Xiaomi 11T & Xiaomi 11T Pro with 120W charging unveiled

Looks more like a Redmi

Everyone can be forgiven for getting confused about the various Xiaomi smartphones. However, the 11T (Pro) and the Mi 11 can be distinguished at first glance. Like in the predecessor, the front-facing camera is once again in the center at the upper edge of the screen; Xiaomi almost only places it on the upper left of the top smartphones. With a screen diagonal of 6.67 inches and the resulting length of 164.1 mm, it is also minimally shorter.

Not only that, in contrast to the flagship, Xiaomi relies on a flat screen design in the 11T and 11 T Pro. However, it also relies on a lateral fingerprint sensor, which works quickly and reliably in the test.

Xiaomi does not put quite as much emphasis on the design here: With lateral edges of 4 mm and a chin of 5 mm width, it is more reminiscent of cheaper devices from the Redmi lineup, such as the Redmi Note 10 Pro. The dimensions are actually almost identical, which is why it could be that Xiaomi even partially recycles here. The sides of the bezel are nice and slim, even flat at the top, but rounded at the bottom so that it cannot stand up.

The camera bump says goodbye to the pyramid-like arrangement of the predecessor. Instead, the linear arrangement of the triple camera is also more similar to the Redmi models. That is not surprising, since the Mi 9T Pro was based on the Chinese Redmi K20 Pro. During the product launch, it was explained that the camera layout is supposed to be reminiscent of old movie cameras, with two larger “film rolls/cameras” on the left and right or top and bottom, and a smaller round element in between. That’s why there’s also a red dot on the back, which is supposed to symbolize the “record” sign. Well.

The Xiaomi 11T and 11T Pro are available in the same three colors: Meterorite Gray, Moonlight White and Celestial Blue. Our test device in gray has the look of brushed steel, but unfortunately this texture is not noticeable. The Celestial Blue looks like a cheap Huawei mid-range in my opinion, which is why I would personally go for the white model. Her?

How is the Xiaomi 11T Pro built?

It has been a long time since we could find fault with the build quality of a Xiaomi smartphone. As boring as it is, the Xiaomi 11T Pro and also the 11T are no exception. The gaps are pleasantly thin and the thin metal casing frame on the sides as well as the rounded back visually slim down the device. Unfortunately, it is not a unibody, but the composition of the glass sandwich gives a robust impression, but you have to live with a weight of 204 grams in your pocket.

During the product launch, Xiaomi promised that the 11T Pro is not susceptible to fingerprints on the back, which we unfortunately cannot confirm. Instead, the front is upgraded with Gorilla Glass Victus, which was previously only available for the top models like the Mi 11 or Mi 11 Ultra. The glass is supposed to be one of the most scratch-resistant on the market with Apple’s Ceramic Shield. Another plus: The camera on the back protrudes surprisingly little! It still does not pass the shake test, but it is by far not as “outstanding” as in the Mi 11 Ultra.

Nevertheless, we still want to nag Xiaomi about the missing IP68 rating. As the second-largest smartphone brand in the world, such standards must slowly become the order of the day, especially since Samsung and Apple have been offering this for years and we are talking about one of the top devices in the Xiaomi lineup. Unfortunately, you cannot send the Xiaomi 11T and Xiaomi 11T Pro for a swim!

Xiaomi’s most accurate display

The screen is one of the most serious upgrades from the predecessor. The Xiaomi Mi 10T Pro made headlines with a 144 Hz refresh rate, but it was an LCD. Now, the Xiaomi 11T and 11T Pro are also equipped with an AMOLED display with a Full HD+ resolution of 2400 x 1080p. The refresh rate is “only” 120 Hz, but the difference to 144 Hz is hardly noticeable.

You do get a similar panel in cheaper Xiaomi phones like the Redmi Note 10 Pro, but the one in the 11T lineup gets up to 1000 nits of brightness, supports 10bit color depth with a billion colors, and has a 480 Hz touch sampling rate. Not to mention, it supports HDR 10+ and is protected by Gorilla Glass Victus. In fact, Xiaomi boasted about the screen in the launch, as it received an “A+” grade from DisplayMate and is said to be accurately calibrated with TrueColor.

According to the spec sheet, the Mi 11’s display is even brighter than the 11T Pro’s with 900 nits on average and a maximum of 1,500 nits. However, I could not determine a significant difference between the two screens in a direct comparison. The Mi 11 is sharper thanks to the WQHD+ resolution, but otherwise, there is little difference in terms of color fidelity, viewing angle stability, and brightness.

If you buy the Xiaomi 11T Pro or 11T, make sure to enable the 120 Hz refresh rate after setup. The higher refresh rate makes every input and animation smoother and improves the handling with speed. In combination with the strong AMOLED contrast, you get a really good and sufficiently sharp display in both 11T smartphones. Nevertheless, Xiaomi should integrate the refresh rate setting into the setup process.

Display settings

Besides the refresh rate, Xiaomi’s MIUI operating system allows a Dark Mode, an Anti-Flicker Mode, Reading Mode, AI Image Engine and color scheme customization. Besides Temperature and Adaptive Colors, there are also Advanced Settings for the color space, where you can adjust the color scheme very individually and remove individual colors completely. I don’t need it and get along well with the default settings, but if you want to customize it yourself, you won’t get as much room for individualization anywhere else.

An always-on display is also part of the program thanks to the AMOLED panel, and yes, it can also be set longer than 10 minutes, which was a bug of the Xiaomi Mi 11 Lite 5G. You also get almost 30 presets and different patterns, each of which you can still customize in color and text – very nice! If you do not like any of the presets, you can simply use your own picture.

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The old game: Qualcomm vs MediaTek

The third generation of the T-series also differentiates between the normal and Pro version, but the main difference is the processor in this generation. Interestingly, the Xiaomi 11T Pro uses Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 888 processor, which also powers the Xiaomi Mi 11. The 5nm octa-core processor with a 2.84 GHz high-power core is currently one of the strongest CPUs, but it already has a successor in the form of the Snapdragon 888+, which is found in the Xiaomi Mix 4, for example.

In contrast, the normal 11T uses the MediaTek Dimensity 1200 processor, which was manufactured in a 6 nm process and even boasts a clock rate of 3 GHz. We know this high-end processor from the OnePlus NORD 2, where it surprised us very positively.

The Xiaomi 11T comes with either 128 or 256 GB of UFS 3.1 mass storage, and the working memory is 8 GB in both cases. The Pro version has the same configurations, but it is also available with 12 GB LPDDR5 RAM and 256 GB mass storage, but not officially in Germany. The storage is not expandable.

Xiaomi 11T Pro with SD 888: Performance

After some flagship smartphones with this processor and a snappy 120 Hz screen, the speed of such a top phone almost seems normal. De facto, the performance is simply very straightforward thanks to these components and fast LPDDR5 working memory. Apps open in an instant, the boot process takes a few seconds and you almost never really have to wait. Sure, there is already the theoretically better Plus variant of the CPU, but it is still hardly faster. No matter if gaming, everyday use or more demanding tasks like image editing.

Xiaomi 11T with Dimensity 1200: Performance

Besides the processor, the working memory is also a small but subtle difference. Instead of LPDDR5, there is LPDDR4X RAM, which is usually found in mid-range devices. Since the capacity is the same, differences are only noticeable in higher RAM utilization. However, the performance is generally on such a similar level that I did not know which smartphone I was holding in my hands for a while. In the direct speed test comparison, the apps actually open equally fast on both devices.

Same camera setup

For this, you do not have to make any concessions in the camera, where the main difference was last year. Like in the Xiaomi Mi 10T Pro, the 11T and 11T Pro now feature a 108 MP sensor from Samsung with a ƒ/1.75 aperture. It is probably the Samsung S5KHM2 sensor, which is the successor of the ISOCELL HMX that is used in the predecessor and the Xiaomi Mi 11. However, the aperture of ƒ/1.75 is not quite as open as in the Mi 10T Pro with ƒ/1.69. Pixel binning is used so that nine pixels are always combined into one, resulting in 12 MP photos in normal mode. In contrast to the predecessor, optical image stabilization is also missing; the 11T Pro only works with electronic image stabilization.

Xiaomi combines this with an 8 MP ultra-wide-angle camera with a 120° shooting angle, whereas the predecessor and the Mi 11 have a 13 MP sensor. However, it is now made by Sony and not Omnivision. The triple camera setup is rounded off by the 5 MP telephoto macro camera with a close-up distance of 3 cm, which we have known since the POCO F2 Pro. The selfie camera has a resolution of 16 MP and comes from Omnivision, whereas the internal competition even offers a 20 MP Samsung sensor.

Main camera

Theoretically, the main camera has partly deteriorated compared to the predecessor. Can you see that? No. In the meantime, Xiaomi has managed to deal with the then much criticized 108 MP sensor and also gets good results out of the Xiaomi 11T Pro and Xiaomi 11T. Of course, this is especially true in good lighting conditions; a bright blue sky makes for a vivid photo with rich colors. Thus, there is also plenty of room for details, which are possible thanks to the large sensor. Landscape photos look really nice on Xiaomi, but detail shots like those of the sneakers are also fun. This is because the 108 MP sensor is above average sharp in its focus range.

Xiaomi often had problems in the past when there was less light in the sensor or you had to work with artificial light. This is hardly the case with the 11T Pro, and I also like the skin tones better and they are not as unnatural. It depends somewhat on the autofocus, which usually reacts well, but has its problems with faster movements. The large sensor achieves a strong bokeh, which can be desired or simply too much depending on the situation.

Since both phones have the same sensor, the photos are usually almost identical. I could not see a significant difference here, but the MediaTek processor seems to display the colors a bit differently very rarely. In a photo of the Mitu Bee, the brown is strangely light brown and not dark brown like on the 11T Pro with the Qualcomm processor, as it really should be.

Due to the closed aperture and the lack of optical image stabilization, you theoretically have disadvantages in low-light photography. The differences are not serious, especially if you only occasionally take a picture at night. However, if you have low-light photography as a hobby, you should better go for the Mi 10T Pro or Mi 11.

Cinemagic

In the presentation, Xiaomi made it a point to spend just under 20 minutes (or longer?) talking about the professional movie capabilities of the Xiaomi 11T Pro. The keynote ran under the motto “Cinemagic”, which is why it also took place in the KOSMOS Berlin cinema. However, this did not refer to the hardware, but rather to the software. For example, movie effects like the Hitchcock zoom or audio zoom were presented. However, none of this was new in any way. We have already tested the movie effects in detail with the Mi 11 and the audio zoom is even available in the POCO F3. Unfortunately, it was not innovative – except for the red dot.

Ultra-wide-angle camera

We will probably have to wait until Xiaomi gets around to equipping its global top phones with better secondary sensors. With 8 megapixels, the UWW camera’s resolution is lower than that of the 10T Pro and Mi 11, which is also noticeable in the detail of the photos. This is generally a problem of ultra-wide-angle photos, but the photos are still a bit grainier when zoomed in. In return, the color matching is on a high level this time. The color profile of the photos is almost identical to the main camera at first glance – nice!

Telemacro camera

The telemacro camera is the slightly better standard macro camera, which has not changed compared to the predecessor and Mi 11. A better autofocus or stabilization would be nice, but you can take usable macro photos with a bit of practice. Since the closest focusing distance is 3 cm, you can get close enough to the objects and even zoom in. However, you also notice that the quality is only 5 megapixels. OnePlus and Oppo, as well as Apple with the iPhone 13 Pro, are simply stronger here!

Selfie camera

For me, Xiaomi is one of the best when it comes to the front-facing camera – except for the Mix 4 with the selfie cam under the display. Despite the weaker sensor, the photos with the front-facing camera are good, which is once again mainly due to the color profile. However, it is noticeable that the photos are generally a bit grainier and the focus is not 100% in every photo. Nevertheless, it is more than good for the occasional selfie.

Charging with 120W: Xiaomi 11T Pro charges in just 17 minutes?

The second big difference between the two versions is the charging power. The Xiaomi 11T Pro is the first globally available smartphone with strong 120W charging! A corresponding charger is even included, of course with an EU plug and in combination with a matching USB-A to USB-C cable with support for 6A amperage. Speaking of USB-A: It is still a mystery to me how and why Xiaomi relies on USB-A and not on USB-C to USB-C. Unfortunately, there is no wireless charging, which is not available on the Mi 11.

We already know 120W charging from the Xiaomi Mix 4, but the technology has only been released in China so far. According to Xiaomi, the 5,000 mAh battery charges in 17 minutes. However, we cannot quite confirm that! According to our test, it was relatively exactly 23 minutes, which does not surprise us compared to the Mix 4 with a 4,500 mAh battery. A Boost mode has to be activated for more speed, which is missing in the Xiaomi 11T Pro. Of course, Xiaomi itself limits that the 17 minutes are only achieved in the ideal scenario in the test lab, but the honest 23 minutes would also be impressive enough.

The charging animation even shows the two decimal places – very cool! Xiaomi relies on two battery cells with graphene for this to work and also integrates the specially developed Mi-FC technology, which can hold a high current for a longer time. A total of 34 safety features have been implemented and the charging system has been certified by TÜV Rheinland. Especially the longevity is a contra argument against such fast charging. However, Xiaomi advertises 800 charging cycles before the battery capacity decreases by 20%.

How long does the battery of the Xiaomi 11T Pro last?

Of course, we cannot yet test whether the 800 charging cycles are reached in the short time. However, the battery manages a typical Xiaomi runtime of about 12 hours in the benchmark at full capacity. I am particularly surprised by the low consumption in standby. Xiaomi’s partly aggressive memory management comes into play here, but also the energy-efficient hardware like the OLED panel and the chip. I can get by for a day and a half in most scenarios when using it for WhatsApp, Instagram, TikTok, Spotify, YouTube, and an occasional more intensive application like InShot or a game. Two days should also be possible with less use.

However, the fast charging simply changes the charging behavior. For example, if you just get home from work and have to move on immediately, you can simply plug the phone into the socket for 10 minutes while you freshen up or change clothes and get almost 50% battery in that time.

Xiaomi 11T with 67W charging

In this regard, you have to make a compromise with the Xiaomi 11T, which “only” offers 67W of charging power with the included charger. In a direct comparison, this seems lame, but it is still faster than the Xiaomi Mi 11, just as fast as the Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra and significantly faster than the competition from Apple, Samsung and Google. With the 67W charger, the Xiaomi 11T charges completely in pretty much 35 minutes, and you already get more than 50% battery charge in fifteen minutes. This performance and speed should also fundamentally change your charging behavior.

The battery life is also good despite the different chip from MediaTek. The 11T achieves a benchmark value of almost 11 hours with the 5,000 mAh battery. Thus, the 11T and the 11T Pro do not differ much in terms of runtime.

The connectivity package

There is a USB-C port on the bottom, but a jack and a micro-SD slot are not available. Only two nano-SIM cards fit in the two slots of the dual-SIM slot, both of which are 5G-capable since all important frequency bands are on board. These include n1, n28, n77 and n78 in both versions, but LTE is also on board. Since there is no China version of the device, LTE band 20 is included in every version and does not have to be considered particularly when buying. We did not have any problems with the reception in Leverkusen as well as in Düsseldorf and even 4G+ is sufficient to stream YouTube videos with 2160p at 60fps directly.

WiFi 6 also provides local Internet access in both cases. Bluetooth 5.2 and dual GPS, Galileo, GLONASS, Beidou and QZSS are also available. NFC for contactless payment is also included. Google Pay is already preinstalled. Otherwise, a linear vibration motor is also integrated, which we like in both devices since it works precisely in the 11T and 11T Pro. The cheaper 11T is even slightly ahead in a direct comparison since the motor is even slightly stronger, but the difference is only marginal and only noticeable in a direct comparison. Otherwise, there are the typical sensors like gyroscope, compass, IR blaster, barometer, ambient light sensor and accelerometer.

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A proximity sensor is also integrated as usual. Since there were problems with it in the Redmi Note 10 Pro and POCO F3, which we unfortunately could not reproduce here in the test, we took a closer look. However, we could not detect any irregularities during calls or voice messages here, either. If you listen to a voice message or make a call, you can hold the phone to your ear, which deactivates the display and the speaker on the top works as it should. If you have any other observations in this regard, let us know in the comments.

Pro version even with harman kardon speakers

Another difference is the speakers. Although the cheaper 11T also has stereo speakers, only the Pro version gets the “Sound by Harman Kardon” branding like the Mi 11 and Mi 11 Ultra. In theory, this allows slight adjustments in the software; at least on the Xiaomi Mi 11, you can turn this “Pro Sound” on and off. However, the sound presets are identical on both devices and, strangely enough, the Xiaomi 11T Pro with harman kardon speakers does not have this setting in MIUI. It is quite possible that this will be added later. However, both phones support Dolby Atmos.

But the speakers are no reason to access the Pro version, after all, both devices are hardly distinguishable in a direct comparison. The sound is balanced, with minimal room for low frequencies and a good volume. Xiaomi benefits from the fact that the speaker is not located in the ear cup, but in the upper side of the casing’s frame. You can even really listen to music with the Xiaomi 11T and 11T Pro, and the pair of speakers is also good for YouTube videos or a movie on Netflix.

MIUI now with 3 Android updates

Like every Xiaomi smartphone, the Xiaomi 11T and Xiaomi 11T Pro are also equipped with MIUI 12.5. This is Xiaomi’s in-house operating system based on Android 11, and all Google services and the Play Store are included. The operating system is based on Android 11 and is completely in German. Only the security patch is still from July. However, an update should be available soon after the official launch.

The prize for the most bloatware in a Xiaomi smartphone ever goes to the Mi 11T Pro. It is not unusual that some third-party apps are preinstalled. Xiaomi adds a bit more software than usual especially in the cheaper models, but the 11T lineup takes the crown! Besides the usual Facebook or Netflix apps, Amazon & Amazon Music, Trip.com, TikTok as well as seven games and the Mi apps are now preloaded. That already borders on Samsung’s OneUI software package! Is that really necessary for a smartphone costing 650 Euros?

Apart from that, MIUI is equipped with some of its own services, such as Mi Cloud or Mi Mover, which are partly already visible during the setup. Since Xiaomi does not install any special feature here except for 120W, MIUI does not offer any additional settings, especially since the option for harman kardon is even missing.

What is new, however, is the promise that Xiaomi has already made in the run-up. Xiaomi promises three Android updates and four years of security updates for the 11T series – very nice! Thus, both devices should last several years thanks to hardware and software, if Xiaomi can keep its promise.

Conclusion: Buy the Xiaomi 11T or the Xiaomi 11T Pro?

It is still a bit difficult to clearly define what Xiaomi’s T series stands for. It is not considered the successor of the normal Mi series, but lacks wireless charging, a higher-resolution display and the “fancier” design. According to Xiaomi itself, the T series stands for a flagship camera and leading technology. “Flagship camera” is a given by Xiaomi standards, but they are still not on a level with Apple or Google. Leading technology is given with 120W charging, as the Xiaomi 11T Pro is the first global smartphone with 120W charging and charges completely in 23 minutes! That is slower than Xiaomi advertises, but still very fast.

However, that’s it for “innovation” and novelties; in fact, the Xiaomi 11T Pro looks like the flagship from Redmi, not from Xiaomi. It is basically a Redmi Note 10 Pro with Snapdragon 888 and 120W charging. The closeness to the Redmi series is noticed in the design, the fingerprint sensor on the side, the large battery, but also the good price-performance ratio. That is what you can say about the Xiaomi 11T Pro, because it does not really do anything wrong. Sharp 120 Hz OLED, 120W charging, strong performance, good camera, the most important connections, well-rounded operating system and stereo speakers.

The Xiaomi 11T Pro is simply a good smartphone, but it is also boring. Everything that was advertised during the keynote is already known from other smartphones, strictly speaking even the 120W charging. The 11T Pro just brings everything together. And if 67W charging instead of 120W is enough for you, you can just go for the Xiaomi 11T in my opinion, the performance is almost completely on the same level. Qualcomm, 120W charging and harman kardon are more prestige features than they have a strong impact on usage. As a Redmi flagship, the Xiaomi 11T (Pro) would have made more sense in my opinion.