Mi 11 Ultra review: It’s settled, a new star has entered the galaxy

The Mi 11 Extremely is Xiaomi’s swan music. (Photograph credit score: Saurabh Singh/Monetary Categorical)

As a lot as it could have you ever consider that it makes its product decisions very cautiously, it’s turning into more and more clear that Xiaomi additionally has a daredevil streak to it. It’s type of just like the Hulk from the Avengers. Principally it’s in management, however now and again it could unleash the beast inside. Again in 2017, it selected to launch the unconventional Mi Combine 2 in India over the comparatively run-of-the-mill Mi 6. In 2021, it has skipped the Mi 11 and introduced the Mi 11 Extremely as an alternative.

However whereas the Combine 2 was a chance that didn’t repay, with CEO Lei Jun later admitting it was not the appropriate match for the Indian market, the Mi 11 Extremely has its work lower out ever so barely. It’s coming at a time when the overall consciousness concerning the Mi model is at an all-time excessive with Xiaomi taking the better a part of 2020 and early this 12 months, fastidiously orchestrating the portfolio with a slew of launches starting from the entry-level Mi 10i and Mi 11 Lite to the worth flagship Mi 11X Professional. The Mi 11 Extremely is its swan music.

Additionally Learn | Meet Mi 11 Ultra, Xiaomi’s most ambitious product in India with world’s largest smartphone camera sensor

That isn’t to say it’s not a leap of religion. That stated, after spending over a month with this cellphone, I’m all however sure that that is the Xiaomi cellphone to fall for in 2021.

Design and cameras

Not like most telephones, the Mi 11 Extremely is fabricated from ceramic. This makes it essentially the most sturdy cellphone available in the market at the moment, no less than in concept. And, one of many heaviest. The outer body is fabricated from metallic. The cellphone’s marquee characteristic is its digital camera island, quite, a continent if you’ll, floating on prime of all that ceramic. There may be simply no escaping it.

The bump is so distinguished, it makes the cellphone prime heavy. By a sizeable margin. It is a cellphone that almost all actually will weigh you down. Getting used to it should take a while. The one silver lining is that it doesn’t wobble on a floor. A case is important.

The Mi 11 Extremely is fabricated from ceramic. (Photograph credit score: Saurabh Singh/Monetary Categorical)

In Xiaomi’s defence, there’s a lot tech inside this cellphone, it greater than compensates for its atrocious dimensions. There isn’t any scarcity of gimmicks both. Working example, the digital camera(s). Not solely does the Mi 11 Extremely pack among the most enjoyable set of cameras we’ve seen on a smartphone up to now, it’s also possible to use them to take selfies utilizing the bundled 1.1-inch rear AMOLED show. It’s a workaround alright, and restricted in performance, like for example, you possibly can’t file movies on this mode, nevertheless it works nicely sufficient.

The rear show moreover serves double responsibility as an always-on panel for displaying time, date, battery stats and notifications though I’m not completely satisfied how many individuals will likely be keen to maintain their telephones entrance going through down to make use of this characteristic. And, for some curious purpose, it’s not actually always-on per se as a result of Xiaomi limits it to 30 seconds max.

Regardless of all of the tech — and a sizeable 5,000mAh battery — the Mi 11 Extremely continues to be slimmer than the Samsung Galaxy S21 Extremely and iPhone 12 Professional Max which is a outstanding feat of engineering. It is a cellphone that curves on all of the 4 sides and whereas it does take away the grip — and makes it slippery — the heft helps make issues simpler. The premium construct supplies additional improve in-hand really feel. The white colourway I’ve for assessment doesn’t appeal to a whole lot of smudge and fingerprints. Bottomline is, there’s a way to the Mi 11 Extremely’s insanity when you don’t get carried away by its paper specs–8.38mm, 234g. Regardless, it should require the eye of each your arms always. For context, the S21 Extremely is a greater designed cellphone.

However the place these specs do make a whole lot of sense is within the digital camera division. The Mi 11 Extremely has a complete of three cameras on the again. There’s a 50MP main digital camera with a big 1/1.12-inch Samsung GN2 sensor (a primary for this type issue) sitting behind an optically stabilised f/1.95 aperture lens. That is paired with two 48MP cameras (Sony IMX598 sensor), one with an f/2.2 ultra-wide-angle lens (128-degree field-of-view) and one other with a periscope-style telephoto lens for a complete of 120x zoom (5x optical).

The Mi 11 Extremely has a complete of three cameras on the again. (Photograph credit score: Saurabh Singh/Monetary Categorical)

Xiaomi claims the Mi 11 Extremely is the world’s first cellphone with Twin Pixel Professional know-how for quick auto focus and the primary Mi cellphone with multi-point direct Time-of-Flight laser focus system for greater accuracy. All of the three cameras within the Mi 11 Extremely help evening mode and may shoot in 8K (at 24fps). The highly effective {hardware} contained in the cellphone makes it doable to modify between the cameras on the fly whereas recording. And, not like the OnePlus 9 Professional, the Mi 11 Extremely’s cameras stay usable even when the cellphone will get scorching or if you’re taking pictures in a heat atmosphere.

Coming to picture high quality, it’s nice to see the Mi 11 Extremely put all that spectacular {hardware} to good use. It’s simply among the many finest — if not the perfect — digital camera telephones available in the market and it does this “persistently” throughout every kind of lighting eventualities. The cameras are enjoyable to make use of and photographs come out with numerous element and nice dynamic vary. It’s the perfect digital camera cellphone that Xiaomi has ever made. One which may give rivals, particularly OnePlus, a run for his or her cash.

The place it faulters, it’s not as a result of it lacks one thing, it’s due to Xiaomi’s personal inexperience in nice tuning its digital camera {hardware}, one thing that Samsung and Apple have been doing for years now. I received’t go as far as to say the Mi 11 Extremely lacks polish however I’ll say this, Xiaomi must work on its color science. Colors shouldn’t look so oversaturated. In chasing these unrealistic, eye-popping colors, the Mi 11 Extremely typically tends to clip highlights and loses out on nice particulars particularly within the shadows. For a cellphone that’s attempting to compete with the S21 Extremely and iPhone 12 Professional Max, each ounce of element counts.

Additionally Learn | Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra review: Dark knight rises

Credit score should be given the place it’s due and the Mi 11 Extremely reveals not all ultra-wide-angle cameras should be unhealthy. Not solely does it provide one of many widest field-of-views out there on a industrial smartphone, it does a wonderful job holding on to element and limiting barrel distortion. The Mi 11 Extremely additionally comes very near difficult Samsung’s “zoom” repertoire. At 5x and 10x, all of it however aces the S21 Extremely. It is just if you shoot for the moon, when Xiaomi’s software program sort of, type of, takes a little bit of a backseat. Samsung has merely executed this loads. In time, Xiaomi will hopefully get higher too.

The weakest hyperlink of this cellphone is probably the 20MP entrance digital camera. It’s barely serviceable and for some purpose, can’t do 4K movies.

Show and efficiency

The Mi 11 Extremely has a 6.81-inch E4 AMOLED show with a 2K or QHD+ decision and 120Hz refresh price (480Hz contact sampling). Xiaomi has sourced it from Samsung and it’s simply the most important spotlight of this cellphone. It has nice distinction and viewing angles and brightness ranges are aplenty. It’s additionally quick and fluid and refreshes dynamically. Furthermore, Xiaomi has thrown in so many toggles contained in the settings (together with DC dimming) you possibly can tune the display to your particular requirement. Such a degree of granular customisation doesn’t exist in every other cellphone available in the market.

The cellphone is constructed for content material consumption via and thru and doesn’t disappoint on any entrance. It might probably additionally play Dolby Imaginative and prescient content material just like the iPhone 12. The panel is protected by Corning Gorilla Glass Victus. For biometrics, it has an optical in-display fingerprint scanner which is quick however there’s some room for enchancment.

The Mi 11 Extremely is constructed for content material consumption via and thru. (Photograph credit score: Saurabh Singh/Monetary Categorical)

A pair of Harmon Kardon stereo audio system spherical off the package deal. These get fairly loud and bassy with good stereo separation. There isn’t any headphone jack.

Powering the cellphone is Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 888 system-on-chip with 12GB LPDDR5 RAM and 256GB UFS3.1 storage. That is non-expandable. Software program contained in the cellphone is Xiaomi’s MIUI 12 which relies on Android 11. I’ve completely little doubt in saying the mixture is a match made in heaven. The Mi 11 Extremely flies, or quite let me put it instantly, MIUI flies like something on the Mi 11 Extremely — and in contrast to something we’ve seen from Xiaomi to this point. Apart from a couple of occasional lags and jitters right here and there, the expertise is satisfying and, extra importantly, pleasing. I’ve had a whole lot of enjoyable utilizing this cellphone. I’ve performed a whole lot of video games on it (the cellphone tends to run scorching nevertheless it doesn’t throttle). I’ve made it my day by day driver. Not as soon as have I missed a Samsung Galaxy or an iPhone or absolutely anything else. It’s peak Xiaomi.

The Mi 11 Extremely has Harmon Kardon stereo audio system. (Photograph credit score: Saurabh Singh/Monetary Categorical)

However it’s not good, the Mi 11 Extremely. As a lot as I’ve loved utilizing MIUI on this cellphone, it’s disappointing that it’s nonetheless working an virtually “archaic” model, aka MIUI 12.0.2 with the March safety patch, with no phrase on future updates, extra exactly MIUI 12.5. A premium cellphone like this should not be concerning the {hardware} solely. Software program driving that {hardware} is equally necessary. Expertise isn’t nearly how slim or gentle a cellphone is, or how nicely it performs a graphically demanding recreation, it’s about the way it fares in day-to-day use and software program performs a giant half in that. Additionally it is essential from a future-proofing perspective.

For a “superphone” that prices as a lot as what the Mi 11 Extremely does, Xiaomi’s software program decisions may make or break its grand ambitions and future plans. It might probably’t compete with Samsung and OnePlus — or Apple — with out providing a way of safety to consumers. That’s paramount. For clearly, Xiaomi has designed this cellphone for the long term outfitting it with as many as 13 5G bands (n1 / n3 / n5/ n7 /n8/ n20/ n28/ n38/ n40 /n41 /n77 / n78 / n79). The OnePlus 9 Professional helps simply two.

Additionally Learn | Xiaomi Mi 11X review: Lot of phone for a lot less money

Xiaomi additionally went on so as to add quick 67W wi-fi charging and 67W wired charging although it is just bundling a 55W charger within the field (battery life is sweet however not class-leading) and IP68 ranking to this cellphone. That’s every thing however the kitchen sink, for a Xiaomi cellphone.

Mi 11 Extremely remaining ideas

The Mi 11 Extremely prices Rs 69,999 (12GB/256GB) in India. That’s similar because the OnePlus 9 Professional whereas on the similar time, it undercuts the Samsung Galaxy S21 Extremely (beginning Rs 1,05,999).

The keystone of this new Xiaomi cellphone is its unflinching give attention to taking over, not OnePlus, however Samsung within the high-end smartphone area. It has comparable {hardware}. With high-end specs like excessive refresh price curved screens and newest and biggest SoCs, massive batteries and quick charging turning into a staple amongst most premium telephones, it’s how these telephones use all this tech to make your lives simpler that makes or breaks a smartphone at the moment. For a cellphone that feels so forward of its time, any uncertainty apart from basic availability (the cellphone is lastly occurring sale in India in July, almost three months after launch) stands out entrance and centre.

The Mi 11 Extremely prices Rs 69,999. (Photograph credit score: Saurabh Singh/Monetary Categorical)

Within the case of Xiaomi, there’s additionally the luggage of notion.

With every thing that the Mi 11 Extremely packs inside, it was anticipated to be a quick cellphone with a vibrant and vibrant display, top-notch audio, and good battery life. Its headlining characteristic, the digital camera(s), additionally lives as much as the hype. However come to think about it, it does probably not reinvent the wheel in the identical manner because the Mi 3 and even the Combine 2. It’s nice, probably, however it’s extra the sum of its elements quite than being out-and-out revolutionary.

A brand new star has certainly entered the galaxy. Query is, can it stick round.

Professionals: Premium ceramic construct, Class main show, Glorious efficiency, Nice cameras (each image and video), Loud stereo audio system, Quick charging

Cons: Unwieldy, Cameras want some tuning, Battery life could possibly be higher, Sluggish Android replace rollout