The Norwegian Nobel Committee said Machado's work promoting democratic rights is "one of the most extraordinary examples of civilian courage in Latin America in recent times.
OpenAI's new hit app has unleashed a new wave of AI slop across the internet. But what happens when there are no rules over hyper-realistic synthetic videos?
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Goodall, who died Oct. 1, became one of the most famous scientists of the 20th century for her work observing chimpanzees in the wild in East Africa. Originally broadcast in 1993 and 1999.
At New York City's Tenement Museum, high schoolers explore the American experience through the eyes of one 1860s-era Black family.
(Image credit: Keren Carrion)
Arjun Malaviya set out to travel the world on his 17th birthday in July 2023. Over 13 months, the California teenager traveled through some of the world's most populated cities and most remote villages.
(Image credit: Arjun Malaviya)
Employees at Social Security field offices say the government shutdown has left them unable to carry out an important service: help recipients with benefit verification letters.
(Image credit: Saul Loeb)
In just four months, Trump has suggested or ordered sending federal intervention to nearly a dozen cities.
(Image credit: Stacey Wescott)
Grant Brenner and Ari Gildengers met in elementary school in the 1970s. They sit down to remember the moms they lost at very different stages of life.
If you've never heard the jaw-dropping true story of Jeffrey Manchester, the new Paramount movie Roofman is about to school you in the best way. Don't expect it to outline the facts, but you'll be guaranteed a good time with this endearingly unhinged slice of Toys R Us-themed entertainment.
Remember the good old days in the nineties and noughties when your parents would take you to the toy store to pick something out, if you'd been really well behaved? My eye always gravitated towards the rows on rows of bikes, wishing I could ride one of the ever-so-shiny frames straight out of the door of the shop.
Turns out that if you were a kid living in Charlotte, North Carolina, in 2004, you were likely coming toe-to-toe with Jeffrey Manchester, a convicted criminal who spent six months holed up in the city's Toys R Us after escaping from prison (Manchester was previously sentenced to 45 years incarceration for armed robbery and kidnapping). I swear on my own mother's life that this is what actually happened.
In Roofman, Channing Tatum takes on the role of the charming escapee, and it's undeniably the best performance of his career so far. The Magic Mike star's latest role is much more revealing (not like that) and vulnerable, and frankly, Tatum's portrayal of a man who really loves and wants to do right by his kids makes him the hottest he's ever been.
Roofman makes takes the Jeffrey Manchester story to a new level of entertainingHere's our basic premise: a man robs 45 (yes, 45) McDonalds stores to provide for his kids after leaving the US Military with no support or direction. After a short time in prison, he uses his onsite job in the woodwork shop to make a fake bottom for their weekly delivery truck to hide in, successfully escaping to you know where.
What's most surprising is that the movie version of Manchester falls in love with one of the Toys R Us workers and integrates himself into her church and family – and again, that's what really happened. Every sequence of events seems so unfeasible that it must have been engineered by director Derek Cianfrance to make a plausible movie narrative, but the work was done for him.
If you've ever thought you could survive on the run, Manchester is proof that even if you pick a smart strategy, you will get stung by love and pick up a lot of cavities along the way. Tatum's connection with Kirsten Dunst's character Leigh isn't only what pulls Manchester away from success, but it's what pulls us more into the storytelling.
Together, they're an unlikely yet exceptional pair. The perfect cross-section between what's right and wrong with suburban America. Although, the two never fully reveal their truth to each other before it's too late to act. Isn't that always the way? Leigh in particular is an intriguing portrayal of what happens when a woman suddenly (and unashamedly) decides to go after what she wants, and how that doesn't always end in a happy ever after.
Take a shot every time you see an A-grade actor being underused Channing Tatum as Jeffrey Manchester in Roofman. (Image credit: Paramount Pictures)Tatum's balance between kind-hearted loverman and an intelligent criminal is pitch perfect, and seeing the after-hours dynamics in the most magical store in our cultural zeitgeist is solid entertainment, but there are some flaws.
Most notably, Roofman dips around the two-thirds mark. Once we've established how Manchester hid himself and how he successfully lived a double life with Leigh and her children, we've seen the whole movie. The ending, though I won't spoil it, is pretty guessable, despite the true story certainly being available on Google. There isn't enough substance or momentum to drive us through the 126 minute runtime, and that's to the Paramount movie's detriment.
It goes without saying that none of what we see touches the sides of following what happened in real life (though stay until the end for more on this). However, that doesn't mean we needed key details very obviously spoonfed to us. We find out what happened between Manchester and Leigh because another character literally asks Tatum that question, which is the equivalent of reading stage directions aloud.
On top of this, we've got a stacked cast who barely get any screentime, ranging from Ted Lasso's Juno Temple to The Residence's Uzo Aduba. If a film is going to feature people we desperately want to see, it's unhinged that we have to plead (like this) for it to actually do that.
But are any of us watching Roofman for it to blow us away or to win awards? Of course not. I'd probably recommend watching a YouTube video of Manchester's story instead (until an inevitable Netflix documentary comes out), but Roofman is worth it for Tatum alone. Flawed, funny and flaming good at what he does, and that's what we want from any leading man.
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You might also likeThe best video conferencing software is essential in every workforce now. It fosters seamless communication and collaboration between employees regardless of their location. It’s a must-have for companies in 2025, but choosing the right videoconferencing platform in a sea of options can be daunting.
Google Meet is one of the options you’ll likely encounter when researching videoconferencing software. It’s offered by Google, a company best known for its search engine and a host of other software tools. Google Meet is an intuitive platform that’s directly integrated with other Google apps, and it has its unique pros and cons.
I’ve thoroughly tested and reviewed Google Meet to help you decide whether it’s an ideal tool to adopt. Read on to learn about Google Meet’s features, pros, cons, and how it compares to the competition.
(Image credit: Google)Google Meet: Plans and pricingGoogle Meet is free for personal use, but the personal version lacks some of the features available in the paid business plans. I used the free Google Meet version to hold video calls, and it worked excellently. However, it became limiting when using it as a group.
On the free plan, group meetings are limited to a maximum of 100 participants and a 60-minute duration. Some helpful group meeting features, including recording, attendance tracking, and admin controls, aren’t available on the free plan.
The paid version of Google Meet isn’t offered as a standalone plan. Instead, it’s part of a Google Workspace plan that unlocks access to Meet and many other tools. There are three standard Workspace plans: Starter, Standard, and Plus.
The Starter plan costs $7 per user per month. Under this plan, Google Meet is restricted to 100 participants and a 60-minute meeting duration, similar to the free plan. However, it offers additional features not available on the free plan, such as live captions.
The Standard plan costs $14 per user per month. Under this plan, the maximum number of meeting participants increases to 150, and the meeting duration is extended to 24 hours. It also unlocks enhanced features, such as polling, Q&As, and meeting recordings, which are saved to Google Drive. Each account has 2 TB of storage, so there’s ample space to store recorded meetings.
The Plus plan costs $22 per user per month. Here, a maximum of 500 participants can hold video meetings for up to 24 hours. It has advanced capabilities, including attendance tracking and the ability to dial into meetings by calling a designated phone number.
There’s an Enterprise plan with no specific pricing, but it’s best suited for companies with large workforces (500+). If you represent such a large organization, you can contact Google’s sales team to negotiate a deal.
A 14-day free trial is available for Google Workspace plans, during which you can test Meet’s features before making your final decision.
Google Meet: FeaturesGoogle Meet is designed for videoconferencing between many participants. A major appeal of Google Meet is that you don't need to download any app to use it, although a mobile app is available for convenient access. You can run Google Meet and utilize all its features on your web browser.
I enjoyed Google Meet’s intuitive interface, which made starting and managing meetings a seamless process. Unlike several other videoconferencing tools I’ve tested, new users can grasp Google Meet’s interface without needing much help.
To start a new video meeting, users can click the "New meeting" button, which is prominently displayed on the Google Meet landing page. You can create instant video meetings or schedule them for a later time.
After scheduling a meeting, you can create a unique link for other participants to join. If needed, you can set a passcode to add an extra layer of security. One of the best features I tested was the ability for participants to join meetings by dialing a phone number – Google will create a unique phone number for each meeting.
I’ve discussed the limitations of the free version, including the number of participants and meeting duration. This free version works well for personal use, but a Workspace subscription is what unlocks the full value of Google Meet and its features.
A key feature is the ability to record meetings, which is available on the Standard plan or above. Recording meetings is standard practice in many organizations, as it lets you review content for mistakes and share information with colleagues who couldn’t attend the original meeting.
Meeting recordings are saved on Google Drive, from which they can be easily accessed. With the Standard plan providing 2 TB of storage per user and the Plus plan offering 5 TB, there’s sufficient space to store many meeting recordings. However, if you run out of storage space, you can upgrade to a higher plan for additional storage or delete old recordings that are no longer useful.
I enjoyed using the polling and Q&A features, which make video meetings more interactive. As the meeting administrator, you can create polls to gauge participants’ opinions on topics related to the meeting.
For example, if debating on a corporate decision, you can make a poll for participants to vote on the direction to take. Technically, the poll could be about anything, but it’s mainly used for topics relevant to the meeting.
(Image credit: Google)The Q&A feature enables meeting participants to ask questions and receive feedback. These questions can be addressed during the meeting or later. After the meeting concludes, the host and moderator receive a detailed report of all questions asked, providing them with ample time to prepare detailed answers.
Attendance tracking is a valuable feature that Google Meet provides. With this feature, meeting hosts can track which invited participants attend their meeting and which do not. After a meeting, the host will receive an email report summarizing the attendance and duration, including participant names, join/leave times, and the total time each participant spent in the meeting.
If your meeting has a large number of participants, you may need to split participants into smaller groups to discuss relevant topics. It’s similar to how large conferences have smaller meetings that take place between main sessions. Google Meet offers a Breakout Rooms feature that makes this easy.
With Breakout Rooms, you can divide participants into smaller groups that hold distinct video meetings. These breakout meetings work exactly like the main one, with the same Q&A, polling, and attendance tracking features, among others. During a breakout meeting, participants can leave at any time and return to the main session.
From my observation, Google Meet’s audio quality is much better than that of most videoconferencing apps. I think there’s a simple explanation: Google Meet was relatively late to the videoconferencing game, having launched in 2017, compared to competitors like Zoom, which was launched in 2012 and Skype (now discontinued in favor of Microsoft Teams), which launched in the early 2000s.
To differentiate itself amid intense competition, Google’s engineers invested heavily in audio quality. Google Meet offers adaptive audio, which automatically tweaks audio settings to fit your environment, and noise cancellation powered by artificial intelligence (AI). I tested these features and they worked very well, hence my observation of Google Meet’s enhanced sound quality compared to other videoconferencing platforms.
I liked that I could share my screen with other participants during meetings. Screen sharing helps users communicate clearly and address problems in real-time. For example, you can teach a colleague how to use a software tool by demonstrating it live on your desktop, and they’ll view each step you take.
Live captioning is another helpful Google Meet feature, especially during group meetings. When turned on, every spoken word is automatically translated into text you can read. When testing the live captioning feature, it worked well most of the time, but occasionally made mistakes, which is the typical experience with transcription tools.
Artificial intelligence (AI) is the talk of this era, and Google Meet doesn’t disappoint in this sector. I used the “takes notes for me” feature powered by Gemini, Google’s AI assistant, which can listen in on meetings and summarize the meeting notes for you. Meeting notes are saved in Google Drive, from which you can access them.
Like with most AI-based features, the meeting notes weren’t perfect. I noticed a few mistakes here and there, but they were decent, although not yet as good as taking the notes manually.
(Image credit: Google)Google Meet: Interface and in useI won’t mince words to say that Google Meet has a stellar interface. User-friendliness is an area where it outshines most competitors. Features are arranged neatly on the dashboard, with minimal background colors and prominently displayed buttons that make the interface easy to grasp.
Even as a first-time user, you’ll likely not have any problem understanding Google Meet’s interface. First-time users have on-screen tutorials to guide them, and a few minutes can be enough to understand the features.
Google Meet is accessible through a web interface or mobile app (iOS and Android). Both offer the same intuitive interface, functionalities, and extensive integration with other Google tools.
Google Meet: SupportGoogle offers decent customer support, although the available resources depend on your pricing tier.
Free users have access to Google’s Help Center, which contains detailed user guides and tutorials on Google Meet. All Google Meet features are covered in this Help Center, and it’s ideally the first place to visit for troubleshooting problems.
Free-tier users can also visit Google’s official forum and ask questions. Other users provide valuable help, and you can reciprocate by answering questions too. In my experience, Google Meet didn’t give me problems in the first place, so I didn’t need to consult the forum. The slight challenges I faced were quickly resolved by consulting the Help Center.
Expectedly, paid users have access to more support resources than free-tier users. As a paid user, you can contact Google's support team directly to help resolve any issues. You can do this via email, live chat, or telephone and get quick help. Support is generally fast, but users on the highest paid plans are prioritized more than others.
Google Meet: The competitionVideoconferencing is one of the most competitive software niches. Google Meet has many rivals, and the main ones I’d like to highlight are Zoom and Microsoft Teams.
Zoom is a standalone videoconferencing software that blossomed during the Covid pandemic circa 2020 and has remained atop the industry ever since. I’ve extensively tested Zoom to note its pros and cons compared to Google Meet.
Zoom has more advanced functionalities and customization options. It supports a larger number of meeting participants, which can include up to thousands on standard plans. Suppose you want to host a large webinar with over a thousand participants– Zoom is the better choice because its standard plans can host this audience volume, unlike Google Meet.
The drawback is that Zoom isn’t as user-friendly as Google Meet. Zoom’s interface appears more cluttered, partly due to its broader feature set, and it takes longer to become accustomed to the interface than Google Meet’s.
Microsoft Teams offers similar videoconferencing features to Google Meet. However, it provides more complementary features and is integrated with the Microsoft 365 suite of business tools. It offers more customization and third-party integration, both with Microsoft tools and external platforms.
However, I found Google Meet much easier to use– its interface is less cluttered and feels more interactive. Microsoft Teams has extensive features, but there’s a steep learning curve to get used to them.
Google Meet: Final verdictI’ll recommend Google Meet for personal use and for small to medium-sized businesses. It’s an intuitive platform with robust features and integration with other Google tools.
Google Meet isn’t the best for large enterprises with many hundreds or thousands of employees. It’s also not ideal for companies that are locked into other business software ecosystems like Microsoft 365. Rather, it’s best suited for small to medium sized businesses that want to adopt Google Workspace as their collaborative software suite.
Lawmakers voted overwhelmingly to swiftly remove Peru's first female president shortly after midnight, marking yet another leadership shake-up in a nation rocked by violence and political turmoil.
(Image credit: Richard Drew)
Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers claim assaults on their officers are up sharply since June. There's no public evidence that number is true.
(Image credit: Kevin J. Beaty)
Xiaomi’s T-series phones serve up an almost-flagship class experience, while making considered concessions in order to hit a significantly lower price point than typical top-tier offerings.
This year’s Xiaomi 15T Pro is a little different, however, breaking convention by toting functionality that not even the premium Xiaomi 15 Ultra has to offer, while significantly undercutting similarly-sized flagship rivals like the iPhone 17 Pro Max, Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra. It's not just me saying so, Xiaomi execs made the unusual move of explicitly comparing the new phone to those rivals at the 15T Pro’s launch.
The design and software take some heavy-handed inspiration from Apple's Pro iPhones and iOS, but the 15T Pro is generally better for it. With a more elegant look and feel compared to last year's more utilitarian 14T Pro.
Software support that surpasses even the 15 Ultra helps up the value proposition, as does the assortment of launch offers Xiaomi serves the 15T Pro up with; from YouTube and Spotify Premium, to out-of-warranty repairs.
One of the largest and nicest screens we've even seen on a T-series phone sits front and center on the 15T Pro, held back only by a lower peak brightness compared to its predecessor, and the absence of a fully dynamic refresh rate that's found on full LTPO display-toting flagship rivals.
The Dimensity 9400 Plus is an excellent piece of silicon that enables top-tier everyday performance, high-fidelity gaming and decent AI capabilities too, but at least on paper, lags behind the new wave of flagship silicon now emerging from MediaTek and Qualcomm.
The Leica-backed camera experience is the best I've seen from the T-series to date, not least because of that capable new 5x periscopic telephoto camera. A rich camera user experience helps too, but collectively highlights the weaknesses in the ultra-wide in particular, which now feels like it's lagging behind the rest of the camera system.
A huge 5500mAh battery delivers great results in lab tests, but proved a little more pedestrian – in terms of longevity – in my real-world use. It nonetheless still renders the 15T Pro a capable all-day phone, and 90W fast charging gets you back up to full charge in well under 40 minutes.
All in all, this is an excellent (if a little unoriginal) next-gen entry in Xiaomi's T-series, and thanks to design, camera and software support improvements, really puts pricier rivals to shame.
Xiaomi 15T Pro review: Price and AvailabilityXiaomi’s September event in Munich served as the international launch for the Xiaomi 15T series (consisting of both the Xiaomi 15T and the Xiaomi 15T Pro). Unlike the base Xiaomi 15 series, which saw a staggered rollout that started in the company’s homeland of China, before arriving in markets elsewhere.
Just like the its predecessor (and the new iPhone 17 series), storage starts at 256GB, paired to 12GB of RAM, for which you’ll pay £649 in the UK. That’s the same as its predecessor and great value considering what the phone serves up. What’s more, Xiaomi pairs it with longer software support than even the Xiaomi 15 Ultra; increasing its value in the long-term even further.
(Image credit: Future | Alex Walker-Todd)At the phone’s launch, the company also brought Google out on stage to reveal a three-month free Google AI Pro offer and (at the time of writing), new Xiaomi 15T Pro owners also get a three-month trial of YouTube Premium, four months of Spotify Premium, a free screen replacement within the first six months after purchase and an out-of-warranty repair within 12 months, inclusive of labour costs.
While you’ll find the Xiaomi 15T series in most markets across Asia, Europe and the UK, Xiaomi doesn’t sell its phones Stateside, so US fans will have to look at importing, if you’re dead-set on getting your hands on either of these latest phones. Doing so means no warranty, none of the above offers and potential incompatibility with local mobile carriers, however, so keep that in mind.
Whilst Xiaomi listed a ton of carrier partners at the phone’s launch, in the UK it looks like you’ll need to pick the phone up off-contract; either direct from Xiaomi’s website or from retailers like Amazon UK (who at the time of writing already offer the phone with a 12% discount).
Xiaomi 14T Pro
Xiaomi 15T Pro
Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra
iPhone 17 Pro Max
Weight:
210g
210g
218g
233g
Display:
6.67-inch OLED
6.83-inch OLED
6.9-inch OLED
6.9-inch OLED
Resolution:
2712 x 1220
2772 x 1280
3120 x 1440
2868 x 1320
Refresh rate:
Up to 144Hz
Up to 144Hz
Up to 120Hz
Up to 120Hz
Peak brightness:
4,000 nits
3,200 nits
2,600 nits
3,000 nits
Chipset:
Dimensity 9300+
Dimensity 9400+
Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy
A19 Pro
Rear cameras:
50MP wide (23mm, ƒ/1.6), 12MP ultra-wide (15 mm, ƒ/2.2), 50MP telephoto (2.6x optical zoom)
50MP wide (23mm, ƒ/1.62), 12MP ultra-wide (15 mm, ƒ/2.2), 50MP telephoto (5x optical zoom)
200MP wide (24mm, ƒ/1.7), 50MP ultra-wide (120º, ƒ/1.9), 10MP telephoto (3x optical zoom), 50MP telephoto (5x optical zoom)
48MP wide (24mm, ƒ/1.78), 48MP ultra-wide (13 mm, ƒ/2.2), 48MP telephoto (8x optical zoom)
Front camera:
32MP (ƒ/2.0)
32MP (ƒ/2.2)
12MP (ƒ/2.2)
18MP (ƒ/1.9)
Storage:
256GB, 512GB, 1TB
256GB, 512GB, 1TB
256GB, 512GB, 1TB
256GB, 512GB, 1TB, 2TB
Colors:
Titan Black, Titan Blue, Titan Gray
Black, Gray, Mocha Gold
Titanium Silver Blue, Titanium Black, Titanium White Silver, Titanium Gray, Titanium Jade Green, Titanium Jet Black, Titanium Pink Gold
Silver, Cosmic Orange, Deep Blue
Xiaomi 15T Pro review: Design(Image credit: Future | Alex Walker-Todd)I wasn’t sold on the aesthetics of last year’s Xiaomi 14T Pro; it was more utilitarian than its predecessor, and lacked coherence and flow. The result was an uninspired design, that while sturdy, wasn’t all that nice to handle either.
With the 15T and 15T Pro, Xiaomi’s design team took things in a different direction, and the phones are all the better for it. The satin-finish flat-sided aluminum frame feels great in the hand, and despite sporting a larger display than last year’s Pro, this year’s entry doesn’t get any heavier (still 210 grams), also boasting a thinner waistline (7.96mm, down from 8.39mm).
Tolerances are tighter, the low-profile metal hardware controls on the phone’s right side still offer up a satisfying ‘click’ when pressed, and there’s a nice contrast with the reworked metal surround around the flush new rear triple camera system. Chamfered edges adopt a polished finish that falls on the right side of looking luxurious, rather than cheap.
(Image credit: Future | Alex Walker-Todd)Although not the most adventurous compared the wider smartphone space, the Mocha Gold of my review sample (pictured) is the most head-turning colorway of the three that the phone comes in (there are also black and Gray [silver] options too), lending itself nicely to the 15T series’ generally sophisticated appearance.
The finish also repels fingerprints exceptionally well, but if you are still worried about scuffs or marks, Xiaomi does also include a dark gray flexible TPU case in-box.
One of the reasons I think I like the look of the 15T Pro so much may have to do with familiarity. That new slightly rounded frame, flat back and the pleasingly thin (27% thinner than on the 14T Pro) uniform bezels surrounding the display all echo one of the most well-known phones of the last twelve months: the iPhone 16 Pro Max.
This isn't the only heavily iPhone-inspired aspect of the 15T Pro, but it's one of the most obvious (more on that later).
Image 1 of 2(Image credit: Future | Alex Walker-Todd)Image 2 of 2(Image credit: Future | Alex Walker-Todd)While the 15T Pro doesn't also share Apple's fleeting appreciation for titanium, Xiaomi has stated that the frame on its new phone is now even stronger (by about 17%, compared to the 14T Pro). The phone's IP68-certified protection has also improved, with support for submersion in up to three meters of water; twice the IP standard's minimum requirement.
The front is protected by Corning's mid-range Gorilla Glass 7i, which promises improved scratch resistance (it's also used to protect the camera on the Xiaomi 15 Ultra and has held up extremely well after months of use, in my tests). The pre-fitted plastic screen protector, meanwhile, doesn't repel scratches all that well, even if it is still appreciated to have such added protection out-the-box.
I was totally fooled by the 15T Pro's back, which I assumed was lightly textured glass, but as confirmed by the company's Terrence Xiao at the phone's launch, it's actually fiberglass.
While not as premium on paper, Xiaomi's efforts at imitation, in reality, pay off. Not only is fiberglass going to be harder wearing than glass in the long run (boasting a tensile strength of 3000MPa), it helps keep weight down, and is likely one of the main cost-saving measures that allows the 15T Pro to hit its competitive price point.
Xiaomi states that the 15T Pro is also twice as drop-resistant as its predecessor.
The flat display on the 14T Pro was already capable, meaning the main benefit here is the larger size of the 15T Pro's panel (6.83-inches up from 6.67). Xiaomi has also adjusted the resolution to grant this year's larger iteration similar sharpness too (447ppi).
The more expansive viewing experience it serves up is made all the more immersive thanks to those dramatically thinner and even 1.5mm bezels. Something Xiaomi was able to achieve by using a LIPO ( low-injection pressure over-molding) process; just like Apple's Pro phones, as it happens.
The only real trade-off is this larger panel's lower brightness ceiling, with the phone promising a peak 3200-nit output, down from 4000nits on its predecessor.
Even so, in practice you can expect a great viewing experience; especially when soaking up HDR content. The 15T Pro's display offers all the benefits OLED tech is known for; deep blacks, vibrant but accurate colors, and respectable viewing angles, with minimal distortion, even when viewed off-angle.
Its abilities are bolstered by the likes of 12-bit color depth and Dolby Vision support, as well as 480Hz touch sampling, which paired with this year's larger-sized panel means it's a great screen for gaming, as well as watching media on.
(Image credit: Future | Alex Walker-Todd)One small caveat comes with the phone's refresh rate. Just as I found with 14T Pro, while the screen is rated for super-smooth visuals at up to 144Hz, finding games or experiences that can actually hit that number eluded me. Even games like Minecraft – which supposedly supports uncapped frame rates within its own settings – topped out at 60Hz/60fps on the 15T Pro, while Call of Duty: Mobile allowed for (still impressive) 120Hz/120fps play.
The 15T Pro also doesn't use a fully-fledged LTPO panel, like you'd find on the new iPhone 17, and full-fat flagships, like Pro Pixels and the Galaxy S25 series. So although the refresh rate still adjusts dynamically, it does so in larger increments; like 30Hz, 60Hz and 120Hz. This still means power savings when possible, but when using the 15T Pro's Always-On display, for example, the panel rests at 30Hz, where an LTPO-toting phone can rest at just 1Hz, saving far more battery.
(Image credit: Future | Alex Walker-Todd)Xiaomi always spoils you, when it comes to display customization. There are three preset color profiles, plus a full custom option where you can tweak every color space attribute you can think of. Similarly to OnePlus' 'AquaTouch' screen tech, Xiaomi has Wet Touch, and there are even display options for AI-backed video upscaling, SDR to HDR conversion and motion smoothing (all of which you can turn on and off).
The 15T Pro also features an optical in-display fingerprint sensor, which while not as swish as the Xiaomi 15 series' ultrasonic sensors, worked quickly and consistently during review.
Sticking with the display for a second, one thing that Xiaomi continues to inexplicably bury is select native Android features. One of the first things I have to do on any Xiaomi phone is download a third-party Hidden Settings app, to grant easier access to frequently-used features, like Extra Dim. Why Xiaomi's software team has been hiding such functionality since the days of MIUI is beyond me; especially when the user experience is otherwise heaped in functionality.
On the flip side, one of the things I was worried about after reviewing HyperOS 1 on the Xiaomi 14T Pro, was the presence of ads littering the UI and first-party apps, but it looks like Xiaomi has thankfully reined them in for the experience on the 15T Pro. This phone may be cheaper than a conventional flagship, but for the price, users shouldn't be running into baked-in ads, and thankfully you won't.
(Image credit: Future | Alex Walker-Todd)One other perk to bear in mind is that the Xiaomi 15T series will be the first of the company's phones to make the jump to HyperOS 3 (atop Android 16). It felt like an upgrade Xiaomi was hoping to have ready for the 15T line's debut, but they didn't quite make it (the company's has slated the update to arrive sometime in October 2025).
I tried pre-release devices running HyperOS 3 at the phone's launch and generally, it doesn't feel like a seismic upgrade, but there are some notable (if unoriginal) additions. HyperIsland behaves exactly like iOS' Dynamic Island – save for the added ability to expand island elements out into full floating-windowed apps – plus, there's a new Liquid Glass-like search bar that persists across your home screens.
Image 1 of 2(Image credit: Future | Alex Walker-Todd)Image 2 of 2(Image credit: Future | Alex Walker-Todd)In the here and now, however, the HyperOS 2 experience on the 15T Pro is otherwise generally good. It feels wonderfully snappy (and you even have the option to toggle on richer UI animations if you want), animations are smooth and playful, there are a wealth of ways to easily access multitasking, be it the Side Toolbox (shortcuts which you swipe in from the edge of the screen) or from Xiaomi's unique take on Android's app switcher.
While there aren't any ads to worry about, there are a few duplicate apps – as examples Xiaomi's App Mall and Mi Browser – which can't be uninstalled, plus a few pre-loaded third-party inclusions – like AliExpress and WPS Office – which thankfully can.
(Image credit: Future | Alex Walker-Todd)HyperOS can also be a little convoluted at times. Game Centre grants access to free instant web games, but an app icon for Game Turbo (Xiaomi's gaming performance management overlay) will only appear if you dip into the Security(?) app of all places, and enable a home screen icon from there.
The Xiaomi 15T Pro's user experience does boast some of Xiaomi's latest HyperAI features; like the ability to generate animated wallpapers from your photos and one of the best gallery apps around, with regards to image editing. It also features additional AI imaging tools, that are generally useful and capable, although object and reflection removal need more work (Samsung currently offers the gold standard in object removal on mobile).
One of the best oddities about the Xiaomi 15T Pro's software experience is support, with the promise of five years of OS updates and six years of software support. On the operating system side, that's an additional year over the uber-flagship Xiaomi 15 Ultra. Whilst odd, it further improves the 15T Pro's value, and spells good things for the international release of the Xiaomi 17 series.
Generally speaking, you're going to love the look of the photos produced by the 15T Pro's camera setup. Xiaomi's ongoing partnership with Leica means Leica color science, which, paired with the tuning on Xiaomi's own custom Light Fusion 900 main sensor, doesn't fall foul of the over-brightened look the likes of Google's Pixels tend to produce.
Shadows are allowed to be shadows, but you can still expect detail and decent dynamic range. Colors appear rich (samples in this review use the default Leica Vibrant color profile, but you do have the option of the more muted Leica Authentic profile) too.
Image 1 of 28(Image credit: Future | Alex Walker-Todd)Image 2 of 28(Image credit: Future | Alex Walker-Todd)Image 3 of 281x portrait mode (Image credit: Future | Alex Walker-Todd)Image 4 of 282x portrait mode (Image credit: Future | Alex Walker-Todd)Image 5 of 285x portrait mode (Image credit: Future | Alex Walker-Todd)Image 6 of 281x macro (Image credit: Future | Alex Walker-Todd)Image 7 of 285x macro (Image credit: Future | Alex Walker-Todd)Image 8 of 285x macro (Image credit: Future | Alex Walker-Todd)Image 9 of 280.6x zoom (Image credit: Future | Alex Walker-Todd)Image 10 of 281x zoom (Image credit: Future | Alex Walker-Todd)Image 11 of 282x zoom (Image credit: Future | Alex Walker-Todd)Image 12 of 285x zoom (Image credit: Future | Alex Walker-Todd)Image 13 of 2830x zoom (Image credit: Future | Alex Walker-Todd)Image 14 of 28100x zoom (Image credit: Future | Alex Walker-Todd)Image 15 of 28(Image credit: Future | Alex Walker-Todd)Image 16 of 28(Image credit: Future | Alex Walker-Todd)Image 17 of 281x zoom (Image credit: Future | Alex Walker-Todd)Image 18 of 285x zoom (Image credit: Future | Alex Walker-Todd)Image 19 of 28(Image credit: Future | Alex Walker-Todd)Image 20 of 28Leica Vibrant (Image credit: Future | Alex Walker-Todd)Image 21 of 28Leica Authentic (Image credit: Future | Alex Walker-Todd)Image 22 of 28(Image credit: Future | Alex Walker-Todd)Image 23 of 28(Image credit: Future | Alex Walker-Todd)Image 24 of 285x zoom (Image credit: Future | Alex Walker-Todd)Image 25 of 28100x zoom (Image credit: Future | Alex Walker-Todd)Image 26 of 280.8x selfie (Image credit: Future | Alex Walker-Todd)Image 27 of 281x selfie w/o portrait mode (Image credit: Future | Alex Walker-Todd)Image 28 of 281x selfie w/ portrait mode (Image credit: Future | Alex Walker-Todd)The big upgrade this year is the jump to a 5x periscopic telephoto sensor; a first for the T-series and welcome inclusion that proves its worth. It's better suited to capturing subjects further away and compressing a scene, as its 115mm equivalent focal range is a little too long for general portrait shooting, but it does well enough in such scenarios too, in a pinch.
With a maximum zoom for 100x, the phone resorts to generative AI to make up for lacking raw image data past 20x, but I wouldn't bother zooming beyond 60x if you want a convincing final shot. Any further and it's too obvious where the AI is filling in the gaps.
With regards to portrait capture, the 15T Pro is a great option, with great edge detection and subject separation. If we're splitting hairs, the most obvious giveaway of the phone's smaller main sensor compared to the 15 Ultra comes with the quality of the bokeh. You'd be forgiven for mistaking shots taken on the Ultra as coming from a conventional camera, whilst the 15T Pro's equivalent images still look like (very good) smartphone photos.
As the smallest sensor on the back of the 15T Pro , the 12MP ultra-wide is great in bright lighting but suffers the most when less light is available. Expect more punchy and contrast-heavy images across the board, but lower fidelity shots when the lights go down.
(Image credit: Future | Alex Walker-Todd)As a tool for creators, the Xiaomi 15T Pro seems like an excellent option, not just at its price point but in general. HDR10+ video capture across all focal lengths, up to 4K 120fps or 8K 30fps recording, plus LOG capture, LUT import and viewfinder support (i.e. an applied LUT isn't burnt into the recorded video and needs to be applied after capture), and even a teleprompter mode too.
While I feel like I'm splitting hairs, beyond physical sensor sizes, there are only subtle improvements I can think of asking Xiaomi for the next-gen T-series camera experience.
Motion tracking focus at 4K 60 and up would be great, Leica filter support above 1080p video capture, richer audio capture (most recorded audio lacked bass, in my opinion), and bigger refinements to the ultra-wide and selfie sensors, which feel as though they're being left behind.
While Qualcomm's Snapdragon chips inhabit the majority of today's best Android phones, MediaTek's premiere Dimensity silicon does sometimes find its way inside certain combatants too.
At the tail end of 2024, I was mightily impressed with the Dimensity 9400 powering the Oppo Find X8 Pro, and the 15T Pro uses a boosted '+' variant of this same chip. Xiaomi also isn't as stingy as, say, Google, with its RAM and storage; with 12GB of fast and power efficient LPDDR5X RAM (across all storage options), pared to equally capable UFS 4.1 storage – in 256GB, 512GB (as tested here) and 1TB capacities.
Xiaomi cites 12% better CPU performance, compared to the 14T Pro's previous-gen Dimensity chip (along with 41% better GPU performance and 20% better AI performance speeds), and in testing the 9400+'s Geekbench 6 multi-core score actually put it 15% ahead of the 14T Pro's Dimensity 9300+. It also slots in just behind the likes of the Snapdragon 8 Elite, found inside this year's Oppo Find N5.
In real-world use, using the Xiaomi 15T Pro feels like a premium experience, with fast app load times, consistently smooth animation and competent proglonged gaming performance, even with demanding titles.
The Dimensity 9400+ doled out a solid 60fps in games like Zenless Zone Zero (which cap at 60fps); defaulting to a blend of 'medium' and 'high' graphical settings. Heat build-up was instantly noticeable with such titles, but nothing I became concerned about, not least because the brand's 3D IceLoop cooling system (a vapor chamber cooling solution) is 12% larger on this generation Pro T-series phone.
The Xiaomi 15T and Xiaomi 15T Pro are also the first of the company's phones to support Xiaomi Offline Communication, which allows for calls and texts with another compatible device at a range of up to (in the case of the 15T Pro) 1.9km, without cellular signal, so long as a SIM is inserted (or an eSIM registered).
While not quite as outlandish as the iPhone's satellite communication, this more localized take on cellular-free communication is a pretty cool addition, which should only improve with time as Xiaomi seeds more devices with support for the feature.
On paper, the Xiaomi 15T Pro's battery setup promises great things, with the largest capacity power pack ever seen in a T-series phone (5500mAh), backed by up to 90W wired Xiaomi HyperCharge tech. In practice, I found there was a little more nuance to the 15T Pro's longevity.
Using PCMark's Work 3.0 battery test (with the screen set to 200nits), the Xiaomi 15T Pro was one of the longest-lasting phones I've tested, with a score of 15 hours 24 minutes; clocking in just behind the 6000mAh-backed OnePlus 13R and OnePlus 13.
However, in real-world use battery life was far more pedestrian; clocking in between 5.5 and 6 hours of screen-on time per charge. In my experience, that equates to a confident day's heavy use, but not much more.
For comparison, despite only possessing a 9% larger battery, both OnePlus phones delivered 9.5 and 13 hours of screen-on time, respectively. This disparity likely comes from a mix of display, OS and processor inefficiency, compared to the OnePlus phones, but doesn't mark the 15T Pro as a weak performer by any stretch.
This remains a capable all-day phone and battery anxiety can also be kept at bay thanks to those fast recharge speeds.
Whether you get a power adapter in-box will depend on which market you're buying in, but in the UK and Europe, you'll have to source one separately to get the 15T Pro's maximum recharge speeds. You also have to enable 'Top Speed' mode in the battery sub-menu, where the phone will warn you about potential heat build-up when using the mode.
(Image credit: Future | Alex Walker-Todd)Out the box, with standard charging enabled, the phone's 5500mAh power pack reached only 21% charge in 30 minutes and didn't reach 100% until almost 2.5 hours. However, with Top Speed enabled, the phone hit an impressive 85% in 30 minutes and was fully charged in 37, right in line with Xiaomi's claims; so it pays to pick up the right power adapter, if you want to capitalize on this fast-charging prowess.
One small note is that, despite being faster than the majority of its more costly competition, the Xiaomi 15T Pro's 5500mAh battery does technically recharge slower than the 14T Pro's; with the previous-gen phone boasting quicker 120W wired charging.
As with the 14T Pro, the Xiaomi Surge Battery inside the 15T Pro is once again rated for 1600 charge cycles, which equates to more than four years of charging before the battery loses 80% of its original capacity. Respectable.
While there's no full-fat passthrough charging, the GameTurbo overlay does include a 'slow charge' option; designed to reduce strain on the battery during extended gaming sessions, without you worrying about losing too much juice.
Attributes
Notes
Rating
Design
An elegant – if unoriginal – improvement on its predecessor's more utilitarian aesthetics.
4 / 5
Display
One of Xiaomi's largest smartphone screens yet, and a great viewing experience, if only it had a true variable refresh rate.
4 / 5
Software
Longer software support and no baked-in ads are welcome upgrades, but feature-rich HyperOS is still a little convoluted and, again, unoriginal in places.
4 / 5
Camera
The best camera experience on a T-series phone yet, and a capable rival to some markedly pricier rivals. The ultra-wide is falling behind though.
5 / 5
Performance
A great high-end chip, delivers all-round performance, but it's no longer MediaTek's best.
4 / 5
Battery
A huge cell that impresses on paper proved a little more pedestrian in practice, but is still good for all-day use. 90W fast charging beats out pricier competition too, even if that's slower than its predecessor.
4 / 5
Value
There's a whole lot of phone on offer for the price, with sensible cut-backs (back material, no LTPO display), proving small sacrifices on what otherwise feels convincingly flagship-class.
5 / 5
Buy it if...You want a near-flagship camera experience
The 15T Pro's Leica-backed optics, new 5x telephoto and rich imaging feature set are superb; able to tango with much pricier camera phones.
If you want that iPhone look and feel on Android
Imitation and flattery etc. If you like the look and feel of Apple's smartphones but what the flexibility of Android, the 15T Pro's unoriginality here actually works in your favor.
You need dependable fast charging
Provided you're happy to pay extra for the fast charger (in some markets), the 15T Pro's 90W recharge speeds walk all over mainstream rivals.
Don’t buy it if...You want the longest battery life
In spite of a huge battery, the Xiaomi 15T Pro's longevity was little more than 'adequate' in real-world use. It's not bad, but there are noteworthy alternatives that last longer.
You want a clean user experience
While credit goes to Xiaomi for squashing ads, beyond the aesthetic similarities with iOS, HyperOS behaves very differently. It's feature-packed but convoluted in places and obfuscates the odd native Android feature too.
You want the best performance
The Dimensity 9400+ is a superb piece of silicon and will last you a few years, but it's built on previous-gen tech and is already outpaced by the next wave of flagship mobile chips.
Xiaomi 15T Pro review: How I testedI received the Xiaomi 15T Pro just ahead of travelling out to Munich for the phone's global launch, and used it every day since taking delivery of it.
It became my main camera, I used it for everything you'd expect from the phone in your pocket; spanning social media to gaming, web browsing and more.
I dipped into developer settings to assess certain aspects of the 15T Pro's performance more closely and used industry-standard benchmarks to quantify and verify the performance I experienced.
Having reviewed smartphones for 15 years, including numerous Xiaomi smartphones, as well as devices from the company's key competition, I felt equipped to review the 15T Pro; assessing its strengths and abilities against the market it's competing in.
First reviewed October 2025