Xiaomi presented a large number of devices yesterday. We have seen very powerful smartphones, such as the Xiaomi Mi 11 Pro and Ultra, but there has also been room for a less impressive phone, but perhaps more important, because it could reach more pockets: the Xiaomi Mi 11 Lite.
The younger brother of the whole family has come in two versions, a 4G and a 5G, a move that seems very appropriate in this price range.
We have tested the 4G model, the cheapest of the two available, for a week, and these are our opinions.
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Features Xiaomi Mi 11 Lite
- Performance:
- Processor:
- 4G: Snapdragon 732G.
- 5G: Snapdragon 780.
- Memory:
- 4G: 6GB + 64GB and 6GB + 128GB
- 5G: 6GB + 128GB and 8GB + 128GB
- Processor:
- Screen:
- Dimension: 6.55 inches.
- Type: OLED.
- Resolution: FHD + (2400 x 1080).
- Aspect ratio: 20: 9.
- Refresh rate: 90 Hz.
- Cameras:
- 64 Mpx main sensor.
- 8MP ultra wide angle.
- 5 Mpx macro sensor.
- 16 Mpx front camera.
- Drums:
- Capacity: 4250 mAh.
- Fast charging: 33 W with charger included.
- Others: NFC, infrared port, side fingerprint sensor …
- Dimensions: 164 x 74 x 6 mm.
- Weight: 157 grams.
Light and thin, very thin
The Xiaomi Mi 11 Lite is a terminal that attracts attention, and long, before even turning it on. Picking it up takes us back to a time when smartphones were small, and light.
This device weighs 157 grams, almost 25% less than what many high-end models usually weigh, which touch 200 grams when they do not exceed them.
In the terminal box itself we have a silkscreen that highlights the light weight as highlighted by the processor or the camera. And is not for less. People are surprised when they hold it in their hand.
Without a doubt, to limit the weight, the tiny thickness of the terminal, 6 mm, helps. This is not something that is currently asked for a lot because it usually damages the capacity of the battery, but this time it seems that it is not the case since the Mi 11 Lite has a 4250 mAh battery, more than decent for the mobile that it is.
Another element is striking is the fingerprint sensor, located on the side but that seems to use a different finish or technology than that seen in models like the Poco X3 NFC. In this case it responds especially fast even when we use it with the left hand.
Of course, using the name of the high-end does not come without drawbacks and the Mi 11 Lite does not have a headphone jack. What we do have is a double speaker, although in this case the second is in the earpiece, not in the upper frame as we saw in the analysis of the Xiaomi Mi 11. The microSD slot is also maintained, which is housed in one of the two trays for SIM you have.
A high-mid-range performance
We have seen how OnePlus has chosen not to cut the benefits of the OnePlus 9 with respect to the OnePlus 9 Pro, at least as far as processor and memory are concerned. In the case of Xiaomi we do not see something similar, although to be fair this Xiaomi Mi 11 Lite should be compared with the OnePlus 9R and even with the successor of the Nord that should arrive in a few months.
We have a processor already used in the POCO X3 NFC, the Snapdragon 732G. It seems that Xiaomi is one of the few that does not opt for the Snapdragon 720G, as Samsung and Realme are doing for the rivals of this model. Both the Samsung Galaxy A52 and the Realme 8 Pro use the 720G.
In the transfer model we have 8 GB of RAM and 128 GB of internal memory, the latter not being as important as in other devices since we have a memory expansion slot.
The behavior of this model is more than adequate for what it costs, although obviously it is not as fine as more expensive models. Even so, it is appreciated that there are several options with different prices. There are even 5G models for those who want a mobile with better connectivity.
We have been able to play without major problems and the only thing that has caught our attention is that with demanding games more than similar mobiles have heated up. Perhaps it has been our perception, or that with less thickness there is less space to dissipate heat.
A good screen, although without a fingerprint reader
The Xiaomi Mi 11 screen uses a 6.55-inch panel with AMOLED DotDisplay technology and 2400 x 1080 FHD + resolution. This panel has a 10-bit color depth and support for HDR 10.
HDR screens on mobiles and format duel: Dolby Vision Vs HDR 10HDR is the new improvement in video image quality and we found two ways to apply it: HDR 10 and Dolby Vision. We explain that they are together with the LG G6.
Unlike its older brothers, we have a maximum refresh rate of 90 Hz, not 120 Hz, something that is striking because there are Redmi models that already use it.
The touch sampling rate is 240 Hz, similar to what the more expensive models have.
In the use of the panel we have not seen green tones or latency but it is true that the maximum brightness is not as high as in other terminals, and perhaps sometimes it is noticeable. That said, in this price range it is not normal to obtain particularly high nit values, that is reserved for the more expensive models.
The only big drawback that we put to the panel is that it does not have the built-in fingerprint sensor. It may be a matter of space, given how thin the mobile is, but it is thus closer to a Redmi Note 10 Pro than a Mi 11.
The camera surprises … because of the video
We have reached a point where most phones of a certain price offer decent cameras to take photos in good light and sometimes even at night.
This Xiaomi Mi 11 Lite is within this price range and its camera leaves us a very good quality day and night.
The sensor principal, At 64MP, it offers vibrant colors and good detail, although perhaps a little more contrast than necessary. At night we get results that two years ago, and even less, we would only have seen in the high range.
The sensor wide angle It also works well, with the disadvantage that being 8 Mpx the sharpness suffers when we take night photographs, at least in some of them.
The third sensor is a telemacro 5 Mpx, which give us good photos during the day and, logically, insufficient at night, something that is not uncommon for this type of sensor. Of course, we still think that it would have been better to put a wide angle with more resolution and have implemented the macro there.
Obviously, we do not have a telephoto sensor, but since the Xiaomi Mi 11 did not have one either, we did not expect it either. The 2x digital zoom may be adequate in light, but the maximum 10x zoom is not usable at all, especially at night.
By day the Video recording It is very stable and offers a great dynamic range, which has surprised us because this is not a high-end mobile. At night we do not get the same results as with more expensive mobiles, but we do have better results than with terminals between 300 and 400 euros. You can notice the fluctuation in the lights if we walk while recording, but in general the quality is very good.
The front camera offers a resolution of 16 Mpx, with somewhat saturated colors but a lot of sharpness. At night the quality drops and the detail is greatly reduced.
Curiously, we liked the video recording more, with good electronic stabilization and much better detail than what we see in the direct rivals of this Xiaomi.
The Mi 11 Lite has better autonomy than we expected
Whenever we have seen a very thin mobile we have assumed that autonomy was going to suffer. The 6 mm thickness of this model does not limit the size of the fuel cell, which reaches 4250 mAh.
The charging speed is 33 W, which allows us to charge it fully in approximately one hour.
In the first battery test we have been listening to some music, browsing social networks and websites and we have played, but not much. We have set the refresh rate to 90 Hz. We have reached 3 and a half hours of screen with 35 hours of total autonomy.
In the second battery test we have played more, took photos and listened to podcasts, in addition to using normal apps like Instagram or Gmail. We have kept the refresh rate at 90 Hz. We have reached 5 hours of screen with 24 hours of total autonomy.
In the third battery test We have set the refresh rate to 60 Hz. We have taken photos, used the GPS, played games and talked on the phone, as well as using the usual apps. We have reached 5 hours of screen with 21 hours of total autonomy.
In the fourth battery test we have kept the refresh rate at 60 Hz. We have taken photos, some video, used the GPS, played games and used more than normal Instagram. We have reached almost 6 hours of screen with 21 hours of total autonomy.
MIUI 12 still does not take full advantage of Android 11
The Xiaomi Mi 11 Lite has been presented with Android 11, as expected. Like the rest of Xiaomi models of recent months, it has Google’s phone, contacts and calendar applications, without duplicating them.
In addition, we have some of the news of Android 11, although not all, as we have in the analysis of the best features of MIUI 12 in Android 11.
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On the desks we have Google Discover and the fluidity of the system is high, at least in the model with 8 GB of RAM.
As always, MIUI is still very aggressive with the management of applications in the background, but we can block some from closing, such as those that manage connections with smart watches from other manufacturers, such as Amazfit or Huawei.
A great Mi 11 that rivals the Redmi Note
This year Xiaomi is throwing the rest in launching proposals for all kinds of ranges. This Xiaomi Mi 11 Lite is the cheapest of the high-end family, and it looks a lot like the best of the Redmi Note, the Redmi Note 10 Pro.
Xiaomi knows how to balance a mobile and this is no exception. We have a very correct screen, good autonomy, first-rate cameras for a mid-range, power and something else.
The Xiaomi Mi 11 Lite offers something that not many mobiles have: a slimmer, lighter design. If this is especially important for a buyer, we cannot think of a better mobile than this.
The entry Xiaomi Mi 11 Lite, review: extremely light and thin appears first in The Free Android.
