Technologies

The Xiaomi 15T and 15T Pro Have One Feature That Samsung Phones Don’t

The phones pack a lot for the money but US shoppers will have to look elsewhere.

Xiaomi’s 15 Ultra impressed me earlier in the year with its stellar camera setup that provides superb quality for pro shooters. But the company’s not done for the year just yet; the Xiaomi 15T and 15T Pro pack Leica-branded camera systems and a host of high-end tech into a metal body. I’ve been hands-on, and there’s a lot to like.

Both the processor and the cameras put in solid performances during my hands-on time with them. Plus, I was intrigued to hear about a unique new feature found only on the Xiaomi 15T and 15T Pro: a walkie talkie mode for making device-to-device voice calls in areas where there is no cell service.

Read more: I Took Over 1,000 Photos With the Xiaomi 15 Ultra. Check Out My Favorites

At the time of writing, Xiaomi wouldn’t confirm pricing details for the 15T or 15T Pro, but for reference, last year’s 14T Pro started at £650 (roughly $880) in the UK and was a high-performing mid-range handset. I’d expect the 15T Pro to come with a similar price tag. It’s safe to assume the base 15T will be at least £100 cheaper. As with all of Xiaomi’s products, an official US launch is not on the cards.

Xiaomi 15T Pro cameras

The back of the 15T Pro is home to a triple-camera array, which includes a 50-megapixel main camera, a 50-megapixel telephoto camera with 5x optical zoom and a 12-megapixel ultrawide camera.

On a sunny late summer day in Edinburgh, I found the main camera capable of taking solid shots with even exposure, accurate colors and plenty of detail.

Switching to the ultrawide lens, I’m not quite as impressed. The exposure balance isn’t as good and the details are noticeably poorer, especially towards the edge of the frame. Still, it’s fine for snaps.

But the 5x optical zoom is impressive, delivering crisp details and consistent exposure handling, just like the main camera.

Like the 15 Ultra, it also offers a Pro mode that allows you to shoot in RAW, manually adjust settings and choose from various color profiles — including several of the same Leica-branded ones found on Leica’s regular cameras.

Xiaomi 15T Pro: Design and display

The phone is made with an aluminum alloy frame and a glass fiber back, which feels sturdy in hand, while its IP68 waterproof rating means the occasional splash won’t be a problem. I think the phone looks a bit plain; even its «mocha gold» color leans more towards 1970s couch brown. But looks are subjective and hardly matter if you’re just going to throw a case on it anyway.

The 6.8-inch display is bright enough for use in direct sunlight, with rich colors and plenty of screen real estate to do justice to mobile games or YouTube videos — perfect for your commute.

Xiaomi 15T Pro: Processor, battery and extras

The 15T Pro runs on a MediaTek Dimensity 9400+ processor, which clocked some decent scores on the Geekbench 6 benchmark test. It came in a bit shy of the Galaxy S25 Ultra, but a fair way above the Google Pixel 10 Pro XL. In everyday use, I found it nippy and it handled gaming in PUBG and Destiny: Rising without any issues.

Powering the phone is a 5,500-mAh battery, which should get you through a full day of mixed use. It supports up to 90W wired charging, which should get juice back in the tank very quickly, assuming you have a compatible charger.

The phone runs Android 15 at its core and I’m a bit peeved that it comes preinstalled with a bunch of third-party apps, including Amazon shopping, Amazon music, AliExpress, Facebook and more. It makes the phone feel cluttered right out of the box; I recommend uninstalling whatever you don’t want before you even begin installing your own apps.

An interesting new feature is offline communication, which lets two 15T series phones make direct device-to-device voice calls from up to 1.9 kilometers away. It essentially turns the phone into a walkie-talkie, offerings a way to communicate in areas where there’s no cell service — like when you’re hiking with friends in the wilderness. It’s a novel idea, and as far as I know, unique to Xiaomi. That said, it currently only works if both you and your friend have a Xiaomi 15T or 15T Pro, so hopefully the company rolls it out to more devices soon.

Xiaomi 15T and 15T Pro: Are they any good?

The 15T Pro’s solid processor and camera performance make it a decent all-round phone for what I’m hoping will be a reasonable mid-range price tag. While it won’t be offering much competition to the likes of the Galaxy S25 Ultra or the new iPhone 17 Pro, it’s got everything you’d need from an everyday Android phone.

The base 15T packs most of the same camera setup but uses a slightly less powerful processor and misses out on the 90W fast charging found in its Pro sibling. I expect it to cost even less, making it a better option if you’re shopping on a budget.

Technologies

Meta and AMD’s Multibillion-Dollar Deal Is All About the AI Chips

Meta will take a stake in the chipmaker in exchange for a commitment to buy billions of dollars’ worth of AI chips.

Meta is joining OpenAI as one of the major tech companies to take a stake in chipmaker AMD, as part of an AI hardware buying frenzy. Meta and AMD on Tuesday announced a partnership that will involve CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s tech giant buying billions of dollars’ worth of AMD Instinct GPUs in order to fuel its ambitions to build out AI offerings across Meta platforms, including Instagram, Facebook and WhatsApp.

In a release, Meta described the deal as «multi-year,» and said the AI purchase will provide Meta with up to 6 gigawatts of AMD GPUs, «the silicon computing technology used to support modern AI models.»

According to the US Department of Energy, a single gigawatt (1 billion watts) is equivalent to nearly 2,000 large solar panels or 100 million LED bulbs.

In AMD’s version of the announcement, CEO Lisa Su said, «We are proud to expand our strategic partnership with Meta as they push the boundaries of AI at unprecedented scale.» As part of the deal, Meta will take a 10% stake in AMD.

AMD, based in Santa Clara, California, previously signed a deal with ChatGPT-maker OpenAI that it announced last October, which is similar to the Meta deal and also gives its AI rival 10% ownership of AMD.

(Disclosure: Ziff Davis, CNET’s parent company, in 2025 filed a lawsuit against OpenAI, alleging it infringed Ziff Davis copyrights in training and operating its AI systems.)

What does this mean for the rest of us?

AMD’s two megadeals may not have an immediate impact on people who use Meta’s social networking and communications apps, or even on those who buy AMD’s products, including desktop processors and graphics cards.

But it signals that large companies making huge bets on the future of AI are doing what they can to secure the hardware they need as supplies tighten and prices rise for components such as RAM. Some of those constraints aren’t expected to end anytime soon, and shoppers could begin to see prices rise even more than they already have for computers, smartphones, vehicles and other products that heavily rely on computing components like these.

It is also a sign that Meta’s ambitions for AI are not slowing down as it continues to compete with companies including OpenAI, Microsoft and Google to develop AI products and tools.

Also a factor: Meta’s push into wearables

Another reason AMD may want access to AI chips goes beyond its own data centers and online platforms: Meta has increasingly been focused on wearables such as its Oakley Meta AI Glasses and other potential new portable products.

In addition to what AMD’s GPUs can offer Meta for AI infrastructure power, AMD may also be part of its wearable future.

«With AI models requiring unprecedented processing power to process real-time data and information, Meta is focused on securing the supply chain necessary for its wearable devices,» said Michael J. Wolf, founder and CEO of the consulting firm Activate.

Wolf believes that the deals Meta and OpenAI have signed won’t be the last time a major AI-focused company locks down a supply of semiconductors.

«As consumer hardware transitions from smartphones to smart glasses, we will absolutely see more of these mega-deals,» Wolf said.

Technologies

Today’s NYT Connections: Sports Edition Hints and Answers for Feb. 25, #520

Here are hints and the answers for the NYT Connections: Sports Edition puzzle for Feb. 25, No. 520.

Looking for the most recent regular Connections answers? Click here for today’s Connections hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Mini Crossword, Wordle and Strands puzzles.

Today’s Connections: Sports Edition features a mix of difficulties. The green one is kind of fun today. If you’re struggling with today’s puzzle but still want to solve it, read on for hints and the answers.

Connections: Sports Edition is published by The Athletic, the subscription-based sports journalism site owned by The Times. It doesn’t appear in the NYT Games app, but it does in The Athletic’s own app. Or you can play it for free online.

Read more: NYT Connections: Sports Edition Puzzle Comes Out of Beta

Hints for today’s Connections: Sports Edition groups

Here are four hints for the groupings in today’s Connections: Sports Edition puzzle, ranked from the easiest yellow group to the tough (and sometimes bizarre) purple group.

Yellow group hint: Whack it!

Green group hint: Halloween colors.

Blue group hint: The airport is YUL.

Purple group hint: It’s also a hat.

Answers for today’s Connections: Sports Edition groups

Yellow group: To hit a baseball hard.

Green group: Orange and black teams.

Blue group: Associated with Montreal.

Purple group: ____ derby.

Read more: Wordle Cheat Sheet: Here Are the Most Popular Letters Used in English Words

What are today’s Connections: Sports Edition answers?

The yellow words in today’s Connections

The theme is to hit a baseball hard. The four answers are belt, blister, hammer and tattoo.

The green words in today’s Connections

The theme is orange and black teams. The four answers are Bengals, Flyers, Giants and Oklahoma State.

The blue words in today’s Connections

The theme is associated with Montreal. The four answers are 1976 Olympics, Canadiens, Expos and Youppi!

The purple words in today’s Connections

The theme is ____ derby. The four answers are home run, Kentucky, Merseyside and roller.

Technologies

Today’s NYT Mini Crossword Answers for Wednesday, Feb. 25

Here are the answers for The New York Times Mini Crossword for Feb. 25.

Looking for the most recent Mini Crossword answer? Click here for today’s Mini Crossword hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Wordle, Strands, Connections and Connections: Sports Edition puzzles.

I thought today’s Mini Crossword was a tough one! Read on for all the answers. And if you could use some hints and guidance for daily solving, check out our Mini Crossword tips.

If you’re looking for today’s Wordle, Connections, Connections: Sports Edition and Strands answers, you can visit CNET’s NYT puzzle hints page.

Read more: Tips and Tricks for Solving The New York Times Mini Crossword

Let’s get to those Mini Crossword clues and answers.