1/7
With the Mi 11 Lite, Xiaomi is entering a brand-new market segment – the lifestyle segment – one that has been long dominated by counterparts like Oppo and Vivo and, on a much bigger level, Apple (to be clear, we are not making this comparison, the Mi 11 Lite was compared with the “controversial” iPhone 12 Mini during launch). Xiaomi is going so far as to call the Mi 11 Lite a piece of art but more than anything, it is touting its engineering prowess. Unlike a lot of other slim and light phones, the Mi 11 Lite does not compromise on specs and features, it says. Or does it. Here is a quick look at the Mi 11 Lite and how it compares with its own “benchmark setting” sibling, the Redmi Note 10 Pro and of course, the very similarly priced OnePlus Nord CE 5G. (Photo credit: Xiaomi)
2/7
The biggest USP of the Mi 11 Lite is its design. It is completely flat. It is razor sharp. It is remarkable. It is one of its kind. To achieve this sort of thing, Xiaomi had to make a lot of internal changes. Right from opting for a “flat flexible OLED” to redesigning the PCBA, capacitors and battery, to using magnesium alloy in the midframe, the Mi 11 Lite screams “thoughtful” engineering. But that’s not to say that it hasn’t come without a cost (but more on that later). Xiaomi is offering the Mi 11 Lite in matte and glossy options much like a lot of its other phones these days, including the Redmi Note 10 Pro. It is using some sort of “glass” on the back though it does not mention what kind (this was after Finanacial Express Online reached out to Xiaomi for clarity). On the front, it uses Corning Gorilla Glass 5. The Redmi Note 10 Pro, though it is not as slim or light (8.1mm, 192g), uses the same build materials, of course minus all the internal tinkering. Both phones are IP53-certified for dust and splash resistance. The OnePlus Nord CE 5G in comparison looks like it doesn’t even belong in the same league. At 7.9mm and 170g, it is a little closer to the Mi 11 Lite in dimensions though. (Photo credit: Xiaomi)
3/7
Display is another area where Xiaomi is undercutting a lot of the competition. The Mi 11 Lite has a 6.55-inch AMOLED display with a 1080p resolution and 90Hz refresh rate (240Hz touch sampling). The big highlight here is the support for 10-bit colour which means the Mi 11 Lite can theoretically show more colours (up to 1.07 billion to be precise) than any other smartphone around it price range. Xiaomi in fact claims the experience would be akin to the Mi 11 Ultra. The Mi 11 Lite can also play HDR10 content. The Redmi Note 10 Pro has a slightly bigger 6.67-inch AMOLED display with a 1080p resolution and “faster” 120Hz refresh rate. It is not 10 bit but it can get brighter – at least in theory – at up to 1200nits while the Mi 11 Lite can only peak 800nits. Now this won’t be a problem for when you’re inside, but Xiaomi software is known to aggressively tone down brightness levels (dimming the screen) the moment temperature goes high, which is where, higher numbers always translate to better experience. It would be interesting to see how the Mi 11 Lite counters this shortcoming. As for the OnePlus Nord CE 5G, once again, this phone with a 6.43-inch 1080p 90Hz “fluid” AMOLED display, feels out of place in the list. It does not have any screen protection either. (Photo credit: Xiaomi)
The Mi 11 Lite uses the same core hardware as the Redmi Note 10 Pro. It is based on the same Qualcomm Snapdragon 732G system-on-chip and comes in two configurations: 6GB/128GB and 8GB/128GB. The Redmi Note 10 Pro is available in three configurations: 6GB/64GB, 6GB/128GB and 8GB/128GB. Xiaomi is using UFS2.2 storage in both the phones. Both phones support storage expansion though only the Redmi Note 10 Pro has a dedicated slot. The OnePlus Nord CE 5G uses a more powerful Qualcomm Snapdragon 750G SoC which, among other things, also makes it 5G-ready (though its useability as and when 5G becomes available is subject to debate since it supports only one 5G band in India). It comes in three configurations: 6GB/128GB, 8GB/128GB, and 12GB/256GB. OnePlus is using slower UFS2.1 storage and expansion isn’t an option. The Redmi Note 10 Pro has the biggest battery in the list – 5020mAh – while the OnePlus Nord 5G comes second with a 4500mAh battery. The Mi 11 Lite has a smaller 4250mAh battery. Both Mi 11 Lite and Redmi Note 10 Pro support 33W fast charging while the OnePlus Nord 5G tops out at 30W fast charging. (Photo credit: Xiaomi) 
4/7
The Mi 11 Lite and Redmi Note 10 Pro have virtually the same cameras. In fact, the Redmi Note 10 Pro has an additional 2MP depth camera, and while it’s still a spec-filler, it could come handy. Xiaomi is using the same 64MP Samsung GW3 sensor in both the phones with the Mi 11 Lite having a slightly wider f/1.8 aperture lens (f/1.9 in the Redmi Note 10 Pro). Both phones have the same 8MP ultra-wide angle with the Mi 11 Lite having a very slight advantage in terms of field of view (119-degree compared to 118-degree in Redmi Note 10 Pro). Both phones also have the same 5MP macro camera with autofocus lens. On the front, both phones have the same 16MP f/2.5 camera. The OnePlus Nord CE 5G’s primary and secondary cameras are same as the Mi 11 Lite. This is paired with a third 2MP depth camera. The front camera in the OnePlus Nord CE 5G is also same as the one in the Mi 11 Lite (and Redmi Note 10 Pro). (Photo credit: Xiaomi)
5/7
While it’s remarkable how Xiaomi has managed to fit in so much tech inside the Mi 11 Lite despite its slim and light profile, the software, and by extension the user experience on this phone is perhaps its weakest link. While it may not show you ads like the Redmi Note 10 Pro, it is surprising that a supposedly more premium phone like this is launching with MIUI 12 out-of-the-box. MIUI 12.5 is coming soon, much like how it is for most of its phones in India. There is no clarity. No word. The Redmi Note 10 Pro is one of the very few phones in India to have received MIUI 12.5 which lets you, in addition to speeding up the performance, remove duplicate and unwanted apps, read bloatware that all Xiaomi phones are infamous for. Though, to be clear, this is true for a lot of phones these days. For a phone like the Mi 11 Lite that’s being marketed as a lifestyle product, the software mess and the lack of clarity on updates does not paint a pretty picture. Form is fine, but without function, it’s all just fluff. Speaking of experience, not only does the Mi 11 Lite lack a headphone jack, it is also missing out on dedicated haptics. It has dual speakers with Hi-Res support though. The Redmi Note 10 Pro has dual speakers, headphone jack, and Z-axis haptics. OnePlus’s main selling point remains its clean, unadulterated OxygenOS software though, truth be told, it is also showing signs of ageing. It has a mono speaker and no headphone jack. (Photo credit: Xiaomi)
6/7
Coming to pricing, this is one area where Xiaomi has delivered. Expectedly. The Mi 11 Lite starts at a mouth-watering price of Rs 21,999 for a version with 6GB RAM and 128GB storage while a version with 8GB RAM and 128GB storage will set you back by Rs 23,999. But the Redmi Note 10 Pro already does a lot of what the Mi 11 Lite is trying to do (in some areas, it is also better) at a much lower price of just Rs 15,999 (6GB/64GB) while a model with 8GB RAM and 128GB storage will set you back by Rs 18,999. And it does all this inside a good-looking package that may not be as slim or light, but is no less than a style statement either. The OnePlus Nord CE 5G starts at Rs 22,999 for a model with 6GB RAM and 128GB storage. (Photo credit: Xiaomi)