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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.
Design, build, handling
The two Lite models of the Mi 11 are without a doubt some of the sleekest and most lightweight phones we've handled in a while. It's like love at first sight, or first touch in this case - we liked both Lites the moment we unpacked them out of their retail boxes.
Each of these Lite models is 6.8mm thin and weighs about 157 grams or so. That's in stark contrast to what most of the modern mid-rangers offer. But even with the trimmed profile and reduced weight, both devices seem to be packing some impressive oomph under the hood.
Mi 11 Lite 5G and Mi 11 Lite 4G
So, we've already seen the Truffle Black Mi 11 Lite 5G, so here is the Boba Black Mi 11 Lite 4G.
Both Lite models look identical except for the finish on the rear glass - frosted for the 5G and glossy on the 4G. But this Boba Black option we have for review is the only one with glossy back across the entire Mi Lite 11 series. All other versions, like the Mi 11 Lite 4G's Bubblegum Blue and Peach Pink, are with smudge-resistant frosted finish.
Mi 11 Lite 5G and Mi 11 Lite 4G
The Xiaomi Mi 11 Lite 4G, officially known as simply Mi 11 Lite, is a dual-glass smartphone with a plastic frame. The front panel is made of Gorilla Glass 5 (vs. 6 on the 5G), while the maker of the rear glass is unknown.
The sides of the Mi 11 Lite are rather peculiar. See, there is the usual curved plastic frame, but on top of it, you can also see (and feel) the screen's outer frame jutting out.
The screen's outer frame is a thin black piece of plastic, which you don't see on flagship devices. But thanks to its presence, we enjoyed a secure enough grip and pleasant handling despite the glossy surfaces.
Unfortunately, there is no ingress protection for the Mi 11 Lite, not even splash resistance. Sure, the SIM slot is secured with a rubber gasket, but other than that - this phone should be considered completely unprotected against water damage. We'd love for Xiaomi to keep adding IP53 protection as on the Poco X3 Pro and the Redmi Note 10 Pro.
We continue with our close-up inspection of the Mi 11 Lite. Quite expectedly, the whole front is taken by the 6.55-inch 90Hz OLED screen. It has a small cutout for the 16MP selfies camera around the top left corner. All four bezels are reasonably thin and balanced.
You may notice one super-thin grille above the screen - this is where one of the stereo speakers is hidden, and you've guessed that right; it also doubles as an earpiece.
There is no notification LED on the Mi 11 Lite, but you can always enable the breathing effects for notification and use the whole OLED screen as such.
The back, and specifically the camera setup, is similar to what we saw on the Mi 11 and Mi 11 Lite 5G. The Black Mi 11 Lite has this mirror dark gray flat glass, while the other two options are pink and yellow with a frosted fingerprint-resistant finish.
The glossy option we have is dazzling and lovely to look at, but fast-forward fifteen minutes of handling, and it's a nightmare. Fingerprints are everywhere, smudges, dust, too. And probably because there is no oleophobic coating - these unpleasantries are tough to clean up. Our advice is to go for a frosted option.
The camera arrangement is identical to the Mi 11 and 11 Lite 5G. It's a two-step glass - the larger glossy island houses the 8MP ultrawide camera and the dual-LED flash, while the smaller and thicker glass packs the 64MP primary and the 5MP macro snappers.
Last, let's see the frame. There is nothing on the left, while the volume and power keys are on the right. The power/lock key also contains an embedded fingerprint scanner. It's always-on and reacts immediately upon touch. If you are getting misreads because of it being trigger-happy while taking the Mi 11 Lite out of your pocket, just change its working method from Touch to Press, and yous should be good.
The sides of the Mi 11 Lite
The top of the Mi 11 Lite has the IR blaster and one of the mics. The bottom has the primary mic, the second stereo speaker, the USB-C port, and the ejectable SIM tray.
The SIM tray is of the hybrid variety - you can fit either two SIM cards or a SIM card + microSD card.
As you can see, the Mi 11 Lite is one very likable phone because of its thoughtful build, balanced size and weight, what seems to be one very promising OLED screen, and flagship-reminiscent design with a thin camera design on the back. Indeed, the Mi 11 Lite wobbles a lot less on a desk compared to many of its competitors.
If only it were splash-resistant, the Mi 11 Lite would have been perfect. Now it's "just great", which is still more than enough for a €299 mid-ranger.
A 6.55-inch 90Hz OLED screen
One of the most interesting features of the Mi 11 Lite is the 6.55-inch OLED screen. It is of the traditional 1080p resolution and offers a 90Hz refresh rate, but it also supports 10-bit color - meaning it can show up to 1 billion colors.
The Mi 11 Lite and its 5G version screens have a lot in common - same size and 402ppi sharpness, same small cutout, 10-bit color support, HDR10-capable. There is also a 90Hz refresh rate and 240Hz touch sampling.
It seems the Mi 11 Lite's a bit inferior, though. While the 5G offers HDR10+, the 4G model maxes out at HDR10 (not that it's such a drama, of course). And the 5G has Gorilla Glass 6 protection, while the 4G here comes with Gorilla Glass 5. Potato potahto.
The biggest omission has nothing to do with the screen, but it is severely crippling its streaming capabilities - basic Widevine L3 DRM support. None of the popular services - Netflix, HBO, Prime - can stream HD and HDR content - they are all limited to 480p SD. The only platform that doesn't need Widevine L1 DRM for Full HD HDR10 is YouTube.
The screen supports standard 60Hz and high 90Hz refresh rates. If you opt for 90Hz, it usually reverts back to 60Hz when you stop touching or scrolling, or when you are playing videos (YouTube, Mi Video, Netflix, Amazon).
Not all HRR-compatible games recognize the Mi 11 Lite's display as such when set on 90Hz. But it doesn't really matter - unlike the Mi Lite 5G, the 4G model's Snapdragon chip can't even reach 60fps in many of the popular games, let alone 90fps. But more on that - later.
Xiaomi states a maximum auto-brightness of 800 nits (high-brightness mode), and manual of 500 nits (typical) for the Mi 11 Lite screen. Our measurements captured similar numbers. We registered 826 nits brightness when the High Brightness Mode triggers, say, under bright sunlight, while the maximum brightness at the end of the scrubber is about 480 nits.
The minimum brightness at point white is 2.8 nits!
| Display test | 100% brightness | ||
| Black, |
White, |
||
| 0 | 476 | ∞ | |
| 0 | 826 | ∞ | |
| 0 | 514 | ∞ | |
| 0 | 846 | ∞ | |
| 0 | 457 | ∞ | |
| 0 | 725 | ∞ | |
| 0 | 498 | ∞ | |
| 0 | 926 | ∞ | |
| 0 | 511 | ∞ | |
| 0 | 716 | ∞ | |
| 0.327 | 458 | 1401:1 | |
| 0.4 | 534 | 1335:1 | |
| 0 | 454 | ∞ | |
| 0 | 627 | ∞ | |
| 0 | 459 | ∞ | |
| 0 | 585 | ∞ | |
| 0.31 | 457 | 1474:1 | |
| 0.374 | 526 | 1406:1 | |
| 0 | 386 | ∞ | |
| 0 | 794 | ∞ | |
| 0 | 395 | ∞ | |
| 0 | 570 | ∞ | |
| 0 | 393 | ∞ | |
| 0 | 814 | ∞ | |
| 0 | 323 | ∞ | |
| 0 | 756 | ∞ | |
Just like many other Xiaomi phones, the Mi 11 Lite offers three predefined Color presets - Auto, Saturated, Original - each representing a specific color space. Unlike the Mi 11 Lite 5G, though, the 4G version lacks Advanced Settings.
The Auto option is tuned to reproduce DCI-P3, and we found it to be fairly accurate - the only deviation being the slightly bluish white and gray hues. Only in this Auto mode you can tweak the Color Temperature by yourself or choose from a couple of presets. You can fix the bluish colors by choosing Warm from the Color Temperature presets.
Saturated makes for a bit punchier colors on top of Auto. Standard is perfectly accurate to sRGB with average deltaE of 0.9.
Refresh rate • Color settings
The Mi 11 Lite currently doesn't support MEMC or other AI upscale or smoothing enhancements.
Battery life
The Xiaomi Mi 11 Lite is powered by a relatively large 4,250mAh battery for such a compact and lightweight phone. This model doesn't support 5G and uses a more popular X15 LTE modem by Qualcomm. So, we don't know what exactly to expect, but we have never been let down by a mid-range Xiaomi so far.
We are happy to share with you some very good battery scores. The 4G model can last north of 11 hours when smooth browsing with 90Hz, or you can watch videos for more than 14 hours. Video playback always uses 60Hz.
Combined with the 24 hours of 3G talk and the frugal standby consumption, the Mi 11 Lite scored an excellent final endurance rating of 100 hours.
Our battery tests were automated thanks to SmartViser, using its viSerDevice app. The endurance rating denotes how long the battery charge will last you if you use the device for an hour of telephony, web browsing, and video playback daily. More details can be found here.
All test results shown are achieved under the highest screen refresh rate mode. You can adjust the endurance rating formula manually so it matches better your own usage in our all-time battery test results chart where you can also find all phones we've tested.
Charging speed
The Xiaomi Mi 11 Lite, just like the Mi 11 Lite 5G, supports 33W fast charging and has the same 4,250mAh battery to recharge. The phone is bundled with the said power adapter and appropriate cable.
The provided charger refills 58% of the Mi 11 Lite's dead battery in 30 minutes - that seems like plenty enough.
30min charging test (from 0%)
- Realme 7 Pro
94% - Realme 8 Pro
88% - Xiaomi Mi 11
83% - Poco F3
67% - OnePlus Nord
60% - Xiaomi Mi 11 Lite 5G
58% - Realme 7
58% - Xiaomi Mi 11 Lite 4G
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% - Samsung Galaxy A42 5G
27%
A full charge requires a bit more than an hour, or 67 minutes to be specific. That's quite fast, but let's not forget the Mi 11 Lite has a 4,250mAh battery to recharge, while a lot of the devices in our chart use 5,000mAh cells.
Time to full charge (from 0%)
- Realme 7 Pro
0:37h - Realme 8 Pro
0:38h - Xiaomi Mi 11
0:50h - Poco F3
0:56h - Xiaomi Mi 11 Lite 5G
1:04h - Realme 7
1:05h - OnePlus Nord
1:05h - Xiaomi Mi 11 Lite 4G
1:07h - Poco X3 Pro
1:08h - Xiaomi Redmi Note 10 Pro
1:21h - Samsung Galaxy A52 (25W)
1:30h - Xiaomi Redmi Note 9S
1:45h - Samsung Galaxy A42 5G
2:01h - Samsung Galaxy A52
2:03h
Stereo speakers
The Xiaomi Mi 11 Lite offers a hybrid stereo speaker setup - it has one dedicated speaker at the bottom, while the front-facing earpiece acts as the second.
We played some songs and videos through the speakers, and their loudness and the output seem pleasantly balanced. Sure, the earpiece is a bit quieter - found by muting the bottom speaker - but thanks to its front-facing direction, the balance is restored.
The Mi 11 Lite scored a Very Good loudness in our speaker test and sounds just like the 5G model. It offers well-presented mid-tones, and we heard some good vocals, but the setup is lacking a bit in the high tones. The bass is almost non-existent, but it's a phone, not a portable stereo.
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.
Latest Android 11 with familiar MIUI 12
The Mi 11 Lite boots Android 11 with MIUI 12.0.5.0 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 supports an Always-on display, but it can't be really always-on - it appears for 10s after tapping, and that's it. There is no schedule or true always-on option. 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.
There are no Super Wallpapers on the Mi 11 Lite, unlike on the Mi 11 Lite 5G.
Homescreen
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 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 your installed apps' permissions and allow you to define the battery behavior of selected apps and apply 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.
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. 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 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
The Xiaomi Mi 11 Lite is powered by the Snapdragon 732G chip, the same one inside the Redmi Note 10 Pro and the Poco X3 NFC.
The Snapdragon 732G is a small update over the vanilla S730 and the S730G models. The octa-core processor has two Kryo 470 Gold (Cortex-A76) cores clocked at 2.3 GHz, and six Kryo 470 Silver (Cortex-A55) ones, working at 1.8 GHz. They are all built on an 8nm LPP node.
All S73x chips have the same Adreno 618 GPU. The one on the 730G is clocked 75 MHz higher than S730 and sits at 575 MHz. And the one inside the Mi 11 Lite 4G can go as high as 800MHz.
Finally, the Mi 11 Lite is available with 64GB and 128GB UFS2.2 storage. You get 6GB LPDDR4X RAM for both storage options, but you can also get an 8GB RAM + 128GB storage mode like our review unit here.
So, the Mi 11 Lite SD732G processor is matching the average for this mid-range class but is no match to the flagship-grade Snapdragon 860 (Poco X3 Pro) and Snapdragon 780G (Mi 11 Lite 5G). The one thing we are sure though is that this 8-core processor have proven to be adequate for all sorts of task and is rarely, if ever, responsible for lag.
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 7
1681 - Realme 8 Pro
1678 - Xiaomi Redmi Note 10
1599 - Samsung Galaxy A52
1577 - Samsung Galaxy A32
1277
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 - Realme 7
536 - Xiaomi Redmi Note 10
534 - Samsung Galaxy A52
525 - Samsung Galaxy A32
361
The Adreno 618 GPU is also on par with many of the Mi 11 Lite's mid-range peers - the Redmi 8 Pro, Poco X3 Pro, Realme 7. And it will do okay for gaming, just don't expect to reach high-frame rates or use top-notch graphics settings such as antialiasing.
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 - Realme 7
28 - Poco X3 NFC
27 - Samsung Galaxy A52
26 - Realme 7 Pro
25 - Xiaomi Redmi Note 10
15 - Samsung Galaxy A32
13
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
17 - Realme 7 5G
17 - Poco X3 NFC
16 - Xiaomi Redmi Note 10 Pro
16 - Realme 8 Pro
16 - Samsung Galaxy A52
15 - Realme 7 Pro
14 - Samsung Galaxy A32
8.1 - Xiaomi Redmi Note 10
7.9
The AnTuTu test puts the Mi 11 Lite on par with the Redmi Note 10 Pro, Poco X3 NFC, Realme 8 Pro and Realme 7. It's a well-equipped phone for this class even if Xiaomi isn't making it easy with the in-house competition.
AnTuTu 8
Higher is better
- 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 - Realme 7
290172
286666
283750
278414
261282
218788
174332
The Mi 11 Lite offers good enough raw performance for this mid-range class. It is one very stable phone - it scored 99.5% stability on 3D Mark Stress Test - and runs incredibly cool.
We had no problems across MIUI and other HRR-compatible apps - everything runs smoothly and lag-free. Gaming is a bit different - few games will be capable of reaching north of 60fps, so if a game is incompatible with its 90Hz screen - it's not a loss.
We compared Dead Trigger 2 side by side on the Mi Lite 4G and 5G and found out that the game runs with about 40fps on the 4G and with jaggy graphics, while it ran with about 90fps on the Mi 11 Lite 5G and looked better there. And that should be the case for many of the modern games - while you get a good experience on the 4G model, if gaming is a hobby of yours, maybe the 5G version will make more sense.
Familiar triple camera
The Xiaomi Mi 11 Lite features the same triple camera as the Mi 11 Lite 5G - a setup that's a somewhat budget (a.k.a. lite) interpretation of the flagship Mi 11's triple-camera.
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.
So, Mi 11 Lite relies on a Samsung GW3 64MP sensor (S5KGW3). It is a 1/1.97" imager with 0.7µm pixels and a Tetra-cell filter (Samsung's word for Sony's Quad Bayer). This sensor sits behind a 26mm 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 16mm 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. Contrast autofocus is available, and it works at distances between 3cm and 7cm or so.
The Mi 11 Lite has a different selfie camera compared to its 5G version - here, it's a 16MP shooter vs. 20MP cam on the 5G. The front camera on the Mi 11 Lite is based on Sony IMX471 1/3" sensor with 1.0µm pixels and Quad-Bayer color filter. It still saves images at the nominal 16MP resolution, which might compromise the quality if you are examining the photos from up close. Xiaomi specifies an f/2.45 aperture. 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 1s.
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 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 outstanding! The photos are crisp, and the resolved detail is abundant. Foliage looks natural even if a bit over-sharpened and we can see well-presented grass whereas some mid-rangers smear it badly.
The noise is extremely low across all scenes.
The dynamic range is excellent but not extreme. When an occasion for HDR arises, the processing won't go over the top - it will keep the photo natural by restoring some parts of the clipped skies and revealing some detail in the shadows, but it will not flatten the entire image by restoring everything at the expense of contrast.
The white balance was spot on, and the colors were always accurate, no matter the occasion. The red tinge we observed on the photos taken by the Mi 11 Lite 5G main camera is not present on the Mi 11 Lite 4G.
Another difference with the Mi 11 Lite 5G is the sharpening level - while on the 5G, it was perfect, here on the 4G, it's a notch more excessive than we'd like. It is in no way running the quality, though.
Finally, if the accurate colors are not your cup of tea, then Xiaomi is offering an AI toggle for you. Basically, the AI is a color booster - if you want bluer (over-the-top) skies or eye-popping green grass - that's how you achieve it.
Main camera, 16MP
The Mi 11 Lite has no telephoto camera, so the 2x toggle on the viewfinder is for digital zoom. And it's not lossless, it is a simple digital magnification achieved by cropping and upscaling.
Main camera 2x zoom, 16MP
The 64MP photos are okay, but nothing spectacular. First - it takes a couple of seconds to capture such an image, and the file size will be huge - between 25MP and 40MB!
The high-res photos aren't that sharp and a bit noisy, while the colors are a bit warmer than they should. We tried downsizing a bunch of these to 16MP, but we did not notice more resolved detail, just less sharpening, especially in areas of high complexity (meaning they are better looking).
The way we see it - you should use the 64MP mode and then resize these results down to 16MP if you want to avoid the camera processing. But that'll come at the expense of color accuracy and some megabytes.
Main camera, 64MP
The 8MP photos shot on the ultrawide-angle camera are likable. The images are offering good contrast and mostly accurate colors. The dynamic range is okay. The automatic distortion correction does a properly nice straightening, too.
The noise is kept reasonably low.
The captured detail isn't that great, and the photos are a bit soft. But this is probably the only issue we had with this camera, and it isn't a major one. If you won't be pixel-peeping these photos, then you'd be very happy with them.
Ultrawide camera, 8MP
The 5MP telemacro camera is the same as on the Mi 11 and Mi 11 Lite 5G. It has a 49mm f/2.4 lens, and its focus distance is between 3cm and 7cm. Allowing for a longer distance from the subject than the widespread macro cams with fixed focus at about 3-4cm helps a lot - you won't cast a shadow with your subject, and you won't scare the occasional ladybug or bee that easily.
And thanks to the nature of the telephoto lens, the subject might even look better thanks to the slightly compressed perspective that a zoom lens provides.
So, the 5MP photos we shot on this camera are quite pleasing - they are detailed, with excellent colors and good contrast. These could benefit from some additional sharpness, but it's not a big issue, really.
Our only advice is to shoot a couple of shots as this camera has a telephoto lens but lacks stabilization, and the focus is a bit tricky to lock and burred and/or out of focus shots are occasional.
Macro camera, 5MP
The main camera of the Xiaomi Mi Lite 11 can do portraits even without a dedicated depth sensor. And if the lighting is perfect, so will be the portrait photos. We observed proficient (for the class) separation, pleasant simulated bokeh and good detail and sharpness on the subjects. We aren't that hopeful for persons with more complex haircuts, though.
If the light isn't enough, the camera shoots at high ISO settings, and the photos often turn up noisy and/or blurry.
Portraits, 16MP
The Mi 11 Lite has a 16MP selfies camera, while the Mi Lite 5G offers a 20MP shooters. Despite the difference in the sensors and resolutions, these are both Quad-Bayer snappers and offer similar output.
The front camera saves natural-looking and balanced selfie. If there is enough light, the subjects are always detailed, the contrast and colors are great, while the dynamic range was above average even when the Auto HDR did not trigger.
Because of the Quad-Bayer filter, the photos should have been 4MP, but they seem to be proficiently upscaled back to 16MP. That's why the photos aren't the sharpest around, but few people zoom in on selfies, so we'd say these are excellent for most occasions. And you can also always downsize the selfies to 4MP and get some nicely sharp images.
If the light isn't ideal, the subjects will come out rather soft.
Selfies, 16MP
The portrait selfies are excellent. The blur is pleasing, the subject is detailed, colors and contrast are superb. Some complex backgrounds may throw the separation algorithm out of gear, but this occurs even in flagships with depth sensors, so we'd say the Mi 11 Lite is doing very well here.
Selfie portraits, 16MP
Let's look through some low-light photos. The Mi 11 Lite 4G doesn't have Auto Night Mode like the Mi 11 Lite 5G. But it has Enhance Image Quality option replacing Auto Night Mode, which uses frame multi-stacking and improves both daylight and low-light image quality, obviously. It also says it will trigger Night Scene upon detecting low-light shooting, but in Xiaomi's terms, this means just that - Night Scene with some minor improvements and not Night Mode with simulated long exposure.
This Auto Enhance option is enabled by default, and all photos were shot with it.
So, the default low-light images are pretty good - the detail is enough for such scenes, the sharpness is okay, and we can see important details when pixel peeping. Sure, it's not flagship-grade sharpness, but the Mi 11 Lite is no flagship.
The noise is within reasonable levels as the reduction process isn't excessive.
We are also happy with the balanced exposure and the good color saturation.
The camera doesn't benefit from optical stabilization, so we'd suggest taking a bunch of photos to ensure you have a keeper. That's valid for any non-OIS camera at night, of course.
Main camera, 16MP
The Night Mode on the main camera requires about 2 or 3 seconds to complete, and it's doing a wonderful job - it cleans some noise and often reveals more detail underneath instead of just smearing things.
The Night Mode also restores some clipped highlights and reveals a bit more detail in some shadows.
Finally, this mode improves the color saturation but won't go over the top.
Xiaomi's Night Mode has always been conservative, and it improves the photos in a subtle yet meaningful way - and that's why it is one of our favorites.
Main camera with Night Mode, 16MP
The regular photos from the ultrawide camera are quite poor - they are soft and dark. There is excessive noise reduction at play, which destroys a lot of the fine detail. The only good thing about these images is probably the preserved colors.
Ultrawide camera, 8MP
That's why you should always use Night Mode if you want to use the ultrawide-camera at night. It does a marvelous job at brighten the photo, reveals more detail, offers much better exposure, and even improves the color saturation.
The Night Mode ultrawide photos aren't just usable, they are, in fact, good.
Ultrawide Night Mode, 8MP
We also snapped some photos without the automatic quality enhancements. The single unprocessed shots from the main camera are a bit sharper than the default ones but also noisier.
The ones from the ultrawide camera are identical to the default shots, which probably means these auto enhancements are applied only on the main camera.
No enhancements
And here are photos of our usual posters taken with the Xiaomi Mi 11 Lite. 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 against the Realme 8 Pro and the Poco X3 Pro in our Photo compare tool
Video recording and quality
The Xiaomi Mi 11 Lite supports a lot of video capturing modes and effects. The main camera can do 4K recording at 30fps, as well as 1080p at 30fps and 60fps. The ultrawide and the macro snapper max out at 1080p at 30fps.
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.
Just like with a bunch of recent Xiaomi phones, the Mi 11 Lite captures the audio in all videos at 96Kbps, stereo. Yet, despite the low bitrate the sound is surprisingly deep and rich.
The 4K videos from the primary camera are great, especially considering this mid-range class. The resolved detail is outstanding, there is no noise at all, the contrast and the color accuracy are praiseworthy.
The dynamic range is average, but it's enough for pleasantly-looking videos. The sharpness could go a notch down and reach perfection, but it's also fine the way it is.
The video bitrate is about 40 Mbps, in case some of you were wondering.
The 4K video taken at night are okay - they have enough detail and retain good color saturation. The dynamic range is rather low, and the footage is a bit noisy.
There is no AI video on the Mi 11 Lite.
The 1080p videos from the ultrawide camera are satisfying - the captured detail is enough, and the noise is kept reasonably low. The sharpening seems a bit excessive, while the colors are somewhat washed out.
The macro camera can do 1080p videos, but those are ruined by the lack of electronic stabilization and the non-stop focus hunting.
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 - that's reserved for the Mi 11.
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 12sec clip, that you are about to watch, took more than an hour to make. But the waiting is worth it. NTL are shot in 4K and are amazing! 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 look the part.
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 your 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 in our video comparison database.
2160p: Xiaomi Mi 11 Lite against the Realme 8 Pro and the Poco X3 Pro in our Video compare tool
Alternatives
The Mi 11 Lite turned out to be a good alternative to the Mi 11 flagship if you are on a limited budget. The Lite model keeps many of the Mi 11's key features, of course, with a different interpretation. There is an HRR OLED screen, a capable hardware with a dependable battery, loud stereo speakers, the camera is alright, and the telemacro is here to stay. Overall, the Mi 11 Lite is what a Lite version should be all about.
The Mi 11 Lite is priced quite reasonably, too. The 6GB+64GB version goes for €300, while the 6GB+128GB costs €350. There is no info on the 8GB+128GB model just yet, but our guess would be about €380 or so.
Getting the base version makes sense if your targeted budget is about €300. But not before you take a look at a bunch of other Xiaomi-made phones.
Take a look at the Poco X3 Pro. Currently, its 6GB+128GB base model costs €200, and it offers a faster even if LCD screen, some flagship-grade performance, similar camera experience and everything is wrapped within an IP53-rated (bulkier) body. Even at its regular MSRP of €250, the Poco X3 Pro is an offer that's hard to pass.
We know LCDs are not everyone's favorite, so the Poco F3 may be the one you need. It has a 120Hz OLED screen, one of the fastest chips around - the SD870 5G, and a larger battery on top of what the Mi 11 Lite offers. Currently, Xiaomi is selling the Poco F3 for €300, and we would probably go for this one instead of the Lite. Even when/if the promo ends and it returns to its MSRP of €350, it would still be one heck of a deal.
Then there is the Redmi Note 10 Pro, which 6/128 version costs €300 - exactly as the Mi 11 Lite. It is based on the same Snapdragon 732G chip but is the better phone if it all boils down to this Mi or the Redmi. See, the Note 10 Pro packs a better 120Hz OLED, while its 108MP primary shoots even better photos. Oh, and the phone is splash-resistant.
Mi 11 Lite 5G and Mi 11 Lite 4G
Finally, if your budget allows some leeway, let's not forget the much more powerful Mi 11 Lite 5G model. It costs €400, but gaming is excellent, it supports Full HD HDR streaming, there is also 5G connectivity. We think the extra money is worth the upgrades.
Xiaomi Poco X3 Pro • Xiaomi Poco F3 • Xiaomi Redmi Note 10 Pro • Xiaomi Mi 11 Lite 5G
Obviously, the Mi 11 Lite doesn't make much sense at this price within Xiaomi's own lineup.
The recently launched Realme 8 Pro is one very capable champ, which may rely on a standard 60Hz Super AMOLED screen, but it did impress us with its 108MP camera and 3x lossless zoom. It offers similar gaming skills, but there are no stereo speakers. The Realme 8 Pro costs the same as the Mi 11 Lite - €300.
Finally, the €300 Galaxy A42 5G is one exciting alternative. It has an HD Super AMOLED screen, which is pretty basic alright, but this makes playing games a joyful experience. The phone runs on the Snapdragon 750 5G chip, offers good camera skills, the base version has double the storage, and its battery life is outstanding. It's not the best phone, sure, but it's a weirdo we liked very much.
Realme 8 Pro • Samsung Galaxy A42 5G
The verdict
The Mi 11 Lite is a good phone with great features, but it is sold at the wrong price. The in-house competition is too strong, and we can't recommend the Mi 11 Lite over any of the recent Xiaomi models. It's not a bad phone, but there are simply better ones at the same or lower price.
If Xiaomi rethinks the Mi 11 Lite price, we'd be the first to recommend it, but at this point - it's too expensive for its own good, and we cannot, in good conscience, endorse this phone.
Pros
- Captivating glass design, incredibly lightweight.
- Great OLED screen, 10-bit color support, 90Hz refresh, HDR10.
- Dependable battery, fast to charge.
- Loud stereo speakers.
- Superb daylight photo and video quality across all cameras.
- Excellent Night Mode.
Cons
- No splash protection.
- No Widevine L1 support means SD streaming.
- A faster chipset would have been more appealing.
- There are better phones on the same price.
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