Xiaomi 11t Pro review: The flagship killer is back!
A TEST REPORT from Nils Ahrensmeier 
on October 03, 2021, 15:56 am | Write a comment
With the Xiaomi 11T Pro the Chinese manufacturer is taking their "T series" to a new level. Flagship components for a low price? We checked out the device.
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Design and processing:
The Xiaomi 11T Pro is relatively unspectacular. The front camera is embedded in the middle of the display and the edges of the display are a bit thicker at the bottom, but are hardly noticeable at the edges. To devices like that Galaxy S21 but noticeably thicker. The camera on the back is built into a two-stage "bump". Xiaomi says "This is based on the traditional cinema camera", I like the design. This makes no difference in everyday life, so it is subjective. The main camera is on top, below the telephoto camera and the ultra-wide-angle camera.
The workmanship is good, one difference to one My 11 or My 11 Ultra but is noticeable. Furthermore, the back is not matt, which is a bit annoying. Fingerprints can still be seen in everyday life and other manufacturers such as Samsung or BBK (Oppo, OnePlus, Realme, Vivo) already use some.
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- The Xiaomi 11T Pro has a large display with a slightly thicker chin. (Image: TechnikNews)
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- The front camera is in a “punch hole” in the middle of the display. (Image: TechnikNews)
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- On the bottom there is a USB-C port, as well as a speaker and the SIM slot. (Image: TechnikNews)
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- On the top is a microphone, as well as the second speaker. (Image: TechnikNews)
Display:
At 6,67 inches, the display is too big for some, and I've already got used to smartphones of this size. But if you switch from an older device, you will need some time to get used to it in the first few weeks. Xiaomi has built in some functions in MIUI, such as "App in pop-up view", which help out. The display “only” resolves with Full HD +, which is sufficient for me. However, some “flagships” are already running with WQHD +. The AMOLED display shows black levels very precisely and content runs very smoothly over the display at 120 Hertz.
The display of the Xiaomi 11T Pro is excellent. (Image: TechnikNews)
Hardware / performance:
The Pro 11T series model comes with Qualcomm's Snapdragon 888 Proprocessor and 8 gigabytes of RAM memory. The 12 gigabyte version will not be available in Germany. The only choice is the internal memory, if you want double the amount instead of 128 gigabytes, you pay 50 euros more. A fair price in my opinion, some other manufacturers charge 100 euros or more.
In everyday life there is no difference to the Mi 11 or Mi 11 Ultra. All content runs without Probleme, all games ran with the best settings, only several apps at the same time could put a lot of strain on the 8 gigabytes of RAM. This sometimes works better on devices with 12 gigabytes of RAM. But the difference is minimal, which is why I don't want to emphasize it. In terms of connectivity, everything is built into new connections: 5G, Bluetooth 5.2 and WLAN 6 are future-proof. The 11T Pro So it has many features of the expensive flagship devices, but what are the differences? Well, first of all, the fingerprint sensor isn't in the display, but on the power button on the side. This makes little difference in everyday use (is just as fast), but doesn't look as "modern" as with the more expensive devices. Wireless charging and IP68 dust/water certification are also missing.
Camera / s:
The Xiaomi 11T Pro has three sensors on the back and one camera sensor on the front. The main camera (wide angle) has a resolution of 108 megapixels, the ultra wide angle with 8 and the zoom with 5 megapixels. The front camera has a resolution of 16 megapixels.
How does the camera perform in everyday life? Can the camera replace a flagship?
Well, the results are fair to good. In no way comparable with devices like the Galaxy S21 Ultra, the Mi 11 Ultra or a newer iPhone. Definitely sufficient for many who do not focus 100% on cameras. The main camera takes good photos with strong sharpness and bright colors. The ultra-wide-angle camera and the zoom are only "satisfactory". Loss of detail is very noticeable when zooming, the ultra wide angle loses less sharpness and is sometimes noisy on the sides. In less light, the zoom is not necessary, the main camera continues to take good photos.
The video functions are also a strong focus at Xiaomi. In this I am with mine Wed 11 test already received. If you want an abridged version: For many, they replace the complicated editing workproprogram and enable simple effects for many customers. They are not a reason for me to buy, but definitely a unique selling point.
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- A few impressions from the cameras of the 11T Pro. (Image: TechnikNews)
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- Wide angle (image: TechnikNews)
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- In the evening light (image: TechnikNews)
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- In daylight (image: TechnikNews)
Battery pack:
The battery is the best battery I have tested in a smartphone. Not because it lasted longer than others, but because it was the fastest to fill up again. With a fully charged battery, which is large at 5000 mAh, I always got through at least a day. If this is around 30 in the evening ProHowever, after a while I learned to appreciate the fast charging.
The smartphone can actually be fully recharged in about 120 minutes with the included 25W power supply. Xiaomi advertises 17 minutes as a laboratory value, I measured 23 minutes. Especially when you want to go out in the evening or have forgotten to charge in the morning, fast charging is a dream, but for many “overnight chargers” or “at work chargers” it is probably less useful. In addition, the large power supply unit must always be taken with you if the battery is to be charged at full speed. I also missed wireless charging, but it won't be the case for everyone by a long way.
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- The Xiaomi 11T Pro is full again in just 120 minutes thanks to 25W charging. (Picture: TechnikNews)
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- Within 10 minutes there are already 55 again Procent battery charged (picture: TechnikNews)
Software:
The software used is MIUI 12.5, which is based on Android 11. MIUI offers many customization options as well as many of its own good apps (such as the gallery app). New and so far only for the 11T series is an "update promise". For the first time, the manufacturer is promising three OS updates (i.e. up to Android 14) and four years of software updates. In which rhythm they come (monthly or quarterly), however, remains open. Basically, however, the usability does not differ from other devices with Xiaomi software, such as the My 11 Ultra.
The Xiaomi 11T series gets OS updates for three years and security patches for four years. (Image: Xiaomi)
And finally ...
The Xiaomi 11T Pro is currently the Xiaomi smartphone that I can recommend the most. It offers good workmanship, very fast hardware, a very good battery and good cameras. The three OS updates in particular are a long-awaited highlight for me, as this has been a strong argument for Samsung and co. At 649 euros, the price is more than fair and should therefore be unbeatable in this price range. Who with a slightly worse Proprocessor and “only” 67 watts of charging can get by, you can look at the “normal” 11T and save a little money, which my colleague Yinan tested.
