Xiaomi 11T and 11T Pro wants to make "Cinemagic" filmmaking a thing
Smartphone cameras these days have all become sophisticated and powerful, enabling image and video capture with great detail and quality. Most smartphone makers are content to simply boast about those cameras though a few do try to put some context behind these sensors. More than just being able to take great photos or record smooth videos, Xiaomi is creating a new "Cinemagic" buzzword around the idea of dropping heavy and expensive movie-making equipment for a Xiaomi 11T or, better yet, a Xiaomi 11T Pro.
Truth be told, the Xiaomi 11T and 11T Pro are two peas from the same pod. Unless you look at the specs sheet, there is visually no telling the two apart, and the differences between the two pretty much boil down to two particular features.
The Xiaomi 11T Pro above is powered by a Snapdragon 888 and comes with either 8GB or 12GB of RAM. It is also the first Xiaomi phone to launch with the company's 120W HyperCharge that can fill the 5,000 mAh battery in just 17 minutes. In contrast, the base Xiaomi 11T runs on a MediaTek 1200 5G processor with 8GB of RAM and comes with a standard 67W turbo-charging capability.
In almost all other aspects, the two have similar features, down to the 6.67-inch 120Hz display with a 480Hz touch sampling rate, though Xiaomi would like everyone to know that the 11T Pro's screen has been given an A+ by DisplayMate. For that advertised Cinemagic experience, the two share the exact same camera set with a 108MP main camera, an 8MP ultra-wide-angle shooter, and a 5MP telemacro camera with 2x zoom. The Xiaomi 11T starts at 499 EUR ($590), while the Xiaomi 11T Pro goes from 649 EUR ($770) to 749 EUR ($890) with maxed-out specs.
Xiaomi is also launching a Xiaomi 11 Lite 5G NE, which can easily be confused with the already existing Xiaomi Mi 11 Lite 5G. In addition to dropping the "Mi" branding as earlier reported, this "NE" version is intended to be a slightly more affordable version of the early 2021 mid-range model, now powered by a Snapdragon 778G 5G processor with 6 or 8GB of RAM. Although it has the same FHD+ resolution as the Xiaomi 11T, its 6.55-inch screen only goes up to 90Hz refresh rates and 240Hz touch sampling rates.
Instead of "Cinemagic," Xiaomi is going after a "Cinematic" spiel with the phone's 64MP main camera, 8MP ultra-wide camera, and 5MP telemacro shooter. The 20MP front camera, however, might appeal more to selfie enthusiasts. Available in more fashionable colors, which includes a distinctive Snowflake White option, to woo younger buyers, the Xiaomi 11 Lite 5G NE will retail with a matching accessible price tag of 369 EUR, roughly $440.