This year, Xiaomi has come up with three new devices, Xiaomi 11T, Xiaomi 11T Pro and Xiaomi 11 Lite 5G NE. For this review, we will be zooming in on the Xiaomi 11T.
As the middle child of the new offerings, the Xiaomi 11T is in a difficult position. It is careful not outshine the Xiaomi 11T Pro and it is wary that it should not be outdone by the Xiaomi 11 Lite 5G NE. Luckily, it managed to balance its priorities just right.
Xiaomi 11T Specifications
Outer beauty of the Xiaomi 11T
The review device that we had was Meteorite Grey. Other colours that the Xiaomi 11T also comes with are Moonlight White and Celestial Blue. It’s glossy on its back so your fingerprints will leave a lasting impression or a reminder to sanitise your hands.
The Xiaomi 11T is not a small phone but its slim profile makes it looked the part. It has a 6.67” AMOLED DotDisplay with a screen resolution of 2,400 x 1080 Full HD+. In short, big display with bright and clear colours on screen.
Now, I know some of you will be asking, “So, how big is a 6.67” phone?” What the 6.67” screen size translates to is a 16.4 cm (height) x 7.7 cm (width) phone, slightly larger than the small ruler you use in school.
The power button and volume rocker on Xiaomi 11T are located on the right side of the device. It also has a USB-C port for charging and the SIM card tray is conveniently based beside it.
Inner beauty of the Xiaomi 11T
The Xiaomi 11T sports an 8GB RAM with 128GB of internal storage. If you need larger storage, you can opt for the 256GB variant. It runs on a MediaTek Dimensity 1200 chip, and its CPU comprises 1 x Ultra Core (A78-based), 3.0GHz, 3 x Super Cores (A78-based), 2.6GHz, and 4 x Efficiency Cores (A55-based), 2.0GHz.
If you are confused with the numbers, don’t be. What they translate to is that the Xiaomi 11T is fast. They make it possible for the high refresh rate, which the device has at 120Hz. Not to mention, they help with power efficiency though the device already has a generous battery capacity of 5,000 mAh. Hey, more is good.
Cameras
Smartphones these days are 99 percent about cameras. The ones with bigger guns win and Xiaomi 11T is no pushover.
At its front, it has a 16MP in-display selfie camera with an aperture of f2.45. I know, in-display? Will it be as clear as the one hidden in the notch? Well, it’s fine. Just take a look these sample shots.
If taking photos in low light is up your alley, the camera has a selfie night mode feature that can help brighten up your probably non-existent nightlife, thanks to the pandemic.
At the rear of the Xiaomi 11T is where all the magic happens. No dirty thoughts, please. There’s a 108MP wide-angle lens with an aperture of f1.75, an 8MP ultra-wide-angle lens with an aperture of f2.2 and 5MP telemacro lens with an aperture of f2.4.
They worked well for me. Look at these sample shots and you will see what I mean.
By the way, for 108MP quality, you will need to go into your Pro mode to have it activated. It’s a good to have but unless you intend to go super crazy on cropping photos, the normal shooting mode works just fine.
What stood out for me this time around is not the wide-angle-lenses but the telemacro lens. I’ve always asked myself why. Why on earth do we need a telemacro lens or a macro lens at all? I found my answer.
It’s fun. It lets you see details that you normally don’t and with a 5MP telemacro lens and a wider aperture, you see even more details.
What’s new on Xiaomi 11T
While the technical specifications of Xiaomi 11T are excellent, its software features, especially for the cameras, are equally good.
There’s a one-click AI cinema mode that can help you and professional cinematographers produce interesting videos. You can use Time Freeze to stop parts of a video, which you normally need to download an app for, and Magic Zoom that focuses on you but with the background zooming in and out.
What intrigued me is the Audio Zoom feature. It increases the audio received based on how close you zoom into your subject. This is useful if you are filming a talk show like The Daily Ketchup without their gears and sponsored mics. Not sure what I mean? Watch the video below and be blown away.
Other notable mentions
- The Xiaomi 11T’s battery life is great. It has 5,000 mAh battery capacity and it lasted an entire day with me. My screen on time is typically 6 hours. If you ever need to juice it up, with its 67W turbo charging, it takes only about 36 minutes to hit 100 percent.
- Audio quality on Xiaomi 11T is also excellent because it is equipped with cinema-grade Dolby Atmos.
- A charging brick is provided.
Conclusion
The Xiaomi 11T has everything you need in a smartphone or better, at an affordable price tag of SGD629 in Singapore. The 256GB variant is only SGD20 more.
Cameras are great, the screen is great, the refresh rate is excellent, and the battery capacity has you covered for the longest work from home day of your life. There’s really nothing much to complain about the device. It’s made with you in mind and now, the question is whether you have it in your mind.
If you are in the market to check out a new device, I recommend that you factor the Xiaomi 11T into your considerations.
