Xiaomi Mi 11 arrives as the first phone with Snapdragon 888

In a world where companies race to launch Pro, Pro Max, and Pro Plus devices, Xiaomi decided to go old school and introduced only one flagship phone today - the Xiaomi Mi 11. It is officially the first phone with Snapdragon 888 chipset and comes with Xiaomi’s best display - a 6.81” AMOLED with QHD+ resolution and 120Hz refresh rate.

Xiaomi Mi 11

The front panel also has 480Hz touch sampling rate, advertised peak brightness of 1,500 nits, and Gorilla Glass Victus protection.

The Snapdragon 888 can be combined with either 8GB RAM and 128/256GB storage or 12GB of RAM and 256GB storage. There’s no microSD slot onboard, so no option to add more after the purchase.

The main camera setup consists of the 108MP cam, known from the Mi 10 series (the one that is 1/1.33” in size), with a 7P lens and f/1.85 lens in front.

The 13MP ultrawide angle camera has 123-degree FoV, while the third snapper, sitting on the side, is a basic 5MP macro lens. On the front, Xiaomi placed a 20MP selfie cam, tucked behind a punch hole in the upper left corner.

Xiaomi Mi 11 in White and Black

Getting back to the front panel, we have a screen that is curved on both sides, and underneath the Mi 11 implements Goodix’s latest optical fingerprint scanner. According to the scanner's maker it even supports heart-rate monitoring but Xiaomi said nothing about such a feature on stage.

Photos from the in-person launch of the Xiaomi Mi 11, courtesy of Sina

The Xiaomi Mi 11 has a 4,600 mAh power cell that supports 55W wired fast-charging, 50W wireless, and 10W reverse charging. It will work with every Quick Charge 4+, Quick Charge 3+, and Power Delivery 3.0 adapter. Xiaomi has decided to skip the charger in the retail box but will give a 65W GaN adapter for free if you don't have a compatible charger already.

Other highlights of the Xiaomi Mi 11 include Harman Kardon-tuned stereo speakers, improved Night Mode capabilities, dual 5G connectivity (at Sub-6 GHz networks), Wi-Fi 6E support, Bluetooth 5.2, NFC, and all the finest navigation services.

Pre-order has already started, with the first sale scheduled for January 1, 2021. The Xiaomi Mi 11 will be offered in six different colors - Black, White, Blue, Khaki Vegan Leather, Purple Leather, and Special Edition with Lei Jun’s autograph for some reason.

Xiaomi Mi 11 in all its colors

Pricing begins at CNY3,999 ($610/€500)and goes up to CNY4,699 ($720/€585) for the roomiest memory option. The first flash sale is scheduled for January 1, 2021.

While the announcement saw only one phone, later in 2021 we hope to see a Xiaomi Mi 11 Pro with a periscope lens, as some early renders suggested, as well as an improved main camera. We are also hoping to hear more on international availability soon.

Source (in Chinese)