This story was originally published on Feb 8, 2021, and last updated on Feb 25, 2021.
UPDATE: 2021/02/25 8:43 P.M. GMT+8 BY NICOLE BATAC
Xiaomi Philippines has now launched the Mi 11 in the country. We’re only getting the 256GB variant for PHP 36,990 (around USD 760), and it will be available in Midnight Gray and Horizon Blue. It will be available for pre-order from March 5 until March 12. Those who pre-order will get a free Mi Desktop Monitor worth PHP 5,990 (USD 123). If you can’t get the phone during its pre-order period, it will be available on March 13, and it will come with a free Mi Smart Speaker worth PHP 1,990 (USD 41).
You can buy your unit from Xiaomi’s official stores on Lazada and Shopee and through Authorized Mi Stores and other partner retailers. Mi 11 owners can also avail of a Premium After-sales Service worth PHP 15,000 (USD 308), which covers two years extended warranty and a one-time free screen replacement within one year of purchase.
ORIGINAL STORY:
The Xiaomi Mi 11 is finally coming to other markets after it launched in December in China. The new flagship phone is the first Snapdragon 888-powered device to come out. And it doesn’t just get the latest processor, but tons of compelling camera features for photos and videos. Remember how Xiaomi is pushing the #MovieMagic hashtag? You’ll learn more about that later.
If you can’t wait to see the phone in action, you can check out our very own Isa’s unboxing of the Mi 11 over at Isa does tech on YouTube, which you can also watch here:
If you want to read more about the phone, you can continue scrolling below.
The global version comes in two configurations: 8GB RAM + 128GB storage and 8GB RAM + 256GB storage. Its cost starts at EUR 749 (around PHP 43,315) for the 128GB version and EUR 799 (PHP 46,216) for the 256GB option, and the company is planning to offer up to a two-year warranty. As Xiaomi is known for, the Mi 11 is priced aggressively for the value it offers. We don’t have local availability info yet, but we’ll make sure to update this post when we get it.
Why would you want to get the Mi 11?
The Xiaomi Mi 11 is for those interested in getting the most out of their phones, particularly its cameras. This handset comes with four cameras, all in all. The back has a squircle shape, housing three lenses alongside an LED flash. And the front has a tiny cutout for the selfie shooter.
Rear camera setup
- 108-megapixel wide-angle Samsung HMX sensor
- 1/1.33″ sensor size, f/1.85, 7P lens
- OIS, AF
- 0.8μm pixel size, 1.6μm 4-in-1 Super Pixel
- 13-megapixel ultra-wide-angle camera
- 123° FOV, f/2.4 aperture
- 5-megapixel telemacro lens
- f/2.4, AF (3cm-10cm)
- Up to 30x digital zoom
- LED flash
Front camera setup
- 20-megapixel selfie camera
- 0.8μm pixel size, 1.6μm 4-in-1 Super Pixel
- f/2.2 aperture
Xiaomi is paying close attention to the video capabilities of the Mi 11. It has what the company calls one-click AI cinema features that’ll make it look like a professional filmmaker.
There are modes like Parallel World, Freeze Frame, and Magic Zoom. Parallel World duplicates and inverts the scene to create a mirrored world. Freeze Frame freezes and clones video frames to create the illusion that some video parts are frozen in time. And Magic Zoom creates an illusion of the camera zooming in and out of the scene. This mode should be familiar to Alfred Hitchcock fans or those who love thrillers.
The Mi 11 also introduces better Night Mode on the primary, ultra-wide, and selfie cameras. There’s also the Ultra Night Video that promises “RAW-level noise reduction” for brighter night videos.
It also has 8K recording, support for HDR10+, cinematic video filters, and other video effects like a Pro Time-lapse mode.
For photography, Xiaomi introduces AI Erase 2.0, so you can easily take out unwanted objects in a photo with a single tap. And with different lenses, you have the flexibility to play around with your photos.
Beyond its camera capabilities, the Mi 11 is rightfully a flagship phone. The new Qualcomm processor promises to make this handset faster, more efficient, and more powerful than its predecessor, the Mi 10. It’s also ready for next-generation connectivity with 5G and Wi-Fi 6 support. Unfortunately, it doesn’t look like the 12GB RAM is available outside of China.
Regardless, the Mi 11 can still handle 2K/120fps/HDR gaming without performance issues or overheating. Its new LiquidCool heat dissipation system makes sure it can keep up with your demands.
Speaking of gaming, Xiaomi briefly mentioned its collaboration with miHoYo, the developer behind the hit 2020 title, Genshin Impact. The company promises a smoother gaming experience on the Mi 11.
On top of that, this phone will get the upcoming MIUI 12.5 update, which promises a more optimized experience. Xiaomi claims it will use less power while being able to run smoothly. Screen gestures should be faster. This version of MIUI will also get uninstallable system apps, giving you the option to take out most preinstalled apps. There will be a small number of apps that you can hide instead.
MIUI 12.5 is coming to the Mi 11 and the Mi 10T, Mi 10T Pro, Mi 10, and Mi 10 Pro in the second quarter of 2021, with 11 other unnamed Xiaomi phones to get it later.
You can enjoy all of these features on the Mi 11’s 6.81-inch WQHD+ AMOLED display. It has a 3,200 x 1,440 resolution, 120Hz adaptive refresh rate, and 480Hz touch sampling rate. It’s the brand’s most advanced display yet, which earned an A+ rating and a best display award from DisplayMate, a leading professional display review institution. Oh, and yes, it also supports DCI-P3 and HDR10+.
Xiaomi also equips this handset with its Super Resolution tech, which can upgrade low-res videos up to WQHD+ without increasing data consumption.
To get an even more enjoyable viewing experience, Xiaomi adds Harman Kardon-tuned dual speakers on this phone. Unfortunately, there is no headphone jack, but it comes with a USB-C to 3.5mm audio jack adapter in the box. And the Mi 11 also gets dual Bluetooth support for audio accessories like earbuds and speakers, so you can have two speakers or two earphones connected at once.
As for its security options, you have face unlock and an in-display fingerprint sensor that will double as a heartrate monitor. But that heartrate feature will be available via an OTA update.
There’s definitely a lot to be excited about with the Mi 11. From the spec sheet alone, you get a powerful smartphone that’s poised to offer outstanding photo and video capabilities, too. And we can’t wait to explore that further.
Even with all these specs, Xiaomi keeps the phone lightweight and sleek. The display curves to the sides and keeps bezels to a minimum at the top and bottom. You don’t have to worry about accidental touches on the sides with its hardware-level mistouch prevention feature.
The Mi 11 is protected by Corning Gorilla Glass Victus, which should help improve its durability. Xiaomi doesn’t mention IP ratings for this phone, so we’re not sure if that is available. Its back has a dual anti-glare finish that Xiaomi says can catch the light but not fingerprints.
Internationally, Xiaomi is releasing the Midnight Gray and Horizon Blue color options first. So, colorways like Frost White and the vegan leather variants in Lilac Purple and Honey Beige aren’t available right now.
Like the Chinese variant, the Mi 11 global version gets a 4,600mAh battery with 55W wired charging, 50W wireless turbocharging, and 10W reverse charging via the USB Type-C port. Theoretically, you can top-up this phone to 100% in 45 minutes via wired charging or in 53 minutes via wireless charging, which is pretty impressive. And what’s great is Xiaomi will be including the 55W charging brick with the unit.
There’s definitely a lot to be excited about with the Mi 11. From the spec sheet alone, you get a powerful smartphone that’s poised to offer outstanding photo and video capabilities, too. And we can’t wait to explore that further.