Xiaomi Redmi Note 15 Pro 4G review
Two cameras on the back, the usual 32MP selfies
If you were hoping that Xiaomi made some sweeping changes to the camera setup since the previous model, we would ask you to define "sweeping" since the 2MP dedicated macro cam is gone (good riddance), which does constitute a change. Joking aside, you get essentially the same dual camera setup as the previous-gen Redmi Note 14 Pro 4G (and sort of similar to the same-gen Redmi Note 15 Pro 5G).
Despite having four circles on its camera island, the Redmi Note 15 Pro 4G essentially has two cameras - a primary wide one and an ultrawide. The main 200MP camera is based on the Samsung ISOCELL S5KHP3 - the generic and more widely available version to the HPE that the Redmi Note 15 Pro 5G reports (and we gather is a customized Xiaomi-specific version).
The ultrawide camera, while still 8MP in resolution, is a bit different than the one used in the 5G model - here it's a GalaxyCore sensor in place of the OmniVision one found there.
The front camera is not an exact match to the one on the Redmi Note 15 Pro 5G either. It is a 32MP unit based on the OmniVision OV32D.
So, bottom line, the camera setup on the Redmi Note 15 Pro 4G is mostly borrowed from the Redmi Note 14 Pro 4G, rather than the Redmi Note 15 Pro 5G, even though there are some similarities at first glance.
And, we keep circling back to this, but we just can't help ourselves - the Redmi Note 15 Pro 4G is limited to 1080p video capture due to its lackluster chipset.
- Wide (main): 200MP Samsung ISOCELL HP3 (S5KHP3, 1/1.4", 0.56µm-2.24µm); 23mm, f/1.7, OIS, multi-directional PDAF; 1080p60 video recording.
- Ultrawide: 8MP GalaxyCore GC08A8 (1/4.0", 1.12µm); 15mm, f/2.2, fixed focus; 1080p30.
- Front camera: 32MP OmniVision OV32D (1/3.6", 0.61µm-1.22µm); 22mm, f/2.2, fixed focus; 1080p30.
Daylight photo quality
Main camera
The main camera photos at 1x are very good for the class. They have good dynamic range (if not as wide as on the 5G model) and colors are likeable too, without any odd casts. Detail is generally very good, though dimmer scenes or ones with more complex lighting may end up with softer or noisier shadows.
Daylight samples, main camera (1x)
There's a 200MP option too, of course, and you might be able to count more twigs in the trees in this sample or that one, but ultimately we're not seeing the point.
Daylight samples, main camera (1x), 200MP
We didn't have a particularly positive experience with photos of people though, all of our scenes ending up on the soft side. Colors and dynamic range are alright, sure, but sharpness is lacking. Portrait mode will come with limited dynamic range, so backlit scenes will tend to have blown highlights.
Human subjects, main camera (1x): Photo mode • Portrait mode
2x zoom photos are excellent, with great sharpness and detail (that third scene is a bit of an outlier as it turns out, and it's looking more like missed focus than anything else).
Daylight samples, main camera (2x)
Again, though, photos of people turned out subpar at 2x as well.
Human subjects, main camera (2x): Photo mode • Portrait mode
At 4x, we got mixed results, though you can count on getting keepers in most situations, with good overall sharpness, all things considered.
Daylight samples, main camera (4x)
Ultrawide camera
The objectively modest ultrawide camera is more or less par for the course in the class, and the results are also in line with that. The photos are okay, capturing good detail, albeit in a somewhat coarse manner. Dynamic range and colors are pretty solid too.
Daylight samples, ultrawide camera (0.6x)
Low-light photo quality
Main camera
Low-light photos from the main camera at 1x are good to very good, depending on how you draw your lines. Exposures and dynamic range are excellent, white balance is on point, and saturation is great. It's detail that can be a little questionable in the shadows or in scenes that are darker overall, but it's never really bad at all.
Low-light samples, main camera (1x)
The 2x shots, on the other hand, are pretty hard to like. Detail gets patchy, sharpening is pretty excessive, and even dynamic range is suffering (mostly in the highlights).
Low-light samples, main camera (2x)
With the above in mind, you'd be wise not to expect much from the 4x low-light shots - they're pretty bad.
Low-light samples, main camera (4x)
Ultrawide camera
The ultrawide camera's low-light performance is actually quite reasonable for the class. Exposures are great, dynamic range is nice and wide, the white balance is dependable and saturation is very good.
Low-light samples, ultrawide camera (0.6x)
Selfies
Selfies are fairly decent and you'll get good exposure on your face and mostly accurate skin tones. More critical examination reveals soft-ish pixel-level detail (admittedly, a lot of that is due to the impractical 32MP resolution of the files) and blown highlights in contrasty scenes.
Selfie samples
Photo quality verdict
The Redmi Note 15 Pro 4G has a balanced camera system on the back that produces sensible photos for the class. In daylight, the main camera is doing great at its native focal length, as well as at 2x, with acceptable quality at 4x too. In the dark, however, you'd be better off sticking to 1x. The ultrawide camera, meanwhile, is decent in all conditions - nothing too remarkable, but usable stuff. The phone doesn't particularly like shooting people, though, with rear camera headshots being subpar at 1x and 2x, and selfies lacking in sharpness.
Video quality
It bears repeating that the Redmi Note 15 Pro 4G cannot record video in 4K, despite having plenty of pixels on its main camera, a limitation apparently imposed by the chipset. The main camera maxes out at 1080p60, and the ultrawide and the selfie camera are capped at 1080p30.
You can hit '> play' below and use the '>| next' button to advance through the playlist of all video samples, or you can watch the full playlist on YouTube.
Video quality from the Redmi Note 15 Pro 4G is, well, basic. Even the best 1080p is no 4K, and this isn't really the best 1080p, though global properties are looking good and detail is decent too. One possible positive spin is that 1x and 2x have essentially the same pixel-level quality, so there's that. In fact, the ultrawide clips are also about as good.
Video screengrabs, daylight: 0.6x • 1x • 2x • 4x
In the dark, main camera clips at 1x and 2x are still pretty decent, and the ultrawide's footage is softer, but still usable, just barely, maybe.
Video screengrabs, low light: 0.6x • 1x • 2x • 4x
Stabilization is quite good on both the main camera and the ultrawide if you're just shooting from a stationary position, though shooting on the main camera while walking will likely result in a mix of shake and focus hunting.
Video quality verdict
The Redmi 15 Pro 4G's video recording capabilities are very limited, and we can't stop complaining about the lack of 4K recording. Still, you can expect decent daytime 1080p results in the 0.6x to 2x range and similarly okay lowlight footage at 1x and 2x. Stabilization is shaky if you're walking, but pretty stable when you're standing in one place.
