Xiaomi Mi 11 Review: A Loaded, Value-Priced Android Flagship

If you’re a regular HotHardware reader, or live outside the US, you’re probably somewhat familiar with Chinese giant Xiaomi. The company makes and sells a wide variety of consumer electronics from smartphones (branded Mi, RedMi, Poco, and CC), to electric scooters. It keeps prices low by subsidizing its products in several markets (like China and India) via online services -- much like Amazon does here in the US.

Today, Xiaomi ranks number three in global smartphone market share. Its latest flagship, the $750 / €750 Mi 11, was the first handset to feature Qualcomm’s new Snapdragon 888 when it shipped January 1st, beating Samsung’s $800 Galaxy S21 to the punch. With a Quad HD+ 120Hz AMOLED screen, a 108MP main shooter, and 55W wired plus 50W wireless fast charging, the Mi 11 seems like a better deal -- at least on paper.

We’ve been using the Mi 11 for a couple weeks now. What are its strengths and weaknesses? How well does it work on US networks? Is it a better buy than the (now discounted to $700) base Galaxy S21? Read our full review to find out.

At first glance, the Xiaomi Mi 11 is just another glass and aluminum flagship with a large 6.81-inch “waterfall” display. But flip it over, and it immediately stands out, thanks to fun color and material options, plus a unique camera pod in the top left corner. The two-tiered bump consists of a black pill-shaped rectangle that’s home to the 108MP main and 13MP ultrawide shooters, set within a shiny rounded square that matches the color of the back panel.

The 5MP macro camera and a dual-color dual-LED flash are mounted to the right of that rounded black rectangle, and a raised silver rim encircles the main shooter. Back panel materials include glass with a satin finish (Midnight Gray, Cloud White, or Horizon Blue -- like our review unit), glass with a “corrugated” finish (Special Edition Blue), or eco leather (Violet, Gold). It’s definitely a step up from the Galaxy S21’s plastic back.

Bezels are minimal all around and thankfully, the screen’s curved edges aren’t very pronounced. A punch hole in the top left corner is home to the 20MP selfie camera. The rear panel is also curved along the edges, making the phone much easier to grip. Like with the Galaxy S21, the Mi 11’s aluminum sides are very thin, but stretch to incorporate the volume rocker and power / lock key. The mid-frame is also wider (and machined flat) top and bottom.

We really like the Mi 11’s design. It’s unique, refined, tasteful, and way more premium than what you’d expect for its price tag. Kudos to Xiaomi for doing something different without going over the top. At 164.3 x 74.6 x 8.1mm and 196g (8.6mm and 194g for the eco leather models), this is a big handset. In fact, it’s almost as large as Samsung’s mighty Galaxy S21 Ultra. Yet its sleek lines make it look and feel smaller than it is.

In terms of layout, you’ll find the volume rocker and a (slightly convex and textured) power / lock button on the right side, but nothing on the left. The speaker, primary mic, USB Type-C port, and SIM tray are located along the bottom edge, and there’s an IR transmitter, secondary mic, and earpiece port on top. While the Mi 11 lacks an official IP rating, the gasket around the SIM tray implies some level of water and dust resistance.

The Mi 11 packs an absolutely gorgeous 6.81-inch Quad HD+ LTPO AMOLED display (3200 x 1440 pixels, 515ppi, HDR10+) with a 20:9 aspect ratio and 120Hz adaptive refresh rate. Spec-wise, it appears very similar to the display employed on Samsung’s Galaxy S21 Ultra, complete with slightly curved edges, 10-bit color depth, and 1500nits peak brightness. Bezels are small, and there’s a punch hole for the selfie camera in the top left corner.

On the imaging front, the Mi 11 offers some interesting features. The main shooter pairs Samsung’s 0.8-micron 108MP HMX sensor with an f/1.9 lens and OIS. It’s the same sensor found on last year’s Xiaomi Mi 10 and Moto Edge+. Unlike the 108MP HM1 (Galaxy S20 Ultra and Note 20 Ultra) or the 108MP HM3 (Galaxy S21 Ultra), which both use 9-to-1 pixel binning for a 12MP output, the HMX uses 4-to-1 binning for 27MP results.

By combining (binning) less pixels, the effective pixel size is 1.6 microns instead of  2.4 microns, favoring detail over low-light performance. This makes sense considering the Mi 11 lacks a dedicated telephoto camera and relies on digital zooming for magnification. Other shooters include a 13MP f/2.4 1.12-micron 123-degree ultrawide, a 5MP f/2.4 1.12-micron telemacro with AF, and a 20MP f/2.2 0.8-micron selfie camera.

Xiaomi’s camera app is pretty intuitive, and we have no complaints. Photo modes include pro (manual), portrait, night, 108MP, panorama, super macro, tilt shift, document scanner, long exposure, clone, and supermoon. Yeah, moon photography is definitely a thing on this year’s flagships. Night mode is available on the main, ultrawide, and selfie shooters, while pro mode is available on the main, ultrawide, and macro cameras.

The Mi 11 captures stabilized video (with stereo audio) up to 8k 30/24fps or 4k 60fps with the main shooter, and up to 4k 30fps or 1080p 60fps with the ultrawide. Selfie video maxes out at 1080p 60fps. Video modes include HDR10+, pro (with Log support), night, steady (1080p 30fps), slow motion (1080p 120/480fps), time lapse (up to 4k 30fps), super macro (1080p 30fps), dual video (main plus selfie), short video, vlog, and cool movie effects.

While the lack of a proper telephoto is disappointing, this camera system delivers solid performance, slotting the Mi 11 right below Samsung, Apple, Google, and Huawei’s best. Still, beyond the significantly improved macro, this is pretty much the same imaging hardware Xiaomi shipped on last year’s Mi 10. Obviously, the Mi 11 benefits from the Snapdragon 888’s updated triple ISPs and from revised software, but we were expecting more.

Overall, the Mi 11 produces lovely photos and videos. The main camera is clearly the star of the show. It takes pictures with superb detail and natural colors. Low-light performance is excellent, too, with noise only becoming a problem once you start zooming in. Speaking of which, daytime images are decent up to about 5x magnification. The only real issue we encountered with the main shooter is excessive lens flaring, especially in night mode.