Redmi Note 15 Pro+ Review: Where Outstanding Durability Meets Reliable Performance

When a Redmi Note 15 Pro+ walks into the room, you quite literally forget about the competition. Take one look at the Redmi Note 15 Pro+, and you’ll think it’s an innocent smartphone. Try taking a hammer to it, and see it fight back. Yes, this smartphone, which goes up against Samsung’s Galaxy A-Series, Realme’s Pro+ models, and even iQOO and Motorola, is built like a tank and will last two days on a single charge without breaking a sweat.

Xiaomi has managed to pack a lot of tech into this device, which starts at ₹37,999. Yes, smartphone prices overall have gone up, and Xiaomi’s latest doesn’t seem much of a value-for-money deal anymore, but that doesn’t take away from just how good this smartphone is.

After using it for a few weeks, I’ve come to like it a lot more than I initially thought I would. Yes, the cameras aren’t the best of the lot, but the smartphone itself is fast, fluid, and the build quality is exceptional.

My gripes with the Redmi Note 15, which I reviewed earlier, are largely the same as with the Redmi Note 15 Pro+. But, as I said above, there’s a lot to like. Let’s dive deep into it.

The Exceptional Build Quality

The Redmi Note 15 Pro+ may look like the vanilla Note 15 Pro, but it isn’t actually worlds apart. The first thing you’d notice is that the Note 15 Pro+ has a lot more heft to it. Yes, that’s because it’s more premium, and it’s built like a tank. It comes in vegan leather or with a glass back, depending on your preference. Personally, I’d go with the vegan leather option as it offers better grip. It’s also smudge and fingerprint-resistant. The glass version also looks more traditional.

The smartphone may have some heft, but it has a slim chassis and slightly rounded edges (both the back and the front). The smartphone has IP66 & IP68 water- and dust-resistant ratings and can withstand drops from up to 2.5 metres. Trust me, I’ve purposely knocked the phone a couple of times, and there is not even a scratch or dent on it.

Display & Speakers

The display, from my usage, has been quite good. Yes, it doesn’t have a dynamic refresh rate, but the 6.83-inch AMOLED screen has a 120Hz refresh rate (which runs at 60Hz by default and switches up to 120Hz when it is needed). It comes with a peak brightness of 2,300 nits and supports Dolby Vision and HDR10.

The smartphone is unquestionably a big phone. It’s larger than its predecessor and is squarely aimed at those who love to binge-watch or doomscroll. With a 1.5K resolution, the visuals are sharp, and the text is crisp. There’s Gorilla Glass Victus 2 protection on the front. I’m not sure if everyone is onboard with a curved display, but for me, it is visually appealing, and thankfully, no accidental touches. The speakers are quite good for video calls and YouTube videos, but with the midrange not holding up, it’s better if you wear headphones while binge-watching movies.

Reliable Performance

The Qualcomm Snapdragon 7s Gen 4 is a capable chip for daily use and light multitasking. Try to push it beyond its limits, and it’ll start to struggle. Don’t open a thousand apps, and don’t play any heavy/intense games. Yes, it can handle tasks such as surfing the web, doomscrolling, streaming on Netflix or Prime Video, and texting across all your social media apps without a problem.

I’d recommend splurging on the 12GB RAM variant instead of the entry-level 8GB RAM model, as it’ll be a much smoother experience in the long run. I really wish Xiaomi had gone with the Snapdragon 8s Gen 3, which is on the OnePlus Nord 5 and offers better raw performance.

Software

Like I said in my Note 15 review, the Note 15 Pro+ also runs Xiaomi’s HyperOS 2 (based on Android 15). Having used HyperOS 3 (based on Android 16), it would have been much preferred if Xiaomi had shipped the Redmi Note 15 Pro+ with the newer software.

That said, HyperOS 2 didn’t pose any hurdles during my usage. It was fluid, fast, snappy, and only sluggish when using the camera. Yes, the Note 15 Pro+ comes preloaded with a fair amount of bloatware, but thankfully, it’s very easy to remove.

Xiaomi has promised four years of OS updates, and one hopes that the HyperOS 3 update will be released soon.

Battery Life

Apart from the build quality, the exceptional battery life is where the Note 15 Pro+ shines. The smartphone features a 6,500mAh battery (up from 6,200mAh on its predecessor), and it has always been the Series’ strong suit.

It’ll easily last until the next morning for heavy users and until bedtime for moderate users. I routinely got about 7.5 hours of screen-on-time (SoT), which is very good for this segment.

Charging is supremely fast as the Note 15 Pro+ now supports 00W wired charging and takes just 45 minutes to fully charge after depleting its battery.

Cameras: Hit Or Miss

Looking at the back panel of the Note 15 Pro+, you’d think there are four cameras in this smartphone. But alas, there are only two. Thankfully, the main sensor is coming in red hot.

Yes, Xiaomi is coming in with full force, featuring the new 200MP HPE primary sensor (with OIS). This one allows for 2x and 4x optical-level zoom. In turn, Xiaomi has ditched the telephoto lens. There’s a wide-angle camera to accompany the main sensor.

While this feels like a downgrade, Xiaomi is confident the new 200MP HPE sensor will do all the heavy lifting.

The new sensor shines in good lighting conditions. The resulting images have lots of detail and impressive dynamic range. There’s an option to shoot at full resolution, good for those landscape shots you’ll be taking on your next trip.

I was also quite impressed by the Night Mode (during low-light conditions). It does a good job of pulling in the details of shadows and manages not to blow out the highlights. OIS is in full force here and helps keep the photos crisp, sharp, and vibrant.

Anywhere over 4x zoom, the image loses detail and sometimes feels a little washed out. Portraits, which are my favourite thing to shoot, are good and have great edge detection. The facial details are a bit soft, but no complaints overall.

It’s the ultra-wide camera that is the weakest of the lot. If you aren’t shooting in good daylight, the quality falls off a cliff.

The 32MP selfie camera performs remarkably well across different lighting conditions.

My only gripe with all of this is that the chip & software combination doesn’t let the cameras truly shine. There's a bit of lag when using the cameras (especially when shooting bursts), and the slow shutter speed doesn’t allow for fast-moving action shots.

Verdict: Should You Buy The Note 15 Pro+?

Do you want a smartphone that just does the job without breaking a sweat? That’s the Note 15 Pro+ for you. Yes, it isn’t value-for-money anymore (thanks to RAM prices shooting up worldwide), and it isn’t the best bang-for-buck in terms of performance, but with a bright AMOLED display, excellent battery life, top-notch durability, and a reliable main camera in daylight, what else do you need?

Like i said in my Note 15 review, Xiaomi has gone back to its roots and done a fine job. It has rebuilt the building blocks and now has a solid foundation to build upon. It’s a smartphone that focuses on the customer experience rather than being a heavyweight in the specifications department.

Just a few issues exist, like releasing the smartphone with HyperOS 2 instead of HyperOS 3, and the choice of chipset, but look beyond that ,and you’ve got a great smartphone.

If you’re in need of a large smartphone with great battery life, and good daily performance, and something you can knock around without worrying about having to take it to a service centre, then the Note 15 Pro+ is for you. Again, like I said previously, do try and look for a discount and then snap up this smartphone. Anywhere close to ₹30,000 and this would be an excellent buy.

There are some other mid-range smartphones from Oppo, POCO and OnePlus, but the Note 15 Pro+ definitely warrants being high up on your shopping list.