Comparing Xiaomi’s newest flagship with its 2020 mid-range replacement.
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? 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, there’s very little between these phones when it comes to length of time on the market. 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 you’re intent on buying one. 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 11’s 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. There’s 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, it’s the more premium-looking phone of the two. The Xiaomi Mi 11’s screen is one of the best on the market. It’s 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.
