Competition
For yet another year, the top-end Redmi Note launches at a slightly higher price than its predecessor. This time, the Redmi Note 15 Pro+ is asking €499 for the base 8GB/256GB configuration. Some third-party retailers have it for around €450. This puts it against some powerful previous-gen alternatives and some proper mid-range all-rounders.
For instance, you can grab the Xiaomi 15T or the OnePlus Nord 5 for a little more than €400. Both phones run on more powerful chipsets and offer an overall better camera experience. Especially the 15T, which has a dedicated zoom camera. Decent one at that. However, the Redmi Note 15 Pro+ beats both of them in our battery and charging tests, albeit marginally. You stand to gain longer software support if you go for the Xiaomi 15T or the OnePlus Nord 5.
Xiaomi 15T • OnePlus Nord 5 • Xiaomi Poco F7 Ultra • Realme GT 7
Another home-grown competition, despite being a last-gen model, is the Poco F7 Ultra. Aside from the battery life, the Poco F7 Ultra seems to be the better phone in pretty much every aspect. It has last year’s flagship SoC inside, faster charging and better cameras. Sure, the Poco F8 series is already out, but the F7 Ultra still holds up pretty well, and with the Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset inside, it’s an excellent future-proof choice for around the same price as the Redmi Note 15 Pro+.
Another outlier from the previous generation is the Realme GT 7. With the GT 8 already official, the older model’s price drop makes it particularly enticing. It’s objectively a better phone than the Redmi Note 15 Pro+. Sure, it offers a marginally better camera experience, but it has a snappier chipset, considerably longer battery life, faster charging and a more advanced LTPO OLED display.
Verdict
In isolation, the Redmi Note 15 Pro+ is more than a decent all-rounder with dependable battery life, quick charging, excellent display and durable design. The camera system leaves more to be desired, but we can’t expect too much from a midranger.
However, if you factor in the pricing, the phone’s prospects look bleak. At its launch price, the new Pro+ faces rivals, many of which are superior (even ones by Xiaomi itself). And in this context, the Redmi Note 15 Pro+ doesn’t stand out at all.
Still, judging by the price movements of the previous Redmi Note 14 Pro+, we expect the newer 15 Pro+ to become much more competitive with time. Despite the upgrades it brings, we would expect it to become competitive only once it dips below the €400 mark.
Pros
- Extra durable build quality, IP68/IP69K rating.
- Nice display with HDR10+ and Dolby Vision support.
- Very good battery life with a very good charging speed.
- Very loud speakers, which sound nice too.
- Dependable main camera performance.
Cons
- Expensive at launch.
- Performance is not competitive in the segment.
- No noteworthy improvements in camera performance.
- Launches with the previous-gen Android 15/HyperOS 2