Clear your mind and be a better listener. That’s what Xiaomi has been doing, which is reflected in the brand’s recent launches. Be it camera, microphone, processor or battery, every department shines on the new launches, like the Xiaomi 11T Pro 5G. The phone comes a few days after OnePlus has launched 9RT 5G and Samsung has brought out Galaxy S21 FE 5G. Xiaomi has also managed to do something we all know the brand for — outstanding pricing. What you get here is a flagship-level phone… oh well, it has actually ensured that rival brands need to work harder to make an expensive flagship phone.

Smooth performance

I agree that megapixel shouldn’t be a yardstick when it comes to making purchases but the implementation of the 108MP sensor is fantastic. You not only get crystal clear shots under sunshine, night photography is stunning. Even without turning on night mode, photographs come through clear with very little noise and with night mode, there is a small degree of brightness, which one may not like because night shots should look like they have been taken at night.

There is not much to say about the 8MP ultra-wide camera but a lot can be said about the 5MP macro camera, which is probably the best you will find on an Android phone. The only thing missing in the camera department is OIS, which should have been there in this price segment. Yes, there’s Electronic Image Stabilisation or EIS and it has been implemented well but it’s not OIS.

That the implementation of EIS is good is visible on videos taken on the phone. Try to shoot a video while zooming in and the interface is buttery smooth while the final output is comparable with any 70K phone.

There are the other tricks we keep seeing on the Xiaomi camera — slow motion, movie effects, dual video and long exposure, all of them perform absolutely fine.

Stunning display

Ticking all the boxes in the display section, this may well become your go-to phone for streaming on the small screen. Yes, it’s a big 6.67-inch OLED display with 120Hz refresh rate and 480Hz touch sampling rate support. It’s a 10-bit panel but it also supports Dolby Vision and is HDR 10+ certified. Dolby Vision makes a big difference to one’s viewing experience, especially when you are watching action films.

Close-up shots are among the best on any Android phone

Night shots come through quite well

Colours are not oversaturated

There are a few other things that make the device worth its price — anti flicker mode prevents extensive flickering and reduces eye strain in low-light conditions, and super-resolution mode upscales the resolution of videos, which is very helpful if you are watching poor-quality video content. Also present, MEMC which adds additional frames to videos to make content appear smooth.

Needless to say, you get stereo speakers with well-balanced sound.

Design philosophy

In way of design, what I am enjoying the most is the finish. Even though the frame is a hybrid of plastic and metal, there is no room to complain. You will hardly notice the plastic and it keeps the phone light. The phone comes with a flat screen protected by Gorilla Glass Victus, which is one of the best in the industry.

Rounding off the big-hitting specs is the Snapdragon 888 process, which we have spoken about a lot in the last few months. Easily among the fastest you will get on Android phones, there are no lags while using the phone and gaming is super-smooth.

But what we are enjoying again is the 120W fast-charging support. In the box you have a 120W charging brick which can juice up the phone in 17-18 minutes but in real-life scenario, it will be around 20-22 minutes because one keeps using the phone while charging.

Had the company managed to offer Android 12 out of the box, it would have taken on Samsung Galaxy S21 FE very well. I am sure the update will arrive soon but for the time being you have to do with Android 11 and MIUI 12.5.

Should you buy it?

If you are planning to buy a phone keeping 5G in mind and wouldn’t think of updating for a couple of years, this is a great device to have. There is support for 13 5G bands, so you shouldn’t have any issues in the long run.

It’s amazing to see where Xiaomi has come — from being an underdog a few years ago to a trendsetter and a game changer, something the phone celebrates. Xiaomi 11T Pro 5G redefines what a flagship phone is all about.

At a glance

The screen supports Dolby Vision

Device: Xiaomi 11T Pro 5G

Price: Rs 39,999 for 8GB+128GB, Rs 41,999 for 8GB+256GB and Rs 43,999 for 12GB+256GB. Users can avail up to Rs 5,000 cashback offer using Citi bank credit card and exchange discount up to Rs 15,000

High notes

• Night photography is good

• Excellent display

• Highest charging speed available in India

• Smooth performance

Muffled notes

• No OIS on the camera (you get EIS)

• Android 11 out of the box