Xiaomi Mi 11 Lite, analysis: design exercise in Xiaomi’s affordable mid-range

The Xiaomi Mi 11 Lite is the smartphone that best represents how complex the Xiaomi mobile catalog can be: it has a design traced to that of the Mi 11, the same processor as the Redmi Note 10 Pro, and its price is almost identical to the of the POCO X3 Pro.

Is that a bad thing? It doesn’t have to. Above all, if what you are looking for is a mobile with a design more typical of a high-end mobile, with more than proven hardware and a price that does not hurt too much in the pocket.

But the strategy that Xiaomi has decided to follow with this mobile can also generate some doubts. Doubts that we are going to clarify in this in-depth analysis of the Xiaomi Mi 11 Lite.

  • Xiaomi Mi 11 Lite analysis design exercise in Xiaomis affordable mid rangeDatasheet
  • Design and display
  • Hardware and performance
  • Battery and charging
  • Software and expertise
  • Cameras
  • Opinion and final thoughts
  • Price and where to buy

Xiaomi Mi 11 Lite datasheet

Xiaomi Mi 11 Lite
specs
Dimensions and weight 160.53mm x 75.73mm x 6.81mm
157 grams
Screen 6.55-inch AMOLED, 90Hz, 240Hz touch sample rate, Gorilla Glass 5
Resolution 2400 x 1080 (FullHD +)
Processor Qualcomm Snapdragon 732G // Qualcomm Snapdragon 780G
RAM 6 GB
OS Android 11 with MIUI 12
Storage 64 and 128 GB expandable via micro-SD cards
Cameras Rear: 64 MP f / 1.79 + 8 MP f / 2.2 + 5 MP f / 2.4 (telemacro lens)
Front: 16 MP f / 2.45
Battery 4,250 mAh with 33W fast charge
Others 4G, Dual Band Wifi 5, Bluetooth 5.1, 5G Connectivity, NFC, USB-C, Dual SIM, High-Quality Dual Stereo Speaker
Price and availability From 299 euros. Available in six colors: light blue, dark blue, white, black, yellow, and pink.

Design and screen of the Xiaomi Mi 11 Lite

The vast majority of decisions made by Xiaomi when creating the Mi 11 Lite revolve around aesthetics. Compared to the rest of the mid-range models of Beijing, this is the device with the most refined design.

The first thing that stands out is its thickness, only 6.81 millimeters in the thinnest part. That, added to the 157 grams of weight, makes it the thinnest and lightest smartphone we’ve tested in recent years.

“The reduced weight is appreciated, especially now that more and more mobiles exceed the 200-gram barrier.”

Although the reduced weight is appreciated, especially now that more and more mobile phones exceed the 200-gram barrier, the same cannot be said about the thickness. The effect is striking, there is no doubt about that, but the reality is that such a slim body is not entirely comfortable when holding the device in hand for long periods, mainly due to the lack of curves at the ends of the panel. Glass on the back, which make the edges can be nailed in hand. Fortunately, this is a “defect” that can be easily remedied by simply placing a protective case, such as the transparent silicone case included in the box next to the phone.

Design and screen of the Xiaomi Mi 11 LiteThe build quality is good, as Xiaomi uses to usnd Glass on the back and front and plastic on the edge that surrounds the entire body of the device. Unfortunately, the brand has opted for glossy finishes, which translate into greater adherence of dirt and fingerprints to the back of the device. The problem is even more noticeable in the black version that we have been able to test these days.

Advances in aesthetics are also present on the front of the device. Its 6.55-inch diagonal screen is surrounded by margins that, without being the thinnest, have a more uniform size than other models, giving a sense of symmetry that is difficult to see on Android-based devices. It is not as well achieved as in the Google Pixel 5, but it is certainly appreciated that Xiaomi has made an effort to reach a similar level.

Design and screen of the Xiaomi Mi 11 Lite 1The screen in question uses AMOLED technology, has a Full HD + resolution and a refresh rate of 90 hertz. In addition, it is protected by a Gorilla Glass 5 glass and lacks curves on its sides, unlike the original Mi 11. What does remain is the hole located in the upper left corner.

It is a very good panel, which excels in practically all areas, except for maximum brightness – somewhat below some of its rivals.

The color reproduction is correct, especially if the “Automatic” profile is kept in the screen settings. However, the white balance is a bit cool, and it is recommended to choose the “Warm” option within the color temperature setting.

It should be mentioned that this color profile tends to greatly saturate the colors when we are in applications such as gallery or camera. Sometimes, we will see how the images represented on the screen do not have realistic tones. When seeing them on other devices with a correctly calibrated screen, we can be surprised to see that the image in question has little to do with what we had seen on the Mi 11 Lite screen.

For that reason, I would recommend using the “natural” display mode, with much less saturated tones and more reliable rendering.

The sharpness of the panel is more than correct considering that it exceeds 400 pixels per inch, and the contrast, as in any OLED screen, is simply excellent. Its viewing angles are good, too, at the level of the best OLED screens available on the market.

As interesting additions, we find HDR10 technology, and since it is a 10-bit AMOLED screen, it can represent up to 1 billion colors.

Thanks to the 90-hertz refresh rate, everything moves very smoothly. It is true that some of the Xiaomi models of the same price already offer 120 hertz. Still, from my point of view, the jump from 90 to 120 hertz is not as noticeable as the jump from 60 to 90 is, and I doubt that this detail is a compelling reason to choose another model of the company instead of this one.

Another small detail that adds points to the design of the Mi 11 Lite is the position and type of the fingerprint reader. Because despite mounting an AMOLED screen, Xiaomi has decided to provide the terminal with a side fingerprint reader, perfectly camouflaged in the power button.

“The fingerprint reader is one of the fastest I’ve tried in years.”

The operation of the fingerprint reader is simply excellent. It is one of the fastest I have tried in years, practically instantaneous when unlocking the device. And the fact that it is integrated into the power button makes its position extraordinarily convenient and comfortable. Probably, the decision to use a sensor of this type instead of integrating it into the screen is one of the most successful taken by the company when building this terminal.

To conclude with this section, it must be said that the Mi 11 Lite does not include resistance to water or dust and that Gorilla Glass 5 glass protects its screen. In addition, it does not include a 3.5-millimeter headphone port – probably due to its very small thickness.

Design and screen of the Xiaomi Mi 11 Lite 2Hardware and performance of the Xiaomi Mi 11 Lite

For this model, Xiaomi has decided to rely on the reliable Qualcomm Snapdragon 732G, an eight-core processor that, in this case, is backed by 6 GB of RAM and 64 or 128 GB of internal storage.

“The performance does not reach the level that the POCO X3 Pro offers with its Snapdragon 860.”

The combination is more than proven, and therefore, it is not surprising that everything moves with ease in any circumstance. The performance does not reach the level that the POCO X3 Pro offers with its Snapdragon 860, but still, it is a more than correct chip.

The 6 GB of RAM may seem somewhat scarce in a couple of years, but the reality is that today, the experience with the device is very good, and no more power is needed at any time.

But despite not needing more power, sometimes we run into the odd lag scene or some “jerks” in the user interface. In any case, I would bet that it is more related to a lack of optimization by MIUI than a lack of raw power.

Hardware and performance of the Xiaomi Mi 11 LiteXiaomi Mi 11 Lite battery and charging

If autonomy is one of your main priorities when changing mobile phones, the rest of the Xiaomi models with a price similar to this Mi 11 Lite are better options for you.

With 4,250 mAh of capacity, the battery of the Mi 11 Lite is 1,000 mAh smaller than that of the Redmi Note 10 Pro. And it shows.

“In most cases, it will be almost mandatory to go through the charger at least once a day.”

With “normal” use, the device can reach the end of the day with some battery remaining but don’t expect it to survive the second day. In most cases, it will be almost mandatory to go through the charger at least once a day.

Luckily, the 33W power fast-charging system is maintained. Using the charger included in the box next to the terminal allows charging more than half of the battery in half an hour and its entirety in just over 60 minutes.

Unfortunately, this time we do not have Qi wireless charging, a feature that Xiaomi maintains exclusively for the rest of the Mi 11 family.

Xiaomi Mi 11 Lite battery and chargingXiaomi Mi 11 Lite software

Like most Xiaomi phones launched this year, the Mi 11 Lite incorporates MIUI 12 inside. For now, the device has not received the update to MIUI 12.5, but it is expected to do so in the coming months. It must be borne in mind that the update to MIUI 12.5 that will come to the global model will not include all the functions that are present in the variant oriented to the Chinese market.

MIUI 12 introduces big changes to the user interface compared to previous versions of Xiaomi’s operating system. As a novelty, a fully customizable Always on Display mode is introduced, which, of course, cannot be kept active when the screen is off. It is only possible to display it with a touch on the screen.

Concerning the software of the original Mi 11, we found some cuts, such as the lack of so-called animated “Super Wallpapers.” We do, however, have additions such as access to Google Discover from the home screen or the ability to access Google Home controls through the MIUI control center.

As is usual in software Xiaomi, the bloatware is a clear protagonist. We will find endless pre-installed applications, some of them useful and many others unnecessary. There are also games, recommended apps, Facebook apps, and other software that, luckily, with a little effort, can be easily uninstalled.

MIUI 12 is still MIUI, for good and for bad. Those already used to other mobiles of the company probably will not have problems when switching to the Mi 11 Lite. But those who come from using a much less overloaded layer, without notification management problems and with a not so striking design, may find themselves with a somewhat steeper learning curve than expected.

Xiaomi Mi 11 Lite software 1Xiaomi Mi 11 Lite cameras

The camera system of the Mi 11 Lite looks like a reinterpretation of the present in the original Mi 11.

We find three sensors: the main one, one accompanied by an ultra-wide-angle lens, and another that acts as a “macro” sensor.

The main one uses the Samsung GW3 sensor with 64 megapixels of resolution and has an aperture f / 1.8 for an equivalent focal length of 26 millimeters. It lacks an optical image stabilizer, although it has phase detection autofocus.

An 8-megapixel resolution camera backs the ultra-wide-angle lens, and the macro camera uses the same 5-megapixel “telemacro” sensor that we already found on the Mi 11.

As for the camera for selfies, a 16-megapixel sensor will be in charge of capturing our self-portraits and serving as a webcam when participating in video calls. Said sensor lacks autofocus and has an f / 2.45 aperture.

Xiaomi Mi 11 Lite camerasThe quality of the images captured with the Mi 11 Lite’s camera is very good. Above all, if we focus on the photographs obtained with the main 64-megapixel sensor.

By default, the captured images are 16 megapixels, and they stand out for having a great amount of detail, an excellent dynamic range, and very little noise, even in dimly lit scenes.

As is usual in Xiaomi, the Mi 11 Lite suffers from a certain oversaturation of the colors, even when deactivating the artificial intelligence mode integrated into the app.

Another aspect to highlight is the tendency of the software in charge of processing images to add detail artificially, generating “sharp” images artificially without being necessary. Although common in other models of the brand, in this case, it is more notable.

The ultra-wide-angle camera offers decent results when the light is good, with a well-controlled noise level and colors that do not deviate too much from the tones obtained with the main sensor.

However, when the light falls, the secondary camera begins to suffer, the detail is drastically reduced, and we get somewhat flat photos. A point in favor of the sensor is the good work in correcting the distortion of the edges.

The telemacro sensor gives the possibility to capture objects located between 3 and 7 centimeters from the camera. And as with most cameras of this type, we are not thrilled with the results.

Good macro images can be captured, and its 49-millimeter equivalent focal length ensures that photos are not distorted. Even so, it is still a “low” resolution sensor, which does not exactly stand out for the amount of detail captured.

The portrait mode of the Mi 11 Lite is based solely on the software since we do not have dedicated depth sensors. Despite this, the results are good when the light has a fairly precise subject crop and a pleasant and natural background blur. You have to remember to deactivate the beauty filters before taking a portrait to prevent the camera from softening every one of your facial features.

Without being the best, the selfies captured with the Mi 11 Lite are at the level of other models in this same category, with sufficient lighting as long as the scene is not too dark and a sufficient amount of detail in most cases.

Xiaomi Mi 11 Lite, opinion and final thoughts from Andro4all

With characteristics very similar to those of other models of the brand, and a price similar to that of other Xiaomi, the Mi 11 Lite only has its design to differentiate itself.

But I’m afraid for many, having a more refined design, lighter weight, and slimmer body won’t justify the cutbacks in battery, processor, or screen refresh rate.

The Mi 11 Lite is a smartphone created to show off the design and intended for that group of people looking for something different on an aesthetic level. And without being a bad device, the reality is that models like the POCO F3, with a more powerful processor and a higher quality screen, give more for your money than this Mi 11 Lite offers.

There is also the Redmi Note 10 Pro, a model that, although it may not be so aesthetically attractive, has a fantastic quality 120 hertz OLED screen, the same processor as the Mi 11 Lite, along with a much larger battery capacity. And a 108-megapixel main camera is capable of taking better photos than the 64-megapixel sensor in the Mi 11 Lite. And all, for a price about 30 euros cheaper.

Xiaomi Mi 11 Lite opinion and final thoughts from Andro4allPrice of the Xiaomi Mi 11 Lite and where to buy

The Xiaomi Mi 11 Lite is available in two versions, one with 5G and only 4G.

The 5G version has improved specifications compared to the 4G version featured in this analysis. In fact, despite its name, we are talking about two very different smartphones.

Within the 4G version, we can find two different memory and storage configurations, one with 6 GB of RAM and 64 GB of storage, 299.99 euros, and another with 6 GB of RAM and 128 GB of storage. , whose price rises to 329.99 euros.

Either version can be purchased through the company’s official store, as well as third-party resellers such as Amazon.

As for the available colors, Xiaomi offers three: blue, pink, and black finish that we can test. All of them have a glossy finish on the back.

Xiaomi Mi 11 Lite, opinion and note from Andro4all
Should you buy the Xiaomi Mi 11 Lite?
In favor
  • A refined, slim, and light design that is appreciated among so many giants
  • Excellent OLED display at 90 hertz
  • Good performance
  • The main camera offers good results
Against
  • Autonomy below its rivals
  • The secondary cameras do not reach the level of the main
Conclusions The Mi 11 Lite is a mobile destined for a specific market niche: one that values ​​aesthetics above everything else. There is no doubt that it is the mid-range Xiaomi mobile with the most refined design. But that implies settling for a technical sheet not as complete as that of some of its similarly priced brothers.