Xiaomi Mi 11 review: like a Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra but cheaper – great screen, fun video camera, improved Android skin
- The Mi 11’s 6.8-inch screen is the second-best smartphone panel in the industry right now, blowing away the iPhone 12’s screen in resolution
- Its camera lacks in top-tier zooming and lowlight capabilities, but photos look flawless during the day
Xiaomi phones have always offered great value, especially when compared with non-Chinese brands, and the Beijing-headquartered tech giant’s latest Mi 11 phone continues the trend.
Starting at 4,699 yuan (US$725) in China and €749 euro (US$900) in Europe, the Mi 11 is several hundred dollars cheaper than the latest premium flagships from Samsung and Apple, but keeps up with those two phones in almost every way except for zooming prowess.
Design and hardware
The 6.8-inch screen here is the second-best smartphone panel in the industry right now. It sports a 3,200 x 1,440 resolution (Quad HD), refreshes at 120Hz, gets up to 900 nits in brightness, and has almost non-existent bezels. It blows away the iPhone 12’s screen in resolution, screen-to-body ratio and animation fluidity. The only screen that’s technically better is the S21 Ultra’s, which gets a tiny bit brighter and has a variable refresh rate to save battery. Neither of these two advantages will be noticed by average users.