The Xiaomi 15 launched in India at ₹60,000, stepping straight into a warzone of near-flagships from Vivo, Realme, and Samsung. But the real curveball is Apple’s iPhone 16e—a so-called “budget” iPhone that still demands a premium.
Xiaomi’s betting on sheer specs and Android flexibility, while Apple banks on ecosystem lock-in and long-term updates. One’s a powerhouse, the other plays it safe.
The choice isn’t just about hardware—it’s about how much you’re willing to compromise.
Now, both phones feel every bit as premium as you’d expect.
Design
Matte glass backs that reject fingerprints like they have trust issues, aluminum frames that scream “I belong in the flagship club,” and just enough heft to make them feel expensive.
Apple sticks to its black-and-white colour choices, while Xiaomi throws in a pastel green, because why not? Although I was sent the black variant which feels a bit muted.
The iPhone 16e is all about being sleek and lightweight, while the Xiaomi 15 has that solid, tank-like feel. Apple also gives you last-gen Ceramic Shield for the display—tough, but not quite as tough as the version on the pricier models.
Xiaomi pulls the same move, skipping the upgraded Shield Glass from its top-tier lineup.
For security and biometrics, the iPhone 16e comes with Face ID, which is reliable as ever.
Xiaomi’s in-display fingerprint scanner is snappy too, though the speed is mostly UI trickery. Both are IP68-rated, so they’ll survive a coffee spill—or if you’re clumsy, much worse.
The Xiaomi 15 is a classic Android flagship—minimalist, premium, no-nonsense. And the iPhone 16e, well, looks like any other iPhone. That is, until you get a look at the display.
Display & Audio
The first thing you notice is that massive notch which instantly makes the iPhone 16e feel outdated.
And because of the notch, you miss out on some of Dynamic Island’s best features like live updates for your Zomato orders or Uber.
But once you get past the notch, the rest of the display is actually solid. It’s a 6.1-inch Super Retina XDR OLED panel which is bright, vibrant and incredibly sharp, and is great for watching content.
The Xiaomi 15’s 6.36-inch LTPO display, though, is a whole other beast.
The higher peak brightness means HDR content looks way better, and Xiaomi has all the certifications to back that up.
The bezels on the Xiaomi 15 are much slimmer compared to the iPhone 16e, because of which it feels even more premium. But the biggest difference between the two is the refresh rate.
The Xiaomi 15 dynamically adjusts to up to 120Hz, which makes everything feel buttery smooth. Scrolling through webpages, app animations, gaming—it all feels silky smooth.
The iPhone 16e, on the other hand, is stuck at 60Hz, and you feel that, big time.
You constantly get microstutters when scrolling through text or even when navigating through the UI.
So, while both displays are good image-wise, Xiaomi clearly takes the lead in overall quality, responsiveness, and just how enjoyable it feels to use.
As for audio, both the Xiaomi 15 and iPhone 16e have stereo speakers which are loud, crisp, and surprisingly punchy with solid bass.
Performance & Software
Performance-wise, the Xiaomi 15 flexes its Snapdragon 8 Elite chip, while the iPhone 16e packs the A18—though Apple quietly snipped off a GPU core. But that's not as bad as it sounds.
In Geekbench, the iPhone 16e still keeps up in single-core performance, but in multi-core, the Xiaomi pulls ahead. Graphics-heavy benchmarks like 3DMark and Antutu tell the real story—Xiaomi’s extra GPU muscle offers higher numbers, while the iPhone 16e lags behind, thanks to that missing core.
In real-world use, though, you probably won’t notice the difference unless you’re running Genshin at maximum settings. The bigger problem, though, is Apple’s insistence on a 60Hz display. Even with iOS 18’s animations, the iPhone 16e feels sluggish next to the Xiaomi’s 120Hz fluidity.
When it comes to heavier tasks though, like 4K video recording or editing, both hold up well. They also manage heat pretty well, despite very different cooling setups.
On the software side, the Xiaomi 15 runs on HyperOS 2, while the iPhone 16e is on iOS 18. As for updates, Xiaomi has promised 4 OS plus 6 security updates. With most iPhones you’re good for 7-8 years, although Apple has never admitted it officially.
Now, HyperOS 2 isn’t exactly stock Android, but you won’t find a tonne of bloatware. Plus, it has its bag of AI tricks—AI Writing, AI Editing, AI Search, AI Dynamic Wallpapers, and of course, Google’s Circle to Search and Gemini.
iOS 18 also brings some AI features under Apple Intelligence like Visual Intelligence, AI Writing Tools, Object Eraser, and Image Playground.
But even though Apple is pushing the iPhone 16e as the gateway to Apple Intelligence, you shouldn’t buy the iPhone 16e just for that. Saying Apple is having a rough time with its AI features would be an understatement.
Cameras
Please watch the video to see camera samples.
When it comes to cameras, the Xiaomi 15 packs a triple 50MP Leica-tuned setup, while the iPhone 16e gets a 48MP Fusion sensor.
It's not the same one as the iPhone 16 or 16 Plus. It’s a smaller sensor, which means images and videos are a little noisier, especially in low light.
In daylight, both phones take fantastic shots.
The iPhone 16e has a better dynamic range, so it shows more details in shadows.
The Xiaomi, on the other hand, is more contrasty and has punchier colours.
When you zoom in 2X, the iPhone switches from 24MP to 12MP, and loses some detail. The Xiaomi, though stays rock solid. I feel the Xiaomi is at its strongest at 2.6X, with creamier bokeh and superb details.
We get to see similar results in video as well. As for stabilisation, the Xiaomi 15 is excellent and holds up well in most scenarios.
The iPhone 16e does a decent job, but it’s nowhere near the iPhone 16 or 16 Pro Max.
That’s because Apple stuck with a standard lens-based OIS instead of the sensor-shift stabilisation.
In portraits, both the devices handle edge detection well.
At the front, the iPhone 16e gets a 12MP camera, whereas the Xiaomi 16 gets a 32MP camera with fixed focus. However, both of them do a pretty decent good job with both photos and video.
All in all, you’ll be better off with the Xiaomi 15 as a whole. It’s got a better macro and telephoto setup, and an ultrawide lens—all with pretty solid sensors.
Plus, the Xiaomi 15 packs pro-level video features like 10-bit log recording, Dolby Vision, and a dedicated movie mode.
Battery & Charging
Battery life is surprisingly solid on both. The Xiaomi 15 and iPhone 16e push through 7–8 hours of screen time, even with the iPhone’s smaller battery. That’s probably down to that 60Hz display, and the new C1 modem sipping power instead of guzzling it.
Charging, though, is where Xiaomi takes the lead. A 90W charger in the box—yes, in 2025, that’s a flex—gets you from 0 to 100% in under an hour. It even does 50W wireless and 10W reverse wireless.
Meanwhile, the iPhone's 20W wired charging means you’ll be sitting around for nearly two hours, and you better already own a charger, because Apple sure isn’t giving you one.
Verdict
Going into this review, I knew the Xiaomi 15 would win, but even I was surprised by just how one-sided this turned out to be.
The Xiaomi 15 an absolute beast, with great cameras, solid performance, and impressive battery life—easily one of the best compact flagships out there.
The only real reason to pick the iPhone 16e would be iOS 18 and Apple Intelligence. But even then, that’s not good enough.
If you have to have an iPhone, there are far better options out there, especially if you’re willing to stretch your budget or wait for seasonal discounts.
