Back in October, Xiaomi launched its latest lineup of smartphones in the Philippines, including the 11T and the 11T Pro, both of which we reviewed recently. Now, we’re going to take a look at the Xiaomi 11 Lite 5G NE, the most affordable of the bunch, though it still packs a punch in terms of specs.
Even with its mid-range price tag, the 11 Lite 5G NE is powered by a Snapdragon 778G processor, and packs up to 8GB of RAM, meaning it should be a capable gaming smartphone, even if you turn up your favorite game’s graphics setting. On top of these, the 11 Lite 5G NE also has a triple camera setup, as well as a 90Hz AMOLED display.
Based on these features alone, the 11 Lite 5G NE is already shaping up to be an excellent device. But does it deliver in actual use? Find out here in our review of Xiaomi’s latest mid-ranger.
Geek-sthetic
To start things off, lets first take a look at the phone’s design. From the back this new 11 Lite looks similar to the non-NE version from earlier this year, with both phones featuring a unique-looking camera module that makes it stand out compared to other phones in this price range.
Another stand-out design element of the 11 Lite 5G NE is its color and finish. It’s a bit hard to describe, but the closest thing I can think of is that the new 11 Lite has a design that’s reminiscent of a fancy kitchen countertop. And while it may look glossy, it actually has a finish that’s like a cross between matte and glossy. Thanks to this, the back of this phone is not a fingerprint magnet, so you can use it without a case if that’s what you prefer. Though for us, we preferred having the included clear case on.
Moving to the front, we have the phone’s 6.55-inch AMOLED display, complete with a small holepunch notch at the top left. As we often say in our reviews, this notch placement is what we prefer as it’s much less distracting than having a notch on the middle part. Along with the notch placement, we also like that the phone has slimmer bezels than what you might usually find in other phones at the same price point.
Binge-Watching Factor
Speaking of its display, the 11 Lite 5G NE’s screen has a Full HD+ resolution, meaning content looks sharp on this phone. Coupled with the fact that the AMOLED panel outputs vibrant colors and deep blacks, the 11 Lite 5G NE is a great partner for your next binge-watch session.
As for sound quality, the phone has stereo onboard speakers that have good quality and can get quite loud; the quality can even rival some flagship phones. This means if you’re at home, watching movies/shows using just the built-in speakers will give you a good viewing/listening experience.
One thing to note is that, unlike most mid-range phones, the 11 Lite 5G NE does not have a 3.5mm headphone jack, so you’ll need wireless speakers/headphones. Personally, I still use wired earbuds as a backup so the lack of a headphone jack is a bit of shame.
Gaming Prowess
As mentioned above, the NE is powered by a Snapdragon 778G processor that’s paired with up to 8GB of RAM (our unit is the 6GB model). So how does it perform for gaming? It performs excellently!
Even if we tested the 6GB variant, the phone was able to handle today’s popular titles at High graphics settings. For example, League of Legends: Wild Rift ran smoothly at 60FPS at the High graphics setting. This means MOBA fans will have a great experience playing their favorite games on this phone.
For FPS titles such as Call of Duty Mobile, the phone also worked well, with the phone running CoD smoothly even at the High graphics setting.
The phone also shines when playing games that support high refresh rate displays as the 11 Lite 5G NE packs a 90Hz refresh rate screen. If you play these titles (such as MEGA MAN X DiVE), the new 11 Lite has enough power to push the framerate up.
Meanwhile, here are the synthetic benchmark scores of the 11 Lite 5G NE:
Geek Photoshoot Capabilities
For its cameras, the NE has a 64MP f/1.8 wide + 8MP f/2.2 Ultra-Wide Camera + 5MP f/2.4 macro triple rear camera setup, as well as a 20MP f/2.2 front camera.
First up, the main camera. The phone’s 64MP main shooter is able to take pretty good photos with good colors and a nice amount of detail when taking shots with a good amount of light.
For low light photos, the 64MP main camera also takes good quality images when using the phone’s Night Mode. Take note that the Night Mode option can be toggled on in the ‘More’ tab. It would’ve been better if the Night Mode was more accessible, but it shouldn’t be much of an issue.
The 8MP ultrawide camera is also of good quality, a bit surprising given the fairly low pixel count. Even at night, the ultrawide can take decent shots when using Night Mode.
The phone’s 5MP macro camera also takes good close-up shots, and the quality is much better than other phones with just 2MP macro cameras.
Finally, the phone’s selfie shooter also takes nice selfies that should satisfy most users.
Everyday Reliability
Similar to its gaming performance, the new 11 Lite also does not disappoint when it comes to everyday use. For most users who check social media, email, and use productivity apps, the 11 Lite 5G NE is a strong performer as it was fast and snappy in our time testing it out.
One thing we’d like to point out is that the 11 Lite runs on MiUI. If you’re used to other Android UIs, MiUI can get a bit of getting used to as it has some rather iOS-style features. For one, swiping from the right and from the left will bring down the shortcuts menu and notifications respectively, similar to an iPhone. The phone’s settings is also laid out a bit differently from most phones we review. Personally, I’m not the biggest fan of the more iPhone-style UI, but most users should have no problems with it after some time.
As for battery life, the phone packs a 4250mAh battery which, in our test, was able to last for a day of use with no issues. Though if you use your phone heavily, you might find the phone running out of juice at the end of the day. If you do need to charge, the phone supports 33W fast charging, so you won’t have to wait too long to reach 100%.
Final Geek Lifestyle Verdict
With a starting price of PHP 16,990, the Xiaomi 11 Lite 5G NE is an excellent deal thanks to its good cameras, great display, and excellent gaming/everyday performance. While it could’ve used a headphone jack, and the battery could be a bit better, overall, the new 11 Lite 5G NE is well worth the price tag and is for sure a strong mid-range smartphone contender.
Xiaomi 11 Lite 5G NE Specs:
- Qualcomm Snapdragon 778G processor
- Adreno 642L
- 6/8GB RAM
- 6.55-inch AMOLED FHD+ (2400 x 1080) display, 90Hz refresh rate, HDR10+
- 128/256GB Storage
- 64MP f/1.8 wide + 8MP f/2.2 Ultra-Wide Camera + 5MP f/2.4 macro triple rear camera setup
- 20MP f/2.2 front camera
- 3G, LTE, 5G Dual Sim (hybrid slot)
- Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct, hotspot
- Dedicated Dual Audio Speakers
- 4250mAh battery with 33W Fast charging
- Android 11, MIUI 12.5
- Price:
- 6GB+128GB – PHP 16,990
- 8GB+128GB – PHP 18,990
- 8GB+256GB – PHP 20,990