Before we get to the specs and performance, it is worth noting that Xiaomi has priced the Redmi 15 exactly how you’d expect a mass appeal Redmi phone to be. Parting with ₹14,999 gets you the 6GB memory and 128GB storage configuration, but I’d recommend the 8GB+256GB combination that’s priced at ₹16,999 purely for the purpose of longevity and more performance headroom. Its competition turns out to be the OnePlus Nord CE4 Lite (there’s no Nord CE5 Lite, yet) as well the Iqoo Z10x, and Nothing’s CMF Phone 2 Pro based on the price range.

First things first, and we must talk about the choice of the Qualcomm Snapdragon 6s Gen 3, a processor that Qualcomm were uncharacteristically quiet about when it was unveiled late last year. The direct competition is MediaTek’s Dimensity 7050 — these chips are neck and neck for the most part. The Redmi 15’s snappy responsiveness is retained even with quite a bit of multitasking load, and manages to stay cool too. This should handle some level of gaming too, but keep those demands in check, because the general app performance of the Redmi 15 tends to make you forget this is delivering the sort of experience you’d usually find a price band higher.

Where the Redmi 15 and therefore this chip draw an advantage, is with the large battery capacity and the power consumption optimisations that arrive at the chip level and also as part of Hyper OS 2. The composition is Silicon-Carbon, and Xiaomi says they’ve drawn upon insights from electric car batteries (they’d know, they are making some of the fastest EVs at this time – SU7 and YU7). All that has worked, not just for 2 days and a bit longer battery life on a single charge, but what if I were to tell you the Redmi 15 can also be deployed as a power bank?

The reverse charging speeds are capped at 18-watt, which is adequate for an iPhone, most smartwatches or true wireless earbuds, and even pricier Android phones for a quick splash and dash. A versatility that takes nothing away from the Redmi 15’s core strength as a very capable affordable Android phone that’s delivering a rather interesting proposition built on a somewhat unique spec sheet. Xiaomi claims the realigned chemistry is resilient enough to retain 80% charge after 4 years of regular charge cycles as you’d expect with a smartphone. A value addition, in these times, is a 33-watt charger in the box.

The Redmi 15 is a large phone, with a reassuring heft, yet thinner than you may imagine — 8.4mm, for a phone with this battery capacity, is no mean feat. You’d probably not expect anything less than an IP64 dust and water resistance — that is highest rated protection from dust ingress, and protection against water splashes. The phone is well-built, while the cameras sit on a visually luxurious platform of metal.

Speaking of which, there are dual 50-megapixel sensors delivering the sort of photo results that will give its competition quite a bit to worry about. Of course you’d never see a Leica branding on a phone in this price range, but what insights Xiaomi has drawn from optimising image processing on the excellent Xiaomi 15 Ultra flagship for instance, bear fruit with the Redmi 15 too. Colours look nice, sharpness is dialled in just right and there’s a sort of exciting vibrancy to photos taken in colourful environments. One could argue that the Redmi 15’s camera errs on the side of caution with exposure in certain lighting scenarios, which does compromise the essence of shadows. Still, very editable results, which can get you to the exact look you were going for from the outset.

We could well be at a milestone with a phone that has almost no drawback. The 144Hz refresh rate screen capability is limited to apps that support it, and the 8-megapixel front camera does require some effort to get the best out of selfies. Beyond that, this phone is more than capable of holding performance with ease, battery life that is spoken of in days and not hours, and a large display that is a canvas primed for a constant pivot between entertainment, image editing, messaging and getting some work done. There’s AI too, with Gemini and Circle to Search, likely to be early trysts for a typical Redmi phone buyer. Xiaomi, in the Redmi 15, has a certain winner on their hands. They need it too.