Xiaomi Mi 11X Review

Xiaomi Mi 11X: Technical Review, specifications and more

The Mi 11X is the latest premium mid-range offering from Xiaomi in India. It's part of a series of two devices, the other being the Mi 11X Pro.

The Mi 11X is essentially a rebranded Redmi K40 or Poco F3 for the Indian market. The three phones are identical to each other save for the name printed on their backs.

The reason it's been renamed to Mi 11X in India is likely because the Redmi name is more synonymous with budget devices, and the Poco branding these days is being reserved for lower mid-range models. Since this model is on the pricier side for Xiaomi in India, it gets the more premium Mi branding.

Xiaomi Mi 11X specs at a glance:

Body: 163.7x76.4x7.8mm, 196g. Glass front (Gorilla Glass 5), glass back (Gorilla Glass 5), plastic frame.
Display: 6.67" Super AMOLED, 120Hz, HDR10+, 1300 nits (peak), 1080x2400px resolution, 20:9 aspect ratio, 395ppi.
Chipset: Qualcomm SM8250-AC Snapdragon 870 5G (7 nm): Octa-core (1x3.2 GHz Kryo 585 & 3x2.42 GHz Kryo 585 & 4x1.80 GHz Kryo 585); Adreno 650.
Memory: 128GB 6GB RAM, 128GB 8GB RAM; UFS 3.1.
OS/Software: Android 11, MIUI 12.
Rear camera: Wide (main): 48 MP, f/1.8, 26mm, 1/2", 0.8µm, PDAF; Ultra-wide angle: 8 MP, f/2.2, 119˚; Macro: 5 MP, f/2.4, 50mm, 1/5.0", 1.12µm.
Front camera: 20 MP, f/2.5, (wide), 1/3.4", 0.8µm.
Video capture: Rear camera: 4K@30fps, 1080p@30/60/120/240/960fps, gyro-EIS; Front camera: 1080p@30fps, 720p@120fps.
Battery: 4520mAh; Fast charging 33W.
Misc: Fingerprint reader (side-mounted); Infrared port.

 

However, true to Xiaomi ethos, the Mi 11X is very well specced for the price, which starts at INR 29,999 ($400). You get the Qualcomm Snapdragon 870 chipset, a 120Hz AMOLED display, triple rear camera, 4520mAh battery, and 33W fast charging. Compared to the OnePlus 9R, which packs a similar feature set, the Mi 11X is a cool INR 10,000 ($135) cheaper.

Mi 11X performance

This phone is designed to deliver class-leading performance for its price, and so of course it does well when it comes to ordinary usage. It feels responsive when performing actions, especially when using MIUI's navigation gestures. The 120Hz screen refresh rate does seem to help the experience feel snappy. The fingerprint sensor worked well, but its location means that it is easy to activate inadvertently while just holding the phone.

Xiaomi blocks many benchmarks on its pre-release phones, but AnTuTu 9 was able to run and reported a score of 673,855 which is marginally higher than what the OnePlus 9R managed. Games were quite smooth – both Asphalt 9: Legends and Call of Duty Mobile ran well at their highest settings, but the screen refresh rate seems limited to 60Hz and 90Hz respectively. The upper back of the phone did get a bit warm after about 10 minutes of playing.

Mi 11X cameras

Xiaomi has resisted the temptation of marketing and gone with only three rear cameras on the Mi 11X: a 48-megapixel primary rear camera with a Sony IMX582 sensor and f/1.79 aperture, an 8-megapixel f/2.2 ultra-wide camera, and a 5-megapixel “telemacro” camera with 2X zoom. The front camera has a 20 megapixel resolution and f/2.45 aperture.

Verdict

Smartphone makers have limited ways in which to make their offerings stand out, and with premium features constantly becoming available at lower and lower prices, there isn't that much room for differentiation at each price level. Xiaomi already has a portfolio stuffed with feature-rich phones across its Mi and Redmi series, plus the recently spun off Poco brand. With the Mi 11X, Xiaomi has chosen to tilt the scales in favour of processor power and overall polish, somewhat sacrificing camera quality in the bargain.

Ultimately, the Mi 11X is a strong contender but not as an all-rounder. If your needs align with what it offers, you'll be happy with it – especially considering the price.