Hardly any question arrived in our inbox more often last year than the question about a global version of the Mi 10 Ultra. The fact that we had to do without it is finally paying off now. Xiaomi today unveiled the Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra, a smartphone full of superlatives. And yes, it is also coming to us!
The 1st Xiaomi smartphone with IP rating
You may still remember the early leaks of the Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra that surfaced on a Vietnamese YouTube channel. The preliminary information is now coming true. Finally, the Mi 11 Ultra is available in two colors: Black and white, similar to the Xiaomi Mi 10 Ultra, which we tested in detail. However, the back is made of ceramic like the Xiaomi Mi Mix 2S back then, which means that the phone weighs 234 g and is 8.38 mm thick. The Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra is Xiaomi’s first smartphone with an IP68 rating, so it is protected against water!
On the back is a huge camera module, which reminds us of the POCO M3 in terms of its basic design. It not only houses three cameras, but also a 1.1-inch AMOLED display with a resolution of 126 x 294 pixels. It offers a brightness of up to 450 nits and serves as an always-on display for notifications. Alternatively, it can also be used as a viewfinder for selfies with the main camera.
The front consists of a 6.81″ curved AMOLED display with 3200 x 1440 p resolution, 120 Hz refresh rate and 480 Hz touch sampling rate. Xiaomi relies on AdaptiveSync technology, so the refresh rate can also be adjusted to up to 30 Hz if necessary. In addition, it offers over a billion colors thanks to 10-bit, a strong contrast ratio, and HDR10+ support as well. Thus, it could be the same panel as in the Xiaomi Mi 11. Finally, the punch-hole camera is also in the upper left corner and the panel is protected by Gorilla Glass Victus.
Charges wirelessly in 36 minutes!
Inside, it is also very similar to the regular Xiaomi Mi 11. The Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 processor acts as the heart and is loaded with 12 GB of LPDDR5 RAM as well as 256 GB of UFS 3.1 storage. The Adreno 660 GPU is used for graphical applications, and the Snapdragon X60 5G modem is on board for 5G. The performance should therefore be on an absolute top level! This is not least due to the MIUI 12 operating system based on Android 11.
The predecessor, the Xiaomi Mi 10 Ultra, set a new record in terms of charging speed with 120W charging, which the Mi 11 Ultra unfortunately cannot keep up. After all, the Mi 11 Ultra can “only” be charged with a modest 67W, while the Black Shark 4 currently represents it with 120W. However, the new Ultra can be charged wirelessly with 67W! That is the fastest Qi charging on the market at the moment and charges the Ultra smartphone completely in 36 minutes. If you like, you can also charge other devices 10W wirelessly.
Wired charging is done via the USB-C port on the bottom. The dual-SIM slot is also found there, which does not offer room for a memory expansion. All frequency bands are available for 5G, and there is also Bluetooth 5.2, Wi-Fi 6(E), an infrared blaster and NFC. Furthermore, the Mi 11 Ultra is equipped with a Harman Kardon stereo speaker, just like the Mi 11.
Finally a new camera sensor
Things get exciting when it comes to the camera! Interestingly, Xiaomi is parting with Samsung’s 108-megapixel sensor just for the Ultra smartphone, which is the best they can currently offer. Instead, they opt for the brand new Samsung ISOCELL GN2 sensor with 50 megapixel resolution, 1/1.12″ sensor size and ƒ/1.95 aperture. Thanks to new Dual Pixel Pro technology, the autofocus is supposed to be much better and faster, there is optical image stabilization, dToF laser focus and 8K video recording. We are very curious, especially since the predecessor was hardly used in smartphones and Xiaomi promises professional DSLR quality here.
In addition, there is a 48-megapixel ultra-wide-angle camera with a ƒ/2.2 aperture and 128° shooting angle, which not only supports macro shots, but also 8K video recordings and night mode. Unfortunately, we do not know which sensor it is yet, but we hope for the Sony IMX766 from the OnePlus 9 Pro. In addition, the Xiaomi phone is equipped with a 48 MP periscope telephoto camera that offers 5x optical zoom and 120x digital zoom. This is optically stabilized, but it is likely the same camera as in the Mi 10 Ultra. On the front, there is a 20 MP selfie camera.
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Assessment
Wow! This is what we have all been waiting for. Finally, Xiaomi shows what it is really capable of internationally. For enthusiasts, the spec sheet reads like the bible. The Ultra smartphone wants to take on the S21 Ultra and can even leave it behind in some disciplines. 67W Qi charging? Sure. A completely new camera sensor? Why not! A second display on the back? Nothing could be easier. Just so you’re the first to hear it here, the Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra could be the smartphone of the year.
However, it also comes at a steep price.
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