- Durable Gorilla Glass Victus 2 display
- Fantastic battery life
- IP68 water-resistant
- Preinstalled bloatware
- Performance could be snappier
- No wireless charging
As the years go on, we expect more from our phones. We expect them to run the latest battery-chewing mobile games, their cameras to rival professional kits, and for our money to stretch further. That's what I like about the Xiaomi Redmi Note 15 Pro Plus 5G. It's not gunning for first place. If anything, it's perfectly content sitting in the back seat.
It’s not nearly as exciting as other phones on the market. But for what it lacks in experimental features and useless AI clutter, it makes up for in liveability. It doesn’t need to aim for the stars, because it’s got something much more valuable. Predictability.
Simply put, it’s a boring phone. The faux tan leather back reminds me of something my grandpa would pick up and nod approvingly at. Its performance is standard, it's got a capable camera, and a screen that fares pretty well for a mid-range phone.
Though it might leave you wanting more, you won’t have to strategically plan your charges, and it won’t crumble under the pressure of a drop or a quick dip in the pool. While durability ratings and battery aren't as sparkly as a high-end camera, it makes it feel more reliable. Like a phone you could keep for years, until it inevitably turns into an unwanted family heirloom.
Slow burn
Straight out of the gate, the Redmi Note 15 Pro Plus 5G isn't all sunshine and rainbows. Pre-loaded with a slew of bloatware, the impact on performance was immediate, and it left a sour taste in my mouth. I couldn’t even open maps or make Google searches without subsequent crashes. Performance from games was slow, and scrolling was not as smooth as it could have been. My excitement dampened even further once I realised I couldn’t wistfully ignore these useless apps.
It quickly stripped the shine off what was supposed to be a seamless introduction to the Redmi Note 15 Pro Plus. After the frustrating but inevitable purge, performance improved. The Snapdragon 7s Gen 4 processor does a lot of the heavy lifting, and the result is an experience that feels smooth and responsive, save for the occasional stutter. It handled multitasking well, and it didn't get very warm while running low-intensity mobile games.
The Redmi Note 15 Pro Plus' battery is an absolute tank, too, so you won’t have to worry about it draining so fast. At 6,500mAh, you can expect about a day and a half out of it, or two days if you’re not as glued to your phone as I am. It was able to keep up with most day-to-day activities like mobile games, streaming, some light doomscrolling, and several hours outside snapping photos and using maps. Despite the Redmin Note 15 Pro Plus's lack of wireless charging, the 100W fast-charging cable will still get you a full tank of juice in around 45 minutes.
Good enough
The main camera fares okay for a mid-range phone. Although it looks like you’re working with a quad camera array, you’ll find one ultra-wide camera and the 200MP main camera. In good lighting, it produces sharp detail and bright colours. It’s competent at taking photos in daylight, and the portrait mode during the daytime delivers soft, detailed images. The 4x zoom produces nice telephoto-quality images, even though Xiaomi have ditched the telephoto lens this time around.
However, the shutter speed is slow, and images are often prone to showing up underexposed. It struggles the most in low-light conditions, where it doesn't quite effectively capture the colour and detail of artificial light sources like street lights and neon signs.
Xiaomi Redmi Note 15 Pro Plus 5G camera samples
Check out these camera samples taken on the Xiaomi Redmi Note 15 Pro Plus 5G. Click or tap on any photo to see a larger version.
While it shines in some areas and leaves a generally positive impression, it leaves more to be desired. The camera performance is acceptable, but it’ll leave you wanting more if you’re accustomed to a flagship or a phone with a high-end camera.
Built for life
The Redmi Note 15 Pro Plus is, at its core, an everyday phone. It’s covered by IP68 and IP66 weather ratings, meaning it’s not just dust and splash-resistant. It’s built to cover prolonged water exposure for up to 30 minutes. It’s nice to know that if your phone gets buried in some sand at the beach or is left out during the rain, it’s not the be-all and end-all.
When you’re out and about, the 6.83-inch FHD+ AMOLED screen delivers sufficient visibility on sunny days, thanks to the 3,200 peak brightness. It's a nice upgrade from the 6.67-inch screen and the 3,000 nits on the Note 14 Pro Plus.
The display is also protected by Gorilla Glass Victus 2, giving the Redmi Note 15 Pro Plus 5G some of the toughest glass on a mid-range phone. Gorilla Glass Victus 2 is known for offering excellent durability and resistance to scratches and drops, and is usually reserved for flagship phones like the Samsung Galaxy S26 and Google Pixel 10.
Xiaomi Redmi Note 15 Pro Plus 5G - Final Thoughts
If you’re after a phone you won’t have to baby, a dependable, all-day battery, and a big, bright screen, the Note 15 Pro Plus might be for you. The occasional performance stumbles, bloatware, and camera could do more for the price point, but overall, it offers good value and longevity. It’s reliable, predictable, and resilient, even though its compromises do tend to hold it back.
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Hannah Geremia
Digital Content Editor
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