Xiaomi Mi 11i Review: A good phone that lacks a killer feature

Xiaomi isn't officially available in the US but Europeans across the pond have access to most of the brand's smartphones, the latest of which is the Mi 11 range. Consisting of the Mi 11 Lite, regular Mi 11, and the ultra high-spec Mi 11 Ultra, the range also features the Mi 11i (Mi 11X Pro in India) which is what we are reviewing today.

Powered by Qualcomm's Snapdragon 888 and sporting a 6.67-inch AMOLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate, the Mi 11i sits in an awkward position in the European smartphone market, competing with similarly priced phones such as Vivo's X60 Pro, the Galaxy S20 FE, and the OnePlus 9 while trying not to be an interloper in its own family of devices. Is Xiaomi's Mi 11i up to the task? Join us after the break to find out.

Design

If you've seen the Mi 11 and Mi 11 Ultra, you'll have noticed that the Mi 11i doesn't quite share the same design language, instead, it's rather similar to the India-centric Redmi K40 Pro on which it is based. On its own, the Mi 11i is an ok if somewhat bland design with a glass rear panel and doesn't look nearly as good as its siblings. The glass rear panel gathers every possible fingerprint unless you slap a case on the Mi 11i, otherwise, you'll be wiping off the smudges every time you glance at it.

The rear camera housing boasts a 2-layered protrusion which is smoothed out for the most post by putting a case on the phone. On the right-hand side, you'll find the power button and volume rocker while the top edge is clean apart from the speaker chamber. A second speaker is found on the bottom edge beside the USB-C port and SIM tray.

Hardware

Performance

The Samsung-made E4 display is as bright and vibrant as you would expect with great viewing angles, and thankfully as flat as they come. The side-mounted fingerprint reader is incorporated into the power button and is extremely accurate and responsive.

With the Snapdragon 888 processor, 8GB of RAM, and UFS 3.1 storage, the Mi 11i positively flies. Thanks to the presence of the FHD+ display, the chip and GPU are left to power through games at full graphic levels with sensitive but accurate touch responses playing PUBG and CoD Mobile. MIUI 12.5 also presents no problems to the performance department. Make no mistake, Xiaomi's Mi 11i has all the power you could need and then some.

We've run the Xiaomi Mi 11i through the usual benchmarking apps and can tell you that it's up there with the best in the listings.

Battery

As with most flagship smartphones, you can comfortably manage a full day's usage with the Xiaomi Mi 11i and have around 10-20% battery left at bedtime. Unlike the OnePlus 9 with its stupendously fast 65W charging, Xiaomi's Mi 11i only supports 33W charging which achieves a 70% charge in 30 minutes. There is also the disappointing omission of wireless charging, which is again present on the competing OnePlus 9. Don't get me wrong, the Mi 11i has quick charging speeds which are perfectly fine, so long as you don't look at the competition too closely.

Software

Like most smartphone brands, Xiaomi has its custom overall that runs on top of the Android operating system with the Mi 11i running MIUI 12.5 which is based on Android 11. Unlike the MIUI software experience from a few years ago, version 12.5 is much lighter than previous iterations and is easy enough to navigate. MIUI is vastly improved, and you'll even find the Google Discover Feed when swiping to the left-most panel on the home screen.

There are loads of options in terms of customization but not enough to be overwhelming, which is another sign of MIUI's increasing maturity. Something that is still present is bloatware, with the Mi 11i sporting numerous third-party apps installed when you first boot up the phone. The bloatware consists of apps such as Jewels Blast, WPD Office, Tile Fun, and more, with possibly the most useful one being the inclusion of TikTok. The good thing is that you can uninstall them, so at least you can minimize the period of annoyance.

MIUI 12.5 still has the odd quirk, unfortunately, in the form of a blank screen appearing whilst making or receiving audio and video calls. A couple of presses of the power button seems to return the phone to full functionality, but it's a little irksome when you are on an important call.

Camera

The Mi 11i has an unusual combination of cameras with the 108MP main sensor (Samsung ISOCELL HM2), an 8MP ultra-wide angle lens, as well as a 5MP telemacro lens that pulls double duty as the telephoto and macro camera.

On the whole, the Mi 11i produces high-quality shots that are bright and colorful but without being over-saturated, meaning that the built-in AI which senses lighting conditions and scenarios has a welcomed light touch. The shutter and auto-focus are quick enough so that you shouldn't miss out on a moment, something that should be a given but isn't always the case at this price point.

Something you will notice is the presence of lens flare due to the cameras not having a lens coating to deal with taking pictures with the sun alongside you. Night mode produces decent images with a good amount of detail, but they are good rather than exceptional thanks to the lack of OIS. Whether you are posting to Instagram or just taking moments of the meal though, the Mi 11i is up to the task, producing enticing images of the food you are about to eat. And you can always tweak them with the camera app's built-in editor.

Portrait mode was surprisingly good, and the phone has a number of gimmicky camera and video features that depending on your particular needs could be useful. The ultra-wide-angle lens does the job but doesn't really begin to compete with the 50MP sensor on the OnePlus 9 in terms of detail or hue. One thing you can say about the Mi 11i is that it's a reliable snapper and you'll be satisfied with the quality of the images taken, just not astounded. This isn't a negative, at €649 the Mi 11i is hitting its marks perfectly fine but without distinction, which is something that could be said for the phone as a whole.

Is it worth it?

As mentioned in the Camera section, Xiaomi's Mi 11i hits its marks perfectly but without any outstanding features or letdowns for €649. It will get you through the day with ease and recharge in a decently quick time, there's a vibrant display, and the cameras are up to the job of documenting your memories. All-in-all, you'll be happy with Xiaomi's Mi 11i in your pocket without feeling the need to show off any of its features, which is what tends to happen when manufacturers flesh out their product ranges by rebranding other models. It's a shame because in its own right, the Mi 11i is a very good phone it's just that it's overshadowed by every other member of the Mi 11 family in one way or another.

Competitors

Since Xiaomi isn't bringing the Mi 11i to the US or UK markets, you are left with importing the Mi 11i through third-party retailers unless you live in Europe, which isn't something that appeals to the broader audience. You could spend an extra €50 for a gaming smartphone such as the Red Magic 6 and get similar hardware but experience quirky software and a lackluster camera experience. Or, you could buy the OnePlus 9 which is a different kettle of fish. Boasting 65W ultra-fast charging, 15W wireless charging, as well as a more capable camera setup, the OnePlus 9 could be the better all-around option for that extra €50 or so.

Xiaomi Mi 11i |€649| Xiaomi

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