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Introduction
It all started with the Redmi Note 10 series. Xiaomi's mid-range expansion continued with the Poco X3 and F3 models. And now it seems the maker will be ending this chapter with the Mi 11 Lite duo. Today we have the Xiaomi Mi 11 Lite 5G model - the more powerful of the two versions, and 5G-enabled, of course.
Xiaomi's Mi 11 Lite 5G seems like a proper Lite model of the Mi 11 flagship. They both share similar designs, and that's the first tell. Both phones have high-end HRR OLED screens, powerful chipset and camera setups with similar capabilities.
The Mi 11 Lite 5G isn't as curved, and its OLED is the mainstream 1080p resolution, while the refresh rate maxes out at 90Hz. Then there is the SoC - it is one of the most powerful pieces of mid-range hardware, the Snapdragon 780G - but it sure isn't as fast as the Mi 11's Snapdragon 888. Finally, the main camera is 64MP instead of 108MP, and the ultrawide snapper is just 8MP instead of 13MP. Indeed, the Mi 11 Lite 5G is a product of several cost-cutting changes, but it has emerged on the other end with its high-end status unscathed, and yet, it's priced at half the Mi 11's asking price.
So, the Mi 11 Lite 5G packs a 6.55" AMOLED screen of 1080p resolution, but it's got 10-bit native color, 90Hz refresh rate, and HDR10+ support. It should run everything smoothly with the new Snapdragon 780G 5G chip (basically, a renovated Snapdragon 855) and keep doing it for a while with the 4,250mAh battery.
The Mi 11 Lite 5G, just like the Mi 11, also offers stereo speakers, 5G connectivity, can charge pretty fast, and water is just as hazardous as there is no official ingress protection whatsoever.
There is also a Mi 11 Lite 4G model, which is even cheaper - it shares most of the features with the 5G version here but is based on an inferior Snapdragon 732G chip. We will be reviewing the 4G model soon, so stay tuned for this one, too.
5G vs. 4G
Anyway, here is a quick rundown of the Mi 11 Lite 5G specs.
Xiaomi Mi 11 Lite 5G specs at a glance:
- Body: 160.5x75.7x6.8mm, 159g; Glass front (Gorilla Glass 6), glass back.
- 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 SM7350-AB Snapdragon 780G (5 nm): Octa-core (1x2.4 GHz Kryo 670 & 3x2.2 GHz Kryo 670 & 4x1.90 GHz Kryo 670); Adreno 642.
- Memory: 128GB 6GB RAM, 128GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 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: 20 MP, f/2.2, 27mm (wide), 1/3.4", 0.8µm.
- Video capture: Rear camera: 4K@30fps, 1080p@30/60/120fps; gyro-EIS; Front camera: 1080p@30/60fps, 720p@120fps.
- Battery: 4250mAh; Fast charging 33W, Quick Charge 4+, Power Delivery 3.0.
- Misc: Fingerprint reader (side-mounted); Infrared port; NFC.
The most notable omissions here are the 3.5mm jack and the FM radio, but at least you can still use headphones with a 3.5mm jack with the provided adapter. We can't but miss the Redmi Note 10 Pro's splash resistance.
Unboxing the Xiaomi Mi 11 Lite 5G
The Xiaomi Mi 11 Lite 5G comes packed within the usual black paper box. Inside, you'll find a 33W adapter, a 3A-rated USB-C-to-A cable, and a transparent silicone case.
The maker is also shipping the phone with a 3.5mm-to-USB-C adapter as the phone omits an audio jack, so you can continue to use your favorite wired headphones.
And if you want some extra protection right out of the bat, there is also this thin screen protector that ships with the phone. It's a bit cheap and is a massive smudge magnet, but hey - let's not look a gift horse in the mouth, right?
Design, build, handling
The Xiaomi's Mi 11 Lite 5G is an easily likable smartphone for a couple of reasons - it's noticeably thinner and lighter compared to most of its competitors, a bit on the small side, too. The frosted rear glass is an enjoyable look. The screen frame may stick out a bit too much, but, in fact, it helps the overall handling.
The Mi 11 Lite 5G has the usual dual-glass build - there is a flat Gorilla Glass 6 front and a flat anti-glare glass on the back. Between these two is a thin and curved plastic frame with a glossy finish, but that's not all. The screen's outer frame is not only readily visible but very much perceptible by touch as its height is almost a third of the Mi 11 Lite 5G profile.
At first, we thought of this as an awkward, maybe even bad design move. But we grew to love it for the additional grip it gave, and eventually, we thought the Mi 11 Lite 5G feels a lot better for having that part jutting out on top of the regular frame.
The Mi 11 Lite 5G isn't rated as water-resistant, it's not even splash-proof. And while we noticed a rubber gasket on the SIM tray, there is no official word for any type of ingress protection.
So, the 6.55" AMOLED screen with rounded corners is filling almost the entire front part of the Mi 11 Lite 5G. It has quite balanced bezels - not the thinnest ones around, but the chin is slimmer than what we usually get in this price range, and the whole black frame seems, well, fitting for the device.
The screen supports 10-bit color and 90Hz refresh rate, and it looked quite bright and punchy when we took the phone out of its box. There is one small punch-hole for the selfie camera at the top left corner - it's reasonably small and doesn't get in the way of the content most of the time.
There is one barely noticeable grille above the screen - it hides one of the stereo speakers, which also doubles as an earpiece. The other one is at the bottom of the phone, and both sound equally loud and are balanced well.
There is no notification LED light on the Mi 11 Lite 5G, but you can opt for AOD and/or side breathing light for when you've missed important notifications.
The back of the Mi 11 Lite is also flat, and the anti-glare finish is basically a frosted glass. It feels very pleasant when you touch it, and while fingerprints and smudges do stick - they aren't as visible as on a glossy glass. But they are tough to clean up - they aren't a swipe or ten away, more like find a proper clean piece of microfiber and try again.
The (glossy) camera island is one of our current favorites and the same we first saw on the Mi 11 - hence the lookalike designs. It's a two-step glass - the larger piece is thinner and houses the 8MP ultrawide camera and the dual-LED flash, while the smaller but thicker glass contains the 64MP primary and the 5MP macro snappers.
The frame of the Mi 11 Lite 5G is made of plastic and has a glossy finish. Contrary to our expectations, smudges aren't as prominent, and it does provide some grip. Combine that with the rather sharp outer screen frame, and we got some nice handling experience.
There is nothing on the left-hand side, while the volume rocker and the power key are on the right. The power/lock button's surface is also an always-on fingerprint scanner. While its position is quite helpful, it could also lead to many misreads while handling the phone. If this becomes an issue - we recommend changing the fingerprint trigger within Settings from Touch to Press.
There is an IR blaster and secondary mic on top of the Mi 11 Lite 5G.
The bottom has the primary mic (mouthpiece), the USB-C port, the dual-SIM hybrid tray, and the other stereo speaker. The phone supports either Dual SIM set up or a SIM card + microSD card.
The sides of the Mi 11 Lite 5G • The hybrid dual SIM slot
The Mi 11 Lite measures 160.5 x 75.7 x 6.8 mm and weighs 159 grams - this is 4mm shorter, 1.3mm thinner and 37 grams lighter than the Mi 11 flagship (or the Redmi Note 10 Pro).
We like the Mi 11 Lite 5G a lot because of its traditional flat sides and the frosted rear glass. The good-looking OLED screen helped a lot, too. The frame wasn't our favorite at first, but it makes for a good and grippy handling experience, and we had no issues using the Mi 11 Lite case-free. We only wish the Mi 11 Lite 5G had some sort of IP-rated water resistance.
Display
The Xiaomi Mi 11 Lite 5G offers a 6.55-inch AMOLED screen with a small punch-hole for the selfie camera at the top left corner. The panel is of rather premium quality with 10-bit color support, HDR10+ certification, and a 90Hz refresh rate.
The 6.55" display has a resolution of 2,400 x 1,080 pixels or extended Full HD making for 402ppi density. Since the panel supports 10-bit color, it can display more than 1 billion colors vs. 16 million on most competing phones. It is shielded by a flat Gorilla Glass 6.
The touch sensors are working with a 240Hz sampling rate, which should be appreciated by gamers mostly.
The screen supports a standard 60Hz refresh rate, or you can use a 90Hz high refresh rate. If you opt for 90Hz, it will always revert back to 60Hz when you stop touching or scrolling, or when you are playing videos (YouTube, Mi Video, Netflix, Amazon).
We found that not all HRR-games recognize the Mi 11 Lite 5G's screen as HRR, but updates will probably right that wrong soon enough. For example - Alto's Odyssey ran at 90Hz, but Dead Trigger 2 - at 60Hz.
The screen supports HDR10+, and combined with the Widevine L1 DRM support, you can always enjoy the maximum quality of any streaming service. We tried Netflix, YouTube and Amazon and they all stream media with 1080p HDR10 quality.
Xiaomi promises a maximum auto-brightness of 800 nits (high-brightness mode), and manual of 500 nits (typical). Our measurements show the phone lives up to these promises. We measured 846 nits brightness when the High Brightness Mode triggers, say, under bright sunlight, while the max brightness at the end of the brightness scrubber is 514 nits.
The minimum brightness at point white is just 2.8 nits!
| Display test | 100% brightness | ||
| Black, |
White, |
||
| 0 | 514 | ∞ | |
| 0 | 846 | ∞ | |
| 0 | 476 | ∞ | |
| 0 | 826 | ∞ | |
| 0 | 498 | ∞ | |
| 0 | 926 | ∞ | |
| 0 | 511 | ∞ | |
| 0 | 716 | ∞ | |
| 0.327 | 458 | 1401:1 | |
| 0.4 | 534 | 1335:1 | |
| 0 | 457 | ∞ | |
| 0 | 725 | ∞ | |
| 0 | 454 | ∞ | |
| 0 | 627 | ∞ | |
| 0 | 459 | ∞ | |
| 0 | 585 | ∞ | |
| 0.376 | 484 | 1287:1 | |
| 0.667 | 571 | 856:1 | |
| 0 | 386 | ∞ | |
| 0 | 794 | ∞ | |
| 0 | 395 | ∞ | |
| 0 | 570 | ∞ | |
Just like many other Xiaomi phones, the Mi 11 Lite 5G offers three predefined Color presets - Auto, Saturated, Original - each representing a specific color space.
The Auto option is tuned to reproduce DCI-P3 faithfully, and we found it to be indeed accurate, sans the slightly bluish white and gray hues. Saturated makes for a bit punchier colors on top of Auto. Standard should be accurate to sRGB, but here the white and grays are noticeably reddish.
Refresh rate • Color settings
There are Advanced Settings, where you can choose between Enhanced (show the display content in the widest possible color), Original (identify and calibrate colors on the go), P3 (same accuracy to P3 as Auto - pretty good), and sRGB (perfect accuracy to sRGB).
The Advanced Settings also feature color, saturation, contrast and gamma sliders.
The Mi 11 Lite 5G currently doesn't support MEMC or other AI upscale or smoothing enhancements.
Battery life
The Mi 11 Lite 5G is powered by a 4,250mAh battery and runs on the new 5nm Snapdragon 780G 5G chipset with Qualcomm's internal X53 5G modem. This is the first time we meet this SoC, so we don't really know what to expect, but we sure are hopeful.
The Xiaomi Mi 11 Lite 5G aced our battery life test. It can do calls for almost a day, it can last 12+ hours in web browsing or 14 hours when watching videos. The standby performance is battery-efficient, too.
If you decide to leave the screen at the standard 60Hz display refresh rate, then you'll get 2 more hours of web time or video playback.
Our battery tests were automated thanks to SmartViser, using its viSerDevice app. The endurance rating above denotes how long a single battery charge will last you if you use the Xiaomi Mi 11 Lite 5G for an hour each of telephony, web browsing, and video playback daily. We've established this usage pattern so that our battery results are comparable across devices in the most common day-to-day tasks. The battery testing procedure is described in detail in case you're interested in the nitty-gritty. You can check out our complete battery test table, where you can see how all of the smartphones we've tested will compare under your own typical use.
Charging speed
Xiaomi Mi 11 Lite 5G supports 33W fast charging and such power adapter and 3A-rated cable ship with the phone.
The bundled power adapter recharges 58% of the Mi 11 Lite 5G's flat battery in 30 minutes, a pretty chunky part, we'd say.
30min charging test (from 0%)
- Realme 7 Pro
94% - Realme 8 Pro
88% - Poco F3
67% - Xiaomi Redmi Note 10
65% - Xiaomi Mi 11 Lite 5G
58% - Xiaomi Mi 11 Lite 4G
57% - Realme 7 5G
57% - Samsung Galaxy A52 (25W)
52% - Xiaomi Redmi Note 10 Pro
50% - Poco X3 Pro
50% - Xiaomi Redmi Note 9S
37% - Samsung Galaxy A52
34%
A full charge requires about one hour, or 64 minutes to be specific - a pretty impressive number, beating most of its competitors. But let's not forget the Mi 11 Lite 5G has a 4,250mAh battery to recharge, while many of the phones in our chart pack 5,000mAh cells.
Time to full charge (from 0%)
- Realme 7 Pro
0:37h - Realme 8 Pro
0:38h - Poco F3
0:56h - Xiaomi Mi 11 Lite 5G
1:04h - Realme 7 5G
1:06h - Xiaomi Mi 11 Lite 4G
1:07h - Poco X3 Pro
1:08h - Xiaomi Redmi Note 10
1:13h - Xiaomi Redmi Note 10 Pro
1:21h - Samsung Galaxy A52 (25W)
1:30h - Xiaomi Redmi Note 9S
1:45h - Samsung Galaxy A52
2:03h
Speakers
The Xiaomi Mi 11 Lite 5G has a stereo speaker setup of the hybrid kind - there is one dedicated speaker at the bottom, while the front-facing earpiece acts as the second speaker.
The good news is that the loudness and the output seem nicely balanced on the Mi 11 Lite 5G, and we didn't feel that one of these is, say, inferior. Sure, if we were to bung the bottom one, the top would sound a bit quieter, but then again, for the way these are positioned - they are tuned well.
The Mi 11 Lite 5G scored a Very Good loudness in our speaker test. It has well-presented mid-tones, and the vocals are great but it is lacking a bit in the high tones when compared to some of its recent siblings. The bass is almost non-existent, but then again - it's a mobile phone, isn't it?
Use the Playback controls to listen to the phone sample recordings (best use headphones). We measure the average loudness of the speakers in LUFS. A lower absolute value means a louder sound. A look at the frequency response chart will tell you how far off the ideal "0db" flat line is the reproduction of the bass, treble, and mid frequencies. You can add more phones to compare how they differ. The scores and ratings are not comparable with our older loudspeaker test. Learn more about how we test here.
MIUI 12 with Android 11
The Mi 11 Lite 5G boots Android 11 with MIUI 12.0.2.0 out of the box. The MIUI 12 launcher has been around for a while, and even if it uses a newer Android 11 base, you can't really tell that as it skins everything thoroughly.
The Mi 11 Lite 5G supports an Always-on display, and you can schedule it or leave it on/off all the time. MIUI 12 has a ton of AOD themes you can choose from and make it yours. You can customize many of those. The Always-on display also supports breathing light - the curved edges of the display will flash with colors upon new notifications.
Always-on display
You unlock the screen via the side-mounted fingerprint scanner. The reader is easy to set up, blazing-fast, and the accuracy is superb. We advise you to set the unlock method to Press as the always-on reader will often attempt reading your palm and/or other fingers and eventually disable the fingerprint unlock until you input your PIN. A 2D Face Unlock is available, too, but it is far less secure than the fingerprint option.
Security options
The homescreens are business as usual - they are populated with shortcuts, folders, and widgets. The leftmost pane, if enabled, is Google's Discover.
Homescreen
The high-end phones running on MIUI 12 support these cool Super Wallpapers. Long story short - this is a dynamic wallpaper that zooms each time you pass a certain screen. The Super Wallpapers are not something groundbreaking, but they provide one very coherent visual experience that is a feast for the eyes and, in the meantime - connects the parts of MIUI in a subtle yet striking way.
There are four Super Wallpapers available, and you get a choice of Home (Earth), The Red Planet (Mars), Faraway rings (Saturn), and Geometry.
Super Wallapers
MIUI 12 offers an app drawer, and it automatically organizes your apps into categories. The first is All, meaning it contains all apps. Then follow Communication, Entertainment, Photography, Tools, New, and Business. You can edit these categories or even disable them altogether.
You can disable the app drawer entirely if that's not your thing.
App drawer
Another interesting feature is the Notification shade split into Notification Center and Control Center. Indeed, this is precisely what the iPhones do, and you even summon them in the same fashion - pull down from the left part of the screen for the Notification Center, pull down from the right for the Control Center.
If you are not fond of this new split - you can disable the Control Center, and the shade will revert to its normal looks and operation.
Notification Center • Control Center • Control Center • Options • The old Notification Shade
The task switcher has not changed much. It shows all of your recent apps in two columns. Tap and hold on a card for the split-screen shortcut, or just swipe it left or right to close it. There is a new Floating Windows button on top, a new option offered by MIUI 12. You can put a compatible app in a floating state, but you only have one floating window at a time.
Task Switcher • Floating Windows • Floating app • Split screen
Themes are a huge part of MIUI, and they are available on MIUI 12, too. You can download new ones from the Themes store, and they can change wallpapers, ringtones, system icons, and even the always-on display style.
Themes
Xiaomi enhanced MIUI 12 with a couple of additional privacy options. Now, when sharing stuff, like photos and videos, you can opt to remove location info and/or other metadata (incl. device info) and thus protect your privacy better. Neat.
Gallery • Privacy Settings
MIUI also offers a Security app. It can scan your phone for malware, manage your blacklist, manage or restrict your data usage, configure battery behavior, and free up some RAM. It can also manage the permissions of your installed apps and allows you to define the battery behavior of selected apps, and applies restrictions only to the apps you choose.
MIUI 12 packs proprietary Gallery, Music, and Video player. In some regions, the music and video apps may include paid streaming options. Mi Remote for the IR blaster is available, too.
MIUI 12 also enhances the Notes app with even more Task checklists and subtask options.
Security • Security • Music • Video • Mi Remote
MIUI 12 supports Dark Mode, too, and you can even force it on wallpapers or restrict its application on incompatible individual apps.
Dark Mode
MIUI 12 is fully optimized to work on HRR displays, and it looks gorgeous on the Mi 11 Lite 5G. Everything is smooth and fast; animations are unobtrusive yet impressive, the attention to detail is excellent. We did enjoy working with MIUI on the Mi 11 Lite's 90Hz for sure.
Some MIUI ROMs include ads in the default apps; it is a well-known thing.
An ad • how to disable ads
The international ROM version of this Mi 11 Lite 5G does come with baked-in "recommendations" or ads, but luckily - you can disable those even if it's a bit tedious to do it. For example, if you are annoyed by the app scanner's ads, just hit the settings gear and disable recommendations. Ads in the File Manager - Settings->About should do it. Themes - go to Settings and disable Recommendations. It's not ideal, sure, but at least you can get rid of them all.
Performance and benchmarks
Xiaomi Mi 11 Lite 5G is the first phone we meet powered by the new Snapdragon 780G 5G chip by Qualcomm. From what we can tell, it seems this SoC is an improved version of 2019's flagship Snapdragon 855 with a slightly better processor and GPU. Plus, this one is manufactured by Samsung on a 5nm fabrication line vs. 7nm TSMC process on the old SD855 - meaning less heat and better battery efficiency.
So, the Snapdragon 780G contains an improved eight-core tri-cluster processor. Headlining these eight cores is Kryo 670 Prime @ 2.4GHz based on the ARM's Cortex-A78 design (vs. A76 in SD855). Next up is a trio of Kryo 670 Gold @ 2.2GHz, also based on the Cortex-A78. Finally, we have four Kryo 670 Silver @ 1.8GHz based on Cortex-A55 for more mundane tasks.
The Snapdragon 780G pack Adreno 642 GPU, which sounds like a revamped version of the Adreno 640 found inside the SD855. We'll see about that in a bit, of course.
The Mi 11 Lite 5G is available with either 6GB or 8GB of LPDDR4X RAM, depending on the storage options - 128GB or 256GB. There is an 8/128 version, too.
The SD780G 5G also includes an internal X53 5G/LTE modem, which should cover all modern cellular connectivity requirements. Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.2 are supported, too.
And now, let's run some tests!
The CPU benchmark test GeekBench puts the Snapdragon 780G processor ahead of all chipsets we've tested in the mid-range segment - it is even faster than the Snapdragon 860 CPU inside the Poco X3 Pro.
GeekBench 5 (multi-core)
Higher is better
- Xiaomi Mi 11 Lite 5G
2909 - Poco X3 Pro
2574 - Samsung Galaxy A42 5G
1910 - Realme 7 Pro
1811 - Xiaomi Mi 11 Lite 4G
1796 - Realme 7 5G
1794 - Xiaomi Redmi Note 10 Pro
1780 - Poco X3 NFC
1777 - Realme 8 Pro
1678 - Xiaomi Redmi Note 10
1599 - Samsung Galaxy A52
1577
GeekBench 5 (single-core)
Higher is better
- Xiaomi Mi 11 Lite 5G
803 - Poco X3 Pro
735 - Samsung Galaxy A42 5G
643 - Realme 7 5G
598 - Realme 7 Pro
576 - Xiaomi Redmi Note 10 Pro
569 - Poco X3 NFC
568 - Realme 8 Pro
566 - Xiaomi Mi 11 Lite 4G
560 - Xiaomi Redmi Note 10
534 - Samsung Galaxy A52
525
The GPU performance is really good, too. The Mi 11 Lite 5G is among the best in its class, outperformed only by the Snapdragon 860's Adreno 640 inside the Poco X3 Pro. It seems the Adreno 642 is a bit slower than the 640 model, but as far as real-life performance go - you shouldn't be able to feel or see this 10% gap.
GFX Manhattan ES 3.1 (onscreen)
Higher is better
- Poco X3 Pro
67 - Xiaomi Mi 11 Lite 5G
57 - Samsung Galaxy A42 5G
56 - Realme 8 Pro
31 - Realme 7 5G
31 - Xiaomi Mi 11 Lite 4G
29 - Poco X3 NFC
27 - Samsung Galaxy A52
26 - Realme 7 Pro
25 - Xiaomi Redmi Note 10
15
GFX Car Chase ES 3.1 (onscreen)
Higher is better
- Poco X3 Pro
38 - Xiaomi Mi 11 Lite 5G
35 - Samsung Galaxy A42 5G
33 - Xiaomi Mi 11 Lite 4G
17 - Realme 7 5G
17 - Xiaomi Redmi Note 10 Pro
16 - Realme 8 Pro
16 - Poco X3 NFC
16 - Samsung Galaxy A52
15 - Realme 7 Pro
14 - Xiaomi Redmi Note 10
7.9
Finally, the AnTuTu scores test puts the Mi 11 Lite 5G ahead of the Poco X3 Pro, and there is only one phone that's faster than the Mi 11 Lite 5G - the Poco F3 with its flagship-grade Snapdragon 870 chip.
AnTuTu 8
Higher is better
- Poco F3
631850 - Xiaomi Mi 11 Lite 5G
465534 - Poco X3 Pro
453223 - Samsung Galaxy A42 5G
324686 - Realme 7 5G
318535 - Xiaomi Redmi Note 10 Pro
295442 - Xiaomi Mi 11 Lite 4G
290172 - Realme 8 Pro
286666 - Poco X3 NFC
283750 - Realme 7 Pro
278414 - Samsung Galaxy A52
261282 - Xiaomi Redmi Note 10
218788
The Xiaomi Mi 11 Lite 5G is one truly capable mid-ranger - it has the processor and graphics to support all kinds of heavy-duty tasks and games. It can run compatible apps/games with 90fps, too, as its GPU is powerful enough. And the cooling seems to be handled very well - the phone scored 91% stability on the 3D Mark Wildlife Stress Test - an excellent score, and the tradeoff is one warm but far from a hot body.
The Mi 11 Lite 5G hardware was picked smart, cooled properly, and the optimizations seem to be done the right way (there is even Game Space, where you can boost your gaming experience even more), so as far as performance goes - the Mi 11 Lite 5G excels in every way.
A likable triple-camera
The Xiaomi Mi 11 Lite 5G features a lite version of the Mi 11's triple-camera that's placed on a similarly-looking setup. There is a 64MP primary snapper, an 8MP ultrawide shooter, and a 5MP telemacro camera.
For comparison, the Mi 11 had a 108MP OIS primary, a 13MP ultrawide, and the same 5MP macro snapper.
The Mi 11 Lite 5G relies on a Samsung GW3 64MP sensor (S5KGW3). It is a 1/1.97" imager with 0.7µm pixels and Tetra-cell filter (Samsung's PR word for Sony's Quad Bayer). This sensor sits behind a 25mm f/1.8 lens, it supports PDAF, but there is no OIS. This camera saves 16MP photos by default as a result of 4-in-1 binning.
Second is an 8MP 1/4" Sony IMX355 snapper with an ultrawide-angle 15mm f/2.2 lens. The focus is fixed.
The macro camera is the same as on the Mi 11 - it packs a 5MP Samsung S5K5E9 1/5" sensor with 1.12µm pixels and 49mm f/2.4 telemacro lens. Autofocus is available, and it works at distances between 3cm and 7cm or so.
The Mi 11 Lite 5G has the same selfie camera as the Mi 11 - a 20MP shooter based on Samsung's ISOCELL Slim S5K3T2 1/3.4" sensor with 0.8µm pixels and Tetra-cell color filter. It still saves images at the nominal 20MP resolution, which might compromise the quality if you examine the photos from up close. Xiaomi specifies an f/2.2 aperture, while the photo EXIF reports a 26mm focal length. Autofocus isn't available for selfies.
The default camera app is a typical MIUI affair - switching between modes is done by swiping left and right, and all available modes are on this rolodex except Macro. The zoom shortcut on the viewfinder switches between ultrawide, regular 1x, and 2x zoom (digital).
On the opposite end of the viewfinder, you have a flash mode switch, an HDR switch, an AI toggle, Google Lens, and a magic wand with beauty effects and filters.
Behind a hamburger menu, you'll find some more options, including the missing Macro mode, plus the shortcut to the settings. What you won't find is an option to set the output resolution for any of the cameras.
The Pro mode works with the normal camera, the ultra-wide, and the macro. Manual 64MP pictures are also an option. For the main camera, you can use up to 30s shutter speed and ISO up to 6400. For the ultrawide, the slowest shutter speed goes down to 30s, while for the macro - it's 1/4s.
Night Mode is available, and it works on the primary and ultrawide cameras. Auto Night Mode is a new option within settings, and it is enabled by default. It works like on the iPhones - the phone decides whether to use Night Mode or not. Xiaomi does not offer exposure settings for either Night Modes.
The Mi 11 Lite 5G camera app
Long Exposure mode is available, and it has different presets - moving crowd, neon trails, oil painting, light painting, starry sky, and star trails.
Finally, the Movie Effects mode reveals the special Hollywood modes that Xiaomi is so loud about - they include Magic Zoom, Slow Shutter, Time Freeze, Night time-lapse, and Parallel world.
Modes • Long Exposure modes • Video Effects • Video capturing
Photo quality
The main camera saves 16MP images by default, and those are stellar for this class. The resolved detail is great, sharpness is just right, and the noise is low.
The dynamic range is how we like it, too - it is wide but not over the top, and the images look natural and balanced. The contrast is excellent.
The colors are lively and punchy, but there is this noticeable reddish tint observed in photos with more white or brown objects. It's far from a deal-breaker, but it's worth mentioning.
Xiaomi is offering an AI toggle - it's called Color booster. If you want bluer (over-the-top) skies or eye-popping green grass - that's how you get it.
Main camera, 16MP
There is a 2x toggle on the viewfinder, but it does not provide the lossless zoom we've seen, say, on the Realme 8 Pro. It's a simple digital zoom achieved by crop and upscale.
Main camera 2x zoom, 16MP
The 64MP photos are a mixed bag, and as it often happens - we would not recommend this 64MP mode. First - it takes a couple of seconds to capture such an image, and the file size will be huge - between 25MP and 40MB!
Then, these 64MP photos will be soft and noisy, and we tried downsizing a bunch of these to 16MP, but we did not notice more resolved detail. Sure, these are less sharpened and less processed than the default ones, but not better in quality.
Main camera, 48MP
The 8MP photos coming from the ultrawide-angle camera are okay, but not the best we've seen in this segment. We like the contrast in these photos, and the dynamic range is quite good. The photos are quite good looking for an 8MP camera, even when examined from up close.
Ultrawide camera, 8MP
The 5MP telemacro camera can get a focus lock between 3cm and 7cm. The photos we snapped are good - the colors look great, we can see some detail that's hidden for the naked eye, and the contrast is nice. The longer lens allows for shooting further away from your subjects with the same magnification, so you don't cast a shadow or scare off insects that easily. Also, the change in perspective the longer lens provides is welcome, too.
These aren't the sharpest photos around. And getting your subject well in focus still took us three or four attempts each time and we got many blurry shots.
Still - this camera will do great for the occasional flower petals, foliage, sand, bugs or money - close-ups that will surely spice up your Instagram profile.
Macro camera, 5MP
The Xiaomi Mi Lite 11 5G can shoot great portraits provided the lighting conditions are excellent. Then you'll get detailed portrait photos with high contrast and nice colors. The subject separation isn't stellar, there is no depth sensor, but it is more than enough for this mid-range class.
If the light isn't enough, the photos may often turn up noisy and/or blurry.
Portraits, 16MP
Let's look through some low-light photos now. The Mi 11 Lite offers Auto Night Mode - a feature that premiered with the Mi 11, and it is enabled by default. It seems to be similar to what Apple does with its Night Mode - the camera app decides when and where to use Night Mode and its exposure time. You have no say in any of this (you don't even get a say about the exposure time even in the Manual Night Mode).
The main and ultrawide cameras are capable of both Auto and Manual Night Modes. When shooting with either of these snappers, it doesn't look like they are using Night Mode at all. It could be the camera algorithm is using short exposure times, which, combined with the phone's powerful processor, might make the Night mode instantaneous. But compare that to the Manual Night Mode that takes between 3 and 5 seconds and we're really not sure about how reliable the Auto mode works.
When comparing photos between Auto and Manual, we discovered that the main camera indeed uses Night Mode rarely and relies mostly on its standard capabilities. And those are pretty good for this class - the images are balanced with good exposure; they retain good color saturation and are true to life. The noise is low, too. The image sharpness is on par with the best of the mid-range snappers but doesn't get close to flagship levels.
Where Auto Night Mode decides to trigger (like the hotel photo), it tweaks the exposure a bit better and reveals slightly more detail in the shadows.
A word of advice - since there is no OIS on the Mi 11 Lite 5G and handshake gets in the way - you better snap 2 or 3 photos, as we often got blurry images, and one or even two photos may not be enough for saving your precious moment.
Main camera, 16MP
The Manual Night Mode uses about 2-3s exposure times and will save nice and bright photos nighttime photos. The images are not only brighter but also get better detail definition. Noise levels are even lower.
We do recommend using the Night Mode when you don't have moving subjects.
Main cam Night Mode, 16MP
We disabled all enhancements for some scenes, and we got a bit darker photos. The hotel photo is incredibly sharp for some reasons (maybe we didn't flinch at all). But the other two are noisy and maybe even blurrier than the Auto ones. So, we recommend leaving the Auto Night Mode on. It may not always use long exposure times, but it seems that it applies enough enhancements to improve the photos overall.
No enhancements
Whatever enhancements the Auto Night Mode does for the ultrawide camera, they are either minimal or non-existent. The default photos are dark, soft and noisy, and barely usable.
Ultrawide camera, 8MP
The Night Mode makes the ultrawide photos somewhat acceptable. We like the exposure, color saturation, and dynamic range, and we can see a lot more stuff in the frame. Just don't zoom in because they are still quite soft overall - almost like out of focus at times.
Ultrawide Night Mode, 8MP
As we said, we saw little to no improvements with Auto Night Mode when compared to the regular non-Night Mode photos. Maybe these Auto enhancements are working on the main camera only, even though this isn't suggested anywhere. Still, here are a bunch of ultrawide images taken without any sort of improvements.
No enhancements
And here are photos of our usual posters taken with the Xiaomi Mi 11 Lite 5G. Here's how it stacks up against the competition. Feel free to browse around and pit it against other phones from our extensive database.
Xiaomi Mi 11 Lite 5G against the Poco F3 and the Redmi Note 10 Pro in our Photo compare tool
Selfies
We've seen Xiaomi's 20MP selfie camera on many devices, and it is one of our favorites. This shooter snaps some of the most natural-looking and balanced selfies across all fronts. The subjects are well-defined, the contrast and colors are superb, as well as the dynamic range.
This imager uses a Quad-Bayer filter, so the 20MP photos are definitely upscaled after the 4-in-1 binning. This means these aren't the sharpest selfies we've seen, but not many people zoom in their photos, so that's fine. The other image quality aspects are great. And you can also always downsize these to 5MP and get one incredibly sharp photo.
Selfies, 20MP
Surprise, surprise, the portrait selfies are even better when it comes to subject separation when compared to the main camera (there is no depth sensor for either). The blur is looking good, too, and overall - these are some commendable selfie portraits, especially within this mid-range segment.
Portrait selfies, 20MP
Video capturing
The Xiaomi Mi 11 Lite 5G offers many video capturing modes and effects. The main camera of the Mi 11 Lite 5G supports 4K recording at 30fps, as well as 1080p at 30fps and 60fps. The ultrawide camera maxes out at 1080p at 30fps, while the macro cam can do 1080p@30fps, too.
There is optional electronic stabilization available for all resolution, frame rates across all cameras but the macro. It comes at the expense of minor FoV loss and a tiny bit of added softness.
Then there's the Super steady Mode shot with the main camera - it focuses more on stabilization rather than quality, as an action camera would do. Various video modes and enhancements are available, too, but more on that in a bit.
Before we dig into the video side of things, let's mention that the audio in all videos is captured at 96Kbps, stereo. The low bitrate didn't result in awful audio captures, in fact - the sound is surprisingly deep and rich.
The 4K videos shot with the primary camera are simply amazing. The detail is beyond generous, and the sharpness is spot-on, the noise is incredibly low, the contrast and the dynamic range are praiseworthy, as well as the color reproduction. The high video bitrate (50+Mbps) has surely helped, too.
The low-light 4K videos look pretty good, too, even if a bit noisy. The detail is enough, the color saturation was kept true to life, punchier even, and the exposure is okay.
The 1080p ultrawide videos are okay for this class. In fact, we've seen worse coming from the recent Poco models. The footage is sharp and detailed, the noise levels are tolerable, and the colors are true to life. The contrast and dynamic range aren't that great, but we'd say enough for a mid-ranger.
Now, let's check those special modes.
First, you can enable AI video capture, which uses the main camera and shoots in 1080p@30fps. It crops a bit, tries to clean some noise, and boosts the color saturation. Well, the video isn't bad at all, but it looks a lot like the regular 1080p one, just cropped more.
There are a few exclusive Video Modes for the Xiaomi Mi 11 series, including the Lite models - Magic Zoom, Slow Shutter, Time Freeze, Night-mode timelapse, and Parallel World. There is no Night Mode Video here, though.
The Night Timelapse is probably among the most useful - it takes Night Mode photos, which are then stitched into a video. That's the reason while 1s of NTL takes 5+ minutes to capture and the 5s clips you are about to see took more than half an hour to make. NTL are shot in 4K and are striking! If you find the right scene, you have enough juice in the phone, and it's not freezing cold out there, you will have a video you can really show off with, and rightfully so.
And here is a regular Time-lapse we did over the course of 30 minutes. It was shot in 1080p, though 4K is available, too. It's good at night, but not as great as the dedicated NTL.
Parallel world recreates the Inception effect we saw in this popular movie a while back. It shoots in 1080p, splits the frame in half, mirrors the bottom part at the top, and slowly zooms in. There is a limit of 10 seconds for each clip.
Magic Zoom keeps you subjects steady at the center of the frame, while slowly zooms in on the background.
Time Freeze freezes parts on your frame while keeping the other parts moving. And when you decide, you can unfreeze said parts, and things will continue to move from the moment they were paused.
Slow Shutter blurs the background (mostly used at night) and is a good effect to focus on your subject at night and blur everything else (suitable for moving subjects and if the phone is not on a tripod, you could recreate dizziness or sickness).
We've already shown some of these as part of our Mi 11 review, so you can check the samples below.
And here is the Xiaomi Mi 11 Lite 5G in our video comparison database.
2160p: Xiaomi Mi 11 Lite 5G against the Poco F3 and the Redmi Note 10 Pro in our Video compare tool
Alternatives
Is it just us, or is Xiaomi about to overwhelm the entire mid-range with plenty of attractive offers and suffocate the competition? It's only April, and the company has already launched six well-equipped mid-range models internationally - two Redmi Note 10s, two Pocophones, and two Mi 11 Lites. Well, the more the merrier, as they say!
So, this €399 Xiaomi Mi 11 Lite 5G is indeed worthy of its name - it is a toned-down version of the Mi 11 flagship. The Lite has the same design, a rather premium HRR OLED, similar stereo speakers and a similar triple-camera, and it is quite powerful, plus it can do 5G. Sure, its main camera isn't as premium, its screen isn't 1440p, but that's exactly the point of the Lite model.
Mi 11 Lite 5G vs. Mi 11 Lite 4G
There is an even 'liter' model - the Mi 11 Lite 4G. It is the same phone but uses the mainstream Snapdragon 732G chip with a 4G modem. You get to enjoy the same design, screen, speakers, camera, battery and software package; it's just not as powerful (it can still do games very well). If you are fine with that, you can save up to €100 by getting the €299 6GB/64GB option.
The Poco F3 also goes for €299 right now, a great alternative to the Mi 11 Lite 5G. It has an even better 120Hz OLED and one of the most powerful chips - the flagship Snapdragon 870 5G. Its camera quality isn't as great as on the Mi 11 Lite 5G though, it omits a microSD expansion, and the POCO variety of the MIUI 12 launcher may not be everyone's cup of tea.
Then there is the €249 Poco X3 Pro, another equally powerful smartphone with a great 120Hz LCD screen, a similar triple-camera and an even bigger battery. It also comes with IP53-certification. The X3 Pro LCD won't be everyone's favorite, it's a bit thicker smartphone, too, and the macro camera isn't that good. It's about €150 cheaper, so we can't see why not get this one if it fits in your budget.
Finally, let's look at one more Xiaomi phone - the Mi 10T Pro 5G, which is about €50 more expensive than the Mi 11 Lite 5G, but it steps into flagship territory when it comes to features. The Mi 10T Pro runs on the top-notch Snapdragon 865 5G chip and has a flagship-grade 108MP primary camera with OIS and even 8K video capturing. It has a much faster 144Hz screen, too, though it's an LCD one.
Xiaomi Mi 11 Lite • Xiaomi Poco F3 • Xiaomi Poco X3 Pro • Xiaomi Mi 10T Pro 5G
We can find good offers outside Xiaomi's stores, too, so it's not a monopoly just yet. The Galaxy A52 and A72 are excellent alternatives from Samsung's recent mid-range refresh. Both offer IP67-rated bodies, both pack 90Hz Super AMOLED screens. This duo also offer better 64MP primary shooters with OIS!
The €420 Galaxy A52 camera setup matches the Mi 11 Lite's, while the €440 Galaxy A72 not only gets a larger screen but also adds an 8MP telephoto with OIS for 3x optical zoom. Nice!
Finally, the OnePlus Nord has aged very well. It goes for about €360, packs a similar AMOLED with 90Hz, powerful enough Snapdragon 765G 5G chip, and equally good camera department. The Nord may not have stereo speakers, but it makes up for that with a second selfie snapper for ultrawide shots.
Samsung Galaxy A52 • Samsung Galaxy A72 • OnePlus Nord
The verdict
The Xiaomi Mi 11 Lite 5G is an excellent alternative to the Mi 11 flagship, with a good pick of features sold at half the price. It is a reasonably sized smartphone with one particularly good 90Hz HDR10+ AMOLED with support for a billion colors. The fast and stable performance is another easily lovable aspect, and you can enjoy modern games on a loud stereo speakers setup.
The Mi 11 Lite 5G did not disappoint with its camera skills, too. It offers good photo and video quality across the board, and for this class, it goes beyond when it comes to video recording. It also has a standout battery life, too, as well as fast charging.
Overall, Xiaomi surprised us with yet another offer that's really tough to pass. If your budget is about €400 and you don't mind the missing splash resistance, we see no other reason you should not get this phone - it's another Xiaomi that gets our big thumbs up.
Pros
- Beautiful glass body, designed after the Mi 11 flagship.
- Excellent OLED screen, 10-bit color support, 90Hz refresh rate, HDR10+.
- Top-notch battery life, fast to charge.
- Loud stereo speakers
- Powerful hardware, great for gaming, stable, 5G, Wi-Fi 6.
- Excellent daylight photo and video quality across all cameras.
- Dependable Night Mode.
- Android 11, MIUI 12, Super Wallpapers.
Cons
- No splash protection.
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