Xiaomi Mi 11 review: specs to challenge the Galaxy S21 but not the battery
"The screen, camera and performance of the Xiaomi Mi 11 are enviable, but the battery disappoints and the software has yet to be polished."
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Stunning screen
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Capable 108MP camera
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Very fast wired and wireless charging
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Bad battery life
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Software has yet to be polished
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Not widely available (yet)
If you've looked at the Samsung Galaxy S21 and S21 Plus and shrugged your shoulders without being impressed by the decent but not standout specs, the Xiaomi Mi 11 may be exactly what you're looking for. It has the specs and feature lists we've come to expect from Samsung's reasonably large flagship S-series phones, then charges less than the simplest Galaxy S21 to own the device.
Xiaomi has long excelled by delivering strong specifications on paper coupled with an affordable price, but then stumbled in terms of ease of use and polish. It has a great chance to impress with the Mi 11. Did it do that too?
design
With its metal frame, the curved Gorilla Glass Victus above the screen and Gorilla Glass 5 for the back, the Xiaomi Mi 11 is made of exactly the materials that we expect from a top smartphone today. The hue of the ice blue paint on the back of my Mi 11 changes slightly as it catches the light, it doesn't attract too many fingerprints and the overall footprint of the phone is manageable. At 196 grams, it's not too heavy either.
Andy Boxall / Digital Trends
The camera module on the back is unusual, not only in its shape, but also because of the number of "steps" it takes. There are three different levels, all in different shapes and with different lenses and colors, so that they are immediately recognizable. It's kind of busy like the S21's lens assembly, but it's certainly not to be confused with any other camera array out there.
Maybe it's a good thing it looks different, as the Mi 11 doesn't push smartphone design in any other way. As expected, the curved panes of glass meet the metal case, there are speaker grilles at the top and bottom, no headphone jack and three buttons on the right side of the case. In your hand, it feels like the OnePlus 8, Galaxy S20 +, Oppo Find X2 Pro, and many other phones that have been released in recent years.
Andy Boxall / Digital Trends
A strange part of the design involves the bezels around the corners of the screen. The edges of the device appear to be at a slightly different angle than the edges of the screen. Once you notice this, it becomes frustratingly difficult not to see them. Even if the glass is curved on the sides, the screen does not extend far down. Some may see this as an advantage, but it also means that the black bezels are more noticeable than we'd like them to be.
Screen and audio
The Mi 11 has a 6.81-inch AMOLED screen with a resolution of 3,200 x 1,400 pixels, a refresh rate of 120 Hz, HDR10 + support and a maximum brightness of 1,500 nits. This goes beyond the specifications of the Galaxy S21 + and is the same as the Galaxy S21 Ultra. However, does it really matter that the FHD + screen performance of the Galaxy S21 + is indistinguishable from the WQHD + screen of the S20 +?
Andy Boxall / Digital Trends
When I put the Mi 11 next to the S21 +, I really can't see any difference when playing high definition videos on YouTube – but that's not a bad thing as it looks amazing. This version of Iz * One's panoramic music video (below) looks sharp and stunning on both phones. It offers a multitude of colors and deep contrasts, perfect control during the sequences with flashing lights and fast movements as well as high brightness. Xiaomi adapts Samsung's screen performance to the Mi 11.
Andy Boxall / Digital Trends
The excellent dual speaker system from Xiaomi with audio tuned by Harmon Kardon is clear and loud, with only minimal harshness at maximum volume. The speakers are too small for a lot of bass, but the Mi 11 has a deeper sound than the iPhone 12 Pro and sounds very similar to the Galaxy S21 + overall. It's also great to see AptX HD and AptX Adaptive on the list of Bluetooth features, which means the Mi 11 will stream the highest quality audio to compatible headphones. YouTube music sounded great when listening to the Vivo TWS Neo earbuds with AptX Adaptive, and there was little occasional lag while gaming.
Andy Boxall / Digital Trends
I couldn't find any downsides with the display itself, but was surprised that the 120Hz refresh rate had to be turned on instead of setting it by default. Some people may miss out because of this quirk. Otherwise, the Mi 11's audiovisual experience is superb and certainly on par with the very best phones you can buy today.
camera
The multilevel module on the back of the Mi 11 contains three cameras: a 108-megapixel main camera with a 1 / 1.33-inch sensor and optical image stabilization, a 13-megapixel wide-angle camera and a 5-megapixel macro camera. It doesn't have an optical zoom but has some unusual video camera features and it can also record 8K videos. The 20-megapixel selfie camera is located in a hole cutout on the screen.
Andy Boxall / Digital Trends
The 108MP sensor seems to be the ISOCELL HM3 from Samsung, which can also be found in the Galaxy S21 Ultra. I enjoyed using the Mi 11 as I'm sure it will take good photos, but I missed an optical zoom feature and found there were more images to edit than on the Galaxy S21 Ultra. The white balance, for example, seems to be a weak point in the camera.
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Mi 11 original - 2.
Mi 11 cropped version
However, there is no denying how much detail the camera captures. In the photo of the pond above, there is a small sign on the wall in the center of the photo. Only when you zoom in to the right can you clearly read the message "Don't leave any trash, take it home". The same photo shows the beautiful tone of the Mi 11, which very effectively captures the colors at the end of winter.
The large sensor adds a deep, natural depth of field and is really more effective than the random portrait mode for adding bokeh to your photos. Dim light is good too. The early morning red sky photo still shows a decent level of detail, even though the 2x setting is a digital zoom. Some edge distortion is noticeable in wide-angle shots and the colors are a little muted.
The Mi 11's camera, whether it's still images or videos, is a great partner.
The auto focus makes the 5 megapixel macro camera more user-friendly than most, but it's still not quite as good as the Galaxy S21 Ultra's macro mode, which uses the wide-angle camera. It's problematic because it's a bit of a hit or a miss when it comes to whether it focuses on what you want. Tapping the screen helps, but the camera never seems to be happy with the distance from the subject. It therefore takes time to do everything “just right”. That's fine if your subject is stationary and you don't mind taking multiple photos, but not if it's moving. Either way, you will need patience and a blank gallery to get a usable photo or two.
Video and editing modes
The Mi 11 camera gimmick (and yes, they are gimmicks) is related to video. When you hit the Movie Effects setting, you'll get a selection of clever, but very niche video effects for you to try out. Magic Zoom creates your own dolly shot (like that famous shot by Jaws) while Time Freeze keeps your subject in the shot as the world continues to move around it, and Parallel World folds the scene on itself in an inception style .
Each works reasonably well and is due to Xiaomi's artificial intelligence (A.I.) and software efforts, but they can only be used in very specific situations. Magic Zoom works best when there is a large distance between you and your subject, so it needs to be quite large. Time Freeze needs people to work and they have to do something vaguely interesting to make it interesting. Movement restrictions that I live in mean these features are mostly unusable for the time being. But even when I see real people again, I can't see these features being used except out of curiosity.
Wed 11 edited sky photo Andy Boxall / Digital Trends
The 8K video recording feature is available at 24 frames per second (fps) or 30 fps, resulting in massive file sizes (at least 500MB per minute) and content that you can only really enjoy on an 8K TV. There are plenty of other modes too, from a 15 second short video setting to a dual video mode that lets you record with both the front and rear cameras. There are a lot of things you can try out – just don't expect them to be features that you use every day.
Xiaomi's photo editing mode is similarly fun and once again shows its A.I. Skills. There is an effective editing feature that can be used to change the appearance of the sky, such as: B. a bokeh portrait mode for the sky, which is surprisingly good at completely changing the mood of a photo. The Mi 11's camera, whether it's still images or videos, is a great partner. The features can be playful, but there's plenty to do on occasion and the quality of the main camera is undeniable.
Software and performance
My test Mi 11 exaggerated Android 11 with MIUI 12 and installed the security patch from January 1, 2021. It's the best version of MIUI I've used, but that's not a clear recommendation – it just means it's not as fussy as older versions. On the positive side, it's very pretty and very fast, and for the most part, the settings menu is very well laid out. Every app I've downloaded has worked without any problems and isn't frustrating to operate.
Andy Boxall / Digital Trends
However, there are some issues that you won't find with the S21 + or iPhone. The keyboard is at the very bottom of the phone, which can be a hassle to use. Notifications do well in the notification shadow and you can interact with them there, but I didn't always get them all and sometimes the phone would deliver a multitude of notifications together when I unlocked them for some other reason. There is also no "jump" to the notification shadow. So if you swipe the screen to reveal hidden messages, the shadows will simply close and you will be returned to the home screen.
I like the different options that always appear on the screen, the numerous customization options for the display, and the dark mode. Oddly enough, dark mode also adds darkness to the wallpaper, but this can be turned off by digging into the settings. This is probably the biggest problem with MIUI. The endless customization means investing time getting it just right and sometimes not knowing why something looks or works like this.
Andy Boxall / Digital Trends
Andy Boxall / Digital Trends
Andy Boxall / Digital Trends
Andy Boxall / Digital Trends
Finding the macro mode in the camera app is a good example of MIUI being crowded and chaotic. This is not a standard setting in the option list in the viewfinder, is not a "flower" symbol next to the wide-angle and zoom options, and is not hidden in the "More" menu. Instead, it's under another menu at the top of the screen that is far too easy to miss.
None of these things make MIUI particularly bad. They just mean that the Mi 11's software has a steep learning curve before it really feels at home, especially if you're coming from an operating system like iOS or Android on a Google Pixel phone.
The new Snapdragon 888 chip from Qualcomm supplies the Mi 11 with power. My trial version has 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage, but a 256GB model with 12GB of RAM is also available. I can't understand why you need 12GB of RAM as I never thought the phone would be slow to respond. I've played Asphalt 9: Legends and it's fluid, very fast, and the screen looks wonderful. Due to its moderate weight, the Mi 11 is ideal for playing. There is also a game mode that can save notifications and mute calls.
Battery and security
Now we come to the biggest disappointment in the Mi 11 – the battery. The 4,600mAh cell may have the capacity to last a long time, and comes with wired and wireless fast charging, but doesn't have the guts to last longer than a full day (and even then, it's just that) when it does Fall is under heavy use.
Andy Boxall / Digital Trends
At the moment I mostly use Wi-Fi, and even then the Mi 11's battery life showed up. With some videos, some photos, a short gaming session, and normal use outside of those things, the battery dropped to 60% in the early afternoon. That's at least 20% less than most other phones, including the Galaxy S21 Ultra. Take it outside and connect to a cell signal and things are worse.
With moderate use, the battery drains at an alarming rate, and even in the middle of the day I wondered if I needed to charge it before going to bed. The cell is not small and the phone does not get hot, suggesting that it is a software optimization issue and future software updates may improve battery life. Fortunately, there is a wired 55 watt charger in the box, which promises a quick charging time of 45 minutes. If you have the Xiaomi 50W wireless charger, the charging time is still less than an hour. However, this is not included with the phone.
The biggest disappointment in the Mi 11 – the battery.
The security systems are better, but also not perfect. The built-in fingerprint sensor sometimes takes a few longer hits than expected to unlock the phone. So if you lift your finger too quickly, it won't open. It's frustrating that this isn't always the case. Hence, it is difficult to adjust your usage to compensate for this. However, the face unlock is very quick, so you may not be using the fingerprint sensor at all.
Price and availability
Choosing the Mi 11 over the Galaxy S21 or S21 + is one thing, but getting your hands on a Mi 11 is another. Xiaomi does not officially sell its smartphones in the US, so you will have to import one. Likewise, the phone has not yet been confirmed for launch in the UK, but we expect it to be available soon as it is available in parts of Europe. It starts at 749 euros, which converts to about 900 US dollars or 650 British pounds.
Our opinion
The Mi 11 is a really powerful device with a fantastic screen, a powerful 108 megapixel camera, and lots of the right features and specs for a very reasonable price. However, all of this doesn't quite make up for disappointing battery life and MIUI issues related to notifications and menu clutter. Xiaomi's hardware is excellent as always, but also, as we see too often, the software – although improved – can't compete with competing phones from Samsung, Apple and OnePlus.
Is there a better alternative?
Yes. If you don't want to spend $ 1,000 on the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra or the iPhone 12 Pro – our top two picks – and want something around $ 700, then the Samsung Galaxy S20 FE is just like the Google Pixel 5 a good buy If the Xiaomi Mi 11 launches in the UK in the near future, it will be a great alternative to the OnePlus 8 Pro which, while excellent, does not have the latest Qualcomm chip. The camera is also not as powerful as that of the Mi 11.
How long it will take?
The Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 processor is up to date and has more than enough features to keep the phone fresh for two or three years. Xiaomi's MIUI software updates are more frequent than the Android version updates. While the latest software is now running, it won't when Android 12 releases later this year and it may take a while for the update to be available.
Unfortunately, the Mi 11 is not waterproof and the glass body is not particularly resistant to damage if the phone is dropped. A case would be a very good idea if you want the phone to last a long time. The Xiaomi Mi 11 has 5G connectivity provided you have coverage near you.
Should you buy it?
No. It's a capable phone with a lot of good points, but the battery life is disappointing and the additional camera features – while technically impressive – don't keep enough long-term interest. Also, you need to import it to the US and there is no final UK release date yet.
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