A lighter and smaller version of the flagship is traditionally marked with the word Lite. However, this year Xiaomi introduced three versions of the Lite models. Specifically, these are Xiaomi 11 Lite, Xiaomi 11 Lite 5G and Xiaomi 11 Lite 5G. We are currently testing the latest version and bringing you our observations.
In a detailed review, we will traditionally look at the performance of the smartphone, the quality of workmanship, cameras and endurance. We will not miss our personal experience and a summary of the pros and cons of this model.
Where to buy Xiaomi 11 Lite 5G NE?
We bought a smartphone from an international retailer Edwaybuy. There is from a German warehouse for the currently best price on the market. The seller for smartphones gives full value 2-year warranty.
Xiaomi 11 Lite 5G NE Global Version
DE warehouse
DE warehouse
Express delivery from a German warehouse free of duty and VAT.
This product will be delivered to you expressly from your local German warehouse. Delivery from Germany usually takes 7-10 days and is delivered by courier. You do not pay any extra fees, no customs duties or VAT on delivery.
Technical specifications
dimensions | 160.53 x 75.73 x 6.81 mm |
Weight | 158 g |
Display | 6.55 ”FHD + AMOLED DotDisplay |
2400 x 1080 px resolution | |
refresh rate 90 Hz | |
sampling frequency 240 Hz | |
brightness maximum 800 rivets | |
RAM and storage | LPDDR4X RAM + UFS 2.2 storage |
6 + 128 GB / 8 + 128 GB / 8 + 125 GB | |
support for microSD cards up to 1 TB | |
processor | Qualcomm Snapdragon 778G |
Battery and charging | 4250 mAh + 33 W charging |
Cameras | 64 MPx main camera with f / 1.79 aperture |
8 MPx ultra-wide angle camera with f / 2.2 aperture and 119 ° angle of view | |
5 MPx tele-macro with f / 2.4 aperture and autofocus (3 - 7 cm) | |
front selfie camera - 20 MPx with aperture f / 2.24 | |
Connectivity | NFC; Bluetooth 5.2; Wi-Fi 6; GPS: L1 + L5; GLONASS: G1; Galileo: E1 + E5a; Beidou: B1I + B1C + B2a; QZSS: L1 + L5; NavIC: L5 |
Audio | stereo speakers |
Why another Xiaomi Mi 11 Lite?
With the Xiaomi 11 Lite 5G NE, many ask why we have another model here, when the Xiaomi Mi 11 Lite 5G was introduced earlier, which looks the same and has almost the same parameters. The reason is the lack of chips, which made the Snapdragon 780G processor unavailable, so the manufacturer reached for the more available Snapdragon 778G, which is only slightly weaker.
Another difference is Gorilla Glass 5 namiesto version 6 in the first version of Lite 5G and the weight of the entire device, which was reduced by 1 gram. The remaining parameters are identical, but the manufacturer had to choose a new model designation, since the smartphones have different processors.
Package Contents Xiaomi 11 Lite 5G NE
We got the Xiaomi 11 Lite 5G NE in a traditional white box, which is typical for models from the 11 series. At the top is a cardboard box that contains a translucent silicone case, paper documentation and also a reduction from a 3.5 mm jack to USB-C for connecting headphones. The reduction will please you, as it is not one of the standard accessories that we would find with every smartphone.
The smartphone is traditionally wrapped in a transparent foil and under it we can find a charging cable with a USB-C connector and an adapter.
Quality of processing and layout of elements
The Xiaomi 11 Lite 5G NE is one of the lightest smartphones (158 g), and is also one of the few relatively compact phones today. Its dimensions are 160.53 x 75.73 x 6.81 mm. For comparison, the recently tested Xiaomi 11T Pro has dimensions of 164.1 x 76.9 x 8.8 mm and a weight of 204 g. The difference can be seen especially in thickness and weight.
The quality of workmanship is good, even though the back cover is plastic. It is not glossy, which is a positive in terms of capturing fingerprints. However, relatively sharp edges freeze slightly, which makes it not very comfortable in the hand. We had a smartphone available in blue, but there are several other colors available - black, pink and white. With this smartphone, Xiaomi is obviously also focusing on the gentler sex.
As for the layout of the controls, the bottom edge houses the charging port, the main speaker, the microphone and the slot for SIM cards. It is about the so-called a hybrid slot that can serve 2 SIM cards or 1 SIM card and memory card. The maximum capacity of the memory card can be up to 1 TB. On the top, you will only find another microphone and an IR sensor.
The left side is traditionally blank and on the right side there is a double button for volume control and a button for unlocking a smartphone with an integrated fingerprint reader. The back has a slightly protruding camera module, which is very similar in design to the standard Xiaomi 11. The module protrudes above the level of the back cover only to a height of 1.77 mm.
AMOLED display with a frequency of 90 Hz
The display has a diagonal of 6.55 ″ and a resolution of 2400 x 1080 px. Although its refresh rate does not reach the value of flagship models, even 90 Hz is sufficient for a visibly better and smoother display compared to the classic 60 Hz.
Again, however, the refresh rate is preset to a lower value, 60 Hz, so if you want to use the full potential of the display, you must change the frequency manually in the settings. The space for the front selfie camera is this time located at the top left of the screen.
The space is one of the smaller ones, so it is not such a disturbing element. Personally, we are very satisfied, because we like the location on the left side more than when it is shot in the middle. The display is protected by Corning Gorilla Glass 5.
Overall, the display tunes slightly to warmer shades, causing white to have a slight hint of yellow. If you prefer cooler colors, or want to customize the colors to your preferences, color scheme settings are available. There is no lack of support for technologies such as Dolby Vision or HDR 10+.
The smartphone also has 360 ° light sensors that help with automatic brightness control. There are also functions such as reading mode, dark mode or so-called solar mode. There is also a so-called always-on display, translated as active display, which displays time and notifications even on the lock screen. Again, however, we have a nonsensical setting that shows the always-on display for only 10 seconds without the possibility of changing this time interval.
Sufficient power
Despite the fact that the Xiaomi 11 Lite 5G NE belongs to the middle class of smartphones, it does not lack enough power. Inside is a Qualcomm Snapdragon 778G processor. It is an 8-core processor made with 6 nm technology. It consists of Kryo 670 cores and its maximum frequency is 2.4 GHz. He is seconded to the Adreno 642L graphics chip and, in our case, 8 GB of LPDDR4X RAM.
The following memory versions are available: 6 + 128 GB, 8 + 128 GB and 8 + 256 GB. Internal storage is UFS 2.2. As in other smartphone reviews that you will find on our website, we also tested the Xiaomi 11 Lite 5G NE in the well-known AnTuTu benchmark in version 9. Here we achieved a decent score, 510 points.
The overall performance of the smartphone is sufficient and we did not notice any performance issues during the entire testing period. Of course, the reactions are a bit slower than the flagship models, but it is not appropriate to compare smartphones from different categories. The average user looking for a mid-range smartphone will certainly be satisfied with the performance and smoothness of the system.
Fast fingerprint reader
The fingerprint reader in the unlock button is an increasingly reliable solution compared to the reader in the display. The one you will find in the 11 Lite 5G NE model is one of the best you will find in smartphones at the moment, and it can easily match the flagship model in this.
Unlocking is extremely fast, accurate and reliable. We only had problems with fingerprint unlocking when our hands were wet. As for other unlocking options, there is a face unlock that also works well and quickly, as well as unlocking with a Bluetooth device.
Cameras and the quality of their output
The Xiaomi 11 Lite 5G NE has three main cameras and we were very curious about the quality of their output. First, however, let's get closer to the parameters of individual cameras. Unfortunately, you will not find information about sensors on the official Xiaomi website. The manufacturer only publishes the aperture number, so we can't say for sure if these are exactly the same sensors as the Xiaomi 11 Lite 5G. But they are probably the same.
64 MPx main camera | aperture f / 1.79 |
---|---|
8 MPx ultra-wide angle camera |
aperture f / 2.2 and viewing angle 119 ° |
5 MPx tele-macro camera |
aperture f / 2.4 |
Based on the parameters, it is quite decent equipment. Of course, this price category lacks a decent periscopic lens, which usually only the highest models of smartphones have. During testing, we were lucky to have nice autumn weather, but also cloudy, dry days. During sunny days, when the light conditions are ideal, the output from the main camera is very good. As we are already used to with Xiaomi, the presentation of colors is faithful, which preserves the atmosphere. Sharpness and dynamiThe camera range is at a good level and really nice photos can be taken with the smartphone.
Surprisingly, in poor lighting conditions, the main camera is still very good and the overall output is really decent for the middle class.
The ultra-wide-angle camera is already visibly worse, which is especially evident in poor lighting conditions, such as a cloudy day. In such conditions, photos captured with an ultra-wide angle lens are significantly darker, less sharp, and noise begins to appear. In good light, however, it will serve quite well.
Night photography and video
Of course, there is a night mode, which brightens the photos slightly, which you can see especially in darker places, whose details can be seen less in photos without night mode.
When shooting video, you have a maximum resolution of 4K at 30 fps. Other options include 1080p resolutions at 60 fps or 30 fps and 720p at 30 fps. Optical stabilization is lacking, but at least digital stabilization, which is available even at maximum resolution, helps. Video quality is good especially in sufficient light. In poor light, a slight noise begins to appear.
Macro and zoom
The macro is difficult to shoot with many smartphones due to focusing at a fixed distance. However, the Xiaomi 11 Lite 5G NE tele-macro lens can automatically focus at a distance of 3 to 7 cm, making macro shooting very easy. The quality is not bad, so despite the weaker resolution, nice macro photos can be taken.
A separate zoom lens is missing, so the smartphone creates a 2x magnified photo using the main, 64 MPx sensor. It is of high quality, and therefore the photos in sufficient quality are also zoomed in.
Battery, charging and endurance
The smaller body of the smartphone means that the manufacturer could not use a battery with too high a capacity. Don't expect a 5000 mAh battery like the flagship models of the 11 series. However, we didn't lose much, as the Xiaomi 11 Lite 5G NE has a 4250 mAh battery, which is quite sufficient.
During the intensive testing, we almost discharged the battery in one day, but we used the smartphone really often. With normal use during working days, we easily reached a 2-day endurance. The package contains a 33 W charging adapter and charging is as follows:
- from 18 to 50% - 14 minutes and 45 seconds
- 75% - 29 minutes and 11 seconds
- 90% - 38 minutes and 34 seconds
- 100% - 57 minutes and 11 seconds
Xiaomi 11 Lite 5G NO: Final evaluation
Xiaomi 11 Lite 5G NE is a very pleasant refreshment of the latest series of Xiaomi 11 smartphones. If you are looking for a thin, smaller and light smartphone, you will definitely be satisfied. You will enjoy sufficient performance, a good main camera, a quality fingerprint reader and the possibility of expanding the memory with a microSD card.
The negatives include the always-on display, which turns off after 10 seconds without the possibility of changing settings, and "only" 33 W charging. With the current trends of 120 W charging, we would be happy with at least 67 W charging in this model, which will significantly reduce the time on the charger.
Stereo reproduction? !!
It has stereo speakers, using a front speaker that is used for calls. The quality is average.
IP resilience?