The Xiaomi Mi 11 Lite 5G is a flat screen phone done right

I seem to be in the minority among my peers and colleagues in the tech media scene, but I actually like curved screen phones. Curved screens not only look visually appealing to me — especially with the way visuals seem to spill off the edges like an infinity pool — but also make for a more comfortable in-hand feel. Xiaomi’s new Mi 11 Lite doesn’t have a curved screen, though. Instead, it has a flat screen.

Flat screens, in my view, generally don’t feel as premium — the corners where the screen ends and the chassis begins can result in a sharp edge, which is the case with the Galaxy S20 FE, Realme 8 Pro, and some Redmi devices. If that chassis is too thick like on an iPhone 12, then the whole phone feels angular and blocky.

That’s why I’m happy to report that the just-announced Xiaomi Mi 11 Lite is a flat panel done right. The screen itself doesn’t curve, but the edges are chamfered just enough, and the chassis rounded, to make for a device that doesn’t have sharp sides. It feels like the Google Pixel 5 — another flat screen phone that I actually think feels great in the hand.

It’s also very light and thin at just 159g (0.3lbs) and 6.8mm, providing a welcome reprieve from the big, heavy phones I’ve been testing like the Galaxy S21 Ultra.

Xiaomi Mi 11 Lite 4G Forums ||| Xiaomi Mi 11 Lite 5G Forums

Specification	Xiaomi Mi 11 Lite 4G	Xiaomi Mi 11 Lite 5G
Build	Colors: Boba Black, Bubblegum Blue, Peach Pink Protection: Corning Gorilla Glass 5	Colors: Truffle Black, Mint Green, Citrus Yellow Protection: Corning Gorilla Glass 6
Dimensions & Weight	160.53mm x 75.72mm x 6.81mm, 157g	160.53mm x 75.72mm x 6.81mm, 159g
Display	6.55” AMOLED DotDisplay (2400 x 1080 FHD+） 10-bit TrueColor and DCI-P3 90Hz refresh rate, 240Hz touch sampling rate HDR10 support TÜV Rheinland Low Blue Light Certification	6.55” AMOLED DotDisplay (2400 x 1080 FHD+） 10-bit TrueColor and DCI-P3 90Hz refresh rate, 240Hz touch sampling rate HDR10+ support TÜV Rheinland Low Blue Light Certification
SoC	Qualcomm Snapdragon 732G CPU 1x ARM Cortex-A76 @ 2.3GHz 1x ARM Cortex-A76 @ 2.2GHz 6x ARM Cortex-A55 @ 1.8GHz GPU: Adreno 618 Samsung’s 8nm LPP manufacturing process Xiaomi’s LiquidCool Technology	Qualcomm Snapdragon 780G CPU 1x ARM Cortex-A78 @ 2.4GHz 3x ARM Cortex-A78 @ 2.2GHz 4x ARM Cortex-A55 @ 1.9GHz GPU: Adreno 642 Samsung’s 5nm manufacturing process Xiaomi’s LiquidCool Technology
RAM & Storage	6GB LPDDR4X RAM + 64GB UFS 2.2 storage 6GB LPDDR4X RAM + 128GB UFS 2.2 storage	6GB LPDDR4X RAM + 128GB UFS 2.2 storage 8GB LPDDR4X RAM + 128GB UFS 2.2 storage
Battery & Charging	4,250mAh battery 33W fast-charging via included charger	4,250mAh battery 33W fast-charging via included charger
Security	Arc side-mounted fingerprint, PIN/Password, Pattern	Arc side-mounted fingerprint, PIN/Password, Pattern
Rear Camera(s)	Main: 64MP (F/1.79, 0.7μm 4-in-1 to 1.4μm, 1/1.97″ sensor size, 6P lens, contrast autofocus) Ultra wide-angle camera: 8MP (F/2.2, 1.12μm, 1/4″ sensor size, 5P lens) Macro: 5MP telemacro camera (F/2.4, 1.12μm, 4P lens, contrast autofocus, 3-7cm) Single-tone flash	Main: 64MP (F/1.79, 0.7μm 4-in-1 to 1.4μm, 1/1.97″ sensor size, 6P lens, contrast autofocus) Ultra wide-angle camera: 8MP (F/2.2, 1.12μm, 1/4″ sensor size, 5P lens) Macro: 5MP telemacro camera (F/2.4, 1.12μm, 1.5″ sensor size, 4P lens, contrast autofocus, 3-7cm) Single-tone flash
Front Camera(s)	16MP in-display selfie camera	20MP in-display selfie camera
Port(s)	USB Type-C	USB Type-C
Audio & Vibration	Dual audio speakers 2x recording microphones Hi-res Audio certification, Hi-res Audio Wireless certification Z-axis linear motor	Dual audio speakers Hi-res Audio certification, Hi-res Audio Wireless certification Z-axis linear motor
Connectivity	Qualcomm Snapdragon X15 4G LTE integrated modem 4G LTE FDD: 1/2/3/4/5/7/8/12/17/20/28/32/66 4G LTE TDD: 38/40/41 (120M) 3G WCDMA: 1/2/4/5/8 4×4 MIMO (Only 4G, B3, B7) Dual SIM Bluetooth 5.1 Wi-Fi 5 NFC and IR blaster	Qualcomm Snapdragon X53 4G LTE and 5G integrated modem 5G NR: n1/n3/n5/n7/n8/n20/n28/n38/n40/n41/n77/n78/n66 4G LTE FDD:1/2/3/4/5/6/7/8/12/13/17/20/28/32/66 4G LTE TDD: 38/40/41 3G WCDMA: 1/2/4/5/8 2G GSM: 2/3/5/8 Dual 5G Bluetooth 5.2 Wi-Fi 6 NFC and IR blaster
Software	MIUI 12 based on Android 11	MIUI 12 based on Android 11

The Xiaomi Mi 11 Lite comes in two versions: a 4G model that is powered by a Snapdragon 732G and a 5G model running on the brand-new Snapdragon 780G. The latter SoC features Kryo 670 CPU cores clocked at up to 2.4GHz frequency and a triple ISP.

I have the Mi 11 Lite 5G model. Unfortunately, because the device is an early review unit, all the popular benchmark apps from Geekbench 5 to PCMark have been blocked, so I can’t test the phone yet in terms of benchmark performance. I also haven’t had the phone long enough to give definitive impressions about performance and battery life.

But as I said at the beginning of the article, the Mi 11 Lite feels very good in the hand. It’s a typical glass sandwich design, with a 6.55-inch AMOLED panel that refreshes at 90Hz. The back panel has a matte-frosted coating that is grippy yet doesn’t attract fingerprints — but it’s just standard glass, not Gorilla Glass.

Despite the device’s 6.8mm thinness, Xiaomi managed to cram a 4,250 mAh battery inside the Mi 11 Lite, as well as very loud stereo speakers. There’s a triple camera array headlined by a 64MP camera and flanked by an 8MP ultra-wide and 5MP macro lens, as well as a 16MP selfie camera.

I haven’t had much time to test the cameras much, but it seems to be on par with Xiaomi’s more entry-level offerings. What the Mi 11 Lite lacks in hardware prowess, though, the software makes up for.

The cinematic shooting modes that Xiaomi introduced with the Mi 11 are available here too, as is the clone photo/video feature, which has been very fun to play with.

Xiaomi is selling the Mi 11 Lite 5G for ¥2599 in China and €369 in Europe. At these aggressively low prices, Xiaomi obviously had to compromise somewhere, which is why the Mi 11 Lite lacks wireless charging, an IP water resistance rating, or an in-display fingerprint sensor. Instead, the phone comes with a 33W wired charger and uses a side-mounted fingerprint scanner. The latter may not actually be a bad thing, as it’s easier to find by touch and very fast to respond.

This is just my first impression of the device. We’ll be back with more in-depth testing, so keep an eye out for future content on not just the Mi 11 Lite but also the Mi 11 Ultra as well!

Xiaomi Mi 11 Lite 5G

Xiaomi's Mi 11 Lite 5G is the first phone with Qualcomm's Snapdragon 780G. It's a great mid-range phone on paper and is priced very aggressively in Europe.

See at Mi.com

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