There’s been a lot of buzz lately about the Xiaomi 15 Ultra (Hands-On) and Xiaomi 15 Pro, but I’d like to shift the focus to the Xiaomi 15. Notably, the iPhone 16 is a comparable device in the same segment. For those interested in comparing these two devices, this article will delve into the iPhone 16 vs Xiaomi 15 showdown, helping you decide which best suits your needs.
iPhone 16 vs Xiaomi 15
Design and Size: A Familiar Look
The Xiaomi 15 offers a similar yet improved design compared to the iPhone 16. The new iPhone maintains Apple’s signature design with flat edges and slightly rounded corners, giving it a simple feel. Similarly, the Xiaomi 15 features a modern design with a glass back and aluminum frame.
The iPhone 16’s camera cluster is more compact and less prominent than the Xiaomi 15’s. Xiaomi groups the 15’s camera in a cluster with a flat glass panel, while Apple positions the iPhone 16’s lenses separately and more discreetly. Regarding thickness, both phones’ cameras are nearly identical, sitting evenly on a flat surface.
The Xiaomi 15 is slightly larger due to its 6.36-inch screen than the iPhone 16’s 6.1-inch screen. Despite the size difference, both devices remain compact and easy to use with one hand.
The button arrangement differs between the two devices. The iPhone 16 distributes buttons evenly on both sides, which I find more logical and reduces accidental presses. In contrast, the Xiaomi 15 places all buttons on the right side, leading to occasional mistakes when using the volume down and power buttons. The symmetrical design of the iPhone 16 is also more aesthetically pleasing.
The iPhone 16 includes a Camera Control button, which is absent on the Xiaomi 15. However, I personally find this button to be of limited use.
One small advantage of the Xiaomi 15 is its more rounded edges, which provide a better grip and less discomfort in the hand. The Xiaomi 15 weighs 193g, while the iPhone 16 is lighter at 170g. Although the iPhone 16 is lighter, I prefer the Xiaomi 15 for its solid and sturdy feel.
The iPhone 16 appears more balanced at the bottom edge than the Xiaomi 15. The iPhone 16’s SIM slot is on the left edge, whereas the Xiaomi 15’s is located at the bottom.
Battery Performance
The Xiaomi 15 boasts a battery capacity of 5,240 mAh, marking a significant increase from its predecessor. It also supports 90W fast wired charging and 50W wireless charging. Although I’d rather not delve into the details of the iPhone battery, this comparison between the iPhone 16 and the Xiaomi 15 requires a closer look.
The iPhone 16 has a battery capacity of 3,561 mAh. While Apple hasn’t officially disclosed the charging capacity, it takes about one and a half hours to charge fully using a 65W Urgeen charger. In summary, when it comes to battery charging, the Xiaomi 15 clearly outperforms.
What’s more noteworthy is the real-world experience with these two devices. Interestingly, both the iPhone 16 and Xiaomi 15 offer similar usage times, easily lasting a day with around 5-6 hours of screen time, depending on usage. Additionally, I observed that the iPhone 16 optimizes battery life better when idle compared to the Xiaomi 15. After fully charging both phones and leaving them overnight, the iPhone 16 showed a 1% drop, while the Xiaomi 15 lost 3%.
Cameras: iPhone 16 vs Xiaomi 15
Thanks to its collaboration with Leica, Xiaomi’s camera has long surpassed the iPhone, not just in recent comparisons. One aspect of the iPhone 16 I prefer is its compact camera design, which is the only point where it edges out the Xiaomi 15 in terms of camera features.
The Xiaomi 15 boasts three 50MP cameras, including a super wide-angle lens (14mm), a wide lens (23mm), and a 2.6x telephoto lens (60mm). This setup allows for superior shooting across various conditions and offers a more diverse shooting angle range than the iPhone 16. Combined with Leica’s styles and filters, the Xiaomi camera truly excites me about photography.
I usually use the Leica Authentic mode and adjust the Leica NAT filter because I enjoy bold colors with a hint of high contrast.
In contrast, the iPhone 16 features a 48MP primary sensor and a 12MP wide-angle camera, which users rarely utilize. Additionally, the Camera Control feature is impractical, as taking photos with this button is challenging due to the unstable frame, especially when operating with one hand. However, the iPhone 16 does have an appealing Photography Style feature.
Some photos were taken with the iPhone 16 and Xiaomi 15
Below are some quick shots I captured using these two phones; more details will follow:
A large leaf with plenty of detail, whereas the Xiaomi 15 excels with better contrast and more visible water droplets. However, neither phone captures the leaf’s actual color.
This photo was taken under average indoor lighting conditions. The Xiaomi 15 provides a more profound contrast, but the iPhone 16 delivers a more accurate color.
A Star Wars assembly model on the president’s desk. The iPhone 16 displays the correct color, while the Xiaomi 15 remains the better choice for social media uploads.
Both phones produce more balanced colors in outdoor lighting conditions, though the Xiaomi 15 appears slightly darker.
Testing the Zoom Capabilities
Let me explain a bit: due to the iPhone 16’s limited zoom capability, it will follow the zoom focal length of the Xiaomi 15.
The zoom photos from the iPhone 16 aren’t exceptional, but overall, they’re not too bad and are usable. All these photos were taken using the 48MP primary sensor.
As mentioned, this is the Xiaomi 15, which offers superior zoom capabilities thanks to its 50MP 2.6X tele camera. Note that 2X zoom is achieved by cropping from the primary sensor, while 5X zoom uses the 2.6X tele sensor. Overall, the quality is better than that of the iPhone 16, with sharper images and less noise.
Regarding video recording, I still have a slight edge over the iPhone 16, but this year’s Xiaomi 15 has significantly improved compared to previous Xiaomi models I’ve experienced. I’ve been using the Xiaomi 15 extensively for recording lately and found that it no longer suffers from frame lag; the transition scenes are much smoother. However, what I find the iPhone 16 does better is color accuracy—it still offers more realistic colors, which I need.
HyperOS mirrors iOS
The HyperOS interface bears some resemblance to iOS, and I view this positively. As an iPhone user, I find that HyperOS’s similarity to iOS makes it easier for me to adapt quickly.
In contrast, getting accustomed to other Android phones took a bit longer. Although iOS has declined somewhat, it remains a user-friendly and smooth operating system. For someone like me who has used iPhones for a long time, iOS is still the go-to choice because it instills more trust.
Performance-wise, both devices run smoothly under normal conditions. It’s amusing that the Xiaomi 15 and iPhone 16 behave similarly when lagging. For instance, both devices heat up simultaneously when I take numerous photos or videos. Additionally, there’s a similar lag when I browse the web and exit an app.
Since I haven’t had the chance to play games on these devices, I won’t be reviewing their gaming performance.
Display: Both are good, but iPhone 16 lacks 120Hz
These two screens remain among the best in the smartphone world for display quality, and I’m pleased with both. The Xiaomi 15 screen is slightly larger and more comfortable to use.
The Dynamic Island and the black dot on the iPhone are undoubtedly more visually appealing, but I accept the trade-off for Face ID. The face unlock on the Xiaomi 15 is also effective, except it doesn’t work well in very dark environments.
In terms of screen bezels, the iPhone 16 still has thicker borders compared to the Xiaomi 15, which provides a more immersive viewing experience on the Xiaomi. The Xiaomi 15’s bezels are almost as thin as those on the iPhone 16 Pro.
Like other high-end Android phones, the Xiaomi 15 features a 120Hz refresh rate, which offers smoother content viewing. Some supported games can also run at 120Hz, which adds significant value.
One notable aspect of the iPhone 16 is its lack of a 120Hz refresh rate, which can frustrate many users. However, I remain steadfast; I find 60Hz perfectly normal and not stressful.
The iPhone 16 boasts a maximum peak brightness of up to 2000 nits. I couldn’t find precise specifications for Xiaomi, but it has a peak brightness of 3200 nits on 25% of the screen area. In reality, both devices offer good outdoor display quality, but the colors on the Xiaomi 15 are duller than the iPhone 16, which is easily noticeable.
AI Engine
It’s clear that Apple is lagging behind most Android manufacturers, including Xiaomi, in terms of AI. Apple’s AI can be hit-or-miss, and they’ve delayed some crucial features. It’s puzzling that they market the iPhone 16 with Apple Intelligence, but the actual AI performance is questionable.
On the other hand, the Xiaomi 15 boasts its own AI features and integrates Gemini more deeply, thanks to Android. Gemini on the Xiaomi 15 can accomplish quite a bit. For instance, I used it to perform basic commands on default apps, like finding nearby restaurants or food trucks.
When I tried to access other apps or actions, it said they weren’t supported yet. Hopefully, future updates will expand its capabilities to more apps and tasks.
One of my favorite features is object removal. Let’s see how it works when I ask it to erase a car. Below are the results.
On the left is the Xiaomi 15, and on the right is the iPhone 16. I’m not sure why, but when I asked Xiaomi to delete the object, it somehow created another car—likely because the software isn’t fully developed yet. As for the iPhone 16, it successfully deletes the car, but whether the deletion looks good or not is up to you to decide.
Final line: iPhone 16 vs Xiaomi 15
What I’d like to share with you all is my experience of using the iPhone 16 and Xiaomi 15 side by side. I genuinely appreciate the Xiaomi 15 and Android phones in general due to their creativity and innovation. However, I still find it hard to part with my iPhone. If you’re an iPhone user looking for an Android phone that won’t require much adjustment, the Xiaomi 15 is definitely worth considering.
- iPhone 16 pricing starts from £739 on Amazon.co.uk and Amazon.com.
- Xiaomi 15 pricing starts from £899 with £180 voucher on Amazon.co.uk and Amazon.com.
