It might be hard to imagine, but we’re nearly at the end of January, and still new phone season hasn’t yet begun. Normally by now we’d have expected some solid rumours of Samsung’s next Galaxy S range to pop up, with a release sometime for February just before Mobile World Congress launches a bunch of other phones.
There’s normally a time for everything, with certain devices expected at certain times.
Much like how you can expect a new iPhone or four in September or October, and a new Google Pixel or four near that, as well, new phone season typically kicks off in February or March, timed for one of the big mobile-specific tech conferences in Spain.
But before that happens, Xiaomi’s arrival in Australia is revealing a device or two beyond the high-end and priced well below a thousand dollars locally.
Back when Xiaomi officially arrived in Australia, the phone offerings were an assortment of high end and a little bit below that.
The latest range sits squarely in that last category, offering three models in its Redmi Note 15 range, models that sounds like they should be note-takers like the now-discontinued Samsung Galaxy Note, but aren’t. You could technically take notes on them, but the Redmi Note range lacks a pen or stylus, making them more like regular phones.
However, what they lack in obvious accessories and inclusions may be made up with regards to durability, because this set of phones will include water resistance rated for up to IP68, plus a level of drop resistance reportedly certified for a little over two metres.
The priciest of the range is the Xiaomi Redmi Note Pro 5G+, a real mouthful of a name that makes you wonder whether Xiaomi can fit anymore nouns or adjectives in there (ultra, anyone?), and relies on a massive 6500 mAh battery that uses the same Silicon-Carbon battery technology Oppo used in its excellent Find X9 Pro, our pick for the best battery and best Android of 2025.
While the Redmi Note Pro 5G+ is clearly not the same phone, its use of similar technology suggests a good battery life will be found here, sitting beneath a 6.83 inch AMOLED screen and with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 7s Gen 4 processor, not to mention a 200 megapixel wide camera and an 8 megapixel ultra-wide. That four look for the camera setup on the back is a little misleading, however, with only two cameras.
That phone will cost $799 in Australia, while similar models with different specs can be found in the Note 15 Pro 5G for $699 — which uses a totally different processor and screen — and the Note 15 5G (sans-pro) for $599, which changes the screen, cameras, and processor technology.
