The Xiaomi Mi 11 is here to give Samsung and Apple a run for their money, with a top-class screen, pumping stereo sound, the fastest 5G chipset, plus a killer camera setup…

Xiaomi launched the Mi 11 with its video recording prowess being the main part of its marketing campaign, and this means it doesn’t just offer the usual 4K video recording (and in this case 8K too), and a range of electronic image stabilisation to cope with fast movement; no, the Mi 11 offers a range of modes to turn you into a professional videographer.

The phone is packed with movie effect modes, filters and Vlog tools to help you create ready-to-share content with the minimum of effort. All are simple to use with tutorials for the more complicated ones. It’s a feature that Huawei has already introduced on last year’s Mate 40 Pro, but Xiaomi has taken the concept and enhanced it even more.

I’ll be cracking out a full review of the phone in the coming weeks. For a phone with such a fantastic bright HDR10+ display, Harman Kardon stereo sounds, a large battery, 50W wireless charging, the fastest Qualcomm 5G chipset available today, plus a 108+13+5 megapixel camera for stills, the phone is a complete package for people looking for a high-end flagship device, and for less money than competing devices from the likes of Apple and Samsung.

Specs on paper aren’t enough though, so I’ll be seeking to establish if this phone really is worth the money. A UK price is still to be confirmed, but if you can’t wait for it to go on sale here – you can import one from China right now (see below).

Photo samples

Having had the phone for just two days, here are some photos I’ve taken at home and on a short walk around my home town. I can’t wait to try out more camera modes and take more photos in better weather conditions, low light and of scenes with movement.

Video

Below is a short video of some of the video effects you can create on-the-fly with the phone. There are loads more than what I’ve included below, and I’ll be adding some more in the future when we gradually move out of lockdown and can travel about again.

Xiaomi made a big deal of the video capabilities (the phone can also record video at 8K 30fps) and it’s an aspect of the phone I’ll try and dedicate a lot more time to in the coming weeks.

Pricing and Availability

The Xiaomi Mi 11 isn’t yet offered for sale in the UK (but will be soon), but you can import one from AliExpress. The Mi 11 I have is the 8GB/128GB model in blue, and costs around £553 (at time of publishing) with free shipping. This may be subject to import duty & VAT on top. The phone is also available as a variant with 256GB of storage.