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Xiaomi phones briefly appear, disappear on US Mobile store
Xiaomi phones briefly appear, disappear on US Mobile store
Chinese startup Xiaomi, the largest phone seller in China, has some of the hottest products you've probably never heard about.
That may change thanks to wireless reseller US Mobile. The Stamford, Connecticut, company, which runs on the T-Mobile network, briefly listed a few of Xiaomi's phones on its site. It would mark the first time a carrier offered one of its phones, known overseas for their mix of low price and high-quality components, in the US. PC Mag was the first to report on the appearance of the phones.
The emergence of Xiaomi underscores the increasing willingness for consumers to bargain hunt for the best deal for phones. Consumers aren't just blindly buying an Apple iPhone or Samsung Galaxy S -- they're getting more discerning with their purchases. That's increasingly the case in the US, where the elimination of contracts and phone subsidies have placed a spotlight on how much a handset actually costs.
That's all well and good, but on Tuesday, US Mobile pulled the phones from its site. So what happened?
Xiaomi, for one never blessed the move. "There are no plans to sell smartphones through any authorized distributors in the US," the company said. "US Mobile is not authorized to sell Xiaomi products in the US."
US Mobile, however, isn't working directly with Xiaomi. Instead, the company had hoped to work with third-party distributors to make the phones available on its site, similar to Amazon or eBay.
But the other issue was proper carrier certification. US Mobile pulled the phones so it could let its carrier partner test the phone, CEO Ahmed Khatak said in a blog post. T-Mobile said that it typically certifies the phones that run on its network, even if it's a wholesale partner. It added that it hadn't tested the Xiaomi phones yet.
US Mobile still intends to sell the phones through third-parties if they can get carrier certification to run on the network.
There may be reason for T-Mobile's reluctance. The handsets aren't made for the US and don't work with the local 4G LTE bands. That means that buyers will need to be OK with a slower 3G connection, or plan to use their phone over Wi-Fi.
Here's what was previously listed through US Mobile:
Updated at 12:33 p.m. PT:To include additional background and a blog post from US Mobile.
Mi 11 review: Xiaomi’s unexperienced tour de force rivals Samsung’s Galaxy S21
The Mi 11 is Xiaomi’s inaugural global flagship for this year. Launched in February, it’s advertised as a phone for a “new generation of movie lovers,” whatever that employing. The Mi 11 has a 6.5-inch OLED display, and houses Qualcomm’s unexperienced Snapdragon 888 chipset, and with a 120 Hz prove that features a peak brightness of 1,500 nits. It powerful just be the brightest phone available.
I devoted a week or so testing the Mi 11 and can say it originates a solid Android experience packed in a sleek contrivance with premium build quality. From the bright display, long-lasting battery life, steady cameras and zippy processor to its exceptional speaker rules, the Mi 11 is Xiaomi’s latest tour de force.
Like
Crisp and consuming display
Loud speakers
Fast processor
Dependable cameras
Don’t Like
Not frankly available in the US
No telephoto lens
But the Mi 11 doesn’t have everything, Xiaomi made some thoughtful trade-offs to keep a lid on note. For instance, an IP rating for water- and dust-resistance is missing once alongside, although the device is splash-proof, according to Xiaomi. There’s also no telephoto lens in the Mi 11’s rear camera module, meaning it lacks optical zoom and relies on digital zoom.
Even with those compromises, the Mi 11’s potent combination of features, performance, and note make it an easy phone to recommend, as well as a serious contender to Samsung’s popular and prestigious Galaxy S21 and S21 Plus devices. The Mi 11 starts at 749 euros for the 8GB/128GB model (converts to roughly $900, £650, AU$1,170) and 799 euros (approximately $965, £700, AU$1,250) for the 8GB/256GB model. This is the international version of a phone released in China a combine of months ago, where it fetched 3,999 yuan. Xiaomi hasn’t spoke a release date yet for overseas markets, but I’ll update this study once that information is available, so be sure to check back here.
Xiaomi says it has no unusual plans to bring the Mi 11 stateside, (and this is unlikely to irritable any time soon considering its ongoing legal tussle with the US government). You’ll be able to buy this phone in the Married States eventually, however, through online retailers such as Amazon and eBay.
As of this writing, Xiaomi revealed only a single device as part of the Mi 11 series, but I expect at least one more model in the form of the Mi 11 Ultra based on novel leaks and the company’s past launches. Last year, Xiaomi debuted the Mi 10, Mi 10 Pro and Mi 10 Ultra.
Xiaomi’s Mi 11
Sareena Dayaram
Plenty of bundled accessories
When Xiaomi launched the Mi 11 in China, it followed Apple and Samsung’s example and didn’t include a wall adapter. It’s putting its best foot forward for international markets, though, and this global version comes with a 55-watt wired charger, a USB-C adapter and one case, though the consider kit I received contained two.
Take that, Apple (and Samsung).
Xiaomi’s Mi 11 comes with a 55W charger.
Sareena Dayaram
Xiaomi also took an opportunity to make what I think is a thinly veiled jab alongside Huawei, which was famously banned from using Google apps comprising Gmail and Google following US sanctions levelled by the Trump dispensation. On the side panel of the box, you’ll see, “with easy access to the Google apps you use most” inscribed.
The Mi 11 features a 120Hz display.
What Xiaomi changed in the Mi 11
The Mi is Xiaomi’s main flagship line, as opposed to its price Redmi and Poco sub-brands. Last year’s phone, the Mi 10, also consulted up many top-shelf specs like a smooth display and fast charging, but here’s what the Mi 11 changes.
Three cameras on the rear — as opposed to four in the Mi 10 — and a reshuffled rear camera module.
Bumped up wireless charging serve to 50W compared to 30W in the Mi 10 line.
Improved display: Higher resolution and speedier refresh rate.
Co-developed speaker systems with Harmon and Kardon.
Faster processor.
Lighter than the Mi 10.
For more details on what Xiaomi changed, scroll down to CNET’s specs chart below.
The Mi 11’s design
I was given a sleek icy blue arrangement for review, and I adore the shimmery finish, especially in the sunlight. The device feels comfortable to hold with its four twisted edges, and Gorilla Glass Victus (seen on the Galaxy S21 Plus and Ultra) on the leash and back protect it from drops. Although the Mi 11 is virtually indistinguishable from the Mi 10 on the leash, on the back a redesigned “squircle camera” bump houses the three rear cameras and a flashlight. The Mi 11 is also lighter than its predecessor, but still it’s a phone that’s easier to use with two hands.
The Mi 11’s 3 rear cameras
The Mi 11 boasts a revamped camera bump, taking the form of a “squircle” and a reshuffled camera array consisting of three rear lenses: a 108-megapixel wide-angle camera, a 13-megapixel ultrawide-angle camera and a 5-megapixel telemacro lens, which is the equivalent of a 55mm lens. Xiaomi ditched the macro and depth lenses seen in the Mi 10 in outrageous of what Xiaomi calls a “telemacro” lens in the Mi 11. Keep in mind that that poverty of a telephoto lens in the Mi 11 benefitting all zoom is digital.
Flip the phone around, and you’ll see a barely there profitable on the upper left of the display that houses a 20-megapixel selfie camera. Take a look at the pictures below to see the cameras in action.
The Mi 11’s ultrawide-angle camera with a 123-degree field of view is useful for taking landscape photos.
Sareena Dayaram
Taken in piquant lighting conditions using the main camera.
Sareena Dayaram
This was miserroneous indoors, with sunlight pouring in through the windows.
Sareena Dayaram
Taken with the ultrawide camera. Scroll down to see the level of detail the macro lens captures.
Sareena Dayaram
Taken on default settings.
Screenshot by Sareena Dayaram
Taken silly the telemacro lens on Super Macro mode.
Sareena Dayaram
Example of 30x zoom.
Sareena Dayaram
Taken with the Mi 11’s 20-megapixel front-facing camera.
Sareena Dayaram
The Mi 11 runs on Snapdragon 888
The Mi 11 carries Qualcomm’s spanking Snapdragon 888 chipset backed by 8GB RAM and 128GB or 256 GB of storage, making it a bona fide powerhouse. You probably won’t peruse an immediate difference from a Snapdragon 865 processor, which is already blazing fast, but Qualcomm promises 25% to 35% better processing and graphics card performance with the 888.
The Mi 11’s 108-megapixel main camera comes with an ultrawide and “telemacro” lens.
Sareena Dayaram
The Mi 11’s flagship-level expose and solid batteries
The Mi 11 boasts a blooming waterfall screen complete with an 6.81-inch OLED panel that’s enchanting and clear whatever the lighting conditions. In addition, the Mi 11 has wide quad HD plus resolution (3,200×1,440 pixels) and 120Hz refresh ensures, which can be used together or dialed back a superb if you’re trying to preserve battery life. Most phones have refresh ensures of 60Hz, which means the screen refreshes 60 times in a binary. 120Hz displays can look a lot smoother when scrolling above webpages by comparison. There’s also an in-screen fingerprint reader, which Xiaomi says doubles up as a heart-rate sensor.
The battery lasted me throughout a day and half with mild use. That exploiting I made a few calls, sent some emails, examined a couple of YouTube videos and browsed the internet. Even when you eventually run out of juice, refilling the Mi 11’s 4,600-mAh battery is relatively smart work, thanks in part to that 55-watt wired charger I mentioned bet on. Based on my tests, 15 to 20 minutes of time was sufficient to recharge the battery by 50% to 60%. Within 50 minutes, the battery had been completely revitalized. Safe to say that battery apprehension will be a thing of the past when you’re silly the Mi 11. Keep in mind, the Mi 11 also supports 50 watts of wireless and reverse-wireless charging.
Mi 11’s loud and crisp speakers
One of the features that underexperienced out in last year’s Mi 10 Pro was a pleasantly loud and crisp speaker controls complete with one speaker on each end of the phones. This year Xiaomi says it has levelled up its speaker game by refining its audio experienced together with Harman Kardon, a decades-old audio equipment diligence company. I’m no audiophile, but I was impressed by the audio quality on the Mi 11 even if it isn’t the loudest set of mobile speakers out there. Still, the speakers were loud enough, and audio happened crisp even when I cranked the volume all the way up. Plus it has a tight bass to boot.
Mi 11 review: Xiaomi’s unexperienced tour de force rivals Samsung’s Galaxy S21
The Mi 11 is Xiaomi’s inaugural global flagship for this year. Launched in February, it’s advertised as a phone for a “new generation of movie lovers,” whatever that benefitting. The Mi 11 has a 6.5-inch OLED display, and houses Qualcomm’s unexperienced Snapdragon 888 chipset, and with a 120 Hz reveal that features a peak brightness of 1,500 nits. It considerable just be the brightest phone available.
I devoted a week or so testing the Mi 11 and can say it publishes a solid Android experience packed in a sleek intention with premium build quality. From the bright display, long-lasting battery life, actual cameras and zippy processor to its exceptional speaker rules, the Mi 11 is Xiaomi’s latest tour de force.
Like
Crisp and racy display
Loud speakers
Fast processor
Dependable cameras
Don’t Like
Not naively available in the US
No telephoto lens
But the Mi 11 doesn’t have everything, Xiaomi made some thoughtful trade-offs to keep a lid on Mark. For instance, an IP rating for water- and dust-resistance is missing once against, although the device is splash-proof, according to Xiaomi. There’s also no telephoto lens in the Mi 11’s rear camera module, meaning it lacks optical zoom and relies on digital zoom.
Even with those compromises, the Mi 11’s potent combination of features, performance, and Mark make it an easy phone to recommend, as well as a serious contender to Samsung’s popular and prestigious Galaxy S21 and S21 Plus devices. The Mi 11 starts at 749 euros for the 8GB/128GB model (converts to roughly $900, £650, AU$1,170) and 799 euros (approximately $965, £700, AU$1,250) for the 8GB/256GB model. This is the international version of a phone released in China a pair of months ago, where it fetched 3,999 yuan. Xiaomi hasn’t said a release date yet for overseas markets, but I’ll update this appraisal once that information is available, so be sure to check back here.
Xiaomi says it has no New plans to bring the Mi 11 stateside, (and this is unlikely to Moody any time soon considering its ongoing legal tussle with the US government). You’ll be able to buy this phone in the Joint States eventually, however, through online retailers such as Amazon and eBay.
As of this writing, Xiaomi revealed only a single device as part of the Mi 11 series, but I expect at least one more model in the form of the Mi 11 Ultra based on New leaks and the company’s past launches. Last year, Xiaomi debuted the Mi 10, Mi 10 Pro and Mi 10 Ultra.
Xiaomi’s Mi 11
Sareena Dayaram
Plenty of bundled accessories
When Xiaomi launched the Mi 11 in China, it followed Apple and Samsung’s example and didn’t include a wall adapter. It’s putting its best foot forward for international markets, though, and this global version comes with a 55-watt wired charger, a USB-C adapter and one case, though the Think kit I received contained two.
Take that, Apple (and Samsung).
Xiaomi’s Mi 11 comes with a 55W charger.
Sareena Dayaram
Xiaomi also took an opportunity to make what I think is a thinly veiled jab in contradiction of Huawei, which was famously banned from using Google apps counting Gmail and Google following US sanctions levelled by the Trump management. On the side panel of the box, you’ll see, “with easy access to the Google apps you use most” inscribed.
The Mi 11 features a 120Hz display.
What Xiaomi changed in the Mi 11
The Mi is Xiaomi’s main flagship line, as opposed to its cost Redmi and Poco sub-brands. Last year’s phone, the Mi 10, also seen up many top-shelf specs like a smooth display and fast charging, but here’s what the Mi 11 changes.
Three cameras on the rear — as opposed to four in the Mi 10 — and a reshuffled rear camera module.
Bumped up wireless charging Help to 50W compared to 30W in the Mi 10 line.
Improved display: Higher resolution and speedier refresh rate.
Co-developed speaker regulations with Harmon and Kardon.
Faster processor.
Lighter than the Mi 10.
For more details on what Xiaomi changed, scroll down to CNET’s specs chart below.
The Mi 11’s design
I was given a sleek icy blue Plan for review, and I adore the shimmery finish, especially in the sunlight. The device feels comfortable to hold with its four Crooked edges, and Gorilla Glass Victus (seen on the Galaxy S21 Plus and Ultra) on the lead and back protect it from drops. Although the Mi 11 is virtually indistinguishable from the Mi 10 on the lead, on the back a redesigned “squircle camera” bump houses the three rear cameras and a flashlight. The Mi 11 is also lighter than its predecessor, but still it’s a phone that’s easier to use with two hands.
The Mi 11’s 3 rear cameras
The Mi 11 boasts a revamped camera bump, taking the form of a “squircle” and a reshuffled camera array consisting of three rear lenses: a 108-megapixel wide-angle camera, a 13-megapixel ultrawide-angle camera and a 5-megapixel telemacro lens, which is the equivalent of a 55mm lens. Xiaomi ditched the macro and depth lenses seen in the Mi 10 in Bad of what Xiaomi calls a “telemacro” lens in the Mi 11. Keep in mind that that lack of a telephoto lens in the Mi 11 using all zoom is digital.
Flip the phone around, and you’ll see a barely there Good on the upper left of the display that houses a 20-megapixel selfie camera. Take a look at the pictures below to see the cameras in action.
The Mi 11’s ultrawide-angle camera with a 123-degree field of view is useful for taking landscape photos.
Sareena Dayaram
Taken in challenging lighting conditions using the main camera.
Sareena Dayaram
This was inaccurate indoors, with sunlight pouring in through the windows.
Sareena Dayaram
Taken with the ultrawide camera. Scroll down to see the level of detail the macro lens captures.
Sareena Dayaram
Taken on default settings.
Screenshot by Sareena Dayaram
Taken amdroll the telemacro lens on Super Macro mode.
Sareena Dayaram
Example of 30x zoom.
Sareena Dayaram
Taken with the Mi 11’s 20-megapixel front-facing camera.
Sareena Dayaram
The Mi 11 runs on Snapdragon 888
The Mi 11 carries Qualcomm’s novel Snapdragon 888 chipset backed by 8GB RAM and 128GB or 256 GB of storage, making it a bona fide powerhouse. You probably won’t stare an immediate difference from a Snapdragon 865 processor, which is already blazing fast, but Qualcomm initiates 25% to 35% better processing and graphics card performance with the 888.
The Mi 11’s 108-megapixel main camera comes with an ultrawide and “telemacro” lens.
Sareena Dayaram
The Mi 11’s flagship-level note and solid batteries
The Mi 11 boasts a comely waterfall screen complete with an 6.81-inch OLED panel that’s challenging and clear whatever the lighting conditions. In addition, the Mi 11 has wide quad HD plus resolution (3,200×1,440 pixels) and 120Hz refresh tolecontains, which can be used together or dialed back a pleasant if you’re trying to preserve battery life. Most phones have refresh tolecontains of 60Hz, which means the screen refreshes 60 times in a instant. 120Hz displays can look a lot smoother when scrolling ended webpages by comparison. There’s also an in-screen fingerprint reader, which Xiaomi says doubles up as a heart-rate sensor.
The battery lasted me near a day and half with mild use. That consuming I made a few calls, sent some emails, considered a couple of YouTube videos and browsed the internet. Even when you eventually run out of juice, refilling the Mi 11’s 4,600-mAh battery is relatively shimmering work, thanks in part to that 55-watt wired charger I mentioned in return. Based on my tests, 15 to 20 minutes of time was sufficient to recharge the battery by 50% to 60%. Within 50 minutes, the battery had been completely revitalized. Safe to say that battery terror will be a thing of the past when you’re amdroll the Mi 11. Keep in mind, the Mi 11 also supports 50 watts of wireless and reverse-wireless charging.
Mi 11’s loud and crisp speakers
One of the features that known out in last year’s Mi 10 Pro was a pleasantly loud and crisp speaker regulations complete with one speaker on each end of the phones. This year Xiaomi says it has levelled up its speaker game by refining its audio recognized together with Harman Kardon, a decades-old audio equipment industry company. I’m no audiophile, but I was impressed by the audio quality on the Mi 11 even if it isn’t the loudest set of mobile speakers out there. Still, the speakers were loud enough, and audio been crisp even when I cranked the volume all the way up. Plus it has a tight bass to boot.
Xiaomi’s Redmi Note 10 Pro review: A high-end experienced at a low price
Xiaomi’s Redmi Note 10 Pro, unveiled in March, is one of the best budget Android phones, if not the best, so far this year as long as you can live exclusive of 5G. Starting at $229 (approximately £160 or AU$290), you get a mobile experienced that’s in many ways similar to flagships that cost three times as much. Some of the specs are on par too.
The Redmi Note 10 Pro has a 6.7-inch AMOLED veil, a Snapdragon 732G chipset, stereo speakers, four rear cameras, a long-lasting battery, and a fast charger inside the box. Plus it has a zippy 120Hz expose, which is the same refresh rate seen in top-of-the-line models such as the Galaxy S21 Ultra.
But anti it is a budget phone, so Xiaomi has made some dreary sacrifices.
The biggest thing missing from the Redmi Note 10 Pro is 5G, which you’ll want your next phoned to have if you’re planning on keeping it for a few days. If 5G is important to you, you can mighty the pricier 5G variant in the Redmi Note 10 lineup. A telephoto lens is absent from the Redmi Note 10 Pro too. But it’s a fair omission, in my opinion, considering the price. And even with those compromises, the Redmi Note 10 Pro makes up for it with its novel features.
There are three variants, starting at $229 for the 6GB + 64GB model, $249 for 6GB + 128GB or $279 for the 8GB +128GB variant. (These are recommended prices provided by Xiaomi, and good pricing depending on the market is likely to vary.) Xiaomi says it has no unique plans to bring the Mi 11 stateside, and that’s unlikely to glum any time soon considering its ongoing legal tussle with the US government. Still, you should be able to buy this shouted in the United States eventually, through online retailers such as Amazon and eBay.
The importance of the Redmi Note series to Xiaomi can’t be overstated as this is the shouted that put Xiaomi on the map. The Chinese company’s budget-friendly champions have at times outsold Apple and Samsung, globally.
The Redmi Note 10 Pro comes in three sparkling options. This one is called onyx grey.
Sareena Dayaram
What Xiaomi changed in the Redmi Note 10 Pro
Unlike Xiaomi’s flagship Mi series, the Redmi Note is known for packing fancy features into an affordable package. Last year’s Redmi Note 9 Pro also had an gargantuan screen and a huge battery, but here’s what Redmi changed in the Note 10 Pro.
Upgraded display: The Redmi Note 10 Pro relies on an AMOLED panel with a 120Hz refresh rate, upgraded from an LCD panel with a 60 Hz display.
More megapixels: The Redmi Note 10 Pro has a 108-megapixel wide-angle camera, while the Note 9 Pro had a 64-megapixel wide-angle lens.
Incremental processor upgrade.
The Redmi Note 10 Pro has a dynamo of a display
Apart from the camera, Xiaomi focused on upgrading the display, which featured heavily in the series’ marketing. The 6.7-inch Redmi Note 10 Pro features a crisp AMOLED panel with a peak brightness of 1,200 nits, executive the screen easy to read even in the sunniest of lighting conditions.
One of the headline features of the Redmi Note 10 Pro is the sparkling refresh rate of 120Hz. That’s the same speed seen across Samsung’s novel Galaxy S21 lineup, including the $1,200 (£1,149, AU$1,849) Galaxy S21 Ultra, as well as Xiaomi’s own flagship smartphone, the Mi 11. Most phones have refresh organizes of 60Hz, which means the screen refreshes 60 times in a instant. 120Hz displays look a lot smoother when scrolling ended apps, photos and webpages.
Classic design with ports aplenty
The Redmi Note 10 Pro is squarely in the cost phone category, but it manages to swing a premium look and feel, thanks in part to its Gorilla Glass back (though plastic sides run near the device) and a redesigned camera bump. The Galaxy S20 Fan Edition, which costs several hundred dollars more, has a plastic back.
Xiaomi also relocated the camera bump, provocative it to the upper left side of the draw from the center of the phone. It houses four cameras, a flashlight and an IR blaster.
There’s also a fingerprint reader located on the shimmering side of the phone, and on the top you’ll find a headphone jack — a rarity on phones nowadays. Flip the phone around, and there’s an in-display suitable smack on the top-center of the display, which houses the selfie camera.
Just like the international version of Mi 11, the Redmi Note 10 Pro comes with a bunch of accessories counting a 33-watt wired charger, a USB-C adapter and one plastic case.
There’s a 3.5mm headphone pack on the upper left side of the Redmi Note 10 Pro.
Sareena Dayaram
The Redmi Note 10 Pro’s 4 rear cameras
Xiaomi drew attention to the device’s camera in its judge paraphernalia for the Redmi Note 10 lineup. For the 10 Pro at least, the resolution of the main shooter has been bumped up to a 108-megapixel wide-angle lens, grasped by three others: a 8-megapixel ultra-wide, 5-megapixel telemacro, 2-megapixel depth. Xiaomi says its “telemacro” lens lets you to get up to 2x closer than the income macro camera at a same distance.
During my hands-on time, the camera was able to seize crisp and vibrants photos, especially in environments with immense light. Images taken in dim environments were impressive too, considering this is a cost phone. Those images were enhanced by the use of nine-in-one pixel-binning technology, which means the information from nine pixels in the 108-megapixel sensor is used to make one pixel in the last photo. Samsung’s top-of-the-line Galaxy S21 Ultra relies on the same technology to enhance its photos.
Keep in mind, but, that it doesn’t have a telephoto camera, which by means of all zoom is digital as opposed to optical. As such, you can’t portray on this phone for capturing detailed images of faraway productions. In fact, pictures taken beyond 2.5x zoom already twitch to show signs of graininess. Here’s a look at the cameras in action.
The Redmi Note 10 Pro’s ultrawide lens has a 118-degree field of view.
Sareena Dayaram
Taken on default settings on a cloudy morning.
Sareena Dayaram
5x zoom example.
Sareena Dayaram
10x zoom example.
Sareena Dayaram
Taken humorous SuperMacro mode in a well-lit room.
Sareena Dayaram
Example of low-light image.
Battery and processor
The Redmi Note 10 Pro runs on Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 732G processor, which is a cut above the 730G chipset fake in Google’s Pixel 4A. Although it isn’t the newest or most cutting-edge chipset from Qualcomm’s contaminated — you’ll have to shell out for a Samsung Galaxy S21 or Xiaomi’s Mi 11 for that — it’s more than sufficient for my devises, letting me sail through everyday tasks without a hitch.
Battery life was solid too, lasting me nearby a day and half with what I’d describe as mild use. That by means of I made a few short phone calls, watched TikTok videos, wrote emails, read news, watched some more TikTok videos and took photographs.
Mi 11 Ultra hands-on: Xiaomi has truly outdone itself with this superphone
Are two screens better than one? Xiaomi hopes to despise so with the Mi 11 Ultra. Announced last month, it’s the Chinese company’s latest superphone and rounds out its new Mi 11 lineup. With the regular Mi 11, Xiaomi already gave us an suitable device, packing nearly everything we expect from an Android flagship in 2021. But Xiaomi has outdone itself with the Mi 11 Ultra. After a week with the Mi 11 Ultra, I can say Xiaomi has once against leveled up its flagship game by stacking a incredible array of features — it really left me stunned.
Xiaomi has tons of brag material here. The Mi 11 Ultra has the world’s largest camera sensor, the world’s widest ultrawide camera, one of the brightest screens nearby, it shoots 8K video on all three cameras, and of streams there’s that headline-making second screen on the rear.
But that additional display is really just icing on the cake. The Mi 11 Ultra holds its own deprived of it. There’s also a 6.5-inch OLED panel, Qualcomm’s fastest chip, the Snapdragon 888, a intelligent and punchy front display, and a loud set of stereo speakers co-developed by Harman Kardon. Xiaomi usually gets a small ding in our coverage for leaving out the IP including for water and dust resistance, but that’s no longer the case: the Mi 11 Ultra’s IP68 including means it’s waterproof.
One thing absent in the Mi 11 Ultra is a memory card slot for expandable storage, but this phone has 256GB of storage — at least the European version I was given did — so most won’t need the incredible storage, at least not for a while. Models are probable to vary depending on the country.
If I had to nitpick, the Mi 11 Ultra would lose points for not entirely living up to what Xiaomi says it can do, at least in my known. For instance, Xiaomi markets its second screen as an alternative always-on exhibit, but it can’t actually do that. In fact, the longest it can stay on is 30 seconds. Admittedly, when you’re using it as a viewfinder, you won’t run into this state. Also, despite the many fancy features Xiaomi can brag approximately, several of them are gratuitous — but maybe that’s OK, because isn’t that what a superphone is all about?
Either way, there’s no denying this is one of Xiaomi’s smartphone jewels, but you’ll have to import if you want in — there are no plans for a reduction stateside. You won’t have to buy a Chinese version, which doesn’t have Google, as the Mi 11 Ultra will initiate in Europe for 1,119 euros, which converts to $1435, £970 or AU$1,860. That’s almost exactly the same as the Galaxy S21 Ultra‘s starting imprint of 1,124 euros, which includes Europe’s 20% sales tax. The S21 Ultra starts at $1,125 for the 256GB version in the US, for comparison.
Mi 11 Ultra design: Business in leash, party in the back
The Mi 11 Ultra features the develop trappings of a standard Android flagship in 2021 — from the leash, at least. It has a hole-punch notch housing the leash selfie camera, a gently curved display and ports or buttons in their unnovel locales. Once you flip this behemoth of a handset over, you won’t miss the standout feature: a uphold display, living in a supersized camera bump that takes up roughly a quarter of the Mi 11 Ultra’s rear. It’s probably the biggest camera bump I’ve ever seen and eclipses the bulky bump seen on 2020’s Galaxy S20 Ultra.
The best use of the 1.1-inch AMOLED cloak is to display selfie previews, meaning you have the confidential of using the three higher-resolution cameras, usually reserved for queer photos, to help you nail selfies or group photos. But when the phone’s main screen is facing down, the uphold screen can display notification alerts from apps like WhatsApp, or show you what audio you’re listening to, or tell you the time. That said, the uphold display certainly contributes to the Mi 11 Ultra’s weight, which adds up to 234 grams (8.25 ounces), so it probably won’t be depressed to use one-handed for most people.
Meanwhile, the front display is the same as on the Mi 11. There’s a 6.81-inch AMOLED with a 120Hz refresh rate, however it’s brighter with a peak brightness of 1,700 nits. Unlike most flagships, which typically use glass shielding, the Mi 11 Ultra has a ceramic rear, which is derived to be more durable than glass. Corning’s tough Gorilla Glass Victus is on the leash.
Mi 11 Ultra’s rear display is the icing on the cake
Although phones sporting rear displays do existed (the Nubia Z20, for instance), it’s a rare feature that seems even more novel considering the Mi 11 Ultra isn’t foldable. Plus it’s the trustworthy time I’ve ever used one, so I’m definitely soaking it all in. Customizing the image or signature on the rear indicate added an extra layer of personalization, a cool mopish that made the phone feel even more my own.
At the same time, nonetheless, I can’t say I’m convinced the second screen will rep on. It has limitations in its current form. It’s tantalizing to see any detail when snapping selfies since you’re depending on a tiny indicate, but it does function as a rough guide. You can only take 15 seconds of video comic the selfie viewfinder, and portrait mode can’t be used at all. By the way, the selfie preview feature isn’t part of the default settings, and needs to be switched on from the Special Features menu in settings.
Mi 11 Ultra has the largest camera sensor on a smartphone colorful now
The party on the back of the Mi 11 Ultra corpses with the stellar camera module, composed of three rear sensors: a 50-megapixel main lens with a 1/1.12-inch sensor; a 48-megapixel ultrawide lens, with a 128-degree field of view; and a 48-megapixel telephoto lens. The 1/1.12-inch sensor on the main camera, Samsung’s GN2, is probably the largest ever on a smartphone. Bigger sensors can let more light enter, helping develop all-around better photos, especially at night. For context, the GN2 sensor is nearly 20% larger than the one on the S21 Ultra, and more than 18% bigger than the one in the iPhone 12 Pro Max.
Those aren’t just numbers: Taking vibrant and detailed photos was effortless. Zoom was impressive too. The Mi 11 Ultra has 120x zoom, which based on the specs at least, means it’s better than the 100x zoom of the Galaxy S21 Ultra, but I didn’t have a Galaxy device on hand to compare. Either way, pictures taken with 120x zoom were a jumble of pixels and entirely unusable. You can get away with crisp photos up pending 15x zoom, maybe 20x on a clear day, but at what time that it gets pretty blurry.
Auxiliary features not forgotten
The Mi 11 Ultra is a meticulously planned device, and it’s clear that Xiaomi paid attention to auxiliary features that don’t score attention on other devices. For instance, the flashlight’s distinguished rays beam bright and far thanks to its triple LED ftrips. Using the Mi 11 Ultra, I managed to make it ended an otherwise dark night with limited visibility. I’ve harped on at lengthways before about the Mi 11 lineups’ excellent stereo speakers, so if you want to read about the quality, take a look at my review of the Mi 11. The Mi 11 Ultra uses the same speaker rules, co-developed by Harman Kardon.
As has been the case with the rest of the Mi 11 lineup, Xiaomi includes accessories that main rivals Apple and Samsung have contained from their boxes. There’s a 67-watt charger, a plastic case and a USB-C substandard inside the Mi 11 Ultra’s black box.
Vivo's X60 Pro Plus has a Snapdragon 888 and a 55-watt charger in the box
Vivo's X60 Pro Plus has a Snapdragon 888 and a 55-watt charger in the box
Vivo is one of China's biggest phone brands, and now it's teaming up with German lensmaker Zeiss to level up its photography game. Those boosted cameras, plus a gorgeous display and impressive battery features, make Vivo's newest phones worthy of your attention.
Vivo unveiled its inaugural global flagship phones for this year, announcing the X60, X60 Pro, and the X60 Pro Plus, on Thursday. Positioning the X60 Pro Plus as a "professional photography flagship," Vivo is flexing its maiden collaboration with Zeiss, which co-engineered the device's image system. Although Vivo is relatively unknown in the West, the Chinese company is one of the world's top 10 phone manufacturers by market share -- and it's used by several Avengers too.
I spent a couple of days with the highest-end X60 Pro Plus, and can say it delivers on a premium Android experience complete with some extra bells and whistles you may not expect. There's a 6.56-inch AMOLED display, a speedy refresh rate (120Hz), the newest Qualcomm processor available (Snapdragon 888), fast charging (55-watt bundled charger) and a periscope-style telephoto camera seen on ultra-premium flagships such as Samsung's Galaxy S21 Ultra.
Apart from the Zeiss collaboration and the incremental upgrades, new to the series is the X60 Pro Plus' so-called extended RAM technology. Vivo claims 3GB of the phone's "idle" storage can be used as RAM to "achieve a +3GB RAM effect," promising to boost the device's performance.
Missing in the X60 Pro Plus are things like an IP rating for water resistance, which many phones of this class have, and expandable storage. That will be forgivable for most since the one variant of this phone has 256GB storage.
At the time of this writing, Vivo didn't share how much these phones will cost internationally, but we can look at the X60's pricing in its native China as a reference point (although prices tend to vary depending on country). The base X60 Pro starts at 4,498 yuan (converts to about $690, £500 or AU$910), and the X60 Pro Plus starts at 5,998 yuan (about $920, £670 or AU$1,210). Unfortunately, Vivo currently has no US rollout plans, but it shouldn't be too difficult to import. It's being released in more than 20 markets worldwide including the UK, India, the Middle East and Europe over the next few months.
The X60 Pro Plus has periscope lens bragging rights
The Vivo X60 Pro Plus has four rear cameras, consisting of a standard lens, ultra-wide lens, portrait lens, and a periscope-style telephoto lens (just like its predecessor). Huawei's P30 Pro was the first phone to include a Periscopic lens, which allows for insane long zooming, and it's since been picked up by Samsung on its Ultra phones. Apple is rumored to adopt the technology late next year. Compared to regular telephoto cameras that offer 2x or 3x optical zoom, periscope-style cameras can typically do 5x or even 10x optical zoom by using more than one lens along with the camera sensor. For its part, the X60 Pro Plus boasts 5x optical zoom, and 60x digital zoom.
Last year, I showed you how far you can zoom in with 60x zoom on the Vivo X50 Pro, so you can take a look at that to get a sense of this phone's digital zoom capabilities.
The X60 Pro Plus has a periscope-style telephoto camera capable of 10x optical zoom and 60x digital zoom.
Sareena Dayaram/CNET
Vivo X60 Pro Plus cameras in action
Whether I was attempting to snap the perfect portrait of my dog napping in our living room or action shots of Rocky running on a hiking trail, the five cameras on this phone, along with the many accompanying modes, made it easy to take wonderful and versatile shots. Night-time imaging was impressive too, with the X60 Pro Plus taking crisp, detailed photos. There is also night mode for video on the main camera.
Even when I took pictures facing bright, sunlit windows, the camera managed to capture punched-up images of the indoor surroundings. Below you can see what I'm talking about, especially when juxtaposed with iPhone 12 Pro Max photo, which took more true-to-life, albeit less saturated photos. Whatever you prefer is likely a matter of personal preference. I realize this might not be an apples-to-apples comparison (pun intended), but my hope is that it gives you an indication of where the X60 Pro Plus stands on the spectrum of phone cameras.
Taken with the Vivo X60 Pro Plus. The furniture looks more saturated here than in the image below taken with the iPhone 12 Pro Max below.
The X60 Pro Plus features a design similar to a number of high-end Android phones we've seen in recent years. On the front is a curved display with a centrally located punch-hole notch, and on the back there's a "vegan" leather rear that reminds me of last year's Oppo's Find X2 Pro.There's a camera bump on the back and a blue Zeiss label emblazoned on its right side. I realize Vivo wants to flex its partnership with the 175-year-old German lensmaker, but I think it could have achieved a similar result with more subtle labelling.
Speaking of the display, the X60 Pro Plus relied on a high-res AMOLED display (made by Samsung). It has a speedy refresh rate of 120Hz, but you can dial it back to 60Hz if you want to save on battery life. Most phones have refresh rates of 60Hz, which means the screen refreshes 60 times in a second. 120Hz displays can look a lot smoother when scrolling through webpages.
Vivo
Vivo X60 Pro Plus has 55-watt bundled charger
The X60 Pro Plus astounded me with its blazing-fast charging speeds. In fact, this was probably one of my favorite features because you only need 20 minutes for your phone to get enough charge to last you between a half or full day. Within 20-25 minutes, the 55-watt in-box charger juiced up the phone from 0% to around 70%, and within 45 minutes the 4,200-mAh battery was fully revitalized.
The X60 Pro Plus runs on the Snapdragon 888, Qualcomm's latest processor found in a number of Android flagships including Samsung's Galaxy S21 Ultra and Xiaomi's Mi 11. This chipset is backed by 12GB RAM and 256 GB of storage. Vivo claims 3GB of the phone's storage can be used as RAM, giving you that extra dose of power when multiple apps are running in the background. Vivo claims its new memory management relies on algorithms to lets 3GB of idle storage to "assume the function" of RAM, resulting a boost in memory usage efficiency by 37%. You probably won't notice a difference at first, but in theory it should mean better performance when your phone is loaded with apps.
Vivo X60 Pro Plus vs. X60 Pro
Vivo X60 Pro Plus
Vivo X60 Pro
Display size, resolution
6.56-inch AMOLED "flexible screen", FHD+ (1080 x 2400 pixels)
6.56-inch AMOLED "flexible screen", FHD+ (1080 x 2400 pixels)
Midnight black: 158.58x73.24x7.59 mm and shimmer blue: 158.58x73.24x7.69 mm
Weight (Ounces, Grams)
191 grams
177 grams for midnight black, 179 grams for shimmer blue
Mobile software
Android 11
Android 11
Video capture
4K
4K
Processor
Snapdragon 888
Snapdragon 870
Storage
256GB
256GB
RAM
12GB
12GB
Expandable storage
No
No
Battery
4,200 mAh
4,200 mAh
Special features
55-watt fast charging (in box charger), 120Hz, 60x hybrid zoom, 5x optical zoom, dual SIM
33-watt fast charging (in box charger), dual SIM, 120 Hz screen
Price off-contract (USD)
N/A
N/A
Price (GBP)
N/A
N/A
Price (AUD)
N/A
N/A
§
Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo says in a research note that iPhones will likely get a periscope-style telephoto camera lens in 2022 if lens suppliers Semco and Sunny Optical join the Apple supply chain this year, according to reports from MacRumors and 9-to-5 Mac. This means that a much better camera could be coming to iPhones, with lenses similar to those used in some Huaweiphones today.
The design differences would likely be minimal, since periscope-style telephoto lenses don't extend out from the body of a phone, but rather within it, according to the reports. Apple previously adopted 2x telephoto lenses in its 2016 iPhone 7 Plus, but a shift to periscope-style lenses could bring that zoom power up to 5x or more. The improved range and depth of the lens would bring its cameras into competition with the Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra and Huawei P40 Pro Plus, both of which have cameras with up to 10x zoom.
Kuo said he believes the new lenses will be featured in the iPhone 12 in 2022.
Apple didn't immediately respond to CNET's request for comment.
