It has been a bumper year for Android phone releases in the UK, with new handsets at various prices from Samsung, Google, OnePlus, Motorola and Oppo all vying for our attention. Another firm that made great strides this year was Xiaomi, whose Xiaomi 15 Ultra and 15T Pro impressed me thoroughly with their camera prowess.

As the year draws to a close, we can look forward to 2026, and Xiaomi’s sub-brand Redmi has just announced five phones coming to these shores on January 5 that look like they could be great Android choices if you want the best specs possible on a tight budget.

The Redmi Note 15 series starts at just £179 for the Redmi Note 15. It doesn’t have 5G, but the payoff is a large 6,000mAh battery. It also has IP64 dust and water resistance, a 108MP main camera and a 6.77-inch FHD+ AMOLED screen with 120Hz refresh rate, great to see at this low price. It runs on the MediaTek Helio G100-Ultra, which is quite low-powered, so this won’t be a phone for high-end mobile games.

Pay just £20 more and you could get the Redmi Note 15 5G which adds that 5G connectivity but has a smaller 5,520mAh battery. Water resistance is improved at IP65, and while the camera and screen are the same as its cheaper sibling, it gets a processor bump to the Snapdragon 6 Gen 3. Both these phones start with 6GB RAM and 128GB storage, but there are also 8GB/256GB variants.

A step up gets you the Redmi Note 15 Pro for £249, but again with only 4G networking. The battery grows to 6,500mAh, a huge cell, plus IP65, a 200MP main camera, and Gorilla Glass Victus 2 protection from drops and scratches. The MediaTek Helio G200-Ultra should keep things ticking over for the most obvious smartphone tasks, plus the software offers AI tools for editing photos.

This 4G phone is available with 8GB RAM and 256GB storage, with 12GB/512GB also available.

Opting for the Redmi Note 15 Pro 5G sees 5G back in the frame and an even larger 6,580mAh battery, IP66/IP68 dust and water resistance, a 200MP main camera, Gorilla Glass Victus 2, 6.93-inch 1.5K AMOLED screen and MediaTek Dimensity 7400 Ultra – all from just £349 for 8GB RAM and 256GB storage.

That’s some serious smartphone value.

The top of the line phone in the range is the Redmi Note 15 Pro+ 5G, which costs £429 with 8GB RAM and 256GB storage, or £50 more for 12GB and 512GB. This model comes in a statement gold and brown two tone design and is the most powerful with the Snapdragon 7s Gen 4 chipset. Its 6,500mAh battery can be charged at 100W speeds with a compatible charger, but otherwise it has similar specs to the regular Note 15 Pro with 5G, IP66/IP68, 200MP main camera and the same display.

For £70 less than the price of a £499 Google Pixel 9a, the Redmi Note 15 Pro+ has double the storage, a larger battery, much faster charging, a larger, higher resolution display, better water resistance and a more eye-catching design.

If you are looking for a new Android phone as we head in 2026 – and you want to get the most bang for your buck – the Xiaomi Redmi Note 15 series could well be worth considering.

All five phones will be available to pre-order from Xiaomi’s UK website on January 5.