I’ve been writing about smartphones for nearly a decade now, and at no point have I become bored with them. I still love playing with “shiny new things” even when they aren’t actually shiny, because I’ve always been the kind of person who slaps their phone in a case, anyway. So when my colleagues tell me they think smartphones have become boring, I shrug my shoulders as I’ve never valued smartphone design as much as they do. After spending some time with the new Xiaomi 15 Ultra, though, I’m starting to agree with them about how lazy and uninspired many modern smartphones are.
My history with phones isn’t as storied as that of some of my colleagues, but I’ve reviewed my fair share of what people consider unique or beautiful smartphones. I’ve seen phones with transparent or color-changing backs, bold and vibrant colors, sleek and hard-to-etch materials, and so on. I wouldn’t say the Xiaomi 15 Ultra is the best-looking of all the phones I’ve seen, but there’s something about its design that just resonated with me, despite not being a photography enthusiast or even having used a vintage camera. Yes, the Xiaomi 15 Ultra makes me feel nostalgic for something I shouldn’t have nostalgia for, a sensation that people call “anemoia” — a feeling of nostalgia for a time you’ve never known.