Xiaomi Mi 11 Lite: Lightweight Smartphone that’s Light on the Budget but Heavy with Value for Money

Smartphones are already essentials for adults even before the pandemic. Now it’s also considered essential by kids who need gadgets for online learning. As such, any release of a new and upgraded Smartphone that’s light on the budget is always welcome news. One of the latest releases that caught our interest is the Xiaomi Mi 11 Lite, a new smartphone that’s affordable yet packed with features you love from a mid-range smartphone.

Design. Let’s first take a look at what is on the outside. The Xiaomi Mi 11 Lite has a simple yet stylish design with a somewhat boxy look tempered by small curved edges and a back cover that sports a mirror-like finish. It is also ultrathin and lightweight which makes it easy to handle even for kids and people with small hands.

This smartphone is available in 3 colors, the Boba Black with a smooth mirror-like finish and the Bubblegum Blue or Peach Pink. The blue and pinks ones have a frosted glass look for their finish and are not as glossy as the black one.

Operating System and Tech. Just like in most things, what’s on the inside is more important as what you see from the outside. In this case, the Xiaomi Mi 11 Lite will not fail you. It’s got the  Qualcomm® SnapdragonTM 732G at its core that offers more power, speed, and reliability. It also features the LiquidCool Technology that keeps it performing at its best even with heavy use. You need not worry about your phone heating up or hanging up during streaming or gaming activities. My daughter Sammy uses it for online classes and playing mobile legends and it’s so easy to use that she doesn’t have any trouble handling it.

Screen and Audio. The screen is one of the things that add value for money to this phone. Its got a slim Bezel, a nice screen-to-body ratio,  6.55 in Full HD + HDR10-compliant feature, and a 10-bit colour AMOLED  panel that gives it the look and feel of a high-end smartphone. This viewing quality is matched by a vivid sound that comes from dual speakers that have been certified with Hi-Res Audio. Thereby providing you with an immersive viewing and audio experience for games, videos, and streaming.

Camera and Video. This smartphone features a triple rear camera with a 64 MP main shooter and 1/1.97 sensor. It’s quite easy to use and can help you get professional-grade pictures and video. Although I’m not crazy about both the camera and video features, I’d say they do perform decently in these areas. The video quality is good and you can record up to 4k at 30fps but the steady video stabilization feature only works for 1080p at 30fps.

Sample Photos:

Battery. Power comes from a 4,250mAh battery with 33W fast charging that enables you to recharge up to 100% in just an hour. But if you ask me they could improve on the battery by giving it a wireless charging feature and longer battery life. In my experience, battery life lasts for only half a day’s use.

Other features. Just like most Smartphones, the Xiaomi Mi 11 Lite has its volume control and power button on the side. But what I like better with this phone is that the power button also has a fingerprint scanner. This makes it easier to log on to your phone compared to having your prints scanned from the back. It also has a main microphone at the bottom along with the loudspeaker and USB Type C port.