So far only in China: Shiomi has announced the Mi 11, its flagship device for 2021. On the menu: Qualcomm’s new flagship processor, Snapdragon 888, 120K 2K screen, 5G modem, fast and wireless charging. Price tag – attractive
Photo: Shiomi
Shiomi, which recently overtook Apple in the number of devices it sold, today (Monday) announced its new flagship device, the Mi 11. The thing that is perhaps most interesting about it is precisely what can not be seen, because under the impressive screen awaits you the debut of the mobile processor Qualcomm’s new Snapdragon 888. In addition, the device includes specs that look impressive on paper and a competitive price tag.
Monster Specifications
At the moment, the Mi 11 looks like the new king of specifications (at least for the next two weeks): it has a 6.81-inch AMOLED screen, with a resolution of 3200 × 1440 (which is actually 2K) and with a healthy refresh rate of 120 Hz. The screen is capable of reaching a maximum brightness of 1,500 nits, and is slightly curved to the sides (for lovers of the thing, and unfortunately for everyone else). All of this is coated with the new Victus gorilla glass, which is supposed to help the screen survive falls and perhaps even avoid general scratches. But come on – we have not yet met a screen that we can not crack.
The Mi 11 is the first device to come with Qualcomm’s new Snapdragon 888 processor, which apart from the fact that it supports 5G, should show up to 35% improvements in processor performance while improving by 20% when it comes to power consumption. In addition, it is expected to show improved graphics improvements by 35% compared to the previous generation, and improved performance also when it comes to photo and video shooting.
According to Shiomi, it has also combined the best RAM technology and the best storage technology combined with a new cooling system – all in order to provide the best performance that the Snapdragon 888 is capable of producing. However, until we test the device ourselves or see additional devices that come with it, we will take this statement on a limited scale.
Shiomi’s UI interface, MIUI 12.5, has also undergone adjustments so that most operations should use 20% less memory (not missing here) and system operations 32% less memory and 17% less energy.
Photo: Shiomi
On the back of the device, a photo array will be waiting for users, which includes a main camera with a 1 / 1.33-inch sensor, 1.6-micron pixels (which the company claims are actually 4 unified pixels) and a 108-megapixel sensor. In addition, the device is equipped with a wide-angle lens at 123 degrees and a macro lens for close-up photography. The main camera is also capable of shooting videos in 8K, and Shiomi claims that they have added quite a few improvements to the algorithms behind the camera to get clearer, higher quality images with less noise. But again, here too, we will have to test the device ourselves, because so far we have not been impressed by the photography capabilities of the various Shiomi devices.
In the gimmicks segment, Shiomi has added various video effects including the famous dolly effect from Alfred Hitchcock’s films.
From 0 to 100 in less than 45 minutes
On top of all this, a respectable 4,600mAh battery wins, which also supports the company’s “turbo” charging at 55W. Shiomi claims that they can get from 0% battery to full battery in less than 45 minutes. If you are more into wireless charging, you will be happy to know that the device supports 50W fast charging, that is, from 0% to 100% in 53 minutes, but it is not yet clear if and which chargers support such speed.
So is there a charge or no charge?
The device still comes with IR Blaster for enthusiasts and with NFC (thank goodness). And of course it is impossible to talk about this device without referring to the elephant in the room. After Shiomi mocked Apple for removing the charger from the iPhone 12, and after it was reported that it would also remove the chargers from the Mi 11 packaging, it turns out that the reports were true but partial.
Shiomi has confirmed that it will market the Mi 11 in environmentally friendly packaging, but at the same time, it will allow the purchase at the same price of the Mi 11 that will come with a 55W compatible charger. There is no discount here for those who choose the charger-free version, and it is not clear whether Shiomi will market an equal amount of the different versions to stores, or whether one of the models will be given priority in what appears to be a gradual move. In any case, it seems that this is mainly a “market education” instead of a “market treatment”, in order to accustom the users that a charger is an addition to the device – this time at Shiomi’s expense and next year – at the buyer’s expense.
The Mi 11 will come in gray, blue, and white in the glass edition. Also, the device will be available in purple and beige in leather (artificial) edition. Both versions weigh a little less than 200 grams, and will come in versions of 8 GB of RAM with 128 or 256 GB of storage, and a special edition of 12 GB of RAM and 256 GB of storage.
The device goes on sale tonight, but currently only in China, for a starting price ranging from NIS 2,000 for the basic version and NIS 2,300 for the most advanced version. Currently, the device will only be available on Chinese sales sites, and there is no launch date or estimated prices for Israel and the rest of the world.
A good old age
Born with a joystick in hand. He has far too many gadgets and far too little free time to play with them all. An unexplained hammer holder for calibrating device batteries. When he’s not busy writing about technology, he likes to talk about it, and a lot
