The Mi 11X is the most affordable of the Mi 11 series of devices launched in India by Xiaomi. It is the first in the sub-Rs 30,000 category to come with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 870 processor. Some might feel it cuts back on the camera and battery, but the Mi 11X has the makings of a potential market disruptor. Our first impressions of the device.
When Xiaomi released the Mi 11 series of phones (two of which were in the X series – it is complicated!) last week, a lot of the attention was focused on the Mi 11 Ultra. This was not surprising, given that it was without doubt not just the most powerful and innovative of the three devices launched, but perhaps one of the most powerful and innovative devices in the world. Period. However, as we pointed out in an earlier article, while the 11 Ultra made the headlines, perhaps the most disruptive device of the lot was the one with the most modest specs and the lowest price – the Mi 11X. What makes the Mi 11X a huge disruptor is its price tag. It comes with what we call “crazy Xiaomi pricing” – starting at Rs 29,999 for 6 GB/ 128 GB (you get the 8 GB/ 128 GB variant for Rs 31,999). That price segment is generally occupied by devices that have slightly older flagship processors, or variants of the Qualcomm Snapdragon 700 series. The Mi 11X brings a very new Snapdragon 870, which is a step ahead of the 865, to this zone. While how well it does will only be known in the full review when we have put the phone through its paces, but right now, it is veritably in a zone of its own and on paper, even outguns the Realme X7 Pro which is powered by the Dimensity 1000 + chip (which is a new flagship chip, but is closer to the Snapdragon 865 in terms of performance, by all accounts. At the time of writing, the most affordable Snapdragon 870 device in the country was the Vivo X60 which starts at a higher price of Rs 37,990. The iQOO 7 has been released at Rs 31,990 even as this is being written, but that brand has tended to focus on gaming.
