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Nothing Phone (4a) Pro offers a bold design, periscope zoom, and smooth AMOLED display. A well-balanced mid-range phone worth considering.

Nothing Phone (4a) Pro Review: Style Meets Substance

Editorji News Desk

Nothing

Nothing Phone (4a) Pro

<h3>The Nothing Phone (4a) Pro blends bold design, a periscope camera, and clean software into a well-rounded mid-ranger, with minor compromises in video and eSIM support.</h3>

Nothing has built a reputation for making phones that stand out because of their unique designs and features, but it seems that with the Phone (4a) Pro, it feels like the focus has shifted towards delivering a more rounded experience.&nbsp;
Starting at Rs 39,999, this is no longer just about design or novelty. It aims to offer a dependable mid-range package with a distinct identity. You get a full aluminium build, a periscope telephoto camera, and the Glyph Matrix, which still feels refreshingly different in this segment.
What works in its favour is how cohesive it feels. It does not come across as a watered-down flagship or a spec-driven experiment. Instead, it feels intentional. A phone that balances individuality with everyday usability, which is not easy to achieve.
Having used the phone as my daily driver for a week or so, I found it comes together well as an overall package. It delivers on most fronts, even if there are a few areas where it could have pushed things further.
<h2>Nothing Phone (4a) Pro Review: Design</h2>
Nothing takes a bold new approach with the Phone (4a) Pro, and it lands rather well. The transparent glass back that once defined the brand is gone, replaced by a full aluminium body. The shift is immediately noticeable. The phone feels sturdier, more refined, and clearly more premium than any previous Nothing or CMF phone, from the moment I pick it up.
Measuring just 7.9mm thick and weighing in at 210 grams, it is incredibly comfortable to hold and feels well-balanced in the hand. There is enough weight to make it feel substantial, but it never tips into feeling bulky. The flat frame paired with the flat display gives it a clean, straightforward look that I really enjoy. It is available in Black, Pink, and Silver, and the Silver unit I tested easily stands out as the most striking of the lot.
Around the back, Nothing&rsquo;s personality is still very much intact. The cyberpunk-inspired design language continues to shine through. The camera module is large and does remind me slightly of an iPhone, but it never feels like a direct imitation.
You also get the Glyph Matrix from the Phone 3 Pro, and it is more than just a visual flourish. I found it genuinely useful in daily use, adding both character and function in a way most phones in this segment simply do not.
On durability, there is IP65 resistance, so it can handle splashes and light rain, but I would still avoid taking it near water. Gorilla Glass 7i protects the front, and essentials like NFC and Wi-Fi 6 are present. The only real drawbacks are the missing IR blaster and the lack of eSIM support in India, which feels like a sharper omission.
<h2>Nothing Phone (4a) Pro Review: Display</h2>
The 6.83-inch flexible AMOLED display on the Phone (4a) Pro is easily one of my favourite parts of the phone. On paper, it sounds impressive with a 1.5K resolution, a 144Hz refresh rate, support for over a billion colours, and a peak HDR brightness rated at 5000 nits. For this price, that is a very solid setup.
In my day-to-day use, the display consistently impressed me. Colours looked rich without feeling over-processed, blacks were deep, and everything from YouTube to Instagram to Netflix looked sharp and vibrant. It genuinely feels like a panel that sits above what I usually expect in this segment, and I found myself enjoying content on it more than I expected.
Outdoor visibility has also been reliable. The panel can hit around 1600 nits in high brightness mode, and I had no trouble using it under harsh sunlight. It is not the absolute brightest out there, but in practical use, it holds up very well.
There is one thing to keep in mind. While HDR playback is supported, Netflix HDR10 and HDR10+ certification are missing. In real-world use, I did not find this to be a major issue, as content still looks very good, but it is worth noting.
You also get an optical in-display fingerprint scanner, which has been dependable in my experience. It is quick, accurate, and rarely misses, although, an ultrasonic scanner would have been better.
The dual stereo speakers also stood out to me. They get surprisingly loud and sound fuller than expected, which, combined with the display, makes watching videos or even casual gaming feel more immersive.
<h2>Nothing Phone (4a) Pro Review: Cameras</h2>
The cameras on the Phone (4a) Pro are easily one of its biggest strengths, and in my time using it, that became obvious pretty quickly. The setup includes a 50MP main sensor with OIS, a 50MP 3.5x periscope telephoto, and an 8MP ultra-wide. That periscope lens is the standout here, especially at this price, and it gives the phone a clear edge over most rivals.
In everyday shooting, I found the main camera to be very dependable. It captures a good amount of detail, and more importantly, the colours stay natural. Nothing&rsquo;s processing avoids the usual over-sharpened, over-saturated look, so photos come out closer to what I actually saw. The ultra-wide is fine for casual shots, but I did notice it can underexpose slightly, especially in tricky or uneven lighting.
Low-light performance reflects the same philosophy. The phone does not try to artificially brighten everything, which keeps images realistic, but it also means some shots can look a bit flatter compared to phones that rely heavily on processing to boost exposure and contrast.
Zoom is where the Phone (4a) Pro really stands out. The 3.5x periscope telephoto makes a clear difference in real use. I could push zoom all the way up to 140x, and while that extreme range is more of a novelty, even at more practical zoom levels, images retain better detail. Portrait shots also benefit from this, as the optical zoom creates more natural depth compared to digital cropping.
The 32MP front camera has been reliable in my use, delivering sharp selfies with balanced colours across different lighting conditions.
Video performance is where things feel a bit limited. The footage itself looks good, with stable output, decent dynamic range, and colours that stay consistent with the rest of the camera system. But being capped at 4K at 30fps in 2025 does feel restrictive, especially when others in this segment are pushing further.
<h2>Nothing Phone (4a) Pro Review: Performance</h2>
The Phone (4a) Pro is powered by the Snapdragon 7 Gen 4, and in my time using it, it became abundantly clear that Nothing is focusing on consistency rather than raw power.&nbsp;
For everyday use, it does the job without any friction. Browsing, streaming, switching between apps, or even mindless scrolling all felt fluid, which is exactly what I expect at this level.
The phone pairs LPDDR5X RAM with UFS 3.1 storage. While the RAM keeps things snappy, the storage is a step behind newer standards, and that does show up occasionally.&nbsp;
I noticed slightly longer app load times, particularly with heavier apps or when quickly taking a tonne of photos with the camera. It is not something that disrupts daily use, but it is noticeable if you are paying attention.
Gaming performance turned out better than I expected. During extended BGMI sessions, the phone held close to 118 to 119fps quite consistently. What stood out more was how well it managed heat.&nbsp;
Even after longer gaming sessions, it never got uncomfortably warm, which points to solid optimisation and thermal management.
Synthetic benchmarks reflect a similar story. The numbers are not pushing the limits of the segment, but they align well with what the hardware is meant to deliver.&nbsp;
More importantly, performance feels stable in real-world use. Unless you are specifically chasing top-tier flagship power, this setup strikes a practical and well-balanced middle ground.
<h2>Nothing Phone (4a) Pro Review: Software</h2>
Running Nothing OS 4.1 on top of Android 16, the Phone (4a) Pro delivers one of the cleanest software experiences I have used in this segment. From the first boot, it felt fast, uncluttered, and visually distinct. The dot matrix elements, monochrome icons, and minimalist UI give it a clear identity that does not blend into the usual Android crowd.
What I ended up appreciating more was how deeply customisable it feels in a practical sense. Widgets are a big part of the experience here, but they are not just for show. Through Nothing Playground, I could add community-created widgets that actually changed how I interacted with the home screen. It felt functional rather than decorative. The Glyph Matrix adds to this in a meaningful way, surfacing live information and notifications in a way I gradually started relying on.
Essential Space has seen useful improvements too. Screenshots can now be grouped into Essential Memories and synced across Nothing devices, which makes organising saved content much easier.
The software stays largely free of clutter. Apart from Facebook and Instagram, which can be removed quickly, there is very little pre-installed junk.
Nothing is committing to three years of Android updates and six years of security patches, which feels balanced for this category.
<h2>Nothing Phone (4a) Pro Review: Battery</h2>
The Phone (4a) Pro comes with a 5,400mAh battery, and in my usage, it proved to be consistently reliable. You&rsquo;re looking at a one-day easily handled phone here. Through a typical day that included browsing, streaming, social media, and calls, I was able to get through without worrying about topping up midway. It is not aiming to set new benchmarks, but it delivers the kind of endurance most people would be happy with.&nbsp;
Charging is capped at 50W, and a full charge takes around 60 to 65 minutes. It is not the fastest you can get in this segment, but it is quick enough to comfortably fit into a daily routine.
There is also 7.5W reverse wired charging, which I found handy for quickly topping up smaller devices like earbuds. Wireless charging is missing, which feels like a slight omission at this price, though not entirely surprising.
Overall, the battery setup feels steady and dependable without trying to overcompensate.
<h2>Nothing Phone (4a) Pro Review: Verdict</h2>
Spending time with the Phone (4a) Pro, I came away feeling like Nothing has finally nailed the balance it has been chasing. At Rs 39,999, this feels like a genuinely well-rounded mid-range option rather than just a design-first device. The new aluminium build gives it a more premium feel, the display is smooth and vibrant, and the camera system, especially the periscope telephoto, adds a level of versatility that is still rare in this segment.
Nothing OS 4.1 continues to be a highlight for me. It feels clean, responsive, and different in a way that actually improves day-to-day use instead of just looking unique. Battery life has also been steady in my experience, easily lasting through a full day without any anxiety.
There are a few compromises. The 4K 30fps video cap feels limiting for 2025, the lack of eSIM support in India remains frustrating, and while performance is smooth, it does not match the raw power some competitors offer.
Even so, if you want a phone with a strong identity that also delivers where it matters, this is an easy pick at this price.

Xiaomi Pad 8 delivers Snapdragon 8s Gen 4 power, a sharp 3.2K display, premium metal build, and strong battery life at a smart price.

Xiaomi Pad 8 Review: Premium Performance at a Smart Price

Xiaomi

Xiaomi Pad 8

<h3 data-start="782" data-end="909">Snapdragon 8s Gen 4 power, a crisp 3.2K display, and premium build make the Xiaomi Pad 8 one of the smartest tablet buys today.</h3>

The Xiaomi Pad 8 has some pretty big shoes to fill. The Pad 7 turned out to be wildly popular, mostly because of the kind of value it offered. It delivered strong performance, a great display, and premium build quality, all at a price that made it an easy recommendation for anyone looking for a good Android tablet.&nbsp;
Naturally, that also means expectations are fairly high for the Pad 8, especially now that Xiaomi is trying to build on the success of the previous model.
At first glance, the Pad 8 looks like a fairly straightforward upgrade. Xiaomi has refreshed the hardware with a faster Snapdragon chip, a sharp high-resolution display, and support for accessories like a floating keyboard and stylus that push it closer to being a proper productivity device.
But the landscape has also shifted since the last model. Tablet prices across the industry have crept up, and starting at ₹33,999 for the 8+128GB variant, the Pad 8 does not feel quite as aggressively priced as its predecessor once did.
So the real question becomes fairly simple: does the Xiaomi Pad 8 still deliver the same kind of value that made the previous model so compelling, or has the balance changed this time around?
<h2>Xiaomi Pad 8 Review: Design and build</h2>
The Xiaomi Pad 8 immediately gives off the kind of premium feel you would normally expect from tablets that cost significantly more. Xiaomi has used a full metal chassis, and the tablet feels solid, well finished, and reassuringly sturdy in the hand. At just 5.75mm thick, it is also impressively slim, giving the device a sleek and modern profile.
What I noticed fairly quickly while using the Pad 8 was how manageable it feels during everyday use. The tablet is noticeably smaller than many large-screen tablets, and that makes a big difference when it comes to ergonomics. At 485 grams, it is also quite light for a tablet in this category. Because of that, I found it far easier to hold for longer periods, whether I was reading, browsing, or watching videos. Even when using it with one hand, the tablet remained comfortable to handle and never felt awkward or unwieldy.
That is not to say that the tablet feels flimsy. It is extremely well built and feels tough as nails.&nbsp;
Xiaomi has also included pogo pins on the rear of the tablet for connecting accessories such as keyboards or other add-ons. Their placement does look a little unusual at first glance, but they work as expected for accessory support. The camera module on the back is another design element that stands out. While it is functional, the way it sits on the rear panel makes it look slightly out of place compared to the otherwise clean design.
On the connectivity front, the Pad 8 gets a USB Type-C port at the bottom that supports USB 3.1 speeds. That is actually a big win because some tablets in this price range still cut corners here. Xiaomi has also included an IR blaster, which can come in handy for controlling appliances or TVs.
We do have some disappointing omissions in terms of biometrics and cellular connectivity. There is no fingerprint scanner on the device, and the unit I tested does not include a SIM card slot. That means there is no 5G connectivity, no eSIM support, and no expandable storage either.
<h2>Xiaomi Pad 8 Review: Display and speakers</h2>
The Xiaomi Pad 8 comes with an 11.2-inch display, and during my time using it, I immediately appreciated how manageable the overall size felt. The panel has a resolution of 3200 &times; 2136, which Xiaomi refers to as a 3.2K display. Because the screen is relatively compact while maintaining such a high resolution, the pixel density climbs to about 345ppi. In everyday use, I found text looking extremely crisp and images appearing sharp across the interface.
You get somewhat slim bezels, which goes with the way the tablet is built. On tablets, you want some bezel to make holding the tablet easy, and the Xiaomi Pad 8 absolutely nails the balance.
Xiaomi has gone with a 3:2 aspect ratio for this panel, which gives the screen a more square-like shape compared to traditional widescreen tablets. In practice, I found this format much better for productivity. When I was working on documents, browsing through spreadsheets, or even scrubbing through video timelines, the extra vertical space made the experience noticeably more comfortable.
The display itself is an IPS LCD panel, but Xiaomi has packed it with a long list of display features. It supports up to a 144Hz refresh rate and uses a 12-bit panel capable of displaying over 68 billion colours. The screen also supports DCI-P3 colour, Dolby Vision, HDR10, HDR Vivid, and Xiaomi&rsquo;s Pro HDR processing.&nbsp;
Even though LCD panels do not produce the same deep blacks you get from AMOLED displays, I still found the viewing experience to be quite impressive. Content on Netflix and YouTube looked vibrant and colourful, and the colour depth helped scenes appear rich and lively. You get HDR support on YouTube, and Netflix shows both HDR10 and Dolby Vision content.
Brightness goes up to around 800 nits in high brightness mode, and in my testing, I did not find outdoor visibility to be an issue. The display also includes useful features like Reading Mode and Adaptive Colours, which help reduce eye strain during longer usage sessions.
For audio, the Xiaomi Pad 8 uses a quad-speaker setup with Dolby Atmos support. In my experience, the speakers get sufficiently loud for movies, music, and gaming. However, while the volume levels are solid, I did feel that the overall sound character lacks a bit of depth compared to some other tablets I have used. The good thing is, you get support for Hi-Res &amp; Hi-Res Wireless Audio.
<h2>Xiaomi Pad 8 Review: Cameras</h2>
The Xiaomi Pad 8 comes with a 13MP rear camera, and in my experience, it performs exactly the way most tablet cameras do. It is perfectly usable for scanning QR codes, capturing documents, or taking a quick photo when your phone is not nearby. That said, I would not expect anything particularly special from it. The quality is serviceable, but clearly not designed to replace a proper smartphone camera.
On the front, the tablet gets an 8MP camera that works well enough for video calls. One feature I particularly liked is Xiaomi&rsquo;s FocusFrame, which tracks your face and keeps you centred in the frame during calls.
<h2>Xiaomi Pad 8 Review: Accessories</h2>
Xiaomi offers a couple of accessories for the Pad 8 that really change how the tablet can be used day to day. The two main ones are the Focus Keyboard, which costs ₹8,999 and the Focus Pen Pro, costing ₹5,999, and having used them extensively, I found that they push the Pad 8 much closer to being a proper productivity and creative device rather than just a tablet for watching videos.
The Focus Keyboard is easily the more interesting of the two. Xiaomi has gone with a floating keyboard design here, very similar to the Magic Keyboard on the iPad. In practice, this makes the whole setup extremely simple to use. I could just attach the tablet and start working. There is no need to deal with folding stands or awkward covers. Once attached, the tablet sits suspended above the keyboard, and the whole thing opens and shuts like a compact laptop. For writing documents, replying to emails, or working on spreadsheets, it feels surprisingly natural.
The keyboard also includes a backlight, which I genuinely appreciated when working in low light. That said, the keyboard layout itself is not perfect. The keys are noticeably small, and during longer typing sessions, I did find myself adjusting to the tighter layout. The Enter key in particular feels unusually tiny. The trackpad is also a bit cramped for my liking, although it still supports gesture controls for navigating through the interface.
The Focus Pen Pro is the other accessory that really adds to the Pad 8&rsquo;s versatility. In my experience, the stylus feels responsive and precise. Latency is low, pressure sensitivity works well, and writing or sketching feels natural on the display. Plus it weighs just about 17 grams
Xiaomi has also added a few gesture controls to the stylus. In the MiCanvas app, I could slide along the pen to increase or decrease brush size, pinch to bring up a quick menu while sketching, and double-tap to switch between brushes. These small touches make the stylus particularly useful for note-taking and drawing.
<h2>Xiaomi Pad 8 Review: Performance</h2>
The Xiaomi Pad 8 runs on Qualcomm&rsquo;s Snapdragon 8s Gen 4 processor, and in day-to-day use it feels extremely capable. Xiaomi offers the tablet in two variants: an 8GB LPDDR5X RAM model paired with 128GB of UFS 3.1 storage, and a higher-end version with 12GB of LPDDR5T RAM and 256GB of faster UFS 4.1 storage.
In benchmark testing, the tablet delivered strong results. On AnTuTu, the Pad 8 scored around 2.29 million points. In Geekbench, it posted a single-core score of 2031 and a multi-core score of 6347.&nbsp;
GPU performance also held up well during testing. In 3DMark&rsquo;s Wildlife Extreme stress test, the tablet maintained solid loop scores with stability hovering around 87 percent and sometimes higher. Considering how compact the tablet is, those are impressive results.
Gaming performance is also very solid. During my testing, Call of Duty: Mobile ran consistently at 120FPS without noticeable drops. BGMI held steady at around 90FPS during extended gaming sessions. I did not see 144FPS modes enabled in the titles I tested, but the gameplay experience still felt smooth and responsive.
What stood out more to me, however, was how the tablet behaved during everyday tasks. Benchmarks are useful for context, but they only tell part of the story. In real usage, the Pad 8 felt fast and reliable across a wide range of activities. Exporting video files in VN, downloading large files, switching between multiple apps, and scrolling through social media all felt fluid and consistent.
Thermal management also seemed well under control. Even during longer gaming sessions or heavier workloads, the tablet remained comfortable to hold without noticeable overheating. Overall, performance on the Pad 8 feels more than capable for both productivity and entertainment.
<h2>Xiaomi Pad 8 Review: Software</h2>
The Xiaomi Pad 8 runs HyperOS 3 based on Android 16, and during my time using it, the software felt reasonably well optimised for a large-screen device. That is not always the case with Android tablets, but Xiaomi seems to have spent time adapting the interface to the tablet form factor.
The overall visual style will feel familiar if you have used a Xiaomi phone before. However, the layout scales well across the larger display. Interface elements are sized appropriately, apps make good use of the available screen space, and nothing feels awkwardly stretched or oversized.
At the same time, some parts of the interface are starting to look a little dated. The icons and certain visual elements still feel closer to Xiaomi&rsquo;s older design language rather than something that feels completely fresh.
Despite that, the overall experience remains smooth. Animations and transitions generally run well. In daily use, the interface feels stable and consistent rather than flashy, which actually works well when you are using the tablet for longer sessions.
HyperOS also includes several multitasking features designed for tablets. One of the more interesting additions is Workstation Mode. When enabled, the interface shifts to something that feels closer to a desktop environment. Apps can open in resizable windows, and multitasking becomes easier to manage.
There are a few preloaded apps on the tablet, but most of them are practical additions designed for productivity and note-taking rather than unnecessary bloat. Overall, the software experience feels well-suited to a tablet.
Xiaomi has also introduced a set of AI-powered tools under its HyperAI suite. These include features such as AI Calculator, Xiaomi Creation, AI Writing, AI Live Subtitles, and AI Voice Enhancement. In practice, these tools are designed to assist with productivity, content creation, and communication tasks, adding a layer of smart functionality to the tablet&rsquo;s software experience.
<h2>Xiaomi Pad 8 Review: Battery and charging</h2>
The Xiaomi Pad 8 packs a 9,200mAh battery, and in my experience, it delivers very solid endurance. With my typical usage that included browsing, streaming, note-taking, and occasional gaming, the tablet comfortably lasted about two days before I needed to reach for the charger. For a device of this size and performance level, that kind of battery life feels reassuringly dependable.
Charging speeds top out at 45W, which is reasonably quick for a tablet. Xiaomi has also included 22.5W reverse wired charging, which means I could use the Pad 8 to top up smaller devices like my TWS earbuds or even give my phone a quick boost when needed.
<h2>Xiaomi Pad 8 Review: Verdict</h2>
The Xiaomi Pad 8 ends up being a tablet that focuses on getting the fundamentals right. In everyday use, it feels fast, stable, and dependable. The Snapdragon 8s Gen 4 handles gaming, multitasking, and heavier tasks like exporting video files without slowing down, and across most tasks the tablet simply feels smooth and responsive.
At ₹33,999 for the 8GB + 128GB variant, the Pad 8 also sits at a very attractive price point. For that money, you are getting a premium metal build, a sharp 3.2K display with a 144Hz refresh rate, strong performance, and battery life that comfortably stretches to about two days with regular use.
The accessories also add meaningful value to the experience. The Focus Keyboard is easy to live with thanks to its floating design, backlit keys, and the pogo-pin connection that lets it attach instantly without setup friction. The Focus Pen Pro also performs well, with good pressure sensitivity and intuitive gesture controls that make writing notes or sketching feel very easy and intuitive.
If you want a powerful Android tablet without overspending, the Xiaomi Pad 8 makes a very convincing case.

Xiaomi 17 Ultra brings a 1-inch Leica camera, Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 power, and a stunning AMOLED display. A true camera-first flagship for 2026.

Xiaomi 17 Ultra Review: A Leica-powered Camera Beast Built for Serious Photography

Xiaomi 17 Ultra

<h3 dir="ltr">The Xiaomi 17 Ultra puts photography first with a one-inch Leica camera and 200MP periscope zoom. Paired with a sharp AMOLED display, Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 performance, and solid battery life, it stands out as one of 2026&rsquo;s best camera-focused flagships.</h3>
&nbsp;

The Xiaomi 17 Ultra is the company&rsquo;s latest attempt at building a no-compromise flagship, and it becomes clear very quickly that Xiaomi still treats the Ultra series as its playground for serious camera hardware.
On paper, the phone checks most of the boxes you would expect from a top-tier device in 2026. There is a large AMOLED display, Qualcomm&rsquo;s newest Snapdragon silicon, a sizeable battery, and a camera system built around a one-inch sensor.
To really put that camera system through its paces, Xiaomi flew me out to Phu Quoc in Vietnam, where I spent several days shooting photos and videos around the island. From bright coastal sunlight to evening street scenes and long outdoor days, it turned out to be a great setting to see what the cameras could actually do outside controlled test conditions.
Now, with a price tag of ₹1,39,999 for the sole 16GB+512GB variant, it isn&rsquo;t cheap. You&rsquo;re certainly paying a Leica tax here. But, one thing became abundantly clear, the more I used the phone. This phone knows exactly what it wants to prioritise, and that is its camera.
However, that doesn&rsquo;t mean that the rest of it has been put together just for the sake of it. No. The Xiaomi 17 Ultra, for the most part, is uncompromising in every way imaginable.
<h2>Xiaomi 17 Ultra Review: Design and build</h2>
When I first picked up the Xiaomi 17 Ultra, it immediately felt familiar. If you have used any of Xiaomi&rsquo;s previous Ultra phones, the overall silhouette will look recognisable. But once I started using it, a few small refinements became obvious. Xiaomi has moved to completely flat panels on both the front and the back this year. Combined with the composite fibreglass rear panel and the flat aluminium alloy frame, the phone feels cleaner and more modern than older models. In the hand, it comes across as minimal and surprisingly comfortable for a device carrying this much hardware.
Of course, the moment you turn the phone around, the camera module grabs your attention. The camera bump is still huge and still sits high on the back, occupying a big portion of the upper half of the phone. Xiaomi has tried to make it look a bit tidier this year. The layout appears slimmer and a little more organised, largely because the company has dropped one sensor from the module. Normally I am not the biggest fan of camera bumps this large, but considering Xiaomi is using a one-inch sensor here, I can honestly live with it.
That camera hardware does affect the weight balance. The Xiaomi 17 Ultra is not a light phone, and you can definitely feel a bit of top heaviness when you first pick it up. That might also explain Xiaomi&rsquo;s decision to use a fibreglass back instead of frosted glass. My review unit is the black variant, and visually it still resembles a frosted glass finish, but the fibreglass construction probably helps keep the overall weight under control.
The camera island itself is protected by Gorilla Glass 7i, which is reassuring given how prominent that module is. Despite packing such serious camera hardware, the phone remains impressively slim at just 8.29mm.
In day-to-day use, I never found the weight uncomfortable. It is definitely not a light phone, but Xiaomi has managed the weight distribution well enough that long usage sessions never became tiring.
The black finish on my unit might actually be my favourite Xiaomi Ultra finish so far. The fibreglass surface feels soft to the touch and the back panel is pleasant to hold. It also does a great job resisting fingerprints, which is rare for a dark coloured phone. The only small downside is that it can feel slightly slippery, so using a case is probably a good idea.
Button and port placement is exactly where you would expect on a flagship Android phone. I also really like the rounded volume buttons on the side. They have this very retro vibe to it, and I personally love it. Plus, they feel tactile and are very easy to reach.
For durability, Xiaomi has given the 17 Ultra both IP68 and IP69 ratings, so it should handle dust, water immersion and even strong water jets without trouble. The display is protected by Xiaomi&rsquo;s Shield Glass 3.0, which the company says is way more shatter-resistant than any other hardened glass . During my time using the phone, it held up without any issues.
<h2>Xiaomi 17 Ultra Review: Display and audio</h2>
The Xiaomi 17 Ultra gets a massive 6.9-inch AMOLED display that can produce over 68 billion colours. In all likelihood, Xiaomi is using a 12-bit panel here. Resolution comes in at 1200 &times; 2608 pixels, which technically puts it in the 1.5K category rather than a full 2K display.
In practical use though, that distinction barely matters. At roughly 416 PPI, the screen looks extremely sharp. Text appears crisp, images carry plenty of detail, and even when I compared it with some newer flagships that push a full 2K resolution, I genuinely struggled to notice a meaningful difference in day-to-day use.
Being a proper 2026 flagship, the panel comes loaded with all the expected features. You get a 120Hz refresh rate with LTPO technology, high-frequency PWM dimming, Dolby Vision, HDR10+, and several T&Uuml;V certifications. Watching content on this screen is genuinely enjoyable. Whether I was watching Netflix, scrolling through YouTube, or reviewing videos I had just shot on the phone, the display consistently looked vibrant. Colours feel lively without appearing oversaturated, and the blacks are deep and inky, which adds to the sense of immersion.
The display also covers the DCI-P3 colour gamut, which helps with colour accuracy. Peak brightness goes up to 3500 nits in HDR, and during my time testing the phone outdoors in bright Vietnamese sunlight, the screen never really struggled. I used it frequently for navigation, reviewing photos and videos, and general browsing, and at no point did I feel like the display needed to be brighter.
Xiaomi has also included several eye-protection certifications. The panel is T&Uuml;V Rheinland low blue light certified, T&Uuml;V Rheinland flicker-free certified, and T&Uuml;V Rheinland circadian friendly certified, which should make longer viewing sessions easier on the eyes.
Under the display, you get an ultrasonic fingerprint scanner. Xiaomi has positioned it sensibly, making it easy to reach. In my testing, it proved quick and reliable. Even with slightly wet or sandy fingers during outdoor shooting sessions, the scanner unlocked the phone without much trouble.
The audio setup is also quite good. The phone gets stereo speakers that are impressively loud. Because the device itself is fairly large, the speakers manage to produce a bit of depth and bass, which gives the sound more character than most smartphones. I would even go as far as saying these are among the better smartphone speakers available right now.
You also get Dolby Atmos support along with Snapdragon Sound, and for wireless listening the phone supports Hi-Res Audio as well.
<h2>Xiaomi 17 Ultra Review: Camera performance</h2>
Now, coming to the star of the show, the cameras. The Xiaomi 17 Ultra packs a 50MP main camera with a one-inch sensor and OIS, a 50MP ultrawide, and a 200MP periscope telephoto with a continuous optical zoom range from 3.2x to 4.3x.&nbsp;
On paper that already sounds impressive, but in actual use the camera system is easily the highlight of the phone.
Starting with the Leica-powered main camera, the one-inch sensor really makes a difference. In my testing, photos consistently came out sharp and detailed, but without the overly processed look some phones tend to produce.&nbsp;
Colours are vibrant yet still natural, and the auto white balance is very reliable. Xiaomi is also using LOFIC sensor technology, which allows the camera to capture HDR information in a single exposure instead of stitching multiple frames together. The result is faster capture, excellent highlight control, and very clean shadows.
Portrait shots from the main camera look excellent too. Skin tones appear natural, facial details are well preserved, and there is already some optical background separation even without enabling portrait mode.&nbsp;
The Leica-tuned 50MP ultrawide camera performs better than expected as well. Ultrawide photos are noticeably sharper than what this hardware usually produces, with excellent colours and strong dynamic range. In many scenes, the gap between the ultrawide and the main camera is surprisingly small.
Then there is the Leica-tuned 200MP telephoto camera, which uses a periscope setup with a movable lens system. This allows continuous optical zoom from 3.2x (75mm) to 4.3x (100mm), and across that entire range image quality remains excellent. Detail is superb, colours stay consistent with the main camera, and both focal lengths work beautifully for portraits. The natural background blur at 75mm especially makes portrait mode almost unnecessary.
Beyond that range, the phone can push to 8.6x zoom (around 200mm) using in-sensor cropping, and then go beyond, digitally. In good lighting, these shots remain surprisingly usable with solid detail, although darker areas can start to soften slightly.
The selfie camera has also been upgraded this year. Xiaomi now uses a 50MP sensor with autofocus, replacing the older 32MP setup. Selfies look detailed and well balanced, and the autofocus helps keep faces sharp even when framing changes.&nbsp;
The Xiaomi 17 Ultra can record up to 8K at 30fps across its rear cameras. For 4K, the main and telephoto cameras go up to 120fps, that too with Dolby Vision, or log, while the ultrawide tops out at 4K60.&nbsp;
In daylight, videos look very good with strong dynamic range and accurate colours, and all three cameras match each other fairly well. Stabilisation is excellent across all cameras.
Overall, this is easily one of the most versatile and capable camera systems I have used on a smartphone this year.
<h2>Xiaomi 17 Ultra Review: Photography Kit Pro</h2>
Xiaomi also sent me its Photography Kit Pro with the 17 Ultra, and it genuinely changes how the phone feels when you use it for photography. The kit includes a new camera grip, a case, and an interchangeable ring that sits around the camera module. The case already comes with one ring installed, while the second ring lets me attach 67mm filters like ND filters or polarizers.
The camera grip connects to the phone through a USB-C port, and once attached, the phone feels much more like a proper camera. I get a dedicated shutter button, a separate video recording button, and a zoom toggle. Xiaomi has also added a rotary dial next to the shutter this year. Most of the buttons can be remapped. For instance, I set the dial to control shutter speed instead of exposure compensation.
There is also a small thumb rest on the back that improves grip while shooting. A side lock secures the grip to the case so it does not slide out. At the bottom, you get an indicator light, a USB-C charging port, and a loop for a lanyard. Xiaomi includes one in the box, and during my Phu Quoc photo trip, I ended up using it more than expected.
The grip also houses a 2000mAh battery, which can top up the phone in emergencies.
<h2>Xiaomi 17 Ultra Review: Performance</h2>
Powering the Xiaomi 17 Ultra is the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5, and paired with 16GB of LPDDR5X RAM and 512GB of UFS 4.1 storage on my unit, the phone has more than enough muscle for anything you throw at it.
In daily use, the phone simply feels effortless. Moving through the interface is quick, animations remain smooth, and jumping between apps happens instantly. During my testing, I often kept a large number of apps open in the background, but the system handled it without slowing down or aggressively closing them. Everything stayed responsive, which is exactly what I expect from a device in this price category.
Gaming performance has also been very solid. I spent quite a bit of time playing BGMI, usually in sessions lasting around 40 to 45 minutes. Even during those longer sessions, the phone maintained stable performance. Frame rates stayed consistent and the device only became mildly warm.
Xiaomi has also clearly worked on the cooling this year. The 17 Ultra uses a 3D dual-channel vapour chamber cooling system, and in practice it does a very good job of managing heat. The phone never became uncomfortably warm, and I didn&rsquo;t notice any obvious throttling or sudden dips in performance.
Overall, the Xiaomi 17 Ultra behaves exactly like a flagship should. It feels fast, stable, and reliable, whether you&rsquo;re just scrolling through apps or pushing the hardware harder with demanding games.
<h2>Xiaomi 17 Ultra Review: Software and AI features</h2>
On the software front, the Xiaomi 17 Ultra runs HyperOS 3 based on Android 16. In daily use, I found the interface to be quite polished, although Xiaomi has clearly taken a bit of visual inspiration from Apple in some areas. The control centre, for instance, has a very clean and layered look that reminded me a little of iOS. It is not a direct copy, but the visual style definitely leans in that direction. I also noticed touches of what Xiaomi calls its &ldquo;liquid glass&rdquo; design language across parts of the UI.
One of the biggest UI additions this year is something Xiaomi calls Super Island. It appears around the camera cut-out and shows contextual information for apps running in the background. If the idea sounds familiar, that is because it works in a very similar way to Apple&rsquo;s Dynamic Island. In my usage, it proved quite handy for things like timers, music playback, and quick notifications without needing to open the full app.
Since this is a 2026 flagship, AI features are everywhere. Xiaomi groups most of them under what it calls HyperAI. You get tools such as AI writing, AI dynamic wallpapers, speech recognition, AI interpreter, and AI subtitles. The gallery app also gets a number of AI-powered editing tools that can quickly clean up photos or remove unwanted objects.
You also get Google&rsquo;s Gemini built into the system, which adds another layer of AI capabilities.
Xiaomi has added some useful connectivity tools as well. I was able to share photos and videos not just with PCs but also with an iPhone. Once everything was set up, transfers were quick and smooth, although I did find the initial setup slightly convoluted.
In everyday use, I found HyperOS 3 to be quite responsive. It may not feel as polished as OriginOS or OxygenOS yet, but during my testing the system remained smooth and reliable
Xiaomi also promises five major Android OS upgrades along with six years of security updates, which is reassuring for a flagship device in this price segment.
<h2>Xiaomi 17 Ultra Review: Battery and charging</h2>
Quickly touching on the battery, the Xiaomi 17 Ultra packs a 6000mAh unit. That is slightly disappointing on paper because the Chinese version of the phone actually gets a larger 6800mAh battery. Even so, in my time using the phone, battery life was never really an issue.
During a long day out in Phu Quoc, I was taking a huge number of photos and videos, using Google Maps for navigation, and running the display at high brightness under the sun. Even with that kind of heavy use, the phone comfortably lasted the entire day and I still ended it with around 40 percent battery remaining.
With more typical usage, I was easily getting about a day and a half, and sometimes close to two days.
For charging, the phone supports 90W wired charging, which means the device can go from a 0 to a hundred in under an hour, perhaps even faster. You also get 50W wireless charging. It is not magnetic like Apple&rsquo;s MagSafe, but it still works reliably. You also get reverse wired charging at 22.5W and reverse wireless charging at 10W.
<h2>Xiaomi 17 Ultra Review: Verdict</h2>
After spending time with the Xiaomi 17 Ultra, what stands out most is how clearly the phone understands its purpose. Many flagships try to balance everything equally, but Xiaomi has very obviously centred the experience around the camera system.
The one-inch main sensor, versatile telephoto setup, and Leica tuning combine to produce one of the most capable smartphone camera systems I have used this year. For anyone who treats their phone as a serious photography tool, the 17 Ultra offers an experience that very few other phones can currently match.
The rest of the hardware holds up well too. The large AMOLED display is sharp and vibrant, performance from the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 remains consistently smooth, and the battery easily keeps up with long days of shooting and heavy use.
Of course, none of this comes cheap. The ₹1,39,999 price tag, and that additional Rs 19,999 for the Photography Kit Pro, certainly does add up. But if camera performance sits at the top of your priority list, the Xiaomi 17 Ultra is one of the most compelling flagship phones available right now.&nbsp;

Nothing Phone 4a brings a transparent design, Glyph Bar lighting, 1.5K AMOLED display, Snapdragon 7s Gen 4 performance, and smooth Nothing OS experience.

Nothing Phone 4a Review: A Stylish Mid-Ranger That Stands Out

Nothing Phone 4a

<h3>Nothing Phone 4a stands out with its transparent design, new Glyph Bar lighting, sharp 1.5K AMOLED screen, capable cameras, and a playful Nothing OS experience.</h3>

The Nothing Phone 4a is another reminder that Nothing is willing to walk a path most smartphone brands avoid. In a market where many companies chase the same formula of bigger numbers and louder spec sheets, Nothing continues to focus on design, software personality, and the overall experience of using the phone.
With the Phone 4a, that philosophy becomes even clearer. The phone keeps Nothing&rsquo;s signature transparent aesthetic, introduces the new Glyph Bar in place of the traditional light strips, and upgrades the display to a sharper 1.5K AMOLED panel. Under the hood, it runs on the Snapdragon 7s Gen 4 and ships with Nothing OS 4.1 based on Android 16, which remains one of the more distinctive Android experiences available today.
Pricing also plays a key role here. The Nothing Phone 4a starts at ₹31,999, but with launch offers it effectively drops to ₹24,999.
After spending time using it as my daily phone, the 4a feels less like a spec race contender and more like a phone built around experience.
<h2>Nothing Phone 4a Review: Design and build</h2>
The Nothing Phone 4a sticks to the brand&rsquo;s signature design language, but after spending some time with it, I feel like this is more mature. The Cyberpunk-inspired look is still very much there, but the overall execution feels cleaner and more mature than some of Nothing&rsquo;s earlier experiments.
The first thing that caught my attention was the asymmetrical camera module. Nothing has clearly tried to keep things a bit more restrained here. It still looks quirky enough to stand out, but it feels more balanced and less chaotic than some of the designs the company has experimented with in the past.
Then there is the new Glyph Bar, which is easily the most interesting design change on the Phone 4a. Instead of the sweeping LED strips that Nothing phones usually use, this one has a row of seven square segments made up of tiny microLEDs. In day-to-day use, I actually like this approach quite a bit. It gives the lighting system a more granular feel, and visually it sits somewhere between the traditional Glyph interface and the Glyph Matrix that we saw on the Phone 3.
The rest of the construction will feel familiar if you have used a Nothing phone before. You still get the transparent glass back that picks up smudges like crazy, the plastic frame, and the exposed design elements underneath that give the phone its distinctive personality. The Phone 4a measures 8.55mm thick and weighs 204 grams, which, in my hand, feels solid without being overly bulky. Durability is also handled fairly well, with Gorilla Glass 7i protecting the front. Water and dust protection is rated at IP 64.
Button placement has changed slightly this time. The power button and volume rocker now sit on the same side, while the opposite edge houses the Essential Key. Unfortunately, that key still cannot be remapped. If you are not particularly interested in using Essential Space, it ends up feeling like a missed opportunity.
There are also a couple of practical omissions that stood out to me. The Indian variant still does not support eSIM, even though the global version does. You do get NFC, but there is no IR blaster here either.
<h2>Nothing Phone 4a Review: Display &amp; Speakers</h2>
The Nothing Phone 4a gets a 6.78-inch display, which is almost the same size as the Nothing Phone 3a, but the real upgrade here is in resolution. This time, Nothing has moved to a 1.5K panel, which is a noticeable step up from the older Full HD+ screens the company has used before.
In daily use, this change is quite easy to spot. The Phone 4a pushes pixel density up to around 440PPI, and that extra sharpness becomes very clear when you start looking closely at text or fine details in images. Whether I was scrolling through articles, reading long threads, or just browsing social media, everything looked noticeably crisper.
The bezels are still a little chunky by today&rsquo;s standards, but thankfully they are uniform all the way around. That helps the phone look balanced, and in practice, I stopped noticing them pretty quickly.
Beyond the resolution bump, the rest of the panel specifications remain very solid. The Phone 4a uses a flexible AMOLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate, which keeps animations and scrolling feeling smooth. It is also a 10-bit panel capable of displaying over a billion colours, so gradients and colour transitions look natural rather than banded.
Brightness is another area where the Phone 4a has improved. Peak HDR brightness goes up to 4500 nits, and high brightness mode reaches 1600 nits. In real-world use, this translates to better outdoor visibility. Even under harsh sunlight, I found the screen remained readable without having to strain.
Watching videos on the Phone 4a is a pleasant experience overall. YouTube supports HDR playback and it works well, especially with high-quality content. Netflix, however, still does not show HDR support on this device, which is a bit disappointing.
Audio is handled by dual stereo speakers, and for casual viewing, reels, and short-form content, they get the job done just fine.
<h2>Nothing Phone 4a Review: Performance and day-to-day usage</h2>
Nothing has never really chased raw benchmark numbers, and the Phone 4a follows that same philosophy. The company has always been more focused on delivering a smooth, polished experience rather than topping performance charts, and the hardware choices here reflect that approach.
Under the hood, the Phone 4a runs on the Snapdragon 7s Gen 4, which is essentially the next step up from the Snapdragon 7s Gen 3 used previously. It is not a flagship chip, but it is a sensible generational upgrade and fits well with the kind of experience Nothing is aiming for.
A more important improvement, in my opinion, is the storage. Nothing has often been criticised for sticking with UFS 2.2 even in relatively expensive phones. With the Phone 4a, that finally changes. It now comes with UFS 3.1 storage, which makes a noticeable difference in certain situations. RAM remains LPDDR4X, which is perfectly adequate for a device in this segment.
If you are someone who judges a phone purely by benchmark numbers, the Phone 4a will not blow you away. The scores are respectable, but they are not chart-topping. That said, in actual day-to-day usage, the phone feels consistently smooth. Scrolling through social media, jumping between apps, and streaming content all feel fluid. Compared to older Nothing phones, I noticed that animations and general navigation feel quicker and more responsive.
One area where the faster storage really helps is during system updates. When the phone has to optimise apps after an update, the process feels noticeably quicker than devices that still rely on slower storage.
Gaming is also fairly solid for a phone in this category. The Phone 4a supports 120FPS gameplay in BGMI right out of the box, and during my testing it handled extended sessions without excessive heating. It is not meant to be a hardcore gaming phone, but for casual to moderate gaming, it performs comfortably.
<h2>Nothing Phone 4a Review: Software and user experience</h2>
The Nothing Phone 4a ships with Nothing OS 4.1 based on Android 16. Yes, we are in the fourth iteration of Nothing OS, an the best way I can describe Nothing OS after using it for a while is simply this: it still is genuinely fun to use.
The interface feels clean, fast, and visually distinct without becoming overwhelming. It still carries that signature Nothing aesthetic with the dot matrix elements, monochrome icons, and minimalist design language.
Yes, there are a couple of preinstalled apps, namely Facebook and Instagram. Some people have criticised Nothing for this, but personally, I do not see it as a big issue. There are only two of them, and both can be uninstalled in seconds. Considering the costs involved in building and shipping smartphones today, this feels like a reasonable compromise.
Where Nothing OS really shines is in customisation and small, thoughtful features. If you enjoy tweaking the look and feel of your phone, this software gives you plenty to play with. From icon packs to lock screen layouts and widgets, there are many ways to personalise the experience.
Essential Space, which is Nothing&rsquo;s productivity hub, also gets a few useful updates here. Screenshots can now be sorted into what Nothing calls Essential Memories, and they can be synced across other Nothing devices through the cloud. It is a small addition, but it makes organising information far easier.
AI features are also part of the package in Nothing OS 4.1. However, the focus here is less on flashy editing tricks and more on assistant-style tools integrated into apps like Essential Space and Essential Recorder. On top of that, you still get Google&rsquo;s AI ecosystem, including Gemini.
The Glyph Bar continues to be one of the most distinctive parts of the experience. I found it surprisingly useful for quick updates. It can show countdown timers, live updates from apps like Zomato, Uber, and Google Maps, and notifications for calls or messages. It becomes a clever way to stay informed without constantly picking up the phone.
Nothing also continues to lean heavily into widgets. You can download additional widgets from Nothing Playground, which is essentially a community-driven repository of creative widgets. I ended up using a fidget spinner widget just for fun, and an H2O tracker that helped me keep an eye on my daily water intake.
In terms of support, the Phone 4a is promised three years of Android updates and six years of security patches. That is solid for this segment and gives the device a fairly long usable life.
<h2>Nothing Phone 4a Review: Cameras</h2>
The Nothing Phone 4a comes with a fairly versatile camera setup. You get a 50MP main camera with OIS, a 50MP periscope telephoto camera with 3.5X optical zoom, and an 8MP ultrawide camera. On the front, the phone uses a 32MP selfie camera.
In day-to-day use, the main camera performs quite well. Photos come out sharp and detailed, and the colour tuning feels pleasing without going overboard. I found the images to have a balanced look overall. Colours are vibrant enough to pop on social media, but they do not feel overly processed.
The ultrawide camera is serviceable and fits well with the rest of the setup. It keeps colours fairly consistent with the main camera, which helps when switching lenses. Sharpness does drop a bit compared to the primary sensor, but that is fairly typical given the hardware.
The periscope telephoto lens is where things get interesting. At 3X zoom, the phone pretty solid shots that are genuinely fantastic, especially in good lighting. I found it particularly useful for portraits and tighter framing without having to move physically closer to the subject.
Low-light performance is also fairly good. The main camera manages to retain a good amount of detail while keeping noise under control. Night shots look clean without the phone aggressively smoothing everything out.
Video recording goes up to 4K at 30fps on the rear camera. Plus, you also get HDR recording, which is rare at this price point. In my testing, colours remained consistent and stabilisation was reliable enough for handheld clips.
Portraits continue to be one of the stronger aspects of Nothing&rsquo;s camera systems. The bokeh looks soft and natural, and edge detection is quite accurate. Even in regular shots, the phone often produces a pleasant depth effect, which makes portrait photography on the Phone 4a particularly enjoyable.
<h2>Nothing Phone 4a Review: Battery and charging</h2>
Battery life on the Nothing Phone 4a has been fairly solid in my experience. The Indian variant packs a 5400mAh battery, which gives it plenty of endurance for daily use. In my testing so far, I have been averaging around six to seven hours of screen-on time. With my typical usage that includes social media, streaming, camera use, and some gaming, the phone comfortably lasts a full day.
Charging is also reasonably quick. The Phone 4a supports 50W fast charging, and going from zero to 100 percent takes a little over an hour. It is not the fastest charging in this segment, but it is still quick enough that topping up the phone does not feel like a long wait.
<h2>Nothing Phone 4a Review: Verdict</h2>
After spending some time with the Nothing Phone 4a, what stands out most is how confidently the phone sticks to Nothing&rsquo;s philosophy. While many brands are busy chasing bigger numbers and louder spec sheets, Nothing continues to focus on creating a device that simply feels different to use.
The design remains one of the phone&rsquo;s biggest strengths. The transparent styling still looks unique in a sea of similar-looking slabs, and the new Glyph Bar adds personality without feeling like a gimmick. It ends up being both visually interesting and surprisingly useful for quick notifications.
The upgraded 1.5K display is another welcome improvement. Text looks sharper, videos look crisp, and brightness levels make the phone comfortable to use even outdoors. Performance from the Snapdragon 7s Gen 4 is not meant to break records, but in daily use the phone feels smooth and responsive. Social media, streaming, multitasking, and casual gaming all run without issue.
Nothing OS continues to be one of the most enjoyable Android skins around. The clean interface, playful widgets, and thoughtful features like Essential Space and the Glyph notifications give the phone a personality that most Android devices lack.
At an effective price of ₹24,999 with offers, the Phone 4a feels like a thoughtfully balanced smartphone. It may not chase every spec headline, but the overall experience makes it easy to recommend.

The Oppo Pad 5 packs a 2.8K 120Hz display, Dimensity 7300 Ultra, 10,050mAh battery and quad speakers. A reliable all-round tablet under ₹30K.

Oppo Pad 5 Review: A well-balanced tablet under ₹30K

Oppo Pad 5 packs a 2.8K 120Hz display, Dimensity 7300 Ultra, 10,050mAh battery and quad speakers. A reliable all-round tablet under ₹30K.

Oppo

Oppo Pad 5

<h3>The Oppo Pad 5 is a dependable all-round tablet with a sharp 2.8K display, stable performance, strong battery life and solid multimedia experience under ₹30K.</h3>

The Oppo Pad 5 is clearly designed to be an all-rounder. It is not trying to reinvent the tablet category or chase one dramatic headline feature. Instead, it positions itself as a balanced device that covers all the essentials without cutting obvious corners.
On paper, the spec sheet looks reassuring. You get a 12.1-inch 2.8K display with a 120Hz refresh rate, a MediaTek Dimensity 7300 Ultra processor, up to 8GB of LPDDR5X RAM and 256GB of UFS 3.1 storage, a large 10,050mAh battery, stylus support, quad speakers, and Dolby Vision. It reads like a checklist Oppo did not want to leave incomplete.
In India, the tablet starts at ₹26,999 for the Wi-Fi variant and ₹32,999 for the 5G model, which puts it in a competitive but important price bracket.
After spending a good two weeks with it as my choice of device aside from my phone, which meant using it as my streaming device, productivity companion, note-taking slab, and occasional gaming machine, I wanted to see whether this balanced approach actually works in real life. And I have to say, I was pleasantly surprised.&nbsp;
<h2>Oppo Pad 5 Review: Design and build quality</h2>
Let us start with the design, because with tablets, design is not just about looks. It is about how the thing feels after 40 minutes of Netflix, or two hours of note-taking.
The Oppo Pad 5 keeps things simple and controlled. The proportions are neat. The bezels are evenly balanced. The flat edges give it that modern, 2026 tablet vibe without trying too hard to look futuristic. It feels confident, but not loud.
My unit came in Aurora Pink, and honestly, it looks better in person than in pictures. It has this soft mauve, marble-like finish that catches light in a subtle way. Indoors, when you tilt it slightly, you see this shimmery texture that adds depth. It does not scream for attention, but it definitely does not feel basic either. If pink is not your thing, there is a black version that keeps things clean and low-key.
The back is polycarbonate, but it does not feel cheap. There is no flex when you twist it. No hollow sound when you tap it. It feels dense and reassuring, which is what you want from something you will carry around daily. The frame looks metallic and feels sturdy. The flat edges make it comfortable to hold in landscape mode, especially while watching content. On a desk, it sits flat without wobbling, which sounds small, but it matters.
At around 6.8mm thick, it is slim enough to feel sleek without feeling fragile. The Wi-Fi variant weighs 597 grams, and the 5G version is 599 grams. That two-gram difference means nothing in real life. What matters is that it feels balanced. It is light enough for long reading sessions, but not so light that it feels toy-like.
The rear camera module is clean and minimal. There is a small decorative ring around the lens, which adds a bit of character without being flashy. For some strange reason, though, you don&rsquo;t get a flash with the rear camera.
Now, I tested the Wi-Fi unit, so there&rsquo;s no SIM tray here. If you want 5G, you will have to go for the 8GB + 256GB model.&nbsp;
As for accessories, the Pad 5 does support stylus input, and Oppo also sells a new stylus, the Oppo Pencil 2R, separately for the Pad 5. For this review, I used the OnePlus Stylo 2 instead, and it worked perfectly. Pressure sensitivity felt accurate, latency was low, and handwriting recognition worked smoothly. Even scribbled calculations were picked up correctly. So, if you want, you can use a third-party Bluetooth stylus without any issues.&nbsp;
Surprisingly, though, there is no dedicated folio cover for the Oppo Pad 5, not even from Oppo. However, you can use the folio cover from the OnePlus Pad Go 2, as they are almost identical in dimension.&nbsp;
Overall, the Pad 5 is comfortable, practical, and for a tablet you will use every day, truly dependable.
<h2>Oppo Pad 5 Review: 12.1-inch 2.8K display and quad speakers</h2>
Now let me talk about the display, because this is honestly where I felt the Oppo Pad 5 steps up.
It has a 12.1-inch 2.8K LCD panel with a 120Hz refresh rate, and the moment I unlocked it, it felt premium. This is technically a 12-bit, or 8+4-bit panel, and I could actually see the difference. Colours have depth instead of looking flat. In Vivid mode, it covers 98 per cent of DCI-P3, and in Natural mode, it hits 100 per cent sRGB. Gradients look smooth. Dark scenes do not show harsh banding. It feels refined.
Streaming was a good experience, too. I watched HDR content on YouTube and Netflix, and the panel held up well. Dolby Vision support is present, HEVC decoding works, and Netflix streams in Full HD without restrictions. At this price, I appreciate that nothing feels artificially capped.
The 120Hz refresh rate makes daily use feel fluid. Scrolling through long articles feels effortless. Swiping between apps is responsive. After using it for a few days, going back to 60Hz genuinely feels slower to me.
Brightness peaks at 900 nits in high brightness mode. Indoors, it looks excellent. Under shade outdoors, I had no issues. In direct harsh sunlight, it can struggle slightly, but that is expected in this segment.
I also like the 7:5 aspect ratio. It feels balanced for productivity, very similar to most iPads. Split-screen apps actually get enough space to be usable. Reading long documents feels natural and not strained.
The quad speakers surprised me. They get loud without distorting quickly. There is a hint of bass, dialogue is clear, and music does not sound thin.
For Netflix, YouTube, or even background music while working, I felt the multimedia experience was complete and well-sorted.
<h2>Oppo Pad 5 Review: 8MP Cameras that do the job</h2>
Let us be honest, nobody buys a tablet for its cameras, and the Oppo Pad 5 is no different.
On the back, you get an 8MP sensor. It is not trying to be artistic. It is there for practical stuff. Scanning documents works smoothly. Clicking whiteboard notes is quick and clear. Reference shots look sharp enough for everyday use.
The front is also 8MP, and in good lighting, it does the job well. Video calls look natural. Skin tones are balanced. Exposure is handled properly.
You are not buying this for selfies or to record videos of any previous moments. It is meant for your online classes and Zoom meetings, and in those specific use cases, it works just fine.
Oppo Pad 5 Review: Dimensity 7300 Ultra performance The Oppo Pad 5 runs on the MediaTek Dimensity 7300 Ultra, paired with up to 8GB of LPDDR5X RAM and 256GB of UFS 3.1 storage. I tested the 8GB plus 256GB variant.
This is not a performance-first tablet on paper, but in daily use, I never felt like it was struggling to keep up.
In my testing, it scored just under 985,000 on AnTuTu. Geekbench returned 998 in single core and 3136 in multi core. On 3DMark, stability was an impressive 99.4 per cent, with loop scores sitting between 860 and 865. The numbers are respectable, but what mattered more to me was how consistent they felt.
From what I experienced, Oppo has tuned this device conservatively. It does not spike aggressively for short benchmark bursts. Instead, it focuses on sustained stability, and that shows in real-world usage.
I ran split-screen apps, floating windows, multiple Chrome tabs, background downloads, and YouTube playback at the same time. Everything remained smooth. App switching felt fluid, and I did not notice random frame drops.
Gaming performance is also pretty decent if you just want to enjoy a larger display. I tried games like BGMI, and it ran comfortably well. COD Mobile can hit up to 90FPS on low graphics, and gameplay was pretty stable. That 3DMark stability score actually reflects the experience I had.
While the Pad 5 may not be a tablet that is trying to top benchmark charts and gaming scores, &nbsp;it is a balanced, dependable performer built for everyday reliability.
<h2>Oppo Pad 5 Review: ColorOS 16 software experience</h2>
The Oppo Pad 5 runs on ColorOS 16 based on Android 16, and I have to say, it feels familiar in a good way.
The interface is clean and easy to understand. Nothing feels cluttered. There is a slight glassy look to parts of the UI, but it is subtle. It does not feel like it is trying too hard. I get the same customisation options that I have seen on recent Oppo and OnePlus phones, so if you have used one before, you will feel at home. The Flux theme is here as well, and I like how it matches app icons to the overall theme. It keeps everything looking neat.
This being 2026, there are a ton of AI features, but they do not feel forced. I tried AI summaries for text, and they worked fine for quick overviews. There are several AI photo editing tools built in, and Google Gemini support is integrated too. I did not feel like these were gimmicks, but I also did not feel like they were revolutionary. They are just useful additions.
Where I genuinely enjoyed the experience was multitasking. I used split screen a lot, and it ran smoothly. Floating windows were responsive. You also get a ton of cross-device features, which were easy to use in my testing. Phone mirroring worked consistently, and moving files between Android phones, iPhones, and even my PC felt intuitive and hassle-free.
Oppo says it will keep performance smooth for four years. For a tablet, long-term stability is important, and I appreciate that commitment.
<h2>Oppo Pad 5 Review: 10,050mAh battery and 33W charging</h2>
Battery life ended up being one of the most reassuring parts of my time with the Oppo Pad 5.
It packs a 10,050mAh battery, and in my usage, it comfortably lasted around a day and a half. That included streaming shows, browsing, taking notes, some light gaming, and a few video calls in between. I never felt anxious about the battery dipping too quickly, which is exactly what I want from a tablet.
The standby drain was low as well. When I left it idle overnight, the percentage barely moved, which tells me the optimisation is doing its job.
Charging is rated at 33W, and Oppo includes a 45W charger in the box. From low to full, it took me roughly an hour and a half. It is not class-leading fast, but it is practical and predictable.
For a tablet this size, the endurance feels stable and dependable, which honestly matters more than flashy charging speeds.
<h2>Oppo Pad 5 Review: Verdict</h2>
After spending two weeks with the Oppo Pad 5 as my go-to secondary device, I think Oppo has played this one smartly.
This is not a tablet that wins you over with one dramatic headline feature. It is not the fastest, not the flashiest, and not trying to redefine the category. What it does instead is quietly get almost everything right. The display is sharp, colour accurate, and genuinely enjoyable for streaming. The quad speakers add to that immersive feel. Performance is stable and consistent, whether I was multitasking, browsing, or playing games casually. Battery life is dependable enough that I never felt nervous stepping out without a charger.
Even the design, while not radical, feels practical and comfortable for long sessions, which matters more than bold aesthetics on a tablet.
At ₹26,999 for the Wi-Fi model and ₹32,999 for the 5G variant, I feel the Oppo Pad 5 offers a well-balanced package. If you want a tablet that can handle content consumption, productivity, note-taking, and some gaming without obvious compromises, this makes a strong case for itself. It is not trying to dominate one category. It is trying to be reliably good at all of them, and in my experience, it succeeds.

The Tecno Pova Curve 2 5G packs an 8000mAh battery in a slim 7.42mm body. Bold design, curved AMOLED and solid endurance at ₹27,999.

Tecno Pova Curve 2 5G Review: 8000mAh battery beast

Sahil Maniktala

Tecno

Tecno Pova Curve 2 5G

<h3>Tecno Pova Curve 2 5G packs an 8000mAh battery into a slim 7.42mm body, offering standout endurance, a curved 144Hz AMOLED display and stable mid-range performance at ₹27,999.</h3>

Tecno isn&rsquo;t hiding what the Pova Curve 2 5G is about. This is a phone built around one clear headline: an 8,000mAh battery inside a slim 7.42mm body. In a mid-range market where big batteries usually translate into bulky designs, Tecno is betting that this combination alone is enough to grab attention.&nbsp;
Pair that with a curved AMOLED display and an unapologetically bold design, and the Pova Curve 2 positions itself as a device that wants to stand out visually and practically.
That positioning carries into the pricing. The Pova Curve 2 5G is available in two variants: 8GB RAM with 128GB storage at ₹27,999, and 8GB RAM with 256GB storage at ₹29,999. Tecno is also offering cashback benefits of up to ₹3,000 through select banks and NBFC partners, which brings the effective price closer to more aggressively priced rivals.&nbsp;
At these numbers, Tecno isn&rsquo;t chasing value-for-money headlines alone. Instead, it&rsquo;s asking buyers to pay for endurance, design, and day-to-day usability.
The bigger question, then, is whether the Pova Curve 2 delivers beyond its standout battery and design. To answer that, it&rsquo;s worth looking closely at how it holds up in real-world use across display quality, performance, cameras, software experience, and charging.
<h2>Tecno Pova Curve 2 5G Design &amp; Build</h2>
Tecno clearly wasn&rsquo;t interested in playing it safe with the Pova Curve 2, and that&rsquo;s evident the moment you flip the phone over.&nbsp;
The back is dominated by a triangular camera module with dual cutouts, a layout that feels deliberately unconventional in a market obsessed with circular islands and iPhone-adjacent rectangles. It&rsquo;s a look you don&rsquo;t encounter often, and that alone gives the phone a distinct visual identity.&nbsp;
Adding to this is a secondary triangular accent near the bottom-right corner, which leans hard into a sci-fi, almost spaceship-like aesthetic. A continuous strip running across the back ties these elements together, making the design feel intentional rather than ornamental.
Design, of course, is deeply personal. But after two decades of watching smartphone aesthetics oscillate between bold experimentation and conservative minimalism, this feels like a refreshing deviation from the norm.
At a time when most brands are content with muted finishes and familiar silhouettes, the Pova Curve 2 dares to be loud. That also means it won&rsquo;t appeal to everyone. If your taste runs toward clean lines and understated elegance, this phone may feel a bit too expressive. For everyone else, it&rsquo;s a guaranteed head-turner.
Despite the visual drama, the phone itself is impressively slim at just over 7.4mm. In the hand, it feels lighter and thinner than you&rsquo;d expect, and that slimness is immediately noticeable during everyday use. There are compromises, though.&nbsp;
Both the frame and the rear panel are plastic, which slightly undercuts the premium aspirations of the design. Tecno does try to offset this with small touches, like the textured orange power button. It&rsquo;s easy to find by feel and adds a bit of character without being gimmicky.
Overall, the Pova Curve 2 feels like a device designed to stand out in a sea of sameness. It may not win over minimalists, but for users who want their phone to look different and aren&rsquo;t afraid of a bit of sci-fi flair, this is a design that confidently charts its own course.
<h2>Tecno Pova Curve 2 5G Display</h2>
Tecno&rsquo;s approach with the Pova Curve 2 display is clearly about creating impact first and refining the experience around it. Front and centre is a large 6.78-inch AMOLED panel that stretches edge to edge with a subtle curve along the sides.&nbsp;
The curvature is restrained rather than dramatic, which helps avoid accidental touches and keeps the phone practical for daily use. Resolution sits at Full HD+, sharp enough for everything from social feeds to long video sessions.
Where the panel tries to flex its muscles is in smoothness. The screen is rated for a 144Hz refresh rate, but in real-world usage, it behaves more intelligently than aggressively. Most interactions feel fluid without the phone constantly locking itself to the highest refresh setting. Only select games are able to tap into the full 144Hz capability, which is in line with how most high-refresh displays are handled today.
Brightness is another headline feature, with Tecno claiming a peak output of 4,500 nits. Indoors and in shaded environments, the display looks vibrant and punchy, with colours that don&rsquo;t appear oversaturated. Outdoors, the screen generally holds up well, though in very bright sunlight, you may still find yourself squinting or angling the phone slightly to read finer text.
One area Tecno seems keen to emphasise is eye comfort. The Pova Curve 2 uses high-frequency PWM dimming, which essentially means the display manages brightness changes at a speed fast enough to reduce perceived flicker.
During late-night use, the screen felt easy on the eyes, with no immediate discomfort during extended scrolling or video playback. However, this is the kind of feature that reveals its true value only after weeks, not days, of use.
Sound output is handled by speakers tuned with Dolby Atmos support. Volume levels are more than adequate for casual viewing, and dialogue in shows and videos comes through clearly. The stereo effect is present, but the bottom speaker does most of the heavy lifting, so how you hold the phone can affect the listening experience.
<h2>Tecno Pova Curve 2 5G Performance</h2>
At the core of the POVA Curve 2 is MediaTek&rsquo;s Dimensity 7100, a 6nm chipset that prioritises efficiency and consistency over raw firepower. It&rsquo;s paired with generous memory and storage configurations, including 8GB of physical RAM with additional virtual expansion, and UFS 2.2 storage in both 128GB and 256GB variants.&nbsp;
On paper, this places the phone squarely in familiar mid-range territory, especially when you consider that some battery-centric rivals, like Realme&rsquo;s Power series with the Dimensity 7300 and Dimensity 7400, do offer a noticeable step up in outright performance.
In everyday use, though, the Curve 2 holds its own. App launches are quick, multitasking feels fluid, and the phone doesn&rsquo;t show signs of hesitation during routine workloads. More importantly, the performance feels predictable rather than spiky, which matters far more than peak scores.
Gaming performance reflects the same philosophy. Titles like BGMI and Call of Duty Mobile run comfortably at 60fps for extended sessions, with no obvious stutters or aggressive throttling.&nbsp;
The phone doesn&rsquo;t chase ultra-high frame rates or maxed-out graphics, but it delivers stable gameplay without turning warm or dropping frames unexpectedly. For casual and mid-level gamers, it&rsquo;s more than adequate.
Where Tecno genuinely tries to carve out a point of difference is in connectivity. The POVA Curve 2 adopts a triple-chipset setup, pairing the Dimensity 7100 with two dedicated signal-processing chips.
In theory, this approach shifts network-related tasks off the main processor and onto specialised hardware, which should help maintain more consistent call and data performance in challenging conditions like crowded areas or weak-signal zones.
In real-world use with a Jio 5G SIM, the impact felt more subtle than transformative. I didn&rsquo;t notice a dramatic improvement compared with other phones in this segment, but just as importantly, I also didn&rsquo;t run into connectivity problems.&nbsp;
Calls remained stable, data throughput stayed consistent, and 5G signals held up where expected. It&rsquo;s the kind of feature that quietly underpins a reliable experience rather than one that jumps out as a game changer.
There&rsquo;s also an added emphasis on off-grid communication. The phone supports direct device-to-device connectivity over distances of up to two kilometres, without needing mobile data, Wi-Fi, or even a SIM. It&rsquo;s a niche feature, but one that could prove genuinely useful in emergencies or outdoor scenarios where networks are unreliable.
<h2>Tecno Pova Curve 2 5G Software</h2>
Software on the Pova Curve 2 feels more deliberate than flashy. HiOS 16, based on Android 16, doesn&rsquo;t try to overwhelm you with features, but it does show that Tecno is paying closer attention to how the phone actually gets used. The interface leans into softer visuals and layered effects, which makes it feel lighter and less cluttered than older versions of HiOS.
One feature that quietly improves daily use is Tecno&rsquo;s Dynamic Port. Instead of being a visual gimmick, it surfaces useful information like OTPs at the top of the screen, letting you glance and move on without breaking your flow. It&rsquo;s the kind of addition that fades into the background once you get used to it, which is usually a good sign.
Ella, Tecno&rsquo;s in-house AI assistant, replaces Google&rsquo;s offering by default. It handles basic tasks well enough, and the company&rsquo;s focus on local data handling may appeal to some users. That said, the option to switch to another assistant remains, which is the right approach.
There&rsquo;s some preloaded software, and a bit of early notification noise, but nothing that can&rsquo;t be cleaned up quickly. More than anything, HiOS 16 here feels calmer and more considered. It doesn&rsquo;t redefine the Android experience, but it no longer feels like an afterthought either.
The phone ships with HiOS 16 based on Android 16 out of the box and is guaranteed two major Android version updates, along with three years of security patches. That puts it in line with what most mid-range phones in this price bracket offer, without overselling longevity.
<h2>Tecno Pova Curve 2 5G Cameras</h2>
Camera hardware on the Pova Curve 2 5G is fairly straightforward, and Tecno isn&rsquo;t pretending otherwise. The phone relies on a 50MP main rear sensor, paired with a secondary 2MP unit that plays more of a supporting role than a meaningful creative one.
Video recording goes up to 2K at 30fps from the rear camera, which is still not a given in this price segment and is a practical win for users who shoot a lot of clips for social media.
In good daylight, the main camera delivers serviceable results. Photos have enough detail and contrast for everyday use, but the processing can be inconsistent. Colours tend to lean on the punchy side, and fine textures occasionally break down into visible grain, even when lighting is favourable. It&rsquo;s not a deal-breaker, but it does remind you that this isn&rsquo;t a camera-first device.
Low-light performance is where the limitations become more apparent. Noise creeps in quickly, and the camera struggles to preserve detail without aggressive smoothing. Night shots are usable for casual sharing, but expectations need to be kept in check. This is a camera that prioritises speed and convenience over accuracy.
The 13MP front camera mirrors the rear setup in philosophy. It supports 2K video recording, which is great to have for video calls and vlogging, but still images can be hit or miss. Skin tones sometimes look a little over-processed, and dynamic range is limited, especially under harsh lighting.
Overall, the Pova Curve 2&rsquo;s cameras are adequate rather than impressive. They get the job done for social media, video calls, and quick captures, but they don&rsquo;t stand out in a crowded mid-range market. Tecno&rsquo;s strengths with this phone lie elsewhere, and the camera setup feels like a functional addition rather than a headline feature. &nbsp;
<h2>Tecno Pova Curve 2 5G Battery &amp; Charging</h2>
Big batteries in slim phones are no longer rare. We&rsquo;ve already seen several devices with 7,000mAh to 7,500mAh cells manage respectable thickness without feeling cumbersome in daily use. Tecno isn&rsquo;t breaking new ground by pairing a large battery with a slim profile.
Where the POVA Curve 2 stands apart is in how far it stretches that formula. Stepping up to an 8,000mAh battery usually introduces compromises, but here the phone remains just 7.42mm thick. In the hand, it doesn&rsquo;t feel like a typical &ldquo;power bank phone,&rdquo; and the weight distribution stays comfortable even during long sessions.
That extra capacity delivers tangible gains in endurance. For most users, the phone can comfortably last close to two full days on a single charge. With heavier usage, including gaming, streaming, and constant connectivity, it still gets through a long day with enough reserve to avoid charging anxiety. Lighter usage patterns can push it well beyond the 48-hour mark.
Charging such a large battery is handled sensibly rather than aggressively. The POVA Curve 2 supports 45W fast charging, and Tecno includes the charger in the box. A full charge takes roughly an hour and forty minutes, which is reasonable given the battery size. More importantly, short charging sessions are genuinely useful, adding several hours of use in a brief plug-in.
The result is a phone that doesn&rsquo;t chase extremes in one direction. The POVA Curve 2 doesn&rsquo;t just offer a big battery for the sake of numbers; it integrates it into a slim, usable design, delivering endurance that feels practical rather than excessive.
<h2>Tecno Pova Curve 2 5G Review: Verdict</h2>
The Tecno Pova Curve 2 5G is a phone that knows exactly what it wants to be. Its biggest win is battery life, delivering long, stress-free usage without turning the phone into a heavy or uncomfortable slab. The slim design and curved display help it feel more premium than most battery-focused phones, and everyday performance remains stable and predictable.
That focus does come with compromises. Camera performance is serviceable but unremarkable, the chipset prioritises efficiency over raw speed, and the software experience, while improved, still requires some cleanup out of the box. None of these are deal-breakers, but they do define the kind of user this phone is meant for.
If you want a phone that looks different, lasts significantly longer than most, and handles daily tasks without fuss, the Pova Curve 2 makes a compelling case at its effective pricing. It doesn&rsquo;t try to be the best at everything, but it executes its core strengths well, and in a crowded mid-range segment, that clarity works in its favour.

Redmi Note 15 5G focuses on feel over flash with a slim, lightweight design, a bright curved AMOLED display, dependable performance, for Rs 22.999. 

Redmi Note 15 5G Review: Slim Design, Bright AMOLED Display, and Reliable Everyday Performance

The Redmi Note 15 5G shifts focus from raw specs to everyday comfort. With a slim build, curved AMOLED display, steady performance, and a capable 108MP camera, it delivers a balanced mid-range experience for ₹22,999.

Redmi Note 15 5G Review: Slim Design, Strong Display, Sensible Mid-Range Pick

Redmi 

Redmi Note 15 5G 

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The Redmi Note 15 5G shifts focus on a slim, lightweight design, a bright curved AMOLED display, reliable performance, and a capable 108MP camera.&nbsp;
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The Redmi Note series has always had a distinct purpose. It was supposed to give people a taste of something premium, without asking them to pay the premium tax.&nbsp; Previous Redmi Note phones delivered this through aggressive specs. The Redmi Note 15 5G, though is clearly chasing a different idea of value: how the phone feels, and how it looks. That approach makes sense in 2026. From the moment I picked it up, it didn&rsquo;t feel like a typical Redmi Note phone. It feels lighter, it feels different, and that is where the real conversation starts.
<h2>Design</h2>
One of the first thins that you&rsquo;ll notice is that the phone is unexpectedly slim and feels incredibly lightweight. At just 7.35 mm thick and 178 grams, it is noticeably lighter than most phones in this segment. This is one of those devices that you forget you have been holding. This is both, a compliment as well as a a mild criticism, depending on your preference.&nbsp; If you like phones that feel dense and reassuring, this might feel a little too light. Personally, I noticed it most when switching over from a heavier phone, which is my primary device.&nbsp; That said, it is undeniably comfortable. Weight distribution is excellent, and the curved edges make it easy to hold for long periods. Whether you are doom-scrolling, reading, or watching videos, it never feels awkward or tiring.
Design-wise, Redmi has not gone completely wild, but it has not played it completely safe either. The matte black finish looks clean and understated, though it is definitely a fingerprint magnet. Keeping it spotless is a losing battle.&nbsp;
The silver accents around the camera module add a bit of flair, and while both the back and frame are plastic, the finish does not scream &ldquo;budget.&rdquo; It feels intentional rather than cheap. Button placement is sensible and familiar. The volume rocker and power button sit on the left and are easy to reach. There is an IR blaster at the top, which is a small but appreciated addition.&nbsp; At the bottom, you will find the USB-C port, speaker grille, and the dual SIM tray. There is no headphone jack, which feels like a design-driven sacrifice rather than cost-cutting, but nonetheless, is it a bit disappointing if you rely on wired audio. For protection not only do you get an IP66 rating, you also get reinforced internals. Now, Xiaomi hasn&rsquo;t explicitly claimed what front glass they are using for the Note 15. However, the device has been tested against MIL-STD-810H, so we&rsquo;re guessing it uses some sort of Corning Gorilla Glass.
<h2>Display</h2>
Speaking of displays, the Redmi Note 15 5G does not try to impress with outrageous claims or or headline-grabbing battery numbers. Instead, it leans heavily on the quality of this display, and this is where the phone really justifies its price. The 6.77-inch curved AMOLED 120Hz panel immediately changes how the phone is perceived. It looks premium in a way that flat panels at this price often do not. The curve is subtle and well executed, and I did not face any issues with accidental touch.&nbsp; Colours are also vibrant thanks to the 12-bit panel, because of which you get a a100 per cent coverage of the DCI-P3 colour space. While text looks sharp and clean thanks to the FHD+ resolution.
Watching content on this display is genuinely enjoyable. Netflix, YouTube, or endless reels all look great.
Brightness is another strong point. Redmi claims that the display has a peak brightness of 3200nits, and we have good reason to believe them, as the outdoor visibility is genuinely excellent. Even under harsh sunlight, the screen remains readable.&nbsp; You also get 3840Hz PWM dimming which helps keep things comfortable during night usage. Add TUV Triple Certified Eye Protection 2.0 and you have a display that&rsquo;s actually less stressful to your eyes
Unlocking the phone is handled by an in-display optical fingerprint scanner. It is fast, reliable, and has not failed me so far, and has been very consistent. Coming to the audio setup, we get a set of stereo speakers with Dolby Atmos and MiSound dual tuning. The speakers get pretty loud, and can easily fill a room. However, because of the slim design and thing built, the speakers lack bass or any meaningful character. Still, considering what the phone costs, I am not really complaining.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;
<h2>Performance &amp; Software Experience&nbsp;</h2>
The Snapdragon 6 Gen 3 is a mid-range chip, so, its better if we get into this with our expectations in check.&nbsp;
Day-to-day usage is smooth. Apps open quickly, scrolling feels fluid, and multitasking does not feel stressful. It is not the kind of phone that makes you think about performance at all, which is actually a good thing.
You get decent gaming performance, but clearly that was not the focus here.&nbsp; BGMI runs at 60fps but it is quite stable. Still, If you are a competitive gamer, chasing higher frame rates, this is not the phone for you. For casual gaming sessions, though, it works just fine. Benchmarks were a bit odd. AnTuTu completed its run but did not display a final score for reasons unknown, no matter to what network we were connected to. Geekbench worked as expected and gave a clearer idea of where the chip stands. During testing, the phone warmed up slightly, but it never became uncomfortable.
On the software side, the phone ships with Android 15 and HyperOS 2. Ideally, Android 16 would have been nicer to see out of the box, but Redmi&rsquo;s promise of four years of Android updates and six years of security patches is reassuring. AI features, mainly powered by Gemini are pretty useful in small, practical ways. There is some preinstalled bloatware, but most of it can be removed without much effort.&nbsp;
You also get a tonne of Xiaomi&rsquo;s interconnectivity features, and from my limited testing, they work really well. We also get Xiaomi Share, which works similarly to Quick Share, making transferring files and photos between devices simple and reliable.
<h2>Battery&nbsp;</h2>
Battery life reflects a clear design decision by Redmi. AT a time when almost every new phone gets a 6000mAh battery or more in phones under ₹20,000 Redmi is using a 5520mAh silicon-carbon battery. It definitely falls short of current standards, especially when other mid-range phones are pushing massive capacities here.&nbsp; But then, that is the trade-off for the slim and lightweight design. In everyday use, the phone easily lasts a full day, and you can push it to go a day and a half. Heavy camera usage does drain it faster. I noticed around a four percent drop in about half an hour, though that could also have been influenced by cold environmental conditions. Charging is reliable and quick. The 45W fast charger takes the phone from roughly 15 percent to nearly full in about an hour. You also get 18W wired reverse charging, which is a nice bonus to have.&nbsp;
<h2>Cameras&nbsp;</h2>
The Note 15 comes with a 108MP main camera with OIS, and an 8MP ultrawide, even though the camera module would suggest that its packing some serious hardware.&nbsp; Nonetheless, The &ldquo;Master Pixel&rdquo; main camera well in daylight. Photos are sharp, colourful, and pleasing to look at. Detail retention is good, and shots between 1x and 2x remain consistent. Dynamic range could be better, and occasionally the areas around the subject do not look quite right, but overall, the main camera delivers dependable results. Portraits are a strong point, especially for human subjects. Edge detection is clean, and the bokeh effect looks natural.&nbsp;
Selfies from the 20MP front camera, however, are underwhelming. Skin tones often look washed out, and texture processing can feel artificial at times. Video performance tops out at 4K 30fps and is average at best. There is noticeable grain, and stabilisation does not fully live up to quality OIS standards. Video quality, in particular, feels like an area where Redmi still has room to improve.
<h2>Verdict&nbsp;</h2>
Redmi understands what the boundaries are for the Note 15 5G and does try to pretend being something its not. It&rsquo;s not going after its competition based solely on specs. Priced at under ₹20,000, it focuses on the things that matter in everyday use: a slim and comfortable design, an excellent display, stable performance, and a capable main camera. At an expected price of around ₹20,000, it is not an the default recommendation, especially with strong alternatives like the Nothing Phone 3a and the Motorola Edge Fusion 60 offering better solutions. However, if design, display quality, and day-to-day comfort, if the user experience matters more to you than raw specs, the Redmi Note 15 5G makes a solid case for itself.

The Oppo Reno 15 Pro Mini packs a 6.32-inch AMOLED display, 200MP main camera with 3.5x telephoto, Dimensity 8450 chip, 6,200mAh battery, and ColorOS 16. Here's our in-depth review of it

Oppo Reno 15 Pro Mini Review: Oppo’s take on a compact flagship is solid

Oppo Reno 15 Pro Mini: A 200MP compact phone that's full of surprises

Oppo Reno 15 Pro Mini

<h3>The Oppo Reno 15 Pro Mini is Oppo&rsquo;s first compact phone, focusing on strong fundamentals like build quality, versatile cameras, smooth performance, and reliable battery life without obvious compromises.</h3>

The Reno 15 Pro Mini is Oppo&rsquo;s first compact phone, and the interesting part is that unlike many other manufacturers who had a crack at the compact form factor, it does not feel like a compromise. This is not a &ldquo;small phone with cut corners&rdquo; situation.&nbsp;
You get a solid, premium build, a display that is easy on the eyes, cameras that are genuinely versatile, and software that feels polished and reliable.&nbsp;
Performance is smooth in, battery life is surprisingly strong for the size, and the camera&hellip; well, its a Reno, so they speak for themselves.
No element here has been added for sake of it. Instead, the Reno 15 Pro Mini focuses on doing the basics really well, and that approach works in its favour.
Starting at Rs 59,999 before launch offers, it positions itself as a serious compact option for people who want a smaller phone without feeling like they are settling for less. Having tested the device thoroughly for two weeks, I can confidently say, that if you are looking for a compact phone, you need to take the Reno 15 Pro Mini seriously.&nbsp;
<h2>Oppo Reno 15 Pro Mini Review: Design and build</h2>
Let&rsquo;s start with the design, because the Reno 15 Pro Mini actually surprised me here.
At first glance, it looks familiar enough. You get flat glass on the front and back, a flat, space-grade aluminium frame, and materials that feel premium the second you pick it up. But what really stood out in daily use was how solid the phone felt.&nbsp;
Nothing flexes, nothing creaks, and it never feels like corners were cut to make it smaller. It feels like a phone that was designed this way from the start, not one that was simply shrunk down.
The back is where Oppo clearly decided to have a bit of fun. The glossy rear glass uses HoloFusion Technology to create this ribbon-like pattern running across the rear.&nbsp;
As the phone catches the light, the design subtly shifts and sparkles. It is not loud or flashy, and that is what I liked about it. It adds personality without trying too hard or turning into a gimmick.
I am a bit torn about the finish, though. The glass is completely smooth, with no texture at all. It looks great, but I did miss having a little more grip during everyday use.&nbsp;
I never felt like the phone was going to slip out of my hand, but during longer scrolling sessions, I was definitely more aware of how slick the surface was than I would have preferred.
The camera module uses Oppo&rsquo;s Dynamic Stellar Ring design, and yes, it instantly reminded me of older iPhone Pro models. It is not the most original look, but it works well here. The module does not feel oversized or top-heavy, and it never made the phone awkward to hold or use.
Ergonomics is one of the Reno 15 Pro Mini&rsquo;s biggest strengths. At 187 grams and just 7.99mm thick, it sits comfortably in the hand and feels nicely balanced. The slimmer body makes a real difference in day-to-day use, especially when using the phone one-handed. For a compact phone, it never felt cramped or fiddly.
In terms of durability, Oppo has gone all-in. It gets IP66, IP68, and IP69 ratings, Add in features like Sponge Bionic Cushioning, cold-sculpted glass, Splash Touch, and Glove Touch, and it genuinely feels built for real life. Plus, the Gorilla Glass 7i on the front &nbsp;only adds to that confidence.
As for colour options, we have the Cocoa Brown, which looks properly premium in person, as well as the Glacier White if you want a bit more flair.&nbsp;
<h2>Oppo Reno 15 Pro Mini Review: Display and audio</h2>
The Reno 15 Pro Mini features a 6.32-inch LTPS AMOLED display with a 1.5K resolution and a pixel density of 460 PPI. In everyday use, the panel looks sharp and clean, with crisp text and well-defined icons. I never felt the resolution was a limitation, even when reading smaller text or browsing dense pages.
Colour reproduction is one of the display&rsquo;s stronger points. On YouTube and Netflix, colours looked natural and well balanced, especially skin tones, which often get exaggerated on some panels.
Blacks are deep, highlights are controlled, and the overall image feels accurate rather than flashy. For longer viewing sessions, this kind of tuning works in the display&rsquo;s favour and keeps things easy on the eyes.
One of the first things that you notice are the bezels, which are extremely thin, and that adds a lot to the front-on look of the phone, and makes the Reno 15 Pro Mini look more premium and even more compact than it already is.
Outdoor visibility is strong. In my usage, brightness peaked at around 1,800 nits, which made a noticeable difference under harsh sunlight. Checking notifications or watching short clips outside was rarely a problem. HDR content also holds up well, with enough punch to stand out without looking overprocessed.
The in-display fingerprint scanner is optical, and it has been fast and reliable throughout my time with the phone. Unlocks are quick, with no random misses.
Audio rounds things off nicely. The stereo speakers get loud, offer decent separation, and work well for casual video watching and gaming. At higher volumes, the sound can get slightly tinny, but for a compact phone, the overall experience is better than expected.
<h2>Oppo Reno 15 Pro Mini Review: Cameras</h2>
Cameras are where the Reno 15 Pro Mini really starts to pull ahead, and this is the section where things became clear to me pretty quickly.
The hardware itself is ambitious for a compact phone. You get a 200MP main camera, paired with a 50MP ultrawide and a 50MP 3.5x telephoto. That already gives the Reno a lot more flexibility than most small phones, and more importantly, it actually shows up in daily use.
In daylight, the main camera delivers consistently detailed shots without pushing the processing too far. Colours look balanced, highlights are handled well, and the images generally feel controlled rather than overcooked. Low light is handled just as confidently.
I saw fewer blown highlights and more stable exposure, especially in tricky mixed lighting. Oppo&rsquo;s new PureTone Technology clearly helps here. It has been tuned with Indian lighting conditions and skin tones in mind, and in my use, that comes through in more natural-looking photos, particularly when people are in the frame.
Versatility is where the Reno really shines. The ultrawide is genuinely useful, and the 3.5x telephoto gives you meaningful reach without a big drop in quality. Portraits benefit a lot from this setup too. Subject separation looks cleaner, and having more focal length options makes framing feel more deliberate.
Video is another strong area. The Reno 15 Pro Mini supports 4K 60fps HDR recording across all cameras, which means I could switch between lenses while filming without worrying about inconsistent output. Stabilisation is solid on both the front and rear cameras, and footage stays smooth even when shooting handheld.
It also gets features like Dual-View Video. This lets you record using both the front and rear cameras at the same time, so you can capture what&rsquo;s happening while also recording your own reactions. I ended up enjoying this more than I expected, especially for quick clips where switching cameras would normally break the flow.
The 50MP front camera does a good job with skin tones as well, though it is not perfect. Overall, this is a camera system that feels complete, versatile, and easily one of the Reno 15 Pro Mini&rsquo;s strongest features.
<h2>Oppo Reno 15 Pro Mini Review: Performance and gaming</h2>
My review unit of the Reno 15 Pro Mini comes with 12GB of LPDDR5X RAM, 256GB of UFS 3.1 storage, and it is powered by the MediaTek Dimensity 8450. On paper, this is a capable but not headline-grabbing setup, and once I started running benchmarks, the results reflected that.
In synthetic tests, AnTuTu topped out at around 2.1 million, with Geekbench and 3DMark painting a similar picture. These are solid scores, but they are clearly not meant to impress on charts. What mattered more to me was how the phone behaved once I stopped staring at numbers and started using it.
In everyday use, the Reno 15 Pro Mini feels fast and responsive. App launches are quick, multitasking is smooth, and I did not run into stutters during normal usage. The Dimensity 8450 is built on a 4nm process and uses an all-big-core architecture with eight Cortex-A725 cores clocked up to 3.25GHz, which helps keep things feeling snappy while also reducing power consumption.
Gaming is where Oppo&rsquo;s optimisation really makes a difference. The AI HyperBoost 2.0 engine plays a big role here, combining AI Adaptive Temperature Control and AI Adaptive Frame Booster. The system dynamically manages heat buildup and uses GPU computing to generate intermediate frames, effectively boosting frame rates without pushing power consumption too hard. In BGMI and Call of Duty Mobile, I was consistently able to play at 120fps, with smooth and responsive gameplay throughout most sessions.
Even after pushing the phone hard with extended gaming, the Reno 15 Pro Mini never showed any signs of major heating. It stayed comfortable to hold, which is not something I can say about every compact phone I have used.
Connectivity has also been reliable in my experience. AI LinkBoost 3.0 helps in crowded Wi-Fi environments and areas with weaker cellular signals, while the customised X1 network chip, developed with MediaTek, improves overall Wi-Fi performance.
In real-world use, the Reno 15 Pro Mini feels stable, well-optimised, and dependable, which ultimately matters far more than raw benchmark numbers.
<h2>Oppo Reno 15 Pro Mini Review: Software experience</h2>
The Reno 15 Pro Mini runs ColorOS 16, and honestly, this is one of the best versions of Oppo&rsquo;s software I have used. In terms of look and feel, it sits very close to OxygenOS 16, which is still one of my favourite takes on Android. The design is clean, the interface stays out of your way, and everything feels built around speed and smoothness rather than visual clutter.
More than how it looks, ColorOS 16 feels noticeably smoother. Animations flow naturally, transitions feel connected, and nothing feels abrupt or jittery. A lot of that comes down to the Trinity Engine and the new Luminous Rendering Engine doing their thing in the background. Even when I was switching between apps quickly or multitasking heavily, the system stayed fluid and responsive without random slowdowns.
Personalisation is handled well and never feels overdone. The Flux Home Screen lets you resize folders and icons more freely, which is genuinely useful once you get used to it. Aqua Dynamics surfaces live information in a way that feels helpful instead of distracting. Lock screen customisation is deep but tasteful, with support for motion photos, video wallpapers, and subtle depth effects without turning the interface into visual chaos.
AI is a big focus this year, and Oppo&rsquo;s own tools are surprisingly practical. Features like call summaries, transcription, translation, and VoiceScribe are baked into the system and work quietly in the background. These feel like tools you actually use day to day, not features you test once and forget about.
Google Gemini integration is also handled really well. Gemini works smoothly across system apps, search, and everyday tasks, and features like Circle to Search feel natural to use. Nothing feels bolted on, which is exactly how AI should be on a phone.
Then there is Mind Space, and nothing else here comes close to it. It genuinely feels like a second brain. Being able to quickly capture information, have it organised automatically, and then pull it up later using natural language is something I ended up relying on more than I expected.
AI tools for photos and videos round things off nicely. Features like AI Portrait Glow help clean up tricky shots, while Popout makes it easy to turn stills and motion photos into something more dynamic.
Oppo is also promising five major ColorOS updates and six years of security patches. That long-term support adds real credibility. As a whole, ColorOS 16 feels mature, confident, and genuinely a joy to live with.
<h2>Oppo Reno 15 Pro Mini Review: Battery life and charging</h2>
The Reno 15 Pro Mini comes with a 6,200mAh battery, which is impressive for a phone this size. It also uses a silicon carbide cell, and while I do think Oppo could have pushed this combination a bit further, the real-world results are still solid.
In my usage, I was consistently getting around seven to eight hours of screen-on time. On lighter days, the phone comfortably stretched to two days, and even with heavier use, I was rarely worried about battery anxiety.
Charging is straightforward. The phone supports 80W fast charging and ships with the charger in the box. It does take a little while longer to top up compared to smaller batteries, but it still goes from zero to full in under an hour. In daily use, quick top-ups were more than enough to get me through the day without any stress.
<h2>Verdict: Should you buy it?</h2>
After using the Reno 15 Pro Mini for a while, it is clear what Oppo was aiming for here. Priced at Rs 59,999 before disounts, this is a compact phone that tries to feel complete, not clever. And for the most part, it succeeds.
The design feels solid and durable, the display is sharp without being tiring, and the camera setup is a genuine standout for a phone this size. Having a proper telephoto lens changes how usable the camera system feels, and video performance is strong across the board. Performance is not chart-topping, but in real-world use, it is smooth, stable, and easy to rely on. Battery life is better than expected, and fast charging keeps things convenient.
It is not perfect. The smooth glass back could use more grip, and users obsessed with benchmark numbers might want more raw power. But if you want a compact phone that feels well balanced, practical, and genuinely easy to live with every day, the Reno 15 Pro Mini gets most things right.
It also holds its own against compact favourites like the OnePlus 13s and Vivo X200 FE, which says a lot for a first attempt.

iQOO 15 is a balanced 2025 flagship with a 2K 144Hz LTPO OLED display, Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5, big camera upgrade and a 7000mAh battery for all-day use.

iQOO 15 Review: A Balanced 2025 Flagship That Delivers Big Time

iQOO 15 Review: A premium leap that finally puts iQOO in the top tier

iQOO

iQOO 15

<h3>The iQOO 15 delivers top-tier performance, refined design, strong cameras and a massive battery, making it one of the most balanced flagship phones you can buy in 2025.</h3>

The iQOO 15 lands at a time when &ldquo;affordable flagships&rdquo; don&rsquo;t really feel affordable anymore. For the last few years, phones like the iQOO 13, Realme GT 7 Pro and OnePlus 13 stayed safely under ₹60,000, but this generation has pushed past that ceiling, forcing brands to justify the hike in different ways. OnePlus went all-in on a 165Hz display, but the drop in resolution annoyed long-time users. iQOO, meanwhile, decided not to gamble. Instead, they took the already-solid iQOO 13 blueprint and simply polished everything that needed attention.
After using the iQOO 15 for two weeks, it&rsquo;s clear those tweaks were deliberate. The new Q3 chip is less about chasing headline FPS and more about making games look smoother and more detailed. The camera system also gets meaningful upgrades. So the real question is: does this subtle refinement strategy pay off? In many ways, it absolutely does.
<h2>iQOO 15 design check: Real upgrade or minor refinement?</h2>
The design is really where the iQOO 15 starts making its case. On spec sheets it looks like a gentle evolution of the iQOO 13, but the moment you pick it up, it feels like a completely more grown-up device. There is a noticeable jump in how premium it feels, and that caught me off guard in the best way.
I have been using the Legend White variant, which leans into a very clean, almost classy look. It is a proper glass sandwich with Schott Xensation Alpha on the front and a glass back that feels more expensive than the price suggests. The frame is metal, likely an aluminium alloy, and it ties the whole thing together with a solid, reassuring feel in the hand.
All that glass and metal does have a consequence. The iQOO 15 is not trying to be a featherweight. My unit weighs around 220 grams, and you do feel that density. However, at roughly 8.17mm thick, it never becomes awkward to hold. The flat sides and the matte finish on the back help a lot with grip, and considering there is a 7000 mAh battery inside, the phone feels surprisingly well-balanced rather than bulky.
Visually, the Legend White version keeps things minimal. It is essentially a clean white slab with shiny metallic edges and a small racing-flag strip near the bottom. If you enjoy simple, uncluttered designs, this will probably hit the spot. For me, it borders on being a little too plain, but the fact that it barely shows fingerprints is a big win.
If you want something slightly different, there is the Alpha Black version with a fibre-glass back. It shaves off a bit of weight and thickness, but the difference is subtle enough that you will only really notice it if you compare them side by side. The one I really wish was available globally is the Lingyun edition from China, with a marble-like rear panel that gives the phone a genuinely distinctive character.
iQOO&rsquo;s Monster Halo light is back as well, but it has been moved outside the camera module and now sits under the outer ring. The glow is softer and more subdued, to the point where I actually missed a few notifications because it was so faint. Interestingly, once you put on the bundled case, the light stands out a bit more.
In terms of durability, there are no real complaints. The chassis feels solid, there is no creaking or flex, and the phone carries IP68 and IP69 ratings, so dust, splashes and the occasional dunk in water should not be a problem. Overall, the iQOO 15&rsquo;s design feels more refined, more secure in the hand and noticeably more premium than I expected when I first saw it on paper.
<h2>The iQOO 15&rsquo;s display is one of the best in its segment</h2>
The moment you switch on the iQOO 15, the display makes it very obvious that this phone is aiming for top-tier territory. It uses a 6.85-inch 2K LTPO AMOLED panel with a 144Hz ceiling, and the visual quality hits you instantly. iQOO has gone with Samsung&rsquo;s M14 OLED, and the clarity and colour accuracy honestly make it feel like something straight out of a much more expensive flagship lineup.
Brightness is where this screen flexes the hardest. It can comfortably hold 2600 nits in HBM and jump all the way to 6000 nits for tiny highlights in HDR scenes. With that kind of range, HDR movies and games pop beautifully, and since this is the first iQOO model with Dolby Vision support, the contrast and tone mapping across Netflix and YouTube look extremely polished. Everyday use also benefits &mdash; everything from menus to social feeds feels crisp and punchy.
The 144Hz refresh rate is more of a bonus than a constant. You will mostly see 120Hz across the UI, but a few titles can push the full 144Hz. I tested this with BGMI and Call of Duty Mobile and both ran smoothly at higher frame rates. Because the panel is LTPO, it can drop right down to 1Hz for the Always On Display, which helps keep battery drain under control.
Another small win is the ultrasonic fingerprint sensor. It unlocks quickly, works even with slightly wet fingers and feels more dependable than the optical readers most phones still use.
Where the iQOO 15 takes a step back is audio. The stereo speakers can get reasonably loud, but they do not match the richness or low-end punch you get from bigger flagships like the iPhone 17 Pro Max or Galaxy S25 Ultra. For casual viewing, calls or background videos, they are fine; they just don&rsquo;t stand out in any way.
<h2>The iQOO 15 gets some pretty big camera upgrades</h2>
Anyone who has followed iQOO&rsquo;s flagship phones over the years knows that cameras have never been the brand&rsquo;s strongest claim. The company has usually prioritised raw performance, display technology and gaming features, while treating photography as a supporting act. With the iQOO 15, that behaviour finally changes. This is the first time I have felt the brand genuinely invest in its camera system, and the difference is visible in both hardware choices and the way the images are processed.
The camera setup looks impressive even before you take a photo. The primary sensor is a 50MP Sony IMX921 with optical stabilisation. The telephoto camera is the biggest upgrade in the entire system. It now uses a 50MP 3x periscope based on the Sony IMX882. The ultrawide camera is also a 50MP unit. On paper, it is one of the most balanced triple camera systems iQOO has ever shipped.
Real improvements only reveal themselves when you start shooting, and this is where the iQOO 15 genuinely surprised me. The main 50MP camera produces clean photographs with excellent detail and a much more natural approach to colour. Many older iQOO devices boosted saturation a little too heavily, which often made scenes look artificial. That behaviour has now been toned down. Even in a difficult situation like shooting directly into bright sunlight, the exposure stayed controlled. Skies kept their texture, highlights stayed intact and shadow areas did not collapse into muddy patches. This feels like the most confident tuning iQOO has done until now.
The ultrawide camera keeps up well. It matches the primary camera in colour tone and contrast, which helps the entire system feel more cohesive. Sharpness remains respectable and distortion correction is handled with much more care than before. Edges look straight, buildings do not lean unnaturally and the frame stays accurate. This was a clear weakness in older models, so the improvement feels meaningful.
The standout upgrade is the new 3x periscope telephoto. This is easily the most capable zoom experience iQOO has created. Images at 3x are crisp, stabilised and full of detail. The real surprise is how well the phone performs at longer focal lengths. Up to around 20x or even 30x, the results remain very usable. Even beyond that point, the phone manages to produce images with decent clarity. At 165 mm and even close to 600 mm equivalent, textures remain visible and colours stay surprisingly consistent. This is a huge jump compared to anything the brand has previously offered.
Portrait photography benefits from this stronger telephoto system. The 85 mm portrait mode offers pleasing facial compression and natural tones. The 2x portrait mode from the main sensor also performs well. Skin tones remain clean and believable. Edge detection is accurate and the separation between subject and background looks smooth. Portraits from the 3x telephoto lens feel almost cinematic. You get sharp subject detail and a soft, controlled depth effect that looks much more polished. iQOO has added new portrait style filters too. They are fun and can add some variety, even if they are not transformative features.
Low light performance shows the biggest generation-over-generation leap. The main camera brings in a significant amount of light without producing the waxy textures that many phones fall into. Skin tones remain realistic and finer details stay intact. The phone sometimes takes a moment longer to capture the frame, but the results justify the extra second. The ultrawide camera is the only area where some refinement is still needed. Noise becomes noticeable when you zoom in on night shots, although the overall output is still good enough for social media.
For video, the iQOO 15 can record in 8K at 30 fps, although most people will prefer 4K 60 fps for stability and practicality. Footage in 4K looks clean with solid dynamic range and reliable stabilisation. Motion is handled smoothly and colours look natural. It is a strong video performer for its segment.
The 32MP selfie camera performs well too. HDR is handled intelligently. Even in strong outdoor lighting, the background maintains detail while the face stays properly lit. Skin tones look authentic and not overly softened. The consistency between indoor and outdoor selfies is particularly impressive.
After spending time with the iQOO 15, it is clear that the brand has finally put serious effort into its camera system. It is not the absolute best camera phone you can buy, but it is polished, reliable and far ahead of previous iQOO flagships.
<h2>The iQOO 15&rsquo;s real-world performance is top-notch</h2>
If there is one thing iQOO has been known for since the beginning, it is sheer brute-force performance. Even their so-called entry-level flagships often trade blows with much more expensive devices. The iQOO 15 continues that tradition with a level of confidence that feels very deliberate. It is clear that performance is still the brand&rsquo;s favourite arena.
At the centre of the phone is Qualcomm&rsquo;s Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5. It is paired with LPDDR5X Ultra RAM and UFS 4.1 storage. The RAM deserves a special mention because the &ldquo;Ultra&rdquo; tag is not simply a marketing flourish. It actually runs at a higher clock speed than the standard LPDDR5X modules used in most flagships.&nbsp;
This gives the phone an incredibly responsive feel. Navigating the interface, loading heavy assets, switching between multiple apps or jumping into visually demanding games all feel genuinely instantaneous. During my entire testing period, the phone did not stutter or hesitate once.
Benchmark numbers match what you feel in day-to-day use. The iQOO 15 delivers around 3.89 million on Antutu. On Geekbench, it records 3672 in single-core and 10548 in multi-core. These results place the phone very close to the Realme GT 8 Pro and the OnePlus 15. Realme&rsquo;s flagship reaches approximately 3.83 million on Antutu with 3611 single-core and 10482 multi-core scores. The OnePlus 15 pushes slightly ahead with 4.06 million on Antutu and 3646 single-core and 11025 multi-core. In simple terms, the iQOO 15 is right in the middle of this pack and competes confidently.
However, benchmarks are only a small part of the story. The iQOO 15 becomes far more interesting once you start gaming. After adjusting a couple of in-game settings, I was able to get consistent 144 Hz output in both BGMI and Call of Duty Mobile. The smoothness is immediately noticeable, but the real highlight is not the high refresh rate. The most surprising improvement is how well the phone handles ray tracing in supported titles.
Ray tracing is known for destroying performance on gaming PCs. Seeing it run comfortably on a phone is genuinely impressive. This capability comes from the new Q3 Supercomputing chip that iQOO is using. It has its own dedicated RT core and works with Vivo&rsquo;s QNSS Super Rendering Engine. Games that support ray tracing, such as Genshin Impact, gain far richer reflections, more realistic lighting behaviour and deeper shadows. All of this happens without the performance dip you would normally expect.
The Q3 chip also brings two helpful technologies called Game Super Resolution and Lossless Frame Interpolation. Game Super Resolution allows the phone to render scenes at a lower internal resolution and then upscale them to 2K using AI. This significantly reduces the load on the GPU during heavy battles or open-world exploration. Lossless Frame Interpolation inserts artificially generated frames between real ones, which results in smoother motion and a more consistent frame rate. When both features work together, the iQOO 15 delivers an experience that feels very close to a dedicated handheld gaming device.
Thermal performance deserves credit as well. Even after long gaming sessions, the phone maintained comfortable temperatures. iQOO uses an 8K single-layer vapour chamber, and the company claims it is the largest cooling system in the industry. After hours of continuous testing, I can confidently say the phone stayed far cooler than expected.
If you want a device that performs like a top-tier flagship, excels at gaming and stays cool throughout heavy use, the iQOO 15 stands out as one of the strongest performers of 2025.
The software on the iQOO 15 feels like a clean break from everything the brand has done until now. Instead of the familiar Funtouch OS, the phone boots into OriginOS 6 built on Android 16, and that instantly changes the personality of the device.
<h2>iQOO 15&rsquo;s OriginOS 6 completely changes the user experience</h2>
The overall design direction feels far more refined. The interface leans into a lighter, more airy aesthetic with soft gradients, semi-transparent layers and rounded elements that give the UI a calmer look. Animations feel smoother, transitions flow more naturally and the entire OS carries a sense of polish that older iQOO phones struggled to maintain. Although a few aspects remind you of visionOS or iOS, the general styling still feels unique enough to stand on its own.
Performance within the OS benefits as well. App launches feel quicker, multitasking behaves predictably and background management has noticeably improved. I did not run into random closures or apps resetting themselves, which used to be a mild annoyance on earlier models. Most system apps have already adopted the new design language. The few that have not yet been updated do not interfere with usability.
OriginOS also introduces several thoughtful touches. Photo editing tools feel more capable, and moving data or interacting with other devices in the Vivo ecosystem feels more seamless. These are small changes, but they add up during daily use.
The AI feature set remains fairly basic. You get writing assistance and AI-based photo tools, but nothing that rivals the more advanced experiences offered by Samsung, Google, Oppo or OnePlus.
What stands out is iQOO&rsquo;s long-term update promise. Buyers get five years of Android updates and seven years of security patches, which gives the software experience a strong sense of longevity.
<h2>The iQOO 15 manages power and charging pretty well</h2>
The iQOO 15 behaves exactly like a phone with a massive 7000 mAh battery should. The extra capacity over the iQOO 13&rsquo;s 6000 mAh pack is immediately noticeable in daily use. Screen time stretches longer, power drops more slowly and the phone generally feels built for endurance.
Charging, however, sees a slight reshuffle. The wired system now tops out at 100 W instead of 120 W, but in return you get 40 W wireless charging. There is no magnetic alignment, so you need to place the phone carefully on a pad, although the charging speed remains consistently strong. Using the wired charger, the device went from 5 percent to a full charge in under an hour during my testing.
A full battery easily carries the phone through a full day of heavy usage. If you drop the resolution and manage background activity sensibly, reaching close to two days on one charge is very achievable.
<h2>Verdict: Is the iQOO 15 worth it?</h2>
After spending a considerable amount of time with the iQOO 15, I kept waiting for a major flaw to appear, and it never really did. The only area that consistently felt behind its competitors is the AI suite. For a 2025 flagship, the AI tools feel quite basic and lack the depth you see on devices from Oppo and OnePlus. To be fair, iQOO has never marketed this phone as an AI pioneer. The focus has always been on performance, day-to-day reliability and strong hardware, so the software limitations are not completely unexpected.
What you do get is a phone that handles the fundamentals extremely well. Performance is consistently top tier, the UI feels polished and responsive, and the camera setup finally steps into territory where it can comfortably compete with other brands in the segment.&nbsp;
The main and telephoto cameras deliver dependable results in almost every lighting condition. The ultrawide camera is the only part of the system that still needs a step up in low light. It performs well enough, but it does not fully match the standard expected from a premium flagship.&nbsp;
If photography is your primary reason for upgrading, the Vivo X300 or Oppo Find X9 will offer a more complete camera package. The OnePlus 15 also remains a strong all-rounder, although its display compromises make the choice a little more complicated.
What makes the iQOO 15 stand out is how well it balances everything. It does not chase one headline feature at the cost of another. Instead, it offers strong performance, reliable software, capable cameras, excellent battery life and premium design in a way that feels cohesive. For many buyers, this is exactly what a flagship should be.
The pricing shift is the one factor that will spark debate. The iQOO 13 launched below ₹60,000 and even dipped close to ₹52,000 during early sale offers. The iQOO 15 starts at ₹72,000 before discounts, which is a significant jump. However, the overall situation is more complicated. Rising component costs, the weaker rupee and higher RAM and storage prices give brands very little room to manoeuvre.
Whether long-time iQOO fans accept the new pricing is something only time will answer. What I can say with confidence is that the iQOO 15 earns its place in the 2025 flagship crowd. If you are planning an upgrade, it absolutely deserves to be on your shortlist.
&nbsp;

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