Mi 11i 5G: Xiaomi Flagship on Budget | 108MP Camera, Snapdragon 888

Flagship killers are the bestselling smartphone of 2020 and 2021. This flagship killer smartphone trend started like 3 or 4 years ago and is growing very rapidly, and we have seen big brands like Samsung and iPhone following the trend in the shape of iPhone SE 2020 and Galaxy S20 Lite. Chinese brands like OnePlus and Xiaomi are trendsetters, and they are still producing high-quality flagship killers. Mi 11i is the latest flagship killer from Xiaomi, and we are going to discuss it in this article.

Mi 11i is also known as Mi 11x Pro in India. The mobile has tempting specs, as you can see in the title. So, here is the comprehensive review of all new Mi 11i.

Overview

In a hurry, read this short overview stating the pros and cons of Mi 11i 5G.

Pros

Slim and lightweight body.
Latest snapdragon processor.
5G connectivity.
108MP primary camera with a prime macro lens.
Satisfactory Battery performance.
Beautiful Super AMOLED 120Hz display.
Inexpensive.

Cons

No OIS.
Fast charging has low wattage.
Lacks telephoto lens.

Mi 11i – Price

This flagship killer costs only 650 USD on Amazon. The price is half of their flagship Mi 11 Ultra and 150$ less than the Mi 11. Mi 11 series is proving to be quite diverse until now. Xiaomi has launched 5 Mi 11 phones with prices ranging from 320$ to whopping 1300$ price tags. Which is pretty great because they are providing high-end smartphones for every class.

Hardware Specs

Mi 11i – Hardware Specifications

Body: Glass front, Glass Back with Aluminum Frame. You can also get leather back.
Weight: 196 grams
Screen: 6.67 inches super AMOLED, 120Hz screen with HDR 10+ and 1300 nits peak brightness
Processor: 5nm Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G
Memory: Available in 2 variants 128GB + 8GB and 256GB + 8GB.
OS: Android 11 with MIUI 12
Rear Cameras: Triple Camera setup 108 MP, f/1.8, 26mm (wide), 1/1.52″, 0.7µm:8 MP, f/2.2, 119˚ (ultrawide) :5 MP, f/2.4, 50mm (macro), 1/5.0″, 1.12µm
Front Camera: 20 MP, f/2.5, (wide), 1/3.4″, 0.8µm
Battery: 4520mAh battery with 33W fast-charging
Speakers: Stereo Speakers.
Sensors: Fingerprint (side-mounted), accelerometer, gyro, proximity sensor, barometer, compass
Connectivity: Wi-Fi 802.11, Bluetooth 5.2, NFC, it has 5G connectivity along with 4G and 3G bands.
Water-resistant: IP53 dust and splash resistant.

Mi 11i – Camera

Mi 11i – Camera’s Specs

Rear Cameras

Cameras are the most appealing part of a smartphone; many people buy a smartphone just by looking at the camera performance. Mi 11i has a triple camera setup on the back. The first one is 108MP wide, accompanied by an 8MP ultrawide camera. In the center we have the exceptional 5MP telemacro lens with a microphone. None of the cameras has OIS.

The 108MP lens is slightly smaller, so some pictures are marginally shadier than the flagship variants, but low light performance is exceptional. The camera performs really well against S21 Ultra. Video performance is satisfactory; it can shoot at 8k 30fps. But at 8k, the lack of OIS is felt, while at 1080p, the performance is better. Moreover, the phone can shoot 1080p at 960fps.

Then we have the ultrawide camera, which provides a 119° field of view. The camera performance, I would say, is good. We sense some loss in quality and a slight bit of noise in there as well. And the low light performance is not good.

The third one is the small guy, telemacro. The camera is exceptional; all the macro shots are simply jaw-dropping. The camera literally captures wonders; every picture is unbelievably excellent and detailed.

Front Camera

The front camera is a 20MP boy. The performance is excellent in daylight and okayish in low light because of its smaller sensor which captures less light. It can shoot video in 1080p.

Mi 11i – Display

Mi 11i – Bright and Vivid Display

The display is truly remarkable; Mi 11i has a 6.67-inches super AMOLED display. The screen is slightly smaller than others, but the performance is similar. All the colours are bright, and every detail is precise. Moreover, it also supports HDR10+, and the refresh rate is 120Hz.

The gaming experience with this screen is exceptional, with the bright and vivid colours and a 120Hz refresh rate. Everything adds up to the experience.

Mi 11i has Gorilla Glass 5 protection while the others are protected by Gorilla Glass Victus, which is better and more robust than its previous generation. So, I will recommend you to use a screen protector to ensure the safety of the screen.

Design and Construction

The next thing is its beautiful design and construction. Mobile is only 7.8mm thick and feels very good in the hand.

Mi 11i – Beautiful Design

On the right side, we have the fingerprint sensor and volume locker. The sensor doubles as the power button. At bottom, we have a stereo speaker with a USB Type-C port and sim card tray. On top, there is the second stereo speaker with an IR blaster.

Despite its slim design, the mobile feels really strong. It has glass back and front with a solid aluminium frame. Altogether they provide significant strength to the mobile structure.

Battery

Mi 11i – 33W fast charging

The battery is smaller than its elder brothers. Mi11i has a 4250mAh battery with 33W fast charging instead of 55W. At this size, the battery endurance is pretty good. Although it has 33W fast charging, the charging time is not a lot. It takes 52 minutes to climb up to 100%.

Mi 11i – User Experience

Overall experience is pretty good I am using it as my daily driver for a month, and I haven’t felt anything off in performance. The gaming experience is exceptional as well; the colours are bright, vivid and the 120Hz display with HDR is like a cherry on top and the fun doesn’t end after a short time because of its battery. Moreover, the cameras are great. Although they struggle a bit in low light, still the results are exceptional.

Downsides

Manufacturers have to cut corners to lower the price. Here are some corners that Xiaomi cut to meet the price requirements.

Xiaomi cuts the wireless charging and lowers the fast-charging wattage.
There is no optical image stabilization.
It doesn’t have a good waterproof rating.

Final Words

So, in the end, I would say Mi 11i is a solid flagship killer. It has the latest and fastest Snapdragon 888 with a solid 108mp camera, bright display, satisfactory battery performance and beautiful design at only 650$. It totally meets the flagship killer requirements.

Here is the review of the Mi 11 Ultra, the flagship mobile phone from Xiaomi.

Essential Links

Mi 11i 5G YouTube Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8SBH0iUc-R0

Mi 11i 5G: https://geni.us/Mi11i