Xiaomi 11 Lite 5G NE review

Alternatives

Click here for our full and extensive review of the Xiaomi Mi 11 Lite 5G, which the Xiaomi 11 Lite 5G NE is based on.

Almost half a year later, even with a lower-tier chipset, the Xiaomi 11 Lite 5G NE is a relevant and competitive phone. It's a nicely toned-down version of the flagship Mi 11 retaining some high-end features and asking a typical mid-range price. For the same €399, Xiaomi is bumping up the base RAM to 8GB and is discounting the 6GB/128GB variant in some markets, now €369 making it an even more lucrative solution within the €400 budget. It's also important to note that the original Mi 11 Lite 5G will no longer be available for purchase in October 2021. There could be some units left on the shelves in some markets but will be out of stock pretty soon and thus, comparing the "Old Edition" to the "New Edition" in the context of purchasing isn't really necessary. So what about the rest of the competition?

Well, in a fast-paced market like the smartphone one, a lot of things have changed in the last five mounts or so. There are some new releases that are worth mentioning but the majority of the competitors listed in the Mi 11 Lite 5G review should be considered and remain relevant. So in this review, we will focus on the similarly-priced alternatives that came out since April 2021.

OnePlus Nord 2 5G • Realme GT Master • Realme GT 5G

The OnePlus Nord 2 5G is one of the first options that spring to mind. Its main appeal over the Xiaomi 11 Lite 5G NE is the more capable Dimensity 1200 SoC, arguably better camera performance, faster charging and the snappy OxygenOS, which has won many fans over the years. Sure, its display doesn't have 10-bit color depth and can't boost its brightness as much as the 11 Lite 5G NE but it's still a worthy rival in a well-rounded package.

Moving up the price ladder a bit, €50 north to be exact, will get you Realme's GT 5G. This one is stepping into the "flagship killer" category with a considerably more powerful chipset and faster 120Hz display. Battery life suffers a little due to the more powerful chipset but the faster 65W charging makes up for it. Camera quality is also slightly better due to the larger 64MP sensor and the more capable ISP of the Snapdragon 888.

On the other hand, for €350, the Realme GT Master Edition might interest you with a faster, albeit less bright, 120Hz OLED, great battery life, blazing-fast charging and the same SoC under the hood. The overall camera performance, however, isn't on par with the 11 Lite 5G NE, mostly when it comes to video recording. No stereo speakers and no microSD card too. Build quality isn't ideal too, unless you are getting the vegan leather option.

Verdict

As you can see, for the last five months, we have had some new players in town and despite the downgraded SoC (damn those chip shortages), the new edition of the Xiaomi 11 Lite 5G holds up pretty well against the fierce competition. Our initial review findings are still absolutely valid.

An excellent all-rounder with an adequate price and the change in SoC performance won't make much of a difference for the majority of users. We have no reason not to recommend it once again.

Pros

• Smooth, premium and very thin glass body with a frosted finish.
• Great OLED screen, 10-bit color support, 90Hz refresh rate, HDR10+.
• Excellent battery life, even better than before.
• Loud stereo speakers
• Excellent daylight photo and video quality across all cameras, including Night mode.
• Android 11, feature-rich MIUI 12.5, Super Wallpapers.
• Same CPU performance as Mi 11 Lite 5G, and 8GB version costs as much as 6GB Mi 11 Lite 5G.

Cons

• Notable drop in GPU performance compared to the original Mi 11 Lite 5G.
• More powerful alternatives in the same price range came out in the last 5 months.