Redmi Note 15 First Impressions: Best phone under Rs 25,000?

For a long time, if someone asked me which phone to buy on a budget, the Redmi Note series was the easy answer because it always made sense. Over the years though, that default recommendation has been challenged hard. Brands have gotten more aggressive, features have trickled down faster, and Redmi’s own upgrades started feeling a little safe. The Redmi Note 15 launched in India today, and on paper and in hand, one thing’s for sure, it does feel a bit more premium than the last generation.

Design & Build

The first thing you notice is how slim it feels. At 7.35mm, this is the slimmest Note phone so far and it shows. It doesn’t feel bulky or top-heavy (178 grams) and there’s a balance here that earlier Notes sometimes missed. The phone sits comfortably in the hand and despite the reduced thickness, it doesn’t come across as fragile.

The IP66 rating is a meaningful upgrade over basic splash resistance and the phone has been tested against MIL-STD-810H standards with reinforced internals. In daily use, it feels denser and more confidence-inspiring than past models. The overall finish leans premium without trying too hard, especially compared to older Notes that sometimes looked better than they felt in the hand.

Display

The Redmi Note 15 features a 6.67-inch curved AMOLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate and this is easily one of the strongest parts of the phone. Peak brightness goes all the way up to 3200 nits, which should translate into excellent outdoor visibility even under harsh sunlight.

The curved edges are subtle, not dramatic, and they help the phone look cleaner without getting in the way. Bezels are thin and symmetrical, giving the front a polished and modern feel. It also gets Wet Touch 2.0, which actually makes a difference when your hands are sweaty or when you’re using the phone in light rain. For watching videos, scrolling social media, or reading outdoors, this display feels like a clear step up for the Note series.

Cameras

The Redmi Note 15 introduces a new 108MP main camera based on Samsung’s ISOCELL HM9 sensor, paired with OIS and the emphasis is clearly on detail and flexibility rather than run-of-the-mill camera tricks.

Alongside it is an 8MP ultra-wide camera, and importantly, the phone supports 4K video recording with OIS. That’s not something you can take for granted in this segment. On the front, there’s a 20MP selfie camera that appears familiar, likely similar to what we’ve seen before.

In early use, the high-resolution main sensor allows for surprisingly clean 3x in-sensor zoom, which works particularly well for portraits and casual zoom shots. This isn’t a final verdict, but first impressions suggest the main camera is great for people who rely heavily on a single good sensor rather than multiple average ones.

Performance and Software

Powering the phone is the Snapdragon 6 Gen 3 with Xiaomi claiming around a 30 percent improvement in multitasking over the previous generation. That should translate into smoother day-to-day performance and better sustained usage, especially for heavier apps.

Out of the box, the phone runs Android 15 with HyperOS 2 and will get an update to the HyperOS 3 soon. More importantly, Xiaomi is promising four years of Android updates and six years of security patches. That kind of long-term support is rare for a Note-series device and significantly improves the phone’s value over time. AI features like Google Gemini and Circle to Search are built in, and while there is some pre-installed bloatware, most of it can be removed. A deeper look at software behaviour will come later, but the foundation looks solid.

Battery

The Redmi Note 15 packs a 5520mAh silicon-carbon battery, paired with 45W charging. While the charging speed itself is reasonable rather than class-leading, the more interesting detail is battery longevity. Xiaomi rates the battery for around 1600 charge cycles, which roughly translates to close to five years of regular use. In practical terms, this suggests the phone is built for the long run rather than quick upgrades. For users who keep their phones for several years, that’s important.

Early Thoughts

Taken as a whole, the Redmi Note 15 feels like a deliberate course correction. Compared to the Redmi Note 14, the jump in camera capability, display brightness, and overall polish is hard to ignore. Moving from a 50MP setup with 1080p video recording to a 108MP OIS-equipped sensor with 4K recording changes how flexible the phone feels for photography and video. The brighter, curved AMOLED display further reinforces a great viewing experience that you’ll get.

Performance also sees a clear generational improvement, and the long-term software and security update promise quietly becomes one of the phone’s biggest strengths. Battery capacity has gone up slightly, but durability and longevity feel like the bigger story this time.

Starting at Rs 22,999, the Redmi Note 15 feels thoughtfully put together, and doesn’t try to do everything at once.

FAQs

• Is the Redmi Note 15 a big upgrade over the Redmi Note 14?

Yes. The jump in camera hardware, display brightness, durability, and long-term software support is noticeable, not just incremental.

• Why is the Redmi Note 15 priced higher than the Note 14?

The higher price reflects upgrades like a curved AMOLED panel, a 108MP OIS camera, IP66 rating, stronger performance, and longer update support.

• Does the slim design affect durability?

Not really. Despite being slimmer, the phone adds IP66 protection and reinforced internals, so it doesn’t feel fragile in daily use.

• How good is the camera compared to previous Notes?

The 108MP main camera with OIS is a clear step up, especially for detailed shots and clean 3x in-sensor zoom.

• Is the display a meaningful improvement?

Yes. The curved AMOLED panel and jump to 3200 nits brightness make outdoor visibility and media consumption noticeably better.

• How long will the Redmi Note 15 get software updates?

Xiaomi promises four Android updates and six years of security patches, which is unusually strong for this segment.

• Is the Redmi Note 15 worth considering at Rs 22,999?

It makes sense if you value the camera, display quality, durability, and long-term support. Value-focused buyers may still find the Note 14 more attractive on price alone.