like it's built tougher. Both phones are IP68-rated for dust and water resistance (down to 1.5m for 30 minutes).
Color options are more varied on the Galaxy, with up to 7 colorways in existence, though three of them are limited to the company's official online store (where available) and none is particularly interesting. The Xiaomi's glass fiber-backed options are Black and White, and there's also the two-tone rangefinder camera-like eco leather option. We'd say the Xiaomi has more personality.
The Galaxy S25 Ultra has the S Pen to set it apart from any other phone, the built-in stylus being a boon to productivity, though it has lost a key feature this year - the camera remote functionality. The Xiaomi 15 Ultra has a unique accessory of its own, albeit one that comes at an extra cost - the Photography kit that makes it look and behave even more like a camera and less like a phone.
Display comparison
Xiaomi has been putting out 12-bit displays with 68B color support for a while now, even on relatively inexpensive models, so it's no wonder that the 15 Ultra has such a panel. The Galaxy, meanwhile, is stuck in the past with an 8-bit 16M color panel. How important that would be to you is debatable but it's one of the main differences when it comes to display. The other differentiator is HDR standards support - the Xiaomi has them all covered, including Dolby Vision, while the Galaxy is sticking to HDR10+.
Of course, both screens are OLED, with plenty of pixels, and adaptive refresh rate in the 1-120Hz range. The one on the Galaxy is slightly larger, while the Xiaomi display is a little bit brighter, but the S25 Ultra is less reflective to make up for it.
Of course, the S Pen is a major selling point for the Galaxy - mentioned here, because it's mostly the layers in the display stack that are doing the work.