I have the Xiaomi 15 Ultra and it's by far my best phone to date.  I had a line of Samsung Notes from 8 to 20, and the only thing I miss is the S-pen.  

 

Fast and smooth in operation, totally reliable fingerprint sensor, unlike Samsung, and the camera is in a different league to Apple or Samsung.  Battery life is decent, easily getting through a day of heavy use.

 

Mine's the Global Version, bought on a discount deal at an AIS shop, so no China software limitations.

 

The 1 inch sensor main camera is similar to a good Sony compact camera and the other cameras are also good with their smaller (but still bigger than most) sensors.  The mid telephoto is good for portraits and the long telephoto is .ich better than the Samsung.  The 15 and 17 Pros do not have the 1 inch sensor, but as they have same spec as the other cameras on the 15 Ultra they will still be good, but will not have the same level of detail or low light capability as the 15 Ultra main camera.

 

I also have the Photography Kit which turns it into a decent compact camera.

 

Latest info on Global Rom for Xiaomi 17 phones is that Global Rom license has been applied for but only on the Xiaomi 17 ( without rear screen and a reduced battery size ) and not Pro/Pro Max.

Rumours are that if Global Rom is not applied for within a week or two for Pro/Pro Max then it is unlikely to happen.

A Xiaomi 17 Ultra is very likely to happen Globally with increased camera capacity but no rear screen.

I bought one for one of my Filipinas, the Xiaomi 14 C. She absolutely loved it and it served her for two years without a problem. Until she lost it, like the careless Cebuana she is.

 

 

They work fine, the only trick is that you do not want the Chinese version. The Chinese version does not have the play store and disables certain functions. The export versions have the normal Android setup.

Unless you're cool with giving all of your personal data and communications to Beijing, you're an idiot if you use any Chinese branded phone or computer. 

 

I've had 3 Redmi note 7pro,Redmi Note ,10 pro Note 14 prox2

The note 7 s I bought two before Covid one for me ,one for my wife.Absolutely bullet proof phones was really impressed,I used my up until 18 months ago ,just give it away a couple days ago still works brilliantly though needs a decent battery ,I replaced original battery after 3 years.The one my wife used until a month ago that's about 6 years still works great ,battery is needing replacement.Very impressed.

The Note 10 was a POS..Screen held on buy scotch tape after less than a year ,overheated constantly ,just crappy  build.

Wife wanted a better camera and I wanted a better phone so bought two

Note 14 pro about a month ago.So far so good .Camera is excellent,battery charges quick .Light weight but feels solid.I don't like the USB earphone thing ,as you can't charge if you are using earphone.Note 10 was the same.

The note 15 with leica camera components would have to be exceptionally impressive to make me want to spend the extra compared.to Note 14.Both are 200mp.
 

 

I owned a Xiaomi 11 lite 5G NE for 4 years and it was better in every respect compared to my Samsung Galaxy 16 today: handling, screen, speed, design, except for the updates. I miss it😭

44 minutes ago, Nabby said:

Unless you're cool with giving all of your personal data and communications to Beijing, you're an idiot if you use any Chinese branded phone or computer. 

 

......Likewise, you're an idiot continue sending your data to Google and other companies

I using them for years. Very good. Will be changing soon though due to privacy concerns and switching to graphene OS

On 10/25/2025 at 11:22 PM, Rocky Sullivan said:

No,  only Apple 

Oh ,i see a Chinese product!

 

1 hour ago, cjinchiangrai said:

They work fine, the only trick is that you do not want the Chinese version. The Chinese version does not have the play store and disables certain functions. The export versions have the normal Android setup.

Yeah, while the Google Play Store is usually easily accessible there are certain functions like Android Auto no enabled:

 

50 minutes ago, bwanajohn said:

I don't like the USB earphone thing ,as you can't charge if you are using earphone

Most people have moved on to Bluetooth 

Any advantage in getting a 5G, over a 4G? 

Got different opinions, some say they can't detect a difference in speed between the two. 

14 minutes ago, thecyclist said:

Any advantage in getting a 5G, over a 4G? 

Got different opinions, some say they can't detect a difference in speed between the two. 

Definitely, my 5G Xiaomi connects to my wifi 5Ghz, my 4G Xiaomi struggles, mostly defaults to 2.4Ghz. 

 

You may find the 5G has NFC for paying contactless like google wallet, handy abroad, 4G phone hasn't 

22 hours ago, Kinnock said:

I have the Xiaomi 15 Ultra and it's by far my best phone to date.  I had a line of Samsung Notes from 8 to 20, and the only thing I miss is the S-pen.  

 

Fast and smooth in operation, totally reliable fingerprint sensor, unlike Samsung, and the camera is in a different league to Apple or Samsung.  Battery life is decent, easily getting through a day of heavy use.

 

Mine's the Global Version, bought on a discount deal at an AIS shop, so no China software limitations.

 

The 1 inch sensor main camera is similar to a good Sony compact camera and the other cameras are also good with their smaller (but still bigger than most) sensors.  The mid telephoto is good for portraits and the long telephoto is .ich better than the Samsung.  The 15 and 17 Pros do not have the 1 inch sensor, but as they have same spec as the other cameras on the 15 Ultra they will still be good, but will not have the same level of detail or low light capability as the 15 Ultra main camera.

 

I also have the Photography Kit which turns it into a decent compact camera.

 

I have a Xiaomi 15 ultra too, the Photography Kit, charger and some other goodies were free (promotion from Mi shop). As you write the fingerprint sensor is far better then the one from Samsung and the cameras are just incredible for a mobile phone. I hope to use it for 5 years at least so it will be well worth its price.

I bought Xiaomi 15T Pro two weeks ago, had to order at SeaCon 10 days to get. Before I have use Samsung Galaxy A71 was the last one about 6 -7 years then the screen gave up. I have a draw full of used phones all brands. My first ph was a Clam Shell Motorola, then Nokia, LG and then my frist Samsung one of many, used Samsung until now. Getting use to it so far it's doing real good now the learning cruve starts. Got it for a little over 20,000 Baht, they also gave me a Redmi Pad 2 with cover and glass screen cover. 

7 hours ago, sikishrory said:

I using them for years. Very good. Will be changing soon though due to privacy concerns and switching to graphene OS

I would like to move to Grahene OS however future Android restrictions are going to be 'interesting'....

Do you know if banking apps work without huge workarounds or not?

On 10/31/2025 at 3:14 AM, Andrew Dwyer said:

for example EU laws mean that the battery is too big and would have to be reduced for an EU version

this is insane! for what reason ?

or lemme guess, co2 paranoia ...?

9 hours ago, thecyclist said:

Any advantage in getting a 5G, over a 4G? 

Got different opinions, some say they can't detect a difference in speed between the two. 

If you live in rural Thailand, the 5G won't do you much good, since the phone will only be able to use 4G.  There isn't much of a real speed difference that I can notice, but I am not a heavy data user. The 5G also uses more of your battery.

6 hours ago, mordothailand said:

this is insane! for what reason ?

or lemme guess, co2 paranoia ...?

Not sure of the reason but it seems quite strange that is for sure.

On 10/25/2025 at 11:03 AM, JFHuaHin said:

oneplus make good phones as wel

I'll be picking up a oneplus 13 or 13r shortly. Great specs. If you're going to get one, get the global or US version. The esim is disabled on the Chinese version(maybe india too)

22 hours ago, Nabby said:

Unless you're cool with giving all of your personal data and communications to Beijing, you're an idiot if you use any Chinese branded phone or computer. 

 

The US does the same thing, and I am more cool with China getting it than I am with the US these days.

I have an Xiaomi Redmi SE tablet computer.  I love it!  Bought my wife an Xiaomi Redmi Pad 2.  She loves it.  Buy from an official store.  There are a lot of Xiaomi Redmi counterfeits out there.  

On 10/26/2025 at 6:51 AM, Andrew Dwyer said:

Yes, the quality seems to be there and the brand seems to be exceptional ( i own a Xiaomi dash cam and electric pump) , can see the reliability and innovative functionality.

 

Coming from an iPhone i was first attracted by the Xiaomi 17 Pro Max which seems to outperform its Apple counterpart in almost every sector, plus the rear screen is a thing of beauty.

But although they are not exactly global phones at the moment ( some functions will have Chinese functionality that needs a workaround)  am sure that will change soon.

Have seen that they are available on Lazada and Shopee but because of the above differences I would hold back on opting for the Xiaomi 17 Pro Max.

 

This sort of lead me to the 15T Pro which is still very new and also looks terrific which in turn lead me to seek some assistance from Xiaomi owners on here.

Thanks for your input.

I have other Xiaomi camera products.  It's a solid, well-performing brand.

On 10/26/2025 at 6:56 AM, Rocky Sullivan said:

The problem with the Chinese phone is it will be loaded with malware/spyware etc.

That's just racially insensitive bunk.

 "Ohhh, China hoovers up all of my data!"
 The NSA hoovers up all of your data and they don't even need your phone.

Unless some in the "I Hate China" crowd, I am not worried about "China stealing all of my data."  And regarding malware/spyware, Xiaomi is a MAJOR electronics brand.  If their phones were "loaded with malware/spyware" they wouldn't be able to sell their electronics.  

The trope that "the Chinese phone is it will be loaded with malware/spyware etc" is the cry of US "America First" Neocons whose domestic manufacturing can't compete with China so they libel, defame, and slander Chinese products in an attempt to hurt Chinese exports.  

23 hours ago, sikishrory said:

I using them for years. Very good. Will be changing soon though due to privacy concerns and switching to graphene OS

Well yeah.  For anyone who is really security conscious, buying a phone or tablet which can be rooted and flashed with Graphene OS or other custom open-source ROMs is a good idea.  That goes if you are distrustful of China or the EU or your home country or any intermediary who can inject backdoors into your OS and applications.  

25 minutes ago, connda said:

That's just racially insensitive bunk.

So, I’m a racist because of that statement?

15 hours ago, topt said:

I would like to move to Grahene OS however future Android restrictions are going to be 'interesting'....

Do you know if banking apps work without huge workarounds or not?

That is an issue.  You'd have a find an Android emulator.  From a technical perspective, it would be interesting to know the workarounds.

2 minutes ago, Rocky Sullivan said:

So, I’m a racist because of that statement?

If the shoe fits............. 

1 minute ago, connda said:

If the shoe fits............. 

 

The next question is “Ask me if I give a Fuc-“

Are you offended?