Xiaomi, a company that is principally popular for its low-cost smartphones, launched an uber-premium smartphone that competes with the likes of Galaxy S21 Ultra and the iPhone 12 Pro Max. The Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra is not the company's first premium smartphone but it is among the first ones to launch globally. It is loaded with exciting features such as a 120Hz WQHD+ display with HDR10+ along with a tiny secondary on the back, a ceramic back, Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 SoC, fast wired and wireless charging, and the world's largest camera sensor on a smartphone ever. Xiaomi is bringing this smartphone to India along with the Mi 11X series.
There are so many features to laud on the Mi 11 Ultra but the most advertized one is the new 50MP primary camera. This camera uses a Samsung ISOCELL GN2 sensor, the world's largest smartphone camera sensor — larger than the Nokia PureView 808, which held the record for the largest sensor so far. The 1/1.12" sensor also has 1.4μm pixels, the largest we have seen on a smartphone camera. These pixels combine with 4-in-1 pixel binning to form 2.8μm pixels. The camera features an 8P lens setup with OIS and is aided by laser autofocus. Other than the primary camera, Xiaomi has equipped the Mi 11 Ultra with a 48MP ultrawide camera that can also be used for macro photography, and a 48MP telephoto camera with a 5x periscope. The periscope camera is capable of up to 120x digital zoom. All of these cameras are capable of recording up to 8K video. Check out our Mi 11 Ultra hands-on preview for an in-depth analysis of the camera.
In addition to the rear camera, the Mi 11 Ultra features a 20MP selfie camera seated inside a tiny hole-punch on the display. Simultaneously, the 1.1-inch AMOLED screen beside the camera setup allows you to take selfies using the primary 50MP camera on the back. Other than selfies, the rear display can be used as an Always On Display or to view notifications, time & date, or the battery status.
Talking about the primary display, the Mi 11 Ultra features a 6.81-inch (only a tad bit shorter than the Galaxy S21 Ultra's 6.9-inch) Super AMOLED display that is curved on all four edges. The display has a resolution of 3200 x 1440 pixels, giving it a pixel density of 515ppi. Xiaomi claims this is the brightest smartphone display ever with a claimed brightness of 1700nits. The display has a 120Hz refresh rate that can automatically switch between 30Hz, 60Hz, 90Hz, and 120hz based on the content. The display also supports HDR10+ and Dolby Vision for a high-contrast viewing experience. The display is protected under Gorilla Glass Victus.
The Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra has a ceramic back and comes with an IP68 rating for dust and water resistance. The dual stereo speakers on the Mi 11 Ultra are tuned by audio brand, Harman Kardon.
Powering the Mi 11 Ultra is a Snapdragon 888 SoC, the most powerful chipset from Qualcomm so far. The chipset also brings support for Wi-Fi 6e and 5G. It is paired with 12GB of LPDDR5 RAM and 256GB of UFS 3.1 storage. To satiate the power-hungry processor, the smartphone comes with a 5,000mAh silicon-oxygen anode battery and supports fast wired and wireless charging at 67W. Xiaomi claims that the fast wired charger can refuel the Mi 11 Ultra in just 30 minutes. The phone comes with a 55W charger in the box due to certification limitations.
The Mi 11 Ultra runs on Xiaomi's MIUI 12, based on Android 11, in India. We can expect this to be one of the first smartphones to get the update to MIUI 12.5, which is currently limited to China.
Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra: Price & Availability in India
The Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra comes in ceramic white and black colors in just one RAM+storage variant i.e., 12GB + 256GB. It is priced at ₹69,999 (~$935 ).
The Mi 11 Ultra will be available for purchase via Amazon India but the company has not announced the availability yet.
Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra Specifications
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Specification |
Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra |
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Build |
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Dimensions & Weight |
164.3mm x 74.6mm x 8.38mm, 234g |
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Display |
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SoC |
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RAM & Storage |
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Battery & Charging |
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Security |
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Rear Cameras |
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Front Camera |
20MP, f/2.2, 78° FOV, 0.8μm 4-in-1 to 1.6μm, fixed-focus |
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Port |
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Audio & Vibration |
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Connectivity |
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Software |
MIUI 12 based on Android 11 |