A couple of weeks ago, Xiaomi unveiled the Redmi 15 series. There are two 4G models and there will be two 5G ones – the Redmi 15C 5G is late to the party, but it’s on the way. We know that these are not glamorous, but they are competent phones on the cheap – would you buy one for yourself or recommend it to a family member? Which one?
Let’s start with the Redmi 15 5G. This one is powered by the Snapdragon 6s Gen 3, a 6nm chip with ARMv8 era cores and an Adreno 619 GPU. Other than that, it’s basically identical to the 4G variant.
Redmi 15 5G
The Redmi 15 4G uses the Snapdragon 685, even though the 6s Gen 3 has a 4G variant (by name only, the silicon is actually a Snapdragon 695). Not that it makes much difference. What does make a difference is that the 4G model has a microSD slot on top of a second storage option (256GB, the 5G variant is available only with 128GB storage).
These two have huge 6.9” IPS LCDs that run surprisingly fast for such affordable handsets, 144Hz. The 1080p+ resolution is also a welcome sight. They have equally huge 7,000mAh batteries (with 33W fast charging) and are rated IP64 for splash resistance. The rear camera has a 50MP sensor and tops out at 1080p @ 30fps video, the front one is an 8MP snapper.
Redmi 15 4G
There were no vanilla Redmi 14 models, so we have to turn to the Redmi 13 5G and 13 4G. Those had 6.79” IPS LCDs (120Hz and 90Hz, respectively) and more basic IP53 ratings. Their batteries were 5,030mAh. Interestingly, the older models had better cameras – 108MP on the back and 13MP on the front. Also, the 13-series had 3.5mm headphone jacks, which are absent from the 15-series pair.
The Redmi 15C 4G also has a 6.9” display, a 120Hz IPS LCD, but it only has 720p+ resolution. At this size, it will be quite noticeable. The 15C is powered by the Helio G81 Ultra, which is a fairly old 12nm chipset. At least it has a microSD slot and a 3.5mm jack. Also, its battery is smaller at 6,000mAh (but it still supports 33W charging). There was a Redmi 14C 4G, which is quite similar to this one, save for the smaller 5,160mAh battery with a lower 18W charge rating.
Redmi 15C 4G
Here are the current prices of the Redmi 15 models:
| Pricing | 128GB | 256GB |
|---|---|---|
| Redmi 15C 4G | €115 | – |
| Redmi 15 4G | €150 | €175 |
| Redmi 15 5G | €210 | – |
Would you buy a Redmi 15 5G for yourself or recommend it to a friend or family member?
What about the Redmi 15 4G – is 5G a must-have feature or is 4G still okay for cheap phones?
Speaking of cheap phones, what do you think of the Redmi 15C 4G?
PS. If you have your sights set on a different entry-level phone, tell us about it in the comments.