5 vs 15

Phone 1

Phone 2

Winner

Xiaomi 15

The 15 wins this one, taking performance and display decisively. Against the 5 it's also the sounder buy at $16.87 per month of safe use.

Value Score: 5 57 · 15 67 — methodology

The lifespan decider

When specs are close, support length decides it — this is what each phone costs per month of safe use.

Fairphone 5 $600

Safe to buy$9.54/mo

2023◆ Buy-by Sep 20292031

Xiaomi 15 $750

Safe to buy$16.87/mo

2025◆ Buy-by Mar 20282030

Category by category

Display

5 5015 90

The 15's screen is the better one — 6.36-inch crystalres amoled, 2670×1200 (460 ppi), 1–120hz ltpo, up to 3200 nits peak, dolby vision/hdr10+.

Performance

5 5515 98

The 15's Snapdragon 8 Elite is simply the faster chip.

Camera

5 6715 79

The 15 has the stronger camera system (3 real rear lenses vs 2).

Battery

5 6415 85

5,240mAh vs 4,200mAh — the 15 lasts longer between charges.

Software longevity

5 7515 53

The 5 is supported until Sep 2031 — 18 months longer than the 15.

Value

5 5715 67

Overall value goes to the 15 at $16.87 per month of safe use.

Full spec table

Spec	5	15
Price (street)	$600	$750
Display	6.46-inch OLED, FHD+, 90Hz, Gorilla Glass 5	6.36-inch CrystalRes AMOLED, 2670×1200 (460 ppi), 1–120Hz LTPO, up to 3200 nits peak, Dolby Vision/HDR10+
Chipset	Qualcomm QCM6490 (6nm)	Snapdragon 8 Elite
RAM	8GB	12GB
Storage	256GB	256GB/512GB
Battery	4,200 mAh	5,240 mAh
Charging	30W wired; user-removable battery	90W wired, 50W wireless
Rear cameras	50MP main, 50MP ultra-wide	50MP main (Light Fusion 900, f/1.62), 50MP ultra-wide, 50MP telephoto (Leica 60mm floating)
Dimensions	161.6 × 75.8 × 9.6 mm	152.3 × 71.2 × 8.08 mm
Weight	212 g	191 g
Water resistance	IP55 (also MIL-STD-810H)	IP68
Supported until	Sep 2031	Mar 2030

5 full verdict →15 full verdict →Longevity master board →

Scores and verdicts are computed from our verified database — see exactly how. Specs from manufacturer documentation; prices reflect major US retailers.