Xiaomi Mi 11 Lite review

Introduction

Today, we will be reviewing yet another Xiaomi mid-ranger - we are welcoming the 4G version of the Mi 11 Lite.

We are not sure how Xiaomi can keep uninterrupted production of so many phones with the ongoing global chip shortages. But we are glad things are working well for them so far.

The Mi 11 Lite 5G has already earned our recommendation, and we are hoping its cheaper version to be just as good. The lightweight Mi 11 Lite, just like the Mi 11 Lite 5G, is shaped after the Mi 11 flagship and focuses on similar features - an HRR OLED screen, enjoyable camera quality, long battery life, fast charging, and overall smooth UI experience.

We are glad to see Xiaomi has thoughtfully handpicked the features that matter the most. The 6.55-inch OLED is of great quality with 10-bit color support, HDR10 certification, and a 90Hz refresh rate. There is also 240Hz touch sampling, which is another requirement for a smooth experience.

The triple camera on the back is also reminiscent of the Mi 11's and the same as on the Mi 11 Lite 5G - there is a high-res 64MP primary, an 8MP ultrawide snapper, and a 5MP telemacro cam. All sorts of shooting modes are supported, including Night Mode, Long Exposure, Pro mode for all cameras, and the Mi 11 series exclusive video modes such as Parallel World, Time Freeze, Night Mode Timelapse, among others.

The Mi 11 Lite relies on the Snapdragon 732G chip - the same one we experienced as part of the Redmi Note 10 Pro. That's the only notable difference with the Mi 11 Lite 5G - the 5G model uses a more powerful Snapdragon 780G 5G SoC.

The Mi 11 Lite may have undergone an obvious cost-cutting process, but it still gets to enjoy stereo speakers, NFC connectivity, a microSD slot, and even an IR port. And, by looking at its specs sheet, it does seem like a Lite version done right.

Xiaomi Mi 11 Lite specs at a glance:

• Body: 160.5x75.7x6.8mm, 157g; Gorilla Glass 5 front, glass back, plastic frame.
• Display: 6.55" AMOLED, 1B colors, HDR10, 90Hz, 240Hz touch sampling, 500 nits (typ), 800 nits, 1080x2400px resolution, 20:9 aspect ratio, 402ppi.
• Chipset: Qualcomm SM7150 Snapdragon 732G (8 nm): Octa-core (2x2.3 GHz Kryo 470 Gold & 6x1.8 GHz Kryo 470 Silver); Adreno 618.
• Memory: 64GB 6GB RAM, 128GB 6GB RAM, 128GB 8GB RAM; UFS 2.2; microSDXC (uses shared SIM slot).
• OS/Software: Android 11, MIUI 12.
• Rear camera: Wide (main): 64 MP, f/1.8, 26mm, 1/1.97", 0.7µm, PDAF; Ultra wide angle: 8 MP, f/2.2, 119˚, 1/4.0", 1.12µm; Macro: 5 MP, f/2.4, AF.
• Front camera: 16 MP, f/2.5, 25mm (wide), 1/3.06" 1.0µm.
• Video capture: Rear camera: 4K@30fps, 1080p@30/60/120fps; gyro-EIS; Front camera: 1080p@30fps, 720p@120fps.
• Battery: 4250mAh; Fast charging 33W.
• Misc: Fingerprint reader (side-mounted); Infrared port.

The most notable omission is splash resistance, obviously. While the similarly priced Poco X3 Pro is IP53-rated, and Samsung is putting an even bigger effort with its most recent IP67-rated Galaxy A phones, Xiaomi isn't keen on providing any sort of ingress protection for the Mi 11 Lite phones. It's not a major issue, of course, but it's already a popular must-have for the competition.

Unboxing the Xiaomi Mi 11 Lite

The Mi 11 Lite bundle is a match to what most of the Redmi and Poco phones recently offered - a 33W power adapter, a 3A-rated USB-C cable, there is also a USB-C-to-3.5mm adapter.

There is also a transparent silicone case inside the retail box - a much-appreciated addition across all Xiaomi phones. Xiaomi is also giving away a thin screen protector, but it's one of those cheap films that turn your screen into a smudge magnet, and we just couldn't bear all this smear, sorry.