In a world where companies race to launch Pro, Pro Max, and Pro Plus devices, Xiaomi decided to go old school and introduced only one flagship phone today - the Xiaomi Mi 11. It is officially the first phone with Snapdragon 888 chipset and comes with Xiaomi’s best display - a 6.81” AMOLED with QHD+ resolution and 120Hz refresh rate.
The front panel also has 480Hz touch
sampling rate, advertised peak brightness of 1,500 nits, and Gorilla Glass
Victus protection. The Snapdragon 888 can be combined with either 8GB RAM and
128/256GB storage or 12GB of RAM and 256GB storage. There’s no microSD slot
onboard, so no option to add more after the purchase. The main camera setup
consists of the 108MP cam, known from the Mi 10 series (the one that is 1/1.33”
in size), with a 7P lens and f/1.85 lens in front.
The 13MP ultrawide angle camera has
123-degree FoV, while the third snapper, sitting on the side, is a basic 5MP
macro lens. On the front, Xiaomi placed a 20MP selfie cam, tucked behind a
punch hole in the upper left corner. Getting back to the front panel, we have a
screen that is curved on both sides, and underneath the Mi 11 implements
Goodix’s latest optical fingerprint scanner. According to the scanner's maker
it even supports heart-rate monitoring but Xiaomi said nothing about such a
feature on stage.
The Xiaomi Mi 11 has a 4,600 mAh power
cell that supports 55W wired fast-charging, 50W wireless, and 10W reverse
charging. It will work with every Quick Charge 4+, Quick Charge 3+, and Power
Delivery 3.0 adapter. Xiaomi has decided to skip the charger in the retail box
but will give a 65W GaN adapter for free if you don't have a compatible charger
already.
Other highlights of the Xiaomi Mi 11
include Harman Kardon-tuned stereo speakers, improved Night Mode capabilities,
dual 5G connectivity (at Sub-6 GHz networks), Wi-Fi 6E support, Bluetooth 5.2,
NFC, and all the finest navigation services.
Pre-order has already started, with the
first sale scheduled for January 1, 2021. The Xiaomi Mi 11 will be offered in
six different colors - Black, White, Blue, Khaki Vegan Leather, Purple Leather,
and Special Edition with Lei Jun’s autograph for some reason. Pricing begins at
CNY 3,999 (US$ 610/€ 500)and goes up to CNY 4,699 (US$ 720/€ 585) for the roomiest memory
option. The first flash sale is scheduled for January 1, 2021.
While the announcement saw only one phone,
later in 2021 we hope to see a Xiaomi Mi 11 Pro with a periscope lens, as some
early renders suggested, as well as an improved main camera. We are also hoping
to hear more on international availability soon.
