Xiaomi Mi 11 vs Xiaomi Mi 10T Pro: affordable flagship takes on flagship killer

Date:
Sat, 07 Aug 2021 10:00:49 +0000

Description:
Comparing Xiaomi's newest flagship with its 2020 mid-range replacement.

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Xiaomi has made quite an impression in recent years for its ability to turn
in flagship-level phones for less money than its rivals.

The Xiaomi Mi 11 is the most recent example, offering a level of performance, display quality, and design excellence that makes you look twice at the
price. But then, the Xiaomi Mi 10T Pro impressed us just as much a mere handful of months prior - and for an even cheaper price to boot.

So which Xiaomi Mi phone is better? Which would represent the smarter buy if you were shopping for a new phone today? Xiaomi Mi 11 vs Xiaomi Mi 10T Pro price and availability

When you release as many phones as Xiaomi does in a calendar year, things can get a little congested.

The Xiaomi Mi 11 was first announced in China on December 28, 2020. That was just three months after the September 30 announcement of the Xiaomi Mi 10T Pro.

The Mi 11 received a global launch in February 2021, while the Mi 10T Pro hit the UK in November 2020. As you can see, theres very little between these phones when it comes to length of time on the market. (Image credit: Future)

In terms of pricing, the Xiaomi Mi 11 starts from 749 / AU$1,099 (around $1,057) for the 128GB model, while a 256GB model is available for 799 (around $1,128). The Xiaomi Mi 10T Pro launched at a price of 599 (roughly $780, AU$1,100), which makes it 200 cheaper even before you take discounts into consideration.

Neither of these phones is being sold in the US, though, so American readers will have to go through an importer if youre intent on buying one. Design

Both phones have glass to the front and rear, sandwiching an aluminum body. However, the Xiaomi Mi 11 is the sleeker, more curvaceous, more overtly premium phone of the two.

At 164.3 x 74.6mm, the Mi 11s footprint is a little smaller than the 165.1 x 76.4mm Mi 10T Pro. But the big difference here is thickness and weight - the Mi 11 is just 8.1mm thin and 196g, while the Mi 10T Pro is pretty hefty at 9.3mm and 218g.

The Mi 11 also has a more unique design, with a pleasant rounded-square
camera module that sets it apart from the crowd. The Mi 10T Pro has a rather more workmanlike appearance, with a chunky camera module that looks like a cyclops staring back at you, according to our reviewer. (Image credit:
Future)

Theres a different approach to biometric authentication here too. While the
Mi 11 has an in-display system more commonly seen in flagship phones, the Mi 10T Pro goes with a side-mounted solution. We actually prefer the Mi 10T Pro on this one, as the Mi 11 sensor proves a little unreliable.

Another interesting design difference, which leads us neatly into the next section, is the shape of the display. While the cheaper Mi 10T Pro goes for a dead flat screen, the Mi 11 curves off at the edges. Like we said, its the more premium-looking phone of the two. Display

The Xiaomi Mi 11s screen is one of the best on the market. Its a 6.81-inch OLED beauty, with a 1440 x 3200 (QHD+) resolution.

Conversely, the Mi 10T Pro is a 6.67-inch LCD display with a FHD+ resolution. Its simply less vibrant as a result, with grayer blacks and less accurate colors. It also doesnt get anywhere near as bright (650 nits vs 1500 nits, if youre wondering).

The Mi 10T Pro display hits back when it comes to refresh rate, somewhat surprisingly. While the Mi 11 can manage 120Hz at the same time as hitting that QHD resolution, the Mi 10T Pro goes right up to 144Hz. (Image credit: Future)

Outside of a few gaming smartphones, such a fluid refresh rate is practically unheard of. Its practical application is quite limited, though youll never have zoomed through your social media feeds quite so rapidly.

Before you hardcore gamers slap down your money on a new Xiaomi Mi 10T Pro, consider the matter of touch sampling rates. At 480Hz the Xiaomi Mi 11 screen obliterates its older brother on 180Hz for sheer responsiveness.

In short, while the Xiaomi Mi 10T Pro has that stand-out refresh rate, wed take the Xiaomi Mi 11s more balanced display offering any day of the week. Cameras

These two phones are surprisingly different considering their shared brand
and similar vintage. But the one area of potential hardware asset sharing would appear to be the cameras.

Both phones are led by 108MP 1/1.33" Samsung image sensors, though delve a little deeper and youll find that theyre not identical. The Xiaomi Mi 11 uses a newer Samsung ISOCELL HM3 sensor, which is the same sensor used in the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra , and is technically more advanced than the Samsung ISOCELL HMX sensor used by the Mi 10T Pro.

Another difference, this time ostensibly in favor of the Mi 10T Pro, is the latters uses a wider f/1.7 aperture compared to the f/1.9 Mi 11. This means
it can let more light in to hit that sensor, though the benefits of this
arent always so clear-cut. (Image credit: Future)

Besides this, both phones have underwhelming 13MP f/2.4 ultra-wide sensors with unusually wide 123-degree fields of view, as well as 5MP macro cameras. They even have similar 20MP selfie cameras.

If youre eagle-eyed, youll have spotted that neither phone has a telephoto lens. Thats way more forgivable in the Mi 10T Pro, which costs a fair amount less.

Both phones take crisp, balanced shots, utilizing Xiaomis AI image processing smarts and pixel-binning techniques. Thanks to OIS, both can remain
relatively steady for Night shots.

OIS will also benefit video capture. Talking of which, both phones can manage 8K video at 30fps or 4K video at 60fps.

All in all, neither of these phones really stands out for its camera
offering, but both offer pretty good results in most conditions. Wed possibly give the Mi 11 the edge for its more advanced main sensor, but you might expect more of an advantage given the price premium. (Image credit: Aakash Jhaveri) Specs and performance

While they were only released a couple of months apart, the Xiaomi Mi 11 is a whole generation ahead when it comes to performance.

The newer, more expensive phone pack a Snapdragon 888 SoC from Qualcomm. This is the 2021 replacement for the Snapdragon 865 found in the Mi 10T Pro.

Youll get 8GB or 12GB of RAM with the Mi 11, whereas the Mi 10T Pro only offers 8GB.

In the CPU-focused Geekbench 5, a multi-core score of 3569 for the Mi 11 pips the Mi 10T Pro by around 200 to 300 points, so its not a seismic difference. In general usage, you probably wont even be able to spot the difference. Any contrast you do pick up on will probably come down to that differing display technology.

When it comes to storage, both phones come in both 128GB and 256GB guises. Neither offers a microSD slot. (Image credit: Future)

While both phones pack stereo speakers, only the Mi 11 benefits from the expertise of audio specialist Harman Kardon. It sounds better as a result.

In terms of software, both phones lean on Xiaomis MIUI, with its garish
icons, its busy menus, and its excessive bloatware. Its a lot better than it used to be, but if you prioritize clean and considered software over all
else, neither of these phones is for you. Battery life

The Xiaomi Mi 11 runs on a 4600 mAh battery, while the Xiaomi Mi 10T Pro
packs a much larger 5,000 mAh cell. So that explains why the latter is such a chunky monkey.

Our reviewer found that the Xiaomi Mi 11 would burn through its charge in short time, only managing to last through a full day if they kept their usage to the minimum. Its not terrible by the standard of modern flagship phones, but its also far from the best.

Xiaomis brute force approach with the Mi 10T Pro really pays off, as it lasts noticeably longer than the Mi 11. Some of that advantage can be pinned to the 10T Pros smaller, dimmer and less sharp display as well.

Whatever the reason behind it, we were unable to exhaust the Mi 10T Pros battery in a day, no matter how much gaming, photography or video or music streaming we did. Its impressive stuff. (Image credit: Future)

The Xiaomi Mi 11 wins some points back when it comes to recharging. Its rapid 55W wired charger, which is supplied in the box, will get you from 0 to 100% in around half an hour. By contrast, the Mi 10T Pros 33W charger will take closer to an hour.

Elsewhere, the Mi 11 supports fast 50W wireless charging, while the Mi 10T
Pro doesnt support wireless charging at all. Takeaway

We awarded both of these phones 9 out of 10 in their respective reviews, and these were issued just a few months apart. Theyre both really good handsets, quite obviously.

Thanks to the difference in pricing, picking a winner isnt straightforward. Theyre swimming in slightly different waters, with the Xiaomi Mi 11 undercutting true flagship phones like the OnePlus 9 Pro, and the Xiaomi Mi 10T Pro taking on almost-flagships like the OnePlus 8T .

Hidden in that last point is the reason we feel able to pick a clear winner, however. The Xiaomi Mi 10T Pro is operating a whole hardware generation
behind the Xiaomi Mi 11 - in terms of power, design, and (despite initial appearances) camera tech. Meanwhile the Mi 11s display is simply streets ahead.

If you can find the Mi 10T Pro for a bargain price, its still a brilliant phone. But the Mi 11 is flat out better in most of the ways that matter, and its newer processor means itll remain relevant for longer too. Xiaomi Mi 11
vs iPhone 12: can the underdog gain the upper hand?



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Link to news story: https://www.techradar.com/news/xiaomi-mi-11-vs-xiaomi-mi-10t-pro-affordable-fl agship-takes-on-flagship-killer/


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