Tech
Xiaomi launches the Mi 11 flagship 5G phone with Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 888 – XDA Developers
The fateful year is drawing to a close. And just when you thought we have seen everything there is to see this year in tech, Xiaomi is here with its “one more thing”, and it’s their biggest reveal from the dedicated launch event in China today. Meet the new Xiaomi Mi 11, Xiaomi’s next flagship and the first smartphone with the new Qualcomm Snapdragon 888.
Xiaomi Mi 11: Specifications
| Specification | Xiaomi Mi 11 |
|---|---|
| Build |
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| Dimensions & Weight |
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| Display |
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| SoC | Qualcomm Snapdragon 888:
Adreno 660 |
| RAM & Storage |
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| Battery & Charging |
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| Security | In-Display Optical Fingerprint Sensor |
| Rear Camera(s) |
Video: |
| Front Camera(s) | 20MP, f/2.4 |
| Port(s) | USB Type C |
| Audio | Stereo Speakers tuned by Harman Kardon |
| Connectivity |
|
| Software | MIUI 12.5 based on Android 11 |
| Other Features |
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The Xiaomi Mi 11 picks up where the Mi 10 and Mi 10 Pro left off, even though Xiaomi had the even crazier Mi 10 Ultra launching later in the year. So while the device is not as overkill as the Ultra, it still pulls in specifications that are known for a stellar experience in the premium flagship space.
If you have been following Xiaomi’s flagship smartphones, you’d see a familiar package up front on the Mi 11. The display curves over the edges, but now the back also flows in more drastically. The end result is a svelte figure through the 1.8mm metal frame that needs more surface area around the power button and volume rocker. On the back, the camera island is a combination of familiarity and uniqueness — familiar because we have seen such designs on other phones, and unique because of the 108MP primary camera that lends it a large footprint and attracts attention with its silver ring accent. The Xiaomi branding on the bottom is subtle, and we definitely prefer the clean look over the large obnoxious branding exercises that we have seen on more budget offerings.
The display is a 6.81″ quad-curved QHD+ AMOLED panel with a 120Hz refresh rate. Unfortunately, there’s no variable refresh rate here, though the display can switch between 30Hz, 60Hz, 90Hz, and 120Hz depending on the content. The panel is 10bit capable and is protected by Gorilla Glass Victus on the front. The curve on the top and bottom edges is very slight, and you need to see the phone very carefully to realize that those edges are, in fact, not flat.
Even though the Mi 11 has technically been released in 2020, it still qualifies to be called a 2021 flagship. The sole reason for this is because it uses the brand new Qualcomm Snapdragon 888, and also because the device will become commercially available only in 2021, which is about 3 days away. As Idrees notes in his deep-dive and Mishaal concludes in the benchmark followup, the chip is a respectable step forward for Qualcomm, with a lot of attention on the AI Engine and the Spectra ISP alongside the usual CPU and GPU increments. It’s very likely the Snapdragon 888 becomes the best Android SoC in 2021, and the Mi 11 can take it to that position thanks to the complementing LPDDR5 RAM (clocked at 6400Mbps compared to the previous 5500Mbps clock) and UFS 3.1 storage.
The camera is also impressive. While the Mi 10 and Mi 10 Ultra attempted to pack in four cameras, Xiaomi is rightfully cutting down on the numbers to focus more on the size of the sensor. The primary sensor is a 108MP sensor, flanked by a 13MP ultra-wide angle sensor and a 5MP tertiary sensor. The front camera is a 20MP sensor.
As for battery and charging, this is a flagship, so you get some great specifications here too. The 4,600 mAh battery can be charged up to 55W with a wire, or up to 50W wirelessly. However, one regression creeps into the package, as Xiaomi has removed the charger from the box, as expected after Apple’s move. But but but, Xiaomi will give you a 55W GaN charger (worth CNY 100 (~$15)) separately, outside the box. Customers can opt to forego the same if they have an abundance of chargers with them.
The Xiaomi Mi 11 is also the first phone to launch with MIUI 12.5 based on Android 11. This MIUI update collates all the relevant features added since the introduction of MIUI 12. The Mi 11 is also capable of sharing audio with two connected Bluetooth audio accessories, allowing your friends to listen to the same music from your phone without disturbing others.
Xiaomi Mi 11: Pricing and Availability
The Xiaomi Mi 11 will be available to pre-order in China for CNY 3,999 (~$612) for the 8GB + 128GB variant, CNY 4,299 (~$657) for the 8GB + 256GB variant, and CNY 4,699 (~$719) for the 12GB + 256GB variant. Pre-orders begin today in China, with open sales from January 1, 2021.
The phone is available in Midnight Gray, Horizon Blue, and Frost White in anti-glare frosted glass, as well as Lilac Purple and Honey Beige in vegan leather.
While the company has not explicitly confirmed any plans, we can confidently presume that the device will make its way to the international markets of Europe and India at least. After all, this is Xiaomi’s flagship, and it does make a splash.
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Britain is in talks with six companies about building gigafactories to produce batteries for electric vehicles (EV), the Financial Times reported on Wednesday, citing people briefed on the discussions.
Car makers Ford Motor Co and Nissan Motor Co Ltd, conglomerates LG Corp and Samsung, and start-ups Britishvolt and InoBat Auto are in talks with the British government or local authorities about locations for potential factories and financial support, the report added .
(Reporting by Kanishka Singh in Bengaluru; Editing by Himani Sarkar)
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EBay will sell its South Korean business to retailer Shinsegae Group and e-commerce firm Naver for about 4 trillion won ($3.6 billion), local newspapers reported on Wednesday.
EBay Korea is the country’s third-largest e-commerce firm with market share of about 12.8% in 2020, according to Euromonitor. It operates the platforms Gmarket, Auction and G9.
Shinsegae, Naver and eBay Korea declined to comment.
Lotte Shopping had also been in the running, the Korea Economic Daily and other newspapers said, citing unnamed investment banking sources.
South Korea represents the world’s fourth largest e-commerce market. Driven by the coronavirus pandemic, e-commerce has soared to account for 35.8% of the retail market in 2020 compared with 28.6% in 2019, according to Euromonitor data.
Shinsegae and Naver formed a retail and e-commerce partnership in March by taking stakes worth 250 billion won in each other’s affiliates.
($1 = 1,117.7000 won)
(Reporting by Joyce Lee; Editing by Edwina Gibbs)
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Canada is set to begin a hotly anticipated auction of the mobile telecommunications bandwidth necessary for 5G rollout, one that was delayed more than a year by the pandemic.
The 3,500 MHz is a spectrum companies need to provide 5G, which requires more bandwidth to expand internet capabilities.The auction, initially scheduled for June 2020, is expected to take several weeks with Canadian government selling off 1,504 licenses in 172 service areas.
Smaller operators are going into the auction complaining that recent regulatory rulings have further tilted the scales in the favour of the country’s three biggest telecoms companies – BCE, Telus and Rogers Communications Inc – which together control around 90% of the market as a share of revenue.
Canadian mobile and internet consumers, meanwhile, have complained for years that their bills are among the world’s steepest. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s Liberal government has threatened to take action if the providers did not cut bills by 25%.
The last auction of the 600 MHz spectrum raised C$3.5 billion ($2.87 billion) for the government.
The companies have defended themselves, saying the prices they charge are falling.
Some 23 bidders including regional players such as Cogeco and Quebec’s Videotron are participating in the process. Shaw Communications did not apply to participate due to a $16 billion takeover bid from Rogers. Lawmakers and analysts have warned that market concentration will intensify if that acquisition proceeds.
In May, after Canada‘s telecoms regulator issued a ruling largely in favour of the big three on pricing for smaller companies’ access to broadband networks, internet service provider TekSavvy Inc withdrew from the auction, citing the decision.
Some experts say the government has been trying to level the playing field with its decision to set aside a proportion of spectrum in certain areas for smaller companies.
Gregory Taylor, a spectrum expert and associate professor at the University of Calgary, said he was pleased the government was auctioning off smaller geographic areas of coverage.
In previous auctions where the license covered whole provinces, “small providers could not participate because they could not hope to cover the range that was required in the license,” Taylor said.
Smaller geographic areas mean they have a better chance of fulfilling the requirements for the license, such as providing service to 90% of the population within five years of the issuance date.
The auction has no scheduled end date, although the federal ministry in charge of the spectrum auction has said winners would be announced within five days of bidding completion.
($1 = 1.2181 Canadian dollars)
(Reporting by Moira Warburton in Vancouver; Editing by David Gregorio)
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