Xiaomi Redmi Note 15 Pro 4G review

Display

Xiaomi has a great track record when it comes to delivering quality panels even on its lower-end devices. The Redmi Note 15 Pro 4G is no exception. The display here is definitely slightly less impressive than on the Redmi Note 15 Pro 5G. You get slightly lower resolution and no HDR support.

Even so, the 6.77-inch OLED display looks very impressive in person. It is spacious and quite sharp thanks to its 388 ppi and its 1080 x 2392-pixel resolution. The display also offers a 120Hz refresh rate and 12-bit color reproduction.

Xiaomi markets an impressive 3,200 nits of peak brightness for the Redmi Note 15 Pro 4G, just like on the 5G version. We did our standardized testing and indeed recorded some very impressive brightness numbers. In fact, slightly better numbers than even the 5G model.

The minimum brightness we measured at point white was 2.1 nits.

As mentioned, the phone has a 120Hz refresh rate. It behaves in the exact same way as the 5G model. There are two refresh rate modes to choose from. The standard one automatically adapts the refresh rate based on what is happening on screen and what the current application supports. The phone can switch between 30Hz, 60Hz, 90Hz and 120Hz operation. Since this is an LTPS panel, it can't really do any advanced adaptive switching, just fixed steps.

Alternatively, you can use the "Custom" refresh rate toggle and either lock the phone to 60Hz or select which apps you would like to run at up to 120Hz on a per-app basis. It's a very flexible setup.

As mentioned, the Redmi Note 15 Pro 4G lacks HDR support. Interestingly, the phone doesn't report any HDR video decoding capabilities either.

Fortunately, the phone does support the highest possible Google Widevine L1 DRM, allowing streaming services like Netflix to offer up high-resolution content and saturate its display resolution.

Battery life

The Redmi Note 15 Pro 4G has a large 6,500 mAh battery, which is practically the same capacity as the 5G model. Modern Si/C chemistry allows for better density. The MediaTek Helio G200 Ultra practically sips power for most tasks. It excels in call endurance and video streaming. Web browsing and gaming could be a bit better, but are still good in the grand scheme of things.

Charging speed

Just like its 5G sibling, the Redmi Note 15 Pro 4G advertised 45W fast charging. It is done through a proprietary Xiaomi adapter with a proprietary USB Type-A to Type-C cable.

We measured actual charging speeds and weren't overly impressed. Still, a full charge in about an hour and 20 minutes is not too bad. In any case, despite sharing the same official 45W charging rating, the Redmi Note 14 Pro 4G definitely charges a bit slower than its 5G sibling.

As we said, some markets get the 45W Xiaomi charger free in the box, but don't expect to get it in the EU markets.

Beyond the regular wired charging, the phone does offer reverse wired charging at up to 18W, compared to 22.5W on the 5G model. There is no wireless charging.

The Redmi Note 15 Pro 4G has a few battery protection options when it comes to charging. Mainly, you can set a charge limit, either a fixed one at 80% or a "Smart Charging" mode that promises to learn your usage patterns and charge to 80% when appropriate.

Speakers - loudness and quality

The Redmi Note 15 Pro 4G comes equipped with a stereo speaker setup, consisting of a bottom-firing main unit and a secondary top-firing speaker. The two don't appear to be perfectly matched in size, and that asymmetry is noticeable in real-world use.

That said, overall balance is quite respectable. The phone delivers a reasonably wide soundstage with pleasingly rich mids, making vocals and dialogue sound clear and natural. As expected for a device of this class, bass is essentially absent, and at higher volume levels, the treble becomes overly aggressive, introducing audible distortion.

It seems Xiaomi has prioritized sheer loudness over absolute sound fidelity. The volume slider can be pushed all the way up to a rather extreme 400%, but for clean and comfortable listening, keeping it at or below the standard 100% level is strongly recommended. While the speakers do get impressively loud at maximum output, the resulting sound is far from enjoyable.

On the software side, the Redmi Note 15 Pro 4G offers Dolby Atmos support, complete with a graphic equalizer and several preset profiles. Users can also opt for Xiaomi's own audio tuning solution, providing a bit of flexibility when tailoring the sound to personal preferences.

Use the Playback controls to listen to the phone sample recordings (best use headphones). We measure the average loudness of the speakers in LUFS. A lower absolute value means a louder sound. A look at the frequency response chart will tell you how far off the ideal "0db" flat line is the reproduction of the bass, treble, and mid frequencies. You can add more phones to compare how they differ. The scores and ratings are not comparable with our older loudspeaker test. Learn more about how we test here.

Connectivity

As its name suggests, the Redmi Note 15 Pro 4G is a 4G-only device. At least you get dual SIM support. This includes two physical Nano-SIM cards. As per our testing, there is no eSIM support, but that might be market-dependent. Check with your local retailer.

Positioning includes GPS, GALILEO, GLONASS, QZSS and BDS support. For local connectivity, the phone has dual-band Wi-Fi AC/5, which is a step down from what the 5G model offers. The same goes for the Bluetooth 5.3 support, instead of 5.4. At least you still get Bluetooth LE. Some markets get NFC as well, but you have to check with your retailer of choice for that. There is no 3.5 mm audio jack and no FM radio receiver. You do, however, get an IR blaster located on the top frame.

The Type-C port is backed up by a basic USB 2.0 data connection, which means a maximum theoretical data throughput of 480 Mbps. USB OTG/Host Mode is supported, but there are no really fancy features like video output over USB Alt mode.

For sensors, you get an ST lsm6dsvqtr accelerometer and gyroscope combo, a QST qmc6308 magnetometer and compass combo, an SI sip1328 light sensor and what is unfortunately a virtual Elliptic Labs proximity sensor. It works reliably enough for turning the display off during calls, which is at least a positive.