Xiaomi 15, Redmi Note 14: before its time, meeting the star smartphones of 2025
Xiaomi has not yet confirmed the launch of its 15 series in Europe, but no matter: it is already official in China. During a trip to the Middle Kingdom, we went to meet these smartphones available in two versions (15 and 15 Pro), which we can hope will be discussed around the next Mobile World Congress , end of February 2025.
The Xiaomi 15 and 15 Pro © Les Numériques
A look in the rearview mirror, and here we are at MWC 2024: Xiaomi formalizes a 14 Ultra new and with a particularly stylish technical sheet, while announcing the marketing of its model 14. A few months earlier, the brand had launched its eponymous range in China also including a Pro model: it chose to focus on the Xiaomi 14 whose quality-price ratio seemed more attractive to him.
The Xiaomi 15 and 15 Pro © Les Numériques
The Xiaomi 15 next to the Xiaomi 14 (right) © Les Numériques
Minimalist design
The smartphone has a 6.36-inch Oled screen, Full HD+ and promising slightly higher brightness than that of the 14 (which still reached 1500 cd/m² during our test). Its weight remains within one gram (189 grams instead of 188 g) and its format is even very slightly smaller (152.3 x 71.2 x 8.1 mm compared to 152.8 x 71.5 x 8, 2 mm Suffice to say that it is pleasant in the hand, with a significant bonus to remember: Xiaomi abandons the shiny back of its model 14 and prefers a matte material, which therefore retains less traces of dirt. The firm is thus bending to the trend, and also giving in to the sirens of flat screens and backs, where the 14 retained some curves at the back. The atmosphere is now even more minimalist.
The Xiaomi 15 © Les Numériques
Xiaomi equips its 15 with a photo block whose aesthetics have been subtly revised. The colored rim of the 14 has disappeared, but we find a square format accommodating the different photo modules. Please note, the brand has moved the flash outside of this block, to make room for what looks like a fourth module: error, there are only three, the last one is fake. We nevertheless appreciate the integration of a 50 Mpx sensor (Lytia 900 from Sony) accompanied by an lens opening at f/1.62, which seemed efficient to us during our quick tests. It is accompanied by two other sensors of 50 Mpx each, the first with an ultra wide-angle, and the second with a telephoto lens. It is good to note that Xiaomi goes from the equivalent of a 75 mm focal length (x3.2 zoom) to a 60 mm equivalent (x3), still with optical stabilization and a macro mode from 10 cm.
The Xiaomi 15 © Les Numériques
Last point to note, and not least: the Xiaomi 15 is not heavier than the 14, despite its much more generous battery. Its capacity of 5400 mAh far exceeds that of the Xiaomi 14, which stood at 4610 mAh. We appreciate it without reservation, especially as its charging remains fast (90 W wired, 50 W wireless), and its chip Snapdragon 8 Eliteseen in Asus ROG Phone 9 Propromises to be energy efficient. The 15 Pro model is ultimately practically similar, with a more imposing format and an enlarged photo block, but has a luxury that Xiaomi had reserved for its 14 Ultra: a variable aperture for its wide-angle lens (f/1.44 at f/4).
The photo block of the Xiaomi 15 Pro © Les Numériques
Redmi Note 14 series: change of style
The sobriety of the Xiaomi 15 series contrasts with the much more exuberant appearance of the Redmi Note 14. The eponymous model is very sober, unlike the Pro and Pro+ versions. These last two models offer a back shell with rounded sides, a screen which is also curved and a shiny metallic rim around their photo block, which no longer has much to do with that of the Redmi Note 13 Pro and Pro+. This new feature is accompanied by a major addition: an IP68/69 certification applied to these two terminals.
On the technical side, the Redmi Note 14 Pro and Pro+ share a 6.67-inch Amoled screen displaying 1220 x 2712 pixels. Behind it hides, depending on the model, a Snapdragon 7s Gen 3 chip from Qualcomm (Pro+) or MediaTek Dimensity 7300 Ultra (Pro). Both are equipped with XXL batteries, the Pro+ entitled to a 6200 mAh accumulator (charging at 45 W) and the Pro to 5500 mAh (90 W). On the photo side, the Pro+ is also the best off, since it adds to the double photo module of the Pro (50 Mpx with wide-angle and 8 Mpx with ultra-wide-angle) a telephoto lens equivalent to 60 mm and complementing a 50 megapixel sensor .
The Redmi Note 14, only in 5G version this year, displays the same format – without the curves of the Pro models – with its 6.7-inch panel. Its definition is slightly lower (1080 x 2400 pixels), its MediaTek Dimensity 7025 chip is engraved in 6 nm (and not 4 nm) and is flanked by a 5110 mAh battery.
These smartphones could be presented in their European version shortly: their predecessors, the Redmi Note 13, had debuted in January 2024. These low-cost models were priced from €199, and their successors should be included in the same trend. Count on a minimum of 1199 yuan (around €160 excluding taxes) for a Redmi Note 14 5G, in 6/128 GB version.
