- GeniusUpdates1@Gmail.com
Menu
[i2pc pros_icon=”icon icon-thumbs-up” cons_icon=”icon icon-thumbs-down” show_title=”false” title=”Pros & Cons” show_button=”false” pros_title=”Pros” cons_title=”Cons” ][i2pros]Excellent 120 Hertz 2K AMOLED display
Rapid performance (SD888, UFS 3.1, DDR5)
55W wireless and wired charging
Very nice videos and photos.
Strong reception and plenty of sensors
China version with all mains frequencies!
Cheap for a flagship
[/i2pros][i2cons]SD888 overheats on benchmarks
No IP certification
Below average battery life.
[/i2cons][/i2pc]
With the Xiaomi Mi 11, you confidently herald the new flagship series. According to Xiaomi, one million devices were sold in just 21 days. The smartphone is currently only on the market in China. We can expect the global version of the Xiaomi Mi 11 on February 8th. The Xiaomi Mi 11 has a particularly high-resolution 2K display, which nobody actually asked for.
Otherwise, this year you get the latest connectivity standards (including LTE Band 20), fast charging options for the 4600 mAh battery, a thin case, and the brand new Snapdragon 888 processor with UFS 3.1 memory chips. With the Xiaomi Mi 11, they want to win Huawei’s market share and deliberately set the same price as last year. In China, the Mi 11 is definitely a bargain at 52,000 Tk, but that will certainly change in this country with the global version. The Xiaomi Mi 11 has now been my main smartphone for 10 days, and in this detailed test, you will learn everything you should know about the new high-end smartphone.
Xiaomi does not dare to experiment with the Mi 11. Glass and metal are used as materials, as you would expect from a flagship. The back of the black version is matte and changes color to silver depending on the light. The Xiaomi Mi 11 is also available in blue and white. We also have a blue version here, and when the light hits it, the color has hardly anything to do with blue.
All variants have the matte surface in common, which is very scratch-resistant on the one hand and resistant to fingerprints and grease streaks on the other. The back is protected by Corning Gorilla Glass 5. Xiaomi once again rejects fans of waterproof smartphones because the Xiaomi Mi 11 does not have an IP certificate.
The back and front of the Xiaomi Mi 11 are strongly rounded (curved), leaving only a 2mm thin metal strip of the frame on the sides. The frame is so thin on the left and right that it was made extra wide on the right for the power button and volume control. The buttons are also made of metal and have a pleasantly firm pressure point with great feedback. You won’t find any manufacturing flaws or large gaps in the flagship.
The back has a surprisingly clean design and is only adorned with silver “Xiaomi” lettering. The camera module relies on large lenses for the main and ultra-wide-angle cameras. The dual-tone LED flash and the macro sensor are housed a little more discreetly, and the inscription ” 108MP OIS ASPH.” can hardly be seen.
The main camera has a silver ring and protrudes 2 millimeters from the back. This makes the Xiaomi Mi 11 very wobbly on flat surfaces. At 8.5 millimeters, the Mi 11 has become surprisingly thin (Mi 10 Ultra: 10mm) and you can clearly see that in practice.
The lower weight of 196 grams is also noticeable compared to the predecessors (Mi 10 Ultra: 222g – Mi 10: 210g). With dimensions of 164.3 x 74.6 mm, the Xiaomi Mi 11 is not a small smartphone, and the weight is not exactly light either. However, the back is excellent and also ensures that the Mi 11 is not as slippery as glossy glass smartphones. As usual, a silicone protective cover is included in the scope of delivery.
A highlight of the Mi 11 is the real stereo speakers. There is a speaker on the bottom and one on the top. The sound is loud, differentiated, and even has a hint of bass. The sound could be a bit clearer at maximum volume, but it scratches a bit here. Considering that this is a smartphone, this is complaining at a high level.
There is a USB-C port at the bottom of the Xiaomi Mi 11(unfortunately only 2.0), the main microphone, and the SIM card slot. The Mi 11 is a dual SIM smartphone and gets along with two nano SIM cards. As usual with flagships, the memory cannot be expanded with a micro SD. An infrared transmitter and a second microphone (for noise suppression when making calls) are also located on the top. There is no notification LED, but Xiaomi provides an adjustable always-on display.
The bezels around the display are minimal and give the Mi 11 a very modern look. It is less than 2mm to the left and right of the display, exactly 2mm at the top and 3mm at the bottom. The full-screen impression is only interrupted by the small punch-hole notch at the top left. The display, which is rounded off in all directions, does take some getting used to, as it has wider edges at the corners than on the sides. However, the touch sensitivity of the touchscreen in the corners and on the rounded edges of the display can be deactivated individually, and there were no problems during use.
What works really well with curved displays are the swipe gestures. Alternatively, the Xiaomi Mi 11 can also be controlled with classic configurable on-screen buttons. The smartphone is unlocked with the fingerprint sensor in the display and face recognition via the front camera. Both work simply and perfectly, and you land on the home screen in less than a second. The fingerprint sensor can also capture your heart rate, which is a nice gimmick on the side.
The Mi 11 consists of a perfectly crafted 6.81-inch display that is rounded in all directions. The back also follows this curved design. This makes the Mi 11 very comfortable to hold and the matte glass back is my personal highlight. The pompous camera module makes an impression. You can like that, but you don’t have to. In any case, there is nothing to complain about in terms of processing. The fact that Xiaomi is still installing a USB 2 port in 2021 is somehow inappropriate for a 52,000 TK flagship. Otherwise, the Mi 11 is a surprisingly thin and really well-made device.
The 6.81-inch AMOLED display of the Xiaomi Mi 11 has a resolution of 3200*1440 pixels. This WQHD resolution is a first for Xiaomi, and it is certainly no coincidence that Samsung omits it from the S21. The Xiaomi Mi 11 thus achieves an enormous pixel density of 515 pixels per inch. This means that all content appears perfectly sharp, but this is already the case with FHD (2400 x 1080 pixels).
In my opinion, such a high-resolution display is hardly worth the loss of battery life and is therefore mainly used for marketing. Xiaomi has successfully resisted here for so long, but now that Samsung is omitting it, it seems they see an opportunity here. The resolution can of course also be reduced to FHD, and with WQHD an automatic mode can be activated that automatically adjusts the resolution if it is not required.
If we think back to the normal Mi 10, the 120Hz refresh rate is actually enough as an upgrade. This means that all animations in the MIUI system appear perfectly smooth, and scrolling in the browser is a lot of fun. All actions on the Xiaomi Mi 11 look super smooth. Xiaomi usually offers an automatic mode here as well, which automatically lowers the hertz rate for still images in order to save energy.
This model is currently not “yet” available, but should be delivered later via an update. The Xiaomi Mi 11 is Widevine L1 certified and the display supports HDR 10+. This means that HDR content can be played back on Netflix or YouTube, for example, which benefits from the high brightness of the display. Thanks to Widevine L1, HD resolutions can also be used without any problems with all streaming providers, even with the China version. The Mi 11 achieves 830 lux in manual mode and boosts it up to 1200 lux in automatic mode. Both are excellent values, and readability in direct sunlight is very good.
I find it very positive that the brightness does not suddenly increase in automatic mode, but increases slowly over several seconds with increased brightness. It remains to be seen whether this is due to the 360° brightness sensor or whether the automatic regulation works very well in any case. The contrast is excellent, as is typical for AMOLED, and Xiaomi’s settings for color display offer almost unlimited possibilities. The viewing angle stability of the display is basically good, but the reflections on the curves (curved display) are, of course, clearly noticeable when looking at it from the side.
The Xiaomi Mi 11 is also not lacking in other setting options for the display. For sensitive users, DC dimming is available. You have a terminable dark mode (black/white reversal) and a terminable reading mode (reduction of blue light radiation) to choose from. As mentioned above, the resolution and the Hertz frequency can also be set individually.
With the “ AI image engine ” setting, the resolution of videos is increased, the HDR effect is further increased, or videos are given additional images. These AI settings are all deactivated by default and should be seen more as a gimmick. The Always On Display should also be mentioned again at this point. This offers many different designs to choose from and can, of course, also be timed or, if desired, appear only 10 seconds after tapping the display.
The display glass is the latest Gorilla Glass Victus. The touchscreen has a greatly increased sampling rate of 480 Hz. You can reproduce that with a slow-motion video, but you don’t have any real advantages when typing. In any case, the touchscreen reacts super fast and super accurately. There were no errors in the test due to the curved display, since Xiaomi also provides an extra option for this that works perfectly.
If you don’t have a problem with a curved display per se, the Xiaomi Mi 11 offers the best display that currently seems possible. It’s super sharp, super fast, and super bright. The only criticism of the device is that you can currently only choose between permanent 60 and permanent 120Hz. This should actually be easy to solve with an update. After all, devices like a Poco X3 have this feature.
The Snapdragon 888 is Qualcomm’s top processor for 2021 and also powers the Xiaomi Mi 11 with almost unlimited performance. The octa-core processor is manufactured using the modern 5-nanometer process, and the cores are divided into the following clusters:
In combination with the Adreno 660 GPU and at least 8GB of RAM (12GB is also possible), you get a lot of power on paper. There is a choice of 128 or 256GB of UFS 3.1 storage. The DDR5 RAM is impressive, with a transfer rate of 59GB/s. The internal memory is also very fast, with a read/write rate of 1503/750 MB/s. The Xiaomi Mi 11 does not experience any delays in the system in 120 Hertz mode.
As soon as an app is downloaded, it is already installed in a blink of an eye. The “App is being installed” display is no longer available in the Xiaomi Mi 11 Playstore. Multitasking is easy, and even switching between demanding apps like games is smooth and instantaneous. In practice, the Xiaomi Mi 11 didn’t make a game sweat, and after an hour of Asphalt 9, the temperature is 38°. So, even without a case, hardly disturbing.
The temperature behaves completely differently in benchmarks and here there is also the assumption that the Snapdragon 888 is working far below its performance. There is hardly any increase in performance in the benchmarks compared to the SD865 / 865+. Hardly any performance reserves are needed for the latest games, but benchmarks such as Antutu or Throttle Test squeeze the Xiaomi Mi 11 quite a bit.
The device then heats up to 47° (measured to the right of the camera) and you can clearly feel that in the entire upper area of the smartphone. In the throttle test, the performance drops to 70% after 15 minutes and the SD888 has reached a temperature of over 60°. So Xiaomi and Qualcomm still have some work to do here, because the Mi 11 doesn’t seem to be the only device with this problem. Important: Even with demanding 3D games, there are no heat problems, even after an hour. But two benchmarks are enough to make the Mi 11 glow.
The Snapdragon 888 still needs some tweaking, which is hardly a problem given the Mi 11’s early launch. In practical use, it has no negative effects, at least for the moment, but if you ever need more than 80% of the SD888’s performance, then problems will arise. Otherwise, the Xiaomi Mi 11 has installed the finest hardware that you can currently have.
We’ll keep it short when it comes to the system since MIUI 12.5 will only be released in the next few months and doesn’t bring any major innovations. You can find the most important innovations for MIUI 12.5 in our announcement about the new operating system.
Otherwise, MIUI 12 on the Xiaomi Mi 11 is, of course, based on Android 11. You hardly have to worry about updates with Xiaomi’s flagships. For example, the Mi 6 received 2 Android function updates and 3 MIUI version updates. As soon as MIUI 12.5 is available, there will be a small update for practical use on the Mi 11 at this point.
The Xiaomi Mi 11 is ideal for import due to the extensive LTE and 5G frequencies. In these instructions, you will learn how to set up the Chinese ROM, i.e., install the Google Playstore. Otherwise, we recommend installing the Xiaomi.EU ROM or the official Global ROM (when the Mi 11 Global is released). All that is required is an unlock of the bootloader, which usually requires a waiting period of 7 days. In this guide, you will learn how to unlock the bootloader on Xiaomi.
The Chinese Xiaomi Mi 11 has a Widevine L1 certification, camera API Level_3, a certified Playstore, and passes the SafetyNet check. There will be no restrictions compared to the global version.
With regard to the camera sensors, the Xiaomi Mi 11 is not a direct upgrade to the Xiaomi Mi 10, but at least Xiaomi spares the superfluous 2-megapixel sensors. So you get a 108-megapixel main camera in the Mi 11, which can still compete with the best camera smartphones on the market. The additional ultra wide-angle camera has a 13-megapixel Omnivision sensor, and even the macro camera offers recognizable added value with a 2X telephoto 5-megapixel sensor. The selfie camera remains identical to the Mi 10 series with the 20-megapixel S5K3T2, but Xiaomi adds EIS stabilization for videos.
In a camera comparison, we immediately compared the Xiaomi Mi 11 with the Xiaomi Mi 10 Ultra. The ULTRA Xiaomi smartphone from last year was not released as a global version and, of course, puts the normal Mi 11 in its place. Nevertheless, you get a good overview of how good the camera setup of the Xiaomi Mi 11 is in comparison to one of the best camera smartphones on the market. So you have to completely do without a zoom camera with the Mi 11. This feature is reserved for the Mi 11 Pro.
You have to do without a laser or hybrid focus. With the Mi 11, it should be set up with a perfectly normal PDAF. This also works well in practice, the only noticeable thing is the relatively long processing time after the trigger. In daylight, the processing of the 108MP recordings is still fast enough, but with night recordings you notice a clear difference compared to the Mi 10 Ultra. So it takes a few seconds for the picture to be available. Through pixel binning, the sensor delivers 27-megapixel images on the device, which have an average size of 10-15MB.
The Xiaomi Mi 11 produces top-quality daylight shots with plenty of detail, excellent dynamics, and crisp colors. If you want, you can go one better with the HDR mode, which sometimes results in an overexposed scenario. As usual, there is also the AI mode, which displays the colors even more strongly. As so often, we can hardly recommend the 108-megapixel mode.
The best macro sensor to date works in the Poco F2 Pro, and now Xiaomi is also giving the Mi 11 a decent upgrade. Not only do the 5 megapixels provide more details, but the 2X zoom is also a big advantage. Once you have found the right distance, the Xiaomi Mi 11 produces very nice macro shots.
Since there is an extra macro sensor, Xiaomi uses a fixed focus in the ultra-wide-angle camera. In comparison to the main camera, the dynamics suffer here, and the colors appear visibly oversaturated. But the details are still okay, and the camera definitely has a right to exist. As soon as you zoom in on the recordings, a visible blurring at the edges and the limited details in the recording also become apparent.
If desired, the Xiaomi Mi 11 works with a night mode that exposes the images longer and thus visibly brightens them. This also works well in practice, and the night shots of the Mi 11 convince with many details, realistic colors, and sufficient dynamics. This is where you notice the OIS (optical image stabilization) the most because there is hardly any waste in night shots. At the same time, there is no increase in this discipline compared to the Xiaomi Mi 10. Night shots with the ultra-wide-angle camera are not recommended.
The selfie camera of the Xiaomi Mi 11 has a resolution of 20 megapixels and, of course, has the usual beauty and AI fun at the start. Irrespective of this, the selfie camera delivers consistently good results, and you don’t necessarily have to pay attention to the perfect distance to the face. The photos are always rich in detail and color-coordinated. Sometimes the recording is not 100% sharp.
The Xiaomi Mi 11 reliably stabilizes all cameras in the device that can also record videos. With the main camera, you get excellent videos with a maximum of 4K/60FPS, which score with many details, accurate colors, and good dynamics. The stabilization with EIS and OIS works just fine.
The Xiaomi Mi 11 can also record 8K videos, but despite its enormous size, they don’t deliver the hoped-for added value. The stabilization by the EIS is also missing with 8K recordings. Xiaomi now also reliably stabilizes the selfie camera at a maximum of 1080p/30FPS. A 4K mode is not available here either, but you can take pictures at 60 FPS, which are then not stabilized and deliver a larger picture section. The use of an EIS is always associated with a crop.
The ultra-wide-angle camera also takes stabilized 4K recordings at 30 FPS, which is quite impressive. However, it is still not possible to switch between the sensors during recording. The sound quality of all the recordings is convincing. A slow-motion function is also included and offers 1080p recordings at 480FPS.
The Xiaomi Mi 11 series cements Xiaomi’s reputation in cell phone cameras. Without major hardware changes, Xiaomi delivers excellent day and night performance, at least with the main camera. The ultra wide-angle camera and the macro camera, on the other hand, offer added value. When it comes to videos, Xiaomi convinces with excellent stabilization, and the front camera is now also stabilized.
If you need a zoom camera, you have to wait for the Xiaomi Mi 11 Pro, otherwise, the manufacturer offers a flagship-worthy performance with the Mi 11. The fact that the “superfluous” 2-megapixel sensors of the Mi 10 are buried simply gives us a good feeling, since Xiaomi implements user feedback.
The Xiaomi Mi 11 does not show any weaknesses when it comes to connection standards. Since the Mi 8, Xiaomi’s Chinese flagships have not had our important LTE Band 20, now all-important 2G, 3G, 4G, and 5G frequencies in this country are completely covered:
Call quality is good and features like VoWiFi and VoLTE are supported. The Xiaomi Mi 11 is, of course, a dual SIM smartphone and can also use two 5G SIM cards at the same time. With the Mi 10, the decision was made in this country for a single SIM for the global version. Hopefully, that will not happen with the Mi 11.
With WiFi 6, the Xiaomi Mi 11 completely squeezes my 250/40 MBit line. 250/40 Mbit/s are constantly transmitted in the direct vicinity of the router. At a distance of 10m and 2 walls, it’s still a decent 100/40 MBit/s. So you don’t have to worry about range and data throughput. Version 5.2 of the latest standard is also used for Bluetooth, and the following audio codecs are supported: AAC, LDAC, LHDC, aptX, and aptX-Adaptive.
The dual GPS, which uses Galileo, Glonass, Beidou, QZSS, and Navis L, reaches a new level. Even indoors, the Xiaomi Mi 11 connects to 15-20 satellites and determines the position with an accuracy of 10m. Outside, there were 50 connected satellites and there were no restrictions, either for pedestrians or in cars. NFC payments with Google Pay are also no problem.
You have to do without the 3.5mm headphone jack, and an adapter from USB-C to the jack is unfortunately not included. The above-mentioned stereo loudspeakers make up for this with a very good sound. In addition to the 3 standard sensors (acceleration, proximity, and brightness sensors), there are also a gyroscope, compass, and infrared transmitter.
In recent years, flagship battery life has generally increased significantly. This was largely due to ever-increasing energy stores and more economical processors. The Xiaomi Mi 11 packs a well-sized 4600mAh battery, which is quite impressive considering the thickness of the smartphone. I was on my last day shift in the shaft with my usage profile (120Hz and WQHD resolution in automatic mode, AOD activated) with a lot of social media (Whatsapp, Telegram, Skype, Wechat), 60 minutes of YouTube, 90 minutes of surfing and playing around with the camera app.
One hour of YouTube costs 10% of the battery, and one hour of gaming (Asphalt 9 or Real Racing 3) costs 20% of the battery. Nevertheless, a DOT (time with the display switched on) of 5-6 hours does not present the Snapdragon 888 in a good light at the moment. If you play games on the Mi 11, you won’t make it through a day with a full charge, that’s for sure.
The benchmarks also confirm this impression, with the 120Hz option only costing one hour of runtime and the high display resolution shortening the runtime by 2 hours. This is actually unusual since Xiaomi usually automatically reduces Hertz in the benchmark. However, the Mi 11 still lacks this dynamic Hertz feature and could increase the battery life by 60 minutes in practical use.
The Xiaomi Mi 11 had to be plugged in every day during the test period, but with 55 watts of wired charging and equally fast wireless QI wireless charging, that’s hardly a problem. In 42 minutes, the supplied charging adapter goes from 0 to 100%. Xiaomi announced in advance that the charging adapter is not in the box, but you can get the charging adapter free of charge if you wish.
At least in China, this is the current practice. How it is handled in this country remains to be seen. I have already tested the necessary wireless charging adapter for you. It costs 3,000-4,000 Tk and fully charges the Mi 11 in 50 minutes. Reverse wireless charging is also possible with up to 10 watts.
The Xiaomi Mi 11 heralds the 2021 flagship season and, as is well known, it is not easy to be the first. The Snapdragon 888, on which many high-end smartphones will be based this year, currently has a problem with heat development. However, this does not currently affect the practical use of the Xiaomi Mi 11 but should be eliminated by Qualcomm and Xiaomi. The Xiaomi Mi 11 convinces in the test with flawless workmanship, a well-thought-out back, and a chic and, above all, thin design.
The AMOLED display is upgraded to 120Hz, although the 2K resolution could have been saved. The modern memory chips work as fast as an arrow and the SD888 can’t get out of breath with games either. In the MIUI system, everything runs quickly and without delays. The camera is a facelift of the Xiaomi Mi 10 and it is quite successful. All cameras are convincing in the test and the main camera is also at the top. Xiaomi doesn’t set new standards here, but we don’t expect that from the “normal” Mi 11 either. There will be a Mi 11 Pro for this later and maybe even a Mi 11 Ultra.
In terms of radio standards, everything you could wish for is included. The battery life is currently well below average for Xiaomi standards, but there is still room for improvement. A day of intensive use is still possible, and at the socket or on the wireless charging pad it goes from 0 to 100% in less than an hour. All of this is currently available with the China version for just under 52,000 Tk.
Daraz and other online shops deliver the device to your doorstep in 10-15 days and also cover the import costs. 7 days later, you can install the Xiaomi. You will have a German system with all MIUI features, and even LTE Band 20 is included here again.
