Sitting neatly at the top of our list of the best smartphones for photographers, both the Xiaomi 15 Ultra and the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra are excellent smartphones, offering a wealth of exciting specs for photographers. With either, you’ll definitely be able to take great pictures across a range of different scenarios, with both being very tempting for those that value image quality over everything else.
The Xiaomi name is a little less known than Samsung, especially in certain markets, but it has grown in popularity in recent years, thanks in no small part to its excellent reputation for image excellence.
So, to find out how well these phones work for photographers, I’ve tested them extensively in the same conditions to find out which comes out on top. Keep reading to find out more…
Xiaomi 15 Ultra vs Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra: Specs
I’ve used the table below to compare the main specifications of interest to photographers. This includes the cameras, the screen, video capability and battery life.
In bold you’ll see where, on paper, at least, one of the phones appears to have a better specification than its rival. There’s a good amount of bold on both sides of the table, but the Xiaomi probably has a bit more going for it, camera wise at least.
That’s mostly down to the Xiaomi 15 Ultra having a one-inch type sensor for its main camera – a specification which is still very rare for smartphones and sees it rival even “real” cameras for image quality.
Both of the models have four lenses – two of the only smartphones to do so – and both you an ultrawide, plus two telephoto options in addition to the main sensor. All four of Xiaomi’s sensors are high resolution, while also giving other benefits such as telephoto macro, too.
| Xiaomi 15 Ultra | Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra |
|---|---|
| 50MP f/1.63 main camera, one-inch sensor, OIS, 12MP output, 23mm | 200MP f/1.7 main camera, OIS, 12MP output, 24mm |
| 50MP f/2.2 ultrawide camera, 12MP output, 14mm | 50MP f/1.9 ultrawide camera, 12MP output, 13mm |
| 50MP f/1.8, 3x telephoto camera, 70mm, macro | 10MP f/2.4, 3x telephoto camera, 67mm |
| 200MP f/2.6, 4.3x telephoto camera, 100mm | 50MP f/3.4, 5x telephoto camera, 111mm |
| 32MP f/2.0 selfie camera, no AF | 12MP f/2.2 selfie camera, AF |
| 8K 30fps | 8K 30fps |
| 6.73-inch 3200 x 1440 pixels, 3200 nits brightness | 6.9-inch 3120 x 1440 pixels, 2600 nits brightness |
| Google Gemini, Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite | Samsung Galaxy AI, Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite |
| 25 hour battery life, wireless and Fast (90W) charging available | 31 hour battery life, wireless and Fast (45W) charging available |
| 512GB/1TB storage | 256/512GB/1TB storage |
| 161.3 x 75.3 x 9.35mm, 226g | 162.8 x 77.6 x 8.2mm, 218g |
With either model you’ll have a very large device, but the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra is bigger at 6.9-inches. Neither offer the opportunity to have the same camera setup in a smaller device, so if you like smaller phones, you’re out of luck here. On the plus side, they both make your photos look great – with the Xiaomi being a little brighter overall.
Both of the phones offer a pretty comprehensive native camera app, giving you scope to shoot in lots of different ways. Both for example have a pro mode to alter various settings, as well as shoot in raw format. Both also have night modes, portrait modes and macro options.
One thing to mention at this point is the option to buy a “Photography Kit” as an optional extra for the Xiaomi 15 Ultra. With this, you can turn the smartphone into more like a “real” camera with actual physical buttons and a chunky grip. It’s a great option for those who are particularly interested in using the phone for photography.
Xiaomi 15 Ultra vs Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra: Image Quality
I took pictures using both the Xiaomi 15 Ultra and the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra in a variety of different conditions to assess the image quality of both.
Please note that in these sliders, the Xiaomi is always on the left, and the Samsung is always on the right.
Both the models here have produced a lovely general landscape scene taken with the 1x lens. Detail and colour is great from both. The Xiaomi has slightly more “pop” to it in terms of the colours, but it’s a very close-run thing. The Samsung is probably a little more realistic – which is ironic as comparing this Samsung picture to other models, such as the iPhone 16 Pro and the Google Pixel 9 Pro XL, you’ll see that it’s the Samsung which usually has more vibrant colours. Both have high-resolution sensors, but both output their files at 12MP.
In these shots with the ultrawide lenses, the biggest difference again here is with the colours, with once again the Xiaomi having a little more “zing”. Detail wise they’re roughly even with each other. Both have a 50MP sensor (again output at 12MP), but the Samsung has a slightly wider aperture, which may make more of a difference in low light. The Samsung is also slightly wider (13mm compared to 14mm), but there’s barely any observable difference here.
Here, the colours are fairly well matched between the two 3x lenses, but there’s a little bit more clarity in the Xiaomi version. I’d expect this considering that the Xiaomi has a 50MP sensor, compared to a 10MP one for the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra (note that the Xiaomi still outputs at 12MP).
Both the S25 Ultra and the 15 Ultra have four lenses, which is still relatively unusual among smartphones. The Xiaomi’s is 100mm (about 4.2x), but the S25 Ultra’s is a little longer at 115mm (5x), which you can see on display here. The colours are fairly well balanced, but there’s a little more clarity and brightness from the Xiaomi option, so I’d much prefer to use that, even though it is a little bit shorter. The Xiaomi 5x lens is 200MP f/2.6, compared to a 50MP f/3.4 for the Samsung, so again it’s not hugely surprising that the Xiaomi has come out better.
Both models offer ridiculous levels of digital zooming, with the Samsung going up to 100x and the Xiaomi up to 120x. Safe to say that neither of those extreme options are actually anything close to usable, and are purely there for marketing hype. However, at 10x, both produce good results, as can be seen here. I’d probably put them at about even at this point. Both are capable of producing images which are just about usable up to around 30x zoom, if you’re desperate to get closer – but beyond that I wouldn’t bother.
Here is where there’s a very clear and definite advantage to using the Xiaomi phone. Equipped with telephoto macro, its close-up capability is far superior to the Samsung. If you’re particularly keen on this kind of work, then I’d definitely recommend the Xiaomi. The Samsung’s output isn’t terrible, but using the ultrawide angle for its macro work comes with some compromises, such as blocking out the available light with your hand/body.
Both models put in a good performance in low light, with both having a special mode that kicks in after dark. You can also manually select the Night options on both models. Despite the larger sensor, I’d say both are fairly evenly matched here. With the other sensors, both ultrawide lenses put in a decent performance, while the 3x/5x lenses are less capable in very dark situations like this.
These portraits weren’t taken on the same day but it is of the same person in the same location with very similar light. Both have portrait modes which are worth experimenting with. For the purposes of this test, I just used the default 1x lens and setting options. Overall, the Samsung has given warmer tones, while the Xiaomi has stayed more realistic. The Samsung has created a stronger blur effect, but you can achieve the same with the Xiaomi by changing the settings. I’d be happy to use either model for portraits.
The Xiaomi has a higher resolution selfie camera than the Samsung, but both have done a pretty good job when it comes to self-portraits. The Samsung’s has warmer tones, while the Xiaomi is a bit more realistic. There’s more detail in the Xiaomi selfie – but I wouldn’t necessarily say this was a good thing when it comes to selfies. The Xiaomi also doesn’t have AF, which is a shame – though in fairness, it doesn’t seem to have caused too much of a problem here.
Xiaomi 15 Ultra vs Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra: Price and Value for Money
These are not phones for those who are on a tight budget, but there is a difference between something between expensive, and being poor value for money.
Both give you quite a lot for your cash, so both could be said to represent good value in their own way. However, in terms of cold hard cash, the Xiaomi 15 Ultra can be acquired for less for equivalent models.
The cheapest you’ll get hold of a Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra is £1249, which will see you with 256GB storage, rising up o £1399 for 512GB and £1549 for 1TB. The Xiaomi 15 Ultra doesn’t have a 256GB option, going straight in at 512GB for £1299, and £1499 for 1TB.
However, there are a couple of very important points to consider here. One is availability – the Xiaomi 15 Ultra simply isn’t available everywhere -the US being a key market where you won’t find it. In which case, value is rather a moot point.
The second is how well these models hold their value. If you want to resell your device after a couple of years to buy a new one, you might find that quite tricky with the Xiaomi. A quick scan of some big reselling sites here in the UK reveal that very few of them will take even last year’s Xiaomi 14 Ultra, which is a bit of a shock considering how good that was.
By contrast, you should have absolutely no problem offloading a Samsung flagship – you can still get several hundred for last year’s S24 Ultra for example, and a pretty good price for the S23 Ultra, too. So that is definitely something worth thinking about if you’re a fairly frequent upgrader / swapper.
Xiaomi 15 Ultra vs Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra: Verdict
Both of these phones are excellent options for photographers, and I’d highly recommend either one of them for those looking for great devices to take pictures with.
Overall though, I’d have to give the Xiaomi 15 Ultra the edge. Thanks mostly to its large one-inch sensor, it gives image quality which is excellent in a range of situations, including in low light, and for portraits and macro. You also have the option to add a very useful “Photography Kit” to give you a better build and handling experience, something you can’t do with the Samsung.
Price wise, the Xiaomi also offers better up-front affordability than the Samsung, giving you more for your money at point of purchase.
However, there is another big consideration to make – and that’s availability. The Samsung is available pretty much everywhere, while the Xiaomi is limited to certain markets – for example, in the US you can’t get it on general release, which is a big shame.
On top of that, you’ll likely find that a Samsung keeps its value better than an Xiaomi, which is always worth thinking about.
Overall, these are two excellent smartphones which show just how capable modern devices are for photography – which would you choose?
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