Help choose: Xiaomi 17 vs OnePlus 15

[joshi]

I'm using a Poco F5 right now and want to upgrade to a phone with a better camera and huge storage – 512 GB (my current Poco F5 has 256 GB). I'm used to HyperOS, so I'd like the same or something similar.

You can suggest any phone, but my budget is under a lakh.

My criteria:
1) Good camera
2) 512 GB storage
3) Smooth software experience
4) Reliable and durable
5) Physical dual‑SIM support

Please suggest.

[Anirudh]

I'm not in a rush, but I need to buy a phone by the end of August. Should I wait or decide now? Please advise.

[Gayatri]

OnePlus gives better performance, Xiaomi has the stronger camera. In my opinion, go for the Oppo Find X9.

[Harini]

OPPO Find X9.

[Khushi]

The third point is subjective, so you should visit a store and see which UI you prefer. Apart from that, Xiaomi generally beats Oppo in photography and camera features – I own a Mi 14 Ultra and the newer models are even better.

[Niraj]

What's the service experience like? Have you faced any issues so far?

[Shalini]

Xiaomi is clearly the better choice for camera performance.

[Vidya]

Bro, I wanted to get the OnePlus 15 at 73 k, but the price went up to 78 k this month.

[Shanta]

Here's my take. For me, Xiaomi's HyperOS isn't up to the mark, so I'd suggest the Oppo Find X9. I've tried both the OnePlus 15 and the Find X9.

OS – OxygenOS feels better, but ColorOS is very close. If you strip the bloatware on the Find X9 (uninstall/disable apps or use Shizuku/Canta), it's basically the same OS. Leaving the bloatware is a big downside for the Find X9.

Performance – Overall smoothness leans toward OnePlus, though the gap is small.

Gaming – I don't game on phones, so I can't comment.

Battery – The OnePlus 15 has a slightly larger battery, but in daily use you won't notice a difference.

Camera – Both are very good, but I feel the Find X9's cameras are a bit superior. Highly zoomed shots on the Find X9 look overly processed.

Price – This mattered most. Both are around the 75 k range. With exchange and card discounts I could get the OnePlus 15 for about 65 k, but the Find X9 was around 53 k, making it a no‑brainer.

I ended up buying the Find X9.

I used to hate OPPO/VIVO/Realme after a bad experience with the Realme X2 Pro (unremovable bloatware and poor OS). I told myself I'd never consider them again, but the Find X9 truly surprised me.

[Vandana]

I have a Xiaomi 14 and after the HyperOS 3 update the battery drains quickly (I replaced it a month ago but it didn't help). The phone is very slow and can't even run CODM at 90 fps, whereas it used to run smoothly at 120 fps.

Software is king for me, so I can't recommend Xiaomi any more. Even with a Snapdragon Gen 3 chipset, the phone feels mediocre now. Their service centre hasn't offered any solution either.

[Falguni]

I have a Xiaomi 17 and I love it. The cameras, speaker and display are all great. It does get warm during heavy gaming, and you can find several YouTube videos showing it throttling a lot in games. I don't game much, so the phone runs extremely smooth and stays cool for other tasks.

If gaming is your priority, go for OnePlus. Otherwise, choose Xiaomi for its smaller form factor and excellent cameras. If cameras are the main thing, you can also look at Oppo and Vivo.

One more thing – I used an iPhone 14 Pro Max before switching to the Xiaomi 17. I noticed that during video calls the Xiaomi adds a smoothing filter. I've seen a similar brightening and smoothing effect on the front cameras of Oppo and Vivo phones in stores.