Google Pixel 10 Pro XL vs Xiaomi 15 Ultra | TechTalkTown
Google Pixel 10 Pro XL vs Xiaomi 15 Ultra
Google Pixel 10 Pro XL
Google
8.6
Best Android, weak silicon
Xiaomi 15 Ultra
Xiaomi
8.6
The camera king, software aside
Google Pixel 10 Pro XL
What Reviewers Agree On
6.8-inch LTPO OLED at 3,300 nits peak is class-leading — 'the slimmest bezels, the Pro XL achieves the highest screen to body ratio for a stunning all-screen experience' per ZONEofTECH.
5,200 mAh battery + 45W wired + 25W Qi2.2 wireless = the family's best charging spec — 'it's that updated quicker 45W charging, and it genuinely has been just the best upgrade on the phone' per a 6-month long-term reviewer.
Same triple-camera system as the Pro (50MP main + 48MP ultrawide + 48MP 5x telephoto) — Phone Arena tested it against a full-frame Canon and found it competitive in most categories.
Vapor chamber cooling — 'because of the tensor chip and of course the vapor chamber, which by the way is only on the Pixel 10 Pro XL, not the 10 Pro' — only XL model gets active thermal management.
256GB minimum storage with UFS 4.0 — Stuff: 'thumbs up for coming with 256GB of on-board storage as standard, rather than the measly 128GB you got on last year's Pixel 9 Pro XL.'
Pros & Cons
Google Pixel 10 Pro XL
Pros
6.8-inch LTPO OLED at 3,300 nits peak is class-leading — 'the slimmest bezels, the Pro XL achieves the highest screen to body ratio for a stunning all-screen experience' per ZONEofTECH.
5,200 mAh battery + 45W wired + 25W Qi2.2 wireless = the family's best charging spec — 'it's that updated quicker 45W charging, and it genuinely has been just the best upgrade on the phone' per a 6-month long-term reviewer.
Same triple-camera system as the Pro (50MP main + 48MP ultrawide + 48MP 5x telephoto) — Phone Arena tested it against a full-frame Canon and found it competitive in most categories.
Vapor chamber cooling — 'because of the tensor chip and of course the vapor chamber, which by the way is only on the Pixel 10 Pro XL, not the 10 Pro' — only XL model gets active thermal management.
Detailed Comparison
Display
Google Pixel 10 Pro XL
6.8-inch LTPO OLED, 3,300 nits peak per Google, measured at 3,344 nits actual by Linus Tech Tips. 120Hz adaptive refresh, QHD+ resolution. ZONEofTECH calls it the 'highest screen to body ratio' in the family thanks to the slimmest bezels.
6.8-inch LTPO OLED, 120Hz adaptive, 2,200 nits HDR, 3,300 nits peak — Stuff: 'A peak 3300 nits might not be as high as some flagships manage on paper, but I'd rather have a screen that's easier to see on sunny days than one that can shine HDR content that little bit more intensely.'
Lab measurement: '3344 nits for the Pro XL... considerably brighter than last gen Pixel phones with the 10 Pro series measuring 10% brighter than the Pixel 9 Pro XL in SDR and 15% brighter in HDR.'
Highest screen-to-body ratio in the family — ZONEofTECH: 'With the slimmest bezels, the Pro XL achieves the highest screen to body ratio for a stunning all-screen experience.'
Sustained outdoor brightness test: 'we measured up to over 1350 nits with the manual brightness slider. And this could boost to nearly 2350 nits in auto mode' — real-world adaptive brightness matches Pro model.
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Tensor G5 falls behind every competitor flagship — same 88% / 67% / 55% (single / multi / GPU) gap vs Galaxy S25 Edge as the Pro tier, and benchmarks badly against iPhone 17 Pro Max.
$1,199 entry price ($300 over Pixel 10 Pro, matching iPhone 16 Pro Max) — a long-term reviewer: 'a price point of $1,199 USD or $1,629 Canadian, which is $1,840 after tax here, I don't know if Google did enough with this upgrade.'
Battery drain test loss: 'The Pixel 10 Pro XL went down at 11 hours 4 minute and that is disappointing cuz there's no improvement whatsoever' — behind OnePlus 13 (11h 54m), S25 Ultra (12h 3m), iPhone (12h 42m), Xiaomi (12h 50m) on PUBG sustained gaming drain.
Sustained CPU throttling per Notebookcheck: '54% of its max CPU performance' under sustained load — the vapor chamber doesn't fully offset the Tensor G5's thermal ceiling.
128GB option dropped — 'the 128 gigs option is gone for the XL... entry price is now higher by default' (SuperSaf); Stuff calls the previous 'measly 128GB' an embarrassment, but the new 256GB minimum is what bumps the starting price.
Xiaomi 15 Ultra
What Reviewers Agree On
The camera is the best on any phone of its generation — the 1-inch-type Leica main plus 200MP periscope outclass Samsung and Apple for stills.
Photography reviewers repeatedly call it 'the best camera experience bar none' and 'a camera with a phone attached'.
The 6.73-inch 2K display is gorgeous and extremely bright (lab ~3,100–3,200 nits at low APL, 1,920Hz PWM) for excellent flicker handling.
Snapdragon 8 Elite delivers flagship performance that still feels top-tier well over a year later.
The Leica-style titanium-and-glass/eco-leather design is premium and instantly recognizable as a serious camera.
It's significantly cheaper than the Galaxy S25 Ultra and iPhone for comparable or better camera hardware.
Deal Breakers
HyperOS mimics iOS, ships with quirks you must tweak out of the box, and has small persistent bugs and reportedly weak long-term battery health.
The global model's ~5,410mAh battery (vs 6,000mAh in China) often ends the day under 30%, with a notable idle drain.
The huge protruding camera bump blocks many wireless chargers and adds significant thickness/weight.
8K video is over-sharpened and Xiaomi Log is capped at 4K, making the 8K mode largely unusable for serious work.
No official US availability and no US carrier/iMessage-style ecosystem support.
256GB minimum storage with UFS 4.0 — Stuff: 'thumbs up for coming with 256GB of on-board storage as standard, rather than the measly 128GB you got on last year's Pixel 9 Pro XL.'
Cons
Tensor G5 falls behind every competitor flagship — same 88% / 67% / 55% (single / multi / GPU) gap vs Galaxy S25 Edge as the Pro tier, and benchmarks badly against iPhone 17 Pro Max.
$1,199 entry price ($300 over Pixel 10 Pro, matching iPhone 16 Pro Max) — a long-term reviewer: 'a price point of $1,199 USD or $1,629 Canadian, which is $1,840 after tax here, I don't know if Google did enough with this upgrade.'
Battery drain test loss: 'The Pixel 10 Pro XL went down at 11 hours 4 minute and that is disappointing cuz there's no improvement whatsoever' — behind OnePlus 13 (11h 54m), S25 Ultra (12h 3m), iPhone (12h 42m), Xiaomi (12h 50m) on PUBG sustained gaming drain.
Sustained CPU throttling per Notebookcheck: '54% of its max CPU performance' under sustained load — the vapor chamber doesn't fully offset the Tensor G5's thermal ceiling.
128GB option dropped — 'the 128 gigs option is gone for the XL... entry price is now higher by default' (SuperSaf); Stuff calls the previous 'measly 128GB' an embarrassment, but the new 256GB minimum is what bumps the starting price.
Xiaomi 15 Ultra
Pros
The camera is the best on any phone of its generation — the 1-inch-type Leica main plus 200MP periscope outclass Samsung and Apple for stills.
Photography reviewers repeatedly call it 'the best camera experience bar none' and 'a camera with a phone attached'.
The 6.73-inch 2K display is gorgeous and extremely bright (lab ~3,100–3,200 nits at low APL, 1,920Hz PWM) for excellent flicker handling.
Snapdragon 8 Elite delivers flagship performance that still feels top-tier well over a year later.
The Leica-style titanium-and-glass/eco-leather design is premium and instantly recognizable as a serious camera.
It's significantly cheaper than the Galaxy S25 Ultra and iPhone for comparable or better camera hardware.
Cons
HyperOS mimics iOS, ships with quirks you must tweak out of the box, and has small persistent bugs and reportedly weak long-term battery health.
The global model's ~5,410mAh battery (vs 6,000mAh in China) often ends the day under 30%, with a notable idle drain.
The huge protruding camera bump blocks many wireless chargers and adds significant thickness/weight.
8K video is over-sharpened and Xiaomi Log is capped at 4K, making the 8K mode largely unusable for serious work.
No official US availability and no US carrier/iMessage-style ecosystem support.
5-month display durability: 'the screen holds up even beside like it's, you know, devices that came out after Pixel 10 Pro' — display quality ages well per a long-term review.
Software fuzzy-screen bug at launch addressed by October OTA — 'now that Google released an update to help with some users having these fuzzy screen issues' — most users not affected long-term.
Xiaomi 15 Ultra
A 6.73-inch 2K AMOLED with curved edges, 120Hz, a 3,200-nit peak and 1,920Hz PWM dimming. Reviewers call it gorgeous and one of the brightest screens around, with the lone caveat that real-world auto-brightness measured lower than the headline number.
The 6.73-inch display is gorgeous, super sharp and crazy bright — fantastic indoors and out, second only to the Galaxy S25 Ultra in direct sunlight thanks to Samsung's anti-glare tech.
On paper it has the brightest screen at 3,200 nits (vs 2,600 on the Samsung, 2,000 on the iPhone) and supports 1,920Hz PWM dimming so it flickers much less than its rivals.
Lab testing clocked ~3,175 nits at 20% APL — basically stare-at-the-sun-and-still-see-your-screen territory.
The maximum achievable auto-brightness is only around 1,150 nits, which is rather disappointing for this level of phone, though still usable under sunlight.
It has 3,200 nits peak brightness across a 25% area rather than the usual 1% window — a genuinely usable peak.
Watching YouTube, Netflix or gaming, the display still feels flagship-level 10 months in.
Cameras
Google Pixel 10 Pro XL
Same triple-camera system as the Pixel 10 Pro — 50MP main f/1.7 + 48MP ultrawide + 48MP 5x telephoto, with new AI Pro Zoom for cloud-enhanced shots beyond 30x. SuperSaf's comparison: 'the Pixel 10 Pro and Pro XL have exactly the same camera hardware.' Phone Arena tested it against a full-frame Canon. Pocket-lint's verdict on the platform: 'best Android smartphone you can buy.'
Camera hardware identical to Pixel 10 Pro: '50 megapixel main with an f/1.68 aperture, a 48 megapixel ultrawide, and a 48 megap telephoto' per a Pro XL hands-on review.
Android Authority verdict: 'Google Pixel 10 Pro XL review: The best Android phone gets even better.'
Tested against a full-frame Canon per Phone Arena: 'Google's latest Pixel 10 Pro XL, in particular, brags about having the best smartphone camera... I tested the Pixel 10 Pro XL camera against a full-frame Canon.'
AI Pro Zoom mechanics per SuperSaf: 'this new AI pro zoom which kicks in when you go beyond 30 times' — cloud-enhanced detail-fill for super-long zoom shots, exclusive to Pro tier.
Night Sight remains class-leading per Stuff: 'In darker environments, Google's Night Sight still shines as one of the best low light modes on any smartphone.'
vs iPhone 17 Pro Max main-camera comparison per Qs6ZO5Af3N8: 'in the main camera, the one goes to the Pixel for the better HDR, more natural details, and sharper high-res photos, while the iPhone is better in showing more details at the lower resolutions, but at the cost of an oversharpened look in most cases.'
Video recording gap per LoCiv7RjQyg: 'The iPhone can shoot at up to 4K at 120 fps while the Pixel tops out at 4K 60 fps. For portrait video, the iPhone does 4K 30 fps, while the Pixel is stuck at only 1080p 24 fps.'
100x AI zoom reality check — 'I snapped a 100 time zoom image of a plane going overhead, it turned the vague shot into a weird bundle of sticks with an orange nose cone' — works as demo, not as practical photography.
Xiaomi 15 Ultra
The whole point of the phone: a Leica Summicron quad system — a 1-inch-type 50MP main, a 50MP 3x telephoto, a 200MP 4.3x periscope and a 50MP ultrawide. Reviewers overwhelmingly rate it the best phone camera of its generation, with the only soft spots being the ultrawide and a missing variable aperture.
A Leica Summicron system: a 1-inch-type 50MP main (23mm), a 50MP 3x telephoto, a 200MP periscope (4.3x optical, ~100mm) and a 50MP ultrawide — the 1-inch main is an unexpected differentiator no one else uses in a globally available model.
As far as phones personally used, this is the best camera experience bar none — if cameras are your top priority you cannot get better than the 15 Ultra.
Main camera-wise the Xiaomi is the best overall, especially for daytime shots and depth of field; at 3x it captures the most detail and at 5x it has the least noise versus the S25 Ultra and iPhone.
Xiaomi did get the best camera hardware, but the leather-camera look is mostly aesthetic — what makes a real camera good is a far bigger lens, and this is still a small smartphone sensor.
Performance
Google Pixel 10 Pro XL
Tensor G5 on TSMC 3nm, 16GB RAM, vapor chamber cooling (Pro XL only). Benchmarks 34% faster than Tensor G4 per GSMArena, but still 88% single-core / 67% multi-core / 55% GPU vs Galaxy S25 Edge. Vapor chamber helps sustain higher clocks longer than the smaller Pro, but doesn't close the gap to Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5.
Tensor G5 + 16GB RAM + 3nm TSMC fab — 'In the multi-core Geekbench run, the new model scored 34% faster than the G4 on the 9 Pro XL, just as advertised' per GSMArena.
Same competitor benchmark gap per Linus: 'getting around 88% of the single core performance, 67% of the multi-core performance, and just 55% of the GPU performance' vs Galaxy S25 Edge — Pro XL doesn't escape the Tensor ceiling.
Vapor chamber exclusive to Pro XL: 'because of the tensor chip and of course the vapor chamber, which by the way is only on the Pixel 10 Pro XL, not the 10 Pro' — sustained-load advantage over the Pro.
Notebookcheck stress test: 'the Pixel 10 Pro XL displayed significant thermal throttling, going down to 54% of its max CPU performance' — vapor chamber softens but doesn't eliminate Tensor G5's thermal ceiling.
Genshin per GSMArena: 'a visually demanding title such as Genshin Impact cannot maintain 60fps on the Pixel 10 Pro XL at its maximum settings, and the phone would routinely drop into the 50s or even the 40s.'
Real-world fluidity verdict per 3-month review: 'the Pixel UI is generally really fluid and the Tensor chip still holds up enough that day-to-day usage is wicked fast and smooth.'
Video export benchmark vs Galaxy: 'The Galaxy is exporting the project 35% faster than the Pixel, allowing it to move on to the browser test as the Pixel is still chugging along' — sustained workload gap is real.
Xiaomi 15 Ultra
Snapdragon 8 Elite with up to 16GB RAM and UFS 4.1 — flagship-grade and still excellent a year on. Real-world gaming holds ~57–60fps with acceptable power draw, though heavy synthetic stress tests show meaningful throttling.
Runs Qualcomm's Snapdragon 8 Elite with up to 16GB RAM and 1TB UFS 4.1; 10 months on it's still an extremely well-balanced phone that feels like a true flagship.
In ~50 minutes of gaming it held a stable ~57–60fps with 4–8W draw — acceptable for the 8 Elite — where some rivals throttle hard and drop to 30fps after 30 minutes.
After 30 minutes of real gaming with apps closing/reopening the CPU sat around 47°C with no overheating — heat only appears in synthetic 3DMark/throttle benchmarks, not realistic use.
In a 3DMark stability run it scored ~70–76% stability (lowest loop ~4,335–4,542), holding 20–43fps.
Under a punishing 60-minute 100-thread CPU throttle test it dropped roughly 40–50% in sustained performance, recovering only slightly better than the S25 Ultra.
Battery & Charging
Google Pixel 10 Pro XL
5,200 mAh battery (largest in family, +330 mAh from Pro), 45W wired, 25W Qi2.2 magnetic wireless. SuperSaf measures the 45W as the family's most meaningful upgrade. Real-world tests vary: 7h 30m in social-app drain (vs iPhone 17 Pro Max 7h 33m, S26 Ultra 7h 22m); 11h 4m in PUBG sustained drain (behind every flagship). Charging gets to 33% in 15 min and 63% in 30 min — meaningful upgrade over Pro's 30W.
5,200 mAh battery + 45W wired + 25W Qi2.2 magnetic wireless — 'The Pixel 10 Pro XL's battery has seen a small increase from last year, to 5200mAh – again, not the largest I've seen lately, but still more than you'll find in either the Galaxy S25 Ultra or iPhone 16 Pro Max.'
45W is the most-loved upgrade per 6-month review: 'it's that updated quicker 45 W charging, and it genuinely has been just the best upgrade on the phone. I just think it is the biggest upgrade on the Pixel 10 series this year.'
Social-app drain test result: 'In second place is the Google Pixel 10 Pro XL with a finishing time of 7 hours, 30 minutes, and 30 seconds' — beats Galaxy S26 Ultra (7h 22m), trails iPhone 17 Pro Max by 3 minutes.
PUBG sustained gaming drain: 'The Pixel 10 Pro XL went down at 11 hours 4 minute and that is disappointing cuz there's no improvement whatsoever' — behind OnePlus 13 (11h 54m), S25 Ultra (12h 3m), iPhone (12h 42m), Xiaomi (12h 50m).
Wired charging real-world: 'Using the Pixel 10 Pro XL's 45 watt wire charging, we are able to fill the phone from empty to 33% and 63% full after 15 minutes and half an hour' — meaningful upgrade over the Pro's 23W real-world peak.
Full-charge time slower than last year per Notebookcheck: 'the Pixel 10 Pro XL is slower than last year, charging from 0 to 59% in half an hour and taking an hour and 22 minutes to charge to full' — battery grew but charging speed regressed slightly.
Notebookcheck endurance: '10 hours and 11 minutes... way behind the competition when it comes to battery life' — same lab-test-class deficit vs iPhone 17 Pro Max and Galaxy S25 Ultra.
Xiaomi 15 Ultra
The global model's ~5,410mAh cell (vs 6,000mAh in China) is the phone's weakest area — many reviewers end the day under 30%, with a notable idle drain — though 90W wired charging fully refills it in roughly an hour and Chinese-variant users report much better longevity.
The global variant has a smaller 5,410mAh cell vs the 6,000mAh China variant, and most days the phone is around or under 30% by the end of the day — it could have done with a bigger battery.
With always-on display, 120Hz and intensive camera use it consistently achieved over 15 hours of usage on a single charge in real-world testing.
On the global/Indian 5,410mAh battery, the in-box 90W charger refills it roughly: 18% in 5 min, 67% in 30 min, 90% in 45 min, and a full charge in about an hour.
On the Chinese 6,000mAh variant with a power-efficient chip, the battery was still at 78% after not charging for three nights.
There's a real idle-drain issue — 20 minutes of light morning use can drop 5–6%, and it persists even with extra-dim settings enabled.
Software & AI
Google Pixel 10 Pro XL
Android 16 + Material 3 Expressive, 7 years of OS updates running through 2032, 26 quarterly Pixel Drops remaining. AirDrop support added, automatic notification organization, bold caller imagery. One year of free Google AI Pro (Gemini Pro + 2TB storage). Same software stack as Pro and base Pixel 10.
Seven years of OS + Pixel Drops — '7 years of full updates. While we have yet to see a phone reach the end of 7-year update schedule like this yet, hopefully we can trust Google to keep its word and offer Pixel 10 owners an update to Android 23 in 2032.'
One year of Google AI Pro included: 'A fun bonus that comes with the Pixel 10 Pro XL purchase is a free year of Google AI Pro, normally costing $20 per month' — $240 value.
Pixel Drops add features post-launch: 'A handy index of all your screen grabs still works excellently even as other companies have now imitated the feature with their own phones. More important than any currently available feature on the Pixel 10 series is the continued commitment by Google to provide the phone with 7 years of full updates.'
AI Pro Zoom unique to Pro tier: 'this new AI pro zoom which kicks in when you go beyond 30 times' — software differentiation from the base Pixel 10.
Bugginess at launch per a Pro XL reviewer: 'one thing that has always remained consistent with using new Pixel devices is the sheer bugginess of the software' — improved via October OTA, but a recurring Pixel weakness.
Material 3 Expressive design: 'some of the design choices are questionable, and not everyone will be on board with a bouncy, springy design with animations galore' — divisive aesthetic update.
Xiaomi 15 Ultra
HyperOS (now on the Android 16 / HyperOS 3 track) is the phone's most criticized aspect: it heavily mimics iOS, ships with quirks you must tweak, and carries small persistent bugs — though it adds genuinely useful touches like a Super Island and AI features, and Xiaomi has improved it via updates.
Out of the box it gives a really iPhone-like feel and you have to go in and change things before it behaves how you want.
Long-standing requests are still ignored — no combined notification/control center, removed options like front-camera switching while recording video, and the dropped variable aperture.
HyperOS adds a useful Super Island (tap to expand or switch to a floating window) and direct drag-and-drop into chats, with OS 3 refining the control center.
Xiaomi's animations are nearly iOS-level and arguably better than stock Android, but the software is still seen as subpar for the Western market.
Xiaomi now offers a longer software-update commitment (reported up to 6 years) — a meaningful improvement for long-term buyers.
Design & Build
Google Pixel 10 Pro XL
Larger 6.8-inch form factor (~5% heavier than Pixel 9 Pro XL per SuperSaf), premium glass back + polished aluminum frame, IP68, ultrasonic fingerprint reader. Same camera bar signature. Vapor chamber cooling and the 256GB minimum storage (vs 128GB on Pro) are the differentiators against the Pro tier.
6.8-inch frame, ~5% heavier than predecessor: 'The size change results in a larger display and a total weight that's about 5% heavier than the Pixel 9 Pro XL' (SuperSaf).
Premium build quality per Snazzy Labs: 'right out of the box, it feels like Google's most refined piece of hardware yet. The texture, the edges, even the subtle matte frame, it all feels incredibly premium.'
Design refinements per SuperSaf: 'Google made the phone's rear G logo metallic, slimmed and bezel around the rear camera bar, moved the SIM card tray to the top of the phone, and added a second speaker opening to the bottom.'
IP68 dust + water resistance verified — 'still working' after a 40-minute submersion in a 35-minute water-resistance lab test (after-test verified).
Long-term durability: 'considering that the side rails are obviously glossy aluminum... I was 100% expecting the USB port or the aluminum around the port to get scratched up from all the times that you plug in, you know, your phone to charge, but considering this has MagSafe charging, I basically never use wired charging' — Pixelsnap reduces wear-and-tear long-term.
256GB minimum storage with UFS 4.0 — Stuff: 'the Pixel 10 Pro XL also gets a thumbs up for coming with 256GB of on-board storage as standard, rather than the measly 128GB you got on last year's Pixel 9 Pro XL.'
Xiaomi 15 Ultra
A Leica-inspired two-tone design with a titanium frame and textured-glass or eco-leather back, dominated by a massive circular camera island that 'screams this phone means business'. It's solid, hefty and unmistakably a camera — but the bump is divisive and blocks many wireless chargers.
It's designed to resemble Leica's dedicated camera hardware, right down to the two-tone silver-and-black finish and compact 'Ultra' corner logo.
Metal frame, a textured glass or eco-leather back, and a massive circular camera bump — in the hand it's solid and hefty, no getting around that.
The titanium frame rounds off toward the edges making it comfortable and grippy, though it's more squared-off than the iPhone — comfort goes iPhone 16 Pro Max, then S25 Ultra, then the Xiaomi.
Because of how far the camera unit protrudes, it doesn't charge on a Pixel Stand or many wireless chargers unless you balance the camera bump on the pad.
The colourway and finish make it look like a camera — Leica on the lens, 'Ultra' lighting on the side — Xiaomi is openly selling this as a camera with a phone attached.
Value vs Competition
Google Pixel 10 Pro XL
$1,199 starting price (256GB, 128GB dropped). Stuff: 'undercuts the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra, but is now on par with the iPhone 16 Pro Max.' Phone Arena: '$250 off at Amazon' frequently. Includes one year of Google AI Pro ($240 value). Versus the Pixel 10 Pro the XL adds bigger screen, bigger battery, faster charging, vapor chamber, 256GB minimum — $200 premium for meaningful upgrades.
$1,199 starting price for the 256GB Pro XL — undercuts Samsung's flagship 'but is now on par with the iPhone 16 Pro Max' per Stuff.
$250 off frequently at Amazon per Phone Arena — 'This device scores 1.3% worse than the average for this price class' but routinely discounted, putting effective price in S25 Ultra territory.
9to5Google verdict: 'It has been almost 30 days since Google officially launched the Pixel 10 lineup, and the 10 Pro XL is the best of the bunch.'
Android Authority's superlative: 'How do you top the best Pixel ever? It's the best of Google in the biggest package.'
OnePlus 15 / RedMagic 11 Pro Plus value tax: 'the RedMagic 11 Pro Plus ranges from $800 to $1080, offering high-end gaming features at a slightly lower entry point' with 7,500 mAh battery and 120W wireless charging — Pixel 10 Pro XL pays a premium for AI features and software.
3-month value verdict per a long-term Pro XL reviewer: 'I don't know if Google did enough with this upgrade unlike previous years where I wholeheartedly recommended their launches' — value question lingers despite spec sheet wins.
Xiaomi 15 Ultra
Roughly $893 in China and ~$1,220+ imported globally, it undercuts the Galaxy S25 Ultra and iPhone while comfortably winning the camera comparison. The catch is it's an import with no official US presence — a phone you 'probably can't buy' but the camera benchmark to beat.
It launched at 6,499 yuan (around $893) in China; Xiaomi's Ultra line has always been more camera-centric than Samsung or Apple's top models.
It combines top-tier hardware, excellent cameras and strong performance at a more competitive price point than its rivals.
The Xiaomi wins the camera part comfortably, but the Galaxy S25 Ultra may be the better all-rounder — a 'maybe' that hangs on whether the S Pen matters to you.
It's 'an excellent phone you probably can't buy' — one of the best devices that simply isn't officially sold in the US.
The only slightly underwhelming lens is the ultrawide — still better than most competitors, but a noticeable dip versus the other three excellent rear lenses, especially in video.
Long-term, it can still be inconsistent and struggles with skin tones; some shooters miss the Xiaomi 14 Ultra's variable aperture and prefer its colour and mood.
Out of the box it gives a very iPhone-like feel and you have to dig in and change things, but performance itself is amazing alongside the camera, battery and display.
After 6 months of careful charging, battery health held at 97% with 191 cycles — degradation isn't a concern with sensible habits.
HyperOS contained a lot of small bugs and one user's battery health dropped to 70% in two years of light use before they switched to Samsung.
Build quality is still very solid 8–10 months in with an IP68 rating, with zero slowdown in general use.
The camera is absolutely phenomenal, but everything else about it sort of falls short for some owners coming from a Pixel.
If you care about US carrier support or ecosystem features like iMessage/FaceTime, or want something lighter and simpler, you may still be happier with an iPhone or Galaxy.