This article may contain personal views and opinion from the author.
A few years after Huawei came into the smartphone scene, the Chinese company decided to take the competition by surprise.
With what appeared to be tech that’s several years ahead of what the competition had at the time, Huawei quickly became the biggest innovator in areas like smartphone cameras and charging/battery.
However, the infamous 2019 US trade embargo put an abrupt end to Huawei’s ambitions - at least on a global scale (although the company is still a huge player in the Chinese market).
Speaking of China, soon after the beginning of the expected struggles that come with such a harsh trade ban, other Chinese brands came out of the woodwork to try and steal Huawei’s spotlight.
Fast forward to today, the likes of Xiaomi, Vivo, and Oppo have taken the stage to show us what “real” forward-thinking should look like. With a similar focus on novel and aggressive camera tech, as well as folding phones, Chinese smartphone innovation simply doesn’t seize to impress.
And while there was a moment when it seemed like Apple, Samsung, and Google were slowly catching up to Chinese smartphone hardware, 2025 might be the year that sends the iPhone, Galaxy and Pixel 1-2 years back… again.
Xiaomi 15 Ultra and OnePlus 13: The globally available Chinese flagships to challenge (and beat) iPhone 16 Pro and Galaxy S25 Ultra?
Step aside, iPhone 16 Pro and Pixel 9 Pro! 7x optical zoom could make Xiaomi 15 Ultra the absolute zoom champion and best camera phone of 2025
To get to the point, the reason for my classic “lack of innovation rant” (if that’s what you wanna call it) are two upcoming Chinese flagship phones and a few fresh leaks surrounding them.
The first one is the Xiaomi 15 Ultra - the future successor to the Xiaomi 14 Ultra 0 which (I happen to think) is the best camera phone available right now.
What the latest leak from GSMChina tells us is that the Xiaomi 15 Ultra might be even more impressive than its predecessor when it comes to cameras. And that’s not to be taken lightly considering how impressive Xiaomi’s current Ultra flagship is in that regard.
According to the leak backed by multiple sources, Xiaomi’s new camera phone will be chasing the “zoom sensation” Samsung abandoned with the Galaxy S24 Ultra (by switching from a unique 10x to a much more common 5x zoom snapper).
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It is now said that the Xiaomi 15 Ultra (expected to debut in Q1 2025) will feature a class-leading 7x periscope zoom lens, which should and most likely will make it the zoom king of 2025.
This should come as no surprise since even with a 5x optical zoom camera, the Xiaomi 14 Ultra takes incredible long-range zoom photos - all thanks to sensor-cropping and some magical AI upscaling algorithm.
The 7x optical zoom on the Xiaomi 15 Ultra should be joined by a 1-inch primary camera with a stepless variable aperture, a 3x zoom snapper with jaw-dropping macro focus, and one of the largest ultra-wide sensors in any phone. Leica color tuning across the board, of course.
OnePlus 13 to bet on modern design, a bonkers 6,000+ mAh battery, and super-fast charging to make iPhone, Galaxy and Pixel look outdated
The OnePlus 13 should have a quad-curved glass panel like the one on the Huawei P70 Ultra (right).
Next on my “Chinese phones to look forward to, because I’m looking forward to them” list is the one and 13th… OnePlus 13 - expected to break cover in late 2024, and go global in early 2025.
After putting together a killer 2024 flagship phone with an awesome camera, superb battery and charging, and excellent performance, the only “truly global” Chinese phone-maker is ready to turn it up a notch.
While the OnePlus 12 is the best OnePlus phone ever, the OnePlus 13 might be aiming for the Android crown with class-leading battery life and a standout display/glass tech.
As of now, we don’t have many concrete leaks about the camera of the OnePlus 13, but you can bet it’s going to be better than the one in the OnePlus 12, which is already great.
However, what I love seeing (in the most recent leaks) is that the OnePlus 13 will be taking after the design of Chinese flagships like the Xiaomi 14 Pro and Huawei P70 Pro, which means it is expected to bring a quad-curved glass panel.
That’s where the screen portion of the panel is flat, but the glass around it curves all around the phone, melting down the sides. If it sounds delicious, it’s because this glass engineering method makes phones look as aesthetically pleasing as a fine dining meal.
It’s interesting to note that OnePlus might be one of the few phone-makers that’s not keen on taking inspiration from the iPhone’s design. The quad-curved glass panel wouldn’t only make the OnePlus 13 look different from the global competition, but also super comfortable to hold and operate.
OnePlus 13 and Xiaomi 15 Ultra to have huge 6,000+ mAh batteries; iPhone, Galaxy, and Pixel about to fall far behind in battery life?
With 6,000+ mAh batteries, the OnePlus 13 and Xiaomi 15 Ultra won’t need to look like this to last two days on a single charge.
But the other major upgrade that Chinese flagships like the OnePlus 13, Xiaomi 15 Ultra, and Oppo Find X8 Ultra are expected to bring is 6,000+ mAh batteries!
This will be a world-first for globally-available flagship phones, and could very well make sure the OnePlus 13 and Xiaomi 15 Ultra last two days on a single charge, which is bonkers.
I’m not sure if these phones will utilize a new, special battery tech, or simply utilize the extra space they have. Either way, these massive batteries + the super-fast (up to 100W) charging will make them battery monsters!
Either way, iPhone, Galaxy, and Pixel about to fall far behind in battery life?
Apple, Samsung and Google hardware about to fall behind Chinese phones once again?
Samsung and Google left the chat.
Although they weren’t the focus of this story, It’s worth noting that 2025 Chinese folding phones will most likely maintain and extend their lead in hardware innovation over what Samsung and Google have to offer.
In the end, it seems like after managing to catch up to Chinese phones at least a little bit (but not quite) over the past couple of years, the new iPhone 16 Pro, Pixel 9 Pro, and even the Galaxy S25 Ultra might fall behind the likes of the OnePlus 13 and Xiaomi 15 Ultra once again - at least in areas like camera hardware, battery tech, and charging.
And just like so, we might be back to square one, or square 2019 - when instead of Xiaomi and the BBK group, Huawei was the one pushing the smartphone industry forward.
1-inch camera sensors, quad curved display, and humongous batteries with crazy fast charging are still nowhere to be seen in the iPhone, Galaxy and Pixel, while Chinese foldable hardware seems to be moving forward way faster than what Samsung and Google have to offer in this segment.
To give a more specific example, Apple’s 6.3-inch iPhone 16 Pro is expected to gain 40W charging and a 5x zoom camera for the first time ever in 2024 - a feat Huawei pulled off in 2018-2019. And as I said earlier, Samsung seems to have gone backwards by swapping the 10x zoom lens from the Galaxy S23 Ultra for a 5x one in the S24 Ultra.
Is there a chance your new Android phone might be a OnePlus 13 or a Xiaomi 15 Ultra?! Give me a sprinkle of useful AI, and I’m in!
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Martin, a tech journalist at PhoneArena, brings a unique blend of humor and insight to his work. His fascination with smartphones began with a Galaxy Young and evolved through a series of trades and upgrades, making him a self-proclaimed smartphone nerd. Martin's content often combines current analysis of market trends with historical references and future predictions. Whether it's a deep dive into technical issues or a first-person commentary on industry events, Martin's articles are designed to inform and engage. His critical perspective is driven by genuine curiosity and a desire to keep readers informed, not by any corporate sponsorship.
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