Mi 11i -In this review, we’ll be taking a closer look at the latest addition to the Mi 11 Series from Xiaomi- the Mi 11i. This ultra-affordable device is a great option for consumers who don’t want to spend too much on their smartphones. The new color scheme and design – not to mention that it’s one of the cheapest smartphones currently available in China. Redmi’s K40 Pro+ is known as the Xiaomi Redmi K40+ in Europe.
The Mi 11 Lite 5G and Mi 11 Lite are somewhat basic models but they’re the cheapest in the range. Our Mi 11i test model ranks higher than its counterpart, the Mi 1. This phone is as good as my Mi 11.
Like the Mi 11, the Mi 11i is also equipped with the fast Snapdragon 888 and is supported by 8 GB of LPDDR5 RAM. Unlike some models, it comes in a slightly smaller size at 6.67-inches instead of 6.81 inches though. And it doesn’t have the same high-resolution display as the other models (Mi 11 and Mi 11 Ultra: 3200×1440 pixels). But in return, it does sport a 120Hz refresh rate as well. There’s also a high-quality Samsung-made camera, at 108 megapixels. And a 4,520 mAh battery.
Case – Xiaomi smartphone with Gorilla Glass 5
The Xiaomi Mi 11i has a different design in comparison to the other models. It also feels of high quality with its sturdy build and thoughtful design. The buttons have only a small amount of slack when pushed, just like how the case feels. The Mi 11i is a newer, slimmer alternative to the original Mi 11 — it’s just as light at 198 grams (7 ounces), and it’s only 8mm thin (0.3 inches).
The Mi 11i’s display is protected by a layer of Gorilla Glass 5. Starting with the Mi 11, Xiaomi uses Gorilla Glass 7, also known as “Victus”. Interestingly, the Mi 11 Lite 5G offers a bit more here as well, and it does so with the help of Gorilla Glass 6. The fingerprint-resistant 108 MP rear camera module is an eye-catcher, and it’s not just black. The honeycomb design on the back of the device stands out, and the main camera is surrounded by a copper ring to further emphasize its clarity.
Xiaomi offers the Mi 11i in “cosmic black” for our review sample, with colors of “celestial silver” and “frosty white. The Mi 11i does not have an official IP certification but the same is true of the Mi 11
Connectivity – Up to 256 GB of storage, but no microSD slot
The Mi 11i’s beautiful design and powerful hardware are just some of the reasons to invest. It also offers 8GB of LPDDR5 RAM and 128GB of UFS 3.1 storage at its base price. You can also buy another version with 256GB for $821.
The Mi 11i has an OLED panel with always-on functionality, but the fingerprint sensor is built into the power button, unlike in the Mi 11. The USB-C port only runs at USB 2.0 speeds, but it supports USB OTG as well.
The Mi 11i comes with dual speakers with Dolby Atmos, Wi-Fi Direct, and Miracast so that you can share files with other devices at low latency. It also supports Widevine L1 DRM for HD streaming.
Software – Android 11 and MIUI 12 for the Xiaomi phone
The Mi 11i runs on the Android 11 OS and, at the time of testing in mid-August, its security updates are from July 2021. As with other Xiaomi smartphones, the MIUI 12.5 user interface is installed; this interface does not include an app drawer and zones for apps, games, books, and news.
Besides the Google apps and Samsung’s standard features, Xiaomi has included eight third-party apps in their ROM. For example, Amazon, Facebook, and TikTok. Since the Google Play Store occupies 230 GB of the device’s 256 GB of memory on a fresh setup, users who don’t need any software can easily delete it to free up 230 GB.
Cameras – Weaker triple camera than in the Mi 11
The Mi 11i has a powerful main camera setup with a 108MP sensor, but it does not come with optical image stabilization, which is present in the Mi 11 model. It is currently unclear what sensors or build the Mi 11i will use. There are rumors that it could be using a Samsung HM3 sensor as well as an ultra-wide-angle camera with 8 MP, f/2.2 aperture, and a 119° field of view. The Mi 11 has a 20 MP front-facing camera for taking excellent selfies.
In the default setting, the Mi 11i takes 12 MP photos using 9-in-1 pixel-binning, and they look really good in favorable lighting conditions. However, the full 108 MP can also be used for taking pictures in the Pro model. Compared with the Mi 11, however, photos lack a few image details and dynamics. Due to the lack of a zoom lens, objects that are far away aren’t captured with much sharpness.
Night mode can make low-light pictures look less grainy when enabled. The ultra-wide-angle camera, on the other hand, offers a more standard image quality. Although it’s less blurry than usual, there may be some blurring near the edges. The main camera is perfect for recording videos of up to 8K resolution at 30 frames per second, which gives you a clear image. It also supports videos in HDR format.
Input devices and handling – 360 Hz touch sampling rate in the Mi 11i
You can expect a smooth experience with the Snapdragon 888 SoC. And Mi 11i delivers just that. The smartphone is controlled by its powerful chipset and can process inputs instantly. The touchscreen handles up to three hundred sixty degrees of movement, giving responsive control and smooth use. The Mi 11’s display sampling rate is 480Hz, but you will probably not notice the difference
The Mi 11i can be unlocked quickly & conveniently with biometric input. The fingerprint sensor in the power button is very fast and accurate, unlocking your phone almost instantly. The facial recognition feature from the front-facing camera also works reliably sometimes, but it’s not as secure as fingerprint authentication.
Display – AMOLED panel with 1,200 cd/m²
The Mi 11i’s 6.67-inch AMOLED panel has a resolution of 2400×1080 pixels, which isn’t quite as sharp as the 6.81-inch Mi 11 which offers 3200×1440 pixels. However, both panels are on par in terms of brightness. This is also true for the refresh rate, which can be set to 60 or 120 Hz in the display settings.
With a pure white background, we measure an average brightness of almost 880 cd/m² in the Mi 11i. With evenly distributed bright and dark image areas (APL50), the brightness even reaches a respectable 1,201 cd/m². Those are optimal conditions for displaying HDR content – the Mi 11 supports HDR10+. The Mi 11i still manages a maximum of 484 cd/m² when the brightness sensor is turned off. At the lowest brightness level, we measure 2.73 cd/m².
Xiaomi uses pulse width modulation (PWM) for brightness control, ranging from 162.6 to 500 Hz. When the display brightness is 62% or higher, PWM flickering remains constant at 120 Hz.
Performance – Xiaomi smartphone with Snapdragon 888
One of the major features of the new Mi 11i handset is its powerful Snapdragon 888 chipset. It’s great for performance and handles tough games with ease. The octa-core SoC and the Adreno 660 graphics chip are among the fastest, as shown in benchmark tests.
Nevertheless, it can often be difficult to access the full potential of the Qualcomm SoC in the Mi 11i due to its throttling performance when dealing with heavier tasks. Due to this, some may experience overheating problems. In day-to-day use, the temperatures may not stand out, as there’s still enough computing power despite the lower clock rate.
If you give the Snapdragon 888 enough time to cool down between individual benchmarks, the performance will be top-notch. As a result, the Mi 11i is on par with high-end rivals like the Asus ZenFone 8 or the realm GT 5G, which is also used. The Mi 11i is not far behind the Xiaomi Poco F3 with its Snapdragon 870. We measured only a small difference in performance, and it was barely noticeable in real life. The Mi 11i outperforms the Poco F3 in browser benchmarks, which may be due to running on newer browsers.
Games – Adreno 660 provides a smooth gaming
We checked the games that come pre-installed on the Mi 11i and they ran very smoothly. This is because of the 4GB RAM and up to 6GB of GPU memory. We also updated Facebook which came installed on our unit and it seemed to run smoothly as well. The smartphone’s display can also change the resolution depending on what you’re doing, meaning that you’ll. A lower frame rate setting in PUBG Mobile and Armajet can provide a smoother experience. However, the difference between 30 fps and 60 fps is barely noticeable. Overall, the Mi 11i is more constrained in FPS than the Mi 11.
Nevertheless, gamers will be very well served with the Mi 11i, which is not only due to its high-end Adreno 660 GPU. The touch sampling rate of 360 Hz also contributes to the joy, while the two Dolby Atmos speakers on the sides provide a good sound.
Battery life – Fully recharged in less than an hour
The Mi 11i is not very power-hungry and runs more efficiently than the Mi 11, which might be due to the latter’s higher resolution AMOLED display.
The included charger provides power to the phone efficiently. The test took 36 minutes for a full charge and it only took 72 minutes for the battery to go from 0% to 80% of its capacity. This is comparable to our current Xiaomi phone, but it doesn’t come with wireless charging as ours does.
When we subjected the Mi 11i to our battery life test, the results showed that its batteries have a runtime of about 11 and a half hours when it’s used for browsing. It also lasts close to 17 hours when playing videos. This is slightly better than what Mi 11 achieved in its tests. The glass-bodied counterpart model has a battery capacity advantage, but the high-resolution display is a major power hog, balancing it out.