What I don't understand: how on Earth the $750+ Mi 11 doesn't have an IP certification? Enough games and "just trust us, lmao".
For $750 (aka former flagship pricing), this should be a no-brainer. The iPhone SE 2, S10e, Pixel 5, A52, etc. all have IP certifications.
Whatever silly game Xiaomi is playing with OnePlus ("the certificate costs so much!") needs to end; nobody should trust a company's "word" that they did it this year and "it doesn't matter, everyone knows it's there but just not certified".
These manufacturers are legendary for eating their own words within the next six months.
then don't use it near water? I mean water damage isn't covered by warranty, either, that means no matter how high your IP rating is, if they found out if it's broken due to water damage (which they do) then you need to pay for it yourself.
You are paying for the camera at these prices. If else you are better off with a sub 300$ phones. This camera setup is way better than a 1300$ note 20 ultra/ s20ultra. Hopefully samsung makes similar changes and gets 48 MP IMX586 in the zoom and the ultra wide cameras. Utra wide is pointless without high resolution. 108 MP is pointless in a main camera if you have a 3x zoom, and 12 MP is silly in a 3x zoom if your next zoom is 10x. Samsung camera choices are just plain wrong in every camera they have on their phones.
That GN2 sensor for the main camera is really quite a beast; does this one (finally) beat the incredible sensor that the old Nokia 808 Pureview had? Andrei, when you test the Ultra, could you also check the video capabilities? I know you usually don't, but that camera may make me part with this large amount of cash if the video works as well as the sensor promises. Over the last years, I found myself using my phone more for video recording than stills, especially now that 4K footage from some has become downright watchable. Really hope Xiaomi won't screw the processing up, because the 11 Ultra might just give the iPhone Max Pro etc a run for the money.
Also, forgot to add: I also don't get why Samsung is not using its own best sensor on its flagship phone. What's up with that? Are those divisions not in speaking terms?
Anybody has an estimate for how thick is the camera bump ? I remember people going rant for 1 mm thick bumps.
Yet still 24 mm is very wide to me for use as the primary lens.
When we will reach a sweet spot for phone camera sensor formats ? 1” seems like living on the edge. Or are we going into ultrawide territory for the sake of bigger sensors ?
I am curious about the camera thickness too. My old Nokia 808 is 18mm thick at the camera with its 1/1.2 in sensor. This looks much much thinner. Quite impressive.
Quick measurement using USB-C as scale confirms 8.38 mm is for phone without camera bump (I get about 8.1, but this is much closer than using camera bump). Bump pushes total thickness to about 11.5 to 11.9 (using 8.38 mm as phone thickness, disregarding usb-c; I get 11-ish with usb-c).
With such big compromises on thickness and weight, this is a camera with phone features and not a phone with good camera. I hope such realization and less bragging envy as a result will stop the price creep on flagship devices due to a lack of demand.
While the camera is very good, I feel the design of the phone looks bad. I get the point of the rear screen, but it looks like someone slapped a fever patch on the forehead of the phone. Hopefully the next iteration will have the fever patch covering half the rear of the phone since it seems to be growing in size each year.
If you can get this camera setup into a 6.1" Galaxy phone (I'm pretty invested in the ecosystem at this point), I'd happily take it. I wouldn't mind a phone that was a bit thicker and heavier, as long as it could still comfortably fit in my pocket.
1: How long until we get phones with actual 1" camera sensors? I still remember when Sony putting sensors this size in their compact RX lineup of cameras was a big deal. 2: How long until we start expressing sensor sizes in some metric that is even remotely understandable by humans? 1/1.12" is ... gibberish. I thought inches weren't supposed to have decimals anyhow? And isn't using decimals within a fraction just ... dumb? Could we please just call it a 22.7mm sensor? Which would quite logically be larger than a 21mm sensor, and smaller than a 24mm sensor. Instead, we have 1/1.12", which .. is a size. What size? Unless you have a calculator, there's no way of knowing.
My calculation is 14.28mm diagonally? can you confirm which one is correct? Here is my comparison table for some of the devices you may find it interesting to read: https://i.imgur.com/4fpbeHi.png
"This is currently the largest camera sensor in any mobile phone on the market, measuring in at 1/1.12” optical format – keep in mind that optical format doesn’t actually correspond to the physical dimensions of the sensor which actually falls in at 11.4 x 8.6mm (14.3mm diagonal) active area."
Sticker shock on first few seconds but realized that a Sony RX 100 camera, with a 1" sensor, cost as much. I could burn money for this device for travel photos and videos but the pandemic.
Nothing is stopping anybody from using a more modest PD charger. I charge my phone mostly in car at ~10W, and at job as well at 10w. But I sure appreciate having the option to supercharge it quickly those rare times that I AM in a rush and need juice quickly. Maybe nannying idiot consumers is not worth it, I think. Especially in something as irrelevant as a smartphone.
Looking forward to the reviews. As for the camera hump, I'd prefer they'd make the whole phone the thickness of camera section, and increase battery capacity, make it easier to grip etc.
Xiaomi for $1000? LOL, no. Not paying that much for a device ridden with telemetry, ads and other kinds of anal probes. Not going to buy Xiaomi again and don't recommend this brand to anyone.
I wouldn't mind losing the front facing camera to just use the back side camera with the small screen. Thus reducing the weight a tiny bit and cost of manufacturing. Plus, would ease my conscious of having a constant front side camera looking at me. I'm trying to come up with idea of what practical uses their could be for the back side screen? Like can I double tap to wake and then launch a application on the main screen with it? That sounds cool. Ooo Ooo maybe a count timer for when the camera takes the photo! :D Oooor for those of you who like the notification light. This screen could show the regular app icon that has that number bubble on it.
Not impressed till now by this camera system. The specs are amazing but the outcome is not at all. Still it is probably quite good for raw photography.
But here is my point:I am only judging based of footage I have seen, but Xiaomis Videomode isn't exceptional. Especially at night it sucks. Something the much cheaper Vivo X60 Pro+ nails. Next point: The Portrait Mode. It's much better than most phones but so much worse than the cheaper x60 Pro+. You just don't get the dslr feeling I expected after hearing they use such a big sensor.
And the next point where you see that they suck is: With a bigger sensor you can see that Xiaomis M11´s ultra pictures have much more detail. Well you might think: Whats wrong with that??! I am glad you asked: It means that also leaves, gras etc. are super sharp and have more detail. But that's something that will be very distracting. You want the main motive of your picture to stand out and not the leaves of a tree. So with that being said it is for me a killer argument at least for the random user. I just think the s21 ultra and the Vivo X60 Pro do the better .jpeg photos out of the system even though they lack some details.For Raw Photography on the other side: No one beats it at this moment. But the Xperia event is coming in a week and the Huawei P50 is coming soon too. And I feel like they will get out more creativity out of the bigger sensors.
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42 Comments
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Arbie - Monday, March 29, 2021 - link
Grammar police: "The proof of the pudding is in the eating".linuxgeex - Monday, March 29, 2021 - link
This isn't the most common form of the expression, but that doesn't impinge its grammar.It's perfectly acceptable to leave open the implication that [the quality of ] the pudding is being proven by eating it.
boozed - Monday, March 29, 2021 - link
"The proof is in the pudding is in the eating" is incorrect no matter how you look at it.ikjadoon - Monday, March 29, 2021 - link
What I don't understand: how on Earth the $750+ Mi 11 doesn't have an IP certification? Enough games and "just trust us, lmao".For $750 (aka former flagship pricing), this should be a no-brainer. The iPhone SE 2, S10e, Pixel 5, A52, etc. all have IP certifications.
Whatever silly game Xiaomi is playing with OnePlus ("the certificate costs so much!") needs to end; nobody should trust a company's "word" that they did it this year and "it doesn't matter, everyone knows it's there but just not certified".
These manufacturers are legendary for eating their own words within the next six months.
Fulljack - Tuesday, March 30, 2021 - link
then don't use it near water? I mean water damage isn't covered by warranty, either, that means no matter how high your IP rating is, if they found out if it's broken due to water damage (which they do) then you need to pay for it yourself.egiee - Tuesday, March 30, 2021 - link
They did not mention it that MI 11 has ip53tkSteveFOX - Monday, March 29, 2021 - link
234 grams is a stone in your pocket, just get the 11 Pro.sharath.naik - Thursday, April 1, 2021 - link
You are paying for the camera at these prices. If else you are better off with a sub 300$ phones. This camera setup is way better than a 1300$ note 20 ultra/ s20ultra. Hopefully samsung makes similar changes and gets 48 MP IMX586 in the zoom and the ultra wide cameras. Utra wide is pointless without high resolution. 108 MP is pointless in a main camera if you have a 3x zoom, and 12 MP is silly in a 3x zoom if your next zoom is 10x.Samsung camera choices are just plain wrong in every camera they have on their phones.
eastcoast_pete - Monday, March 29, 2021 - link
That GN2 sensor for the main camera is really quite a beast; does this one (finally) beat the incredible sensor that the old Nokia 808 Pureview had?Andrei, when you test the Ultra, could you also check the video capabilities? I know you usually don't, but that camera may make me part with this large amount of cash if the video works as well as the sensor promises. Over the last years, I found myself using my phone more for video recording than stills, especially now that 4K footage from some has become downright watchable. Really hope Xiaomi won't screw the processing up, because the 11 Ultra might just give the iPhone Max Pro etc a run for the money.
eastcoast_pete - Monday, March 29, 2021 - link
Also, forgot to add: I also don't get why Samsung is not using its own best sensor on its flagship phone. What's up with that? Are those divisions not in speaking terms?eastcoast_pete - Monday, March 29, 2021 - link
"on speaking terms", of coursedudedud - Monday, March 29, 2021 - link
Probably there weren't enough sensors at that time. Or even now, especially at the volumes that Samsung sells. Maybe with the note 21 ultra :/slyphnier - Tuesday, March 30, 2021 - link
that in S21ultra is HM3 (not old model like on mi 11 HMX), in term of technical spec HM3 that using nanocell is better than tetracell GN2Also if wikipedia (Samsung_CMOS) true, GN2 8k video is limited to 24fps compared to 30fps with HM3
GC2:CS - Monday, March 29, 2021 - link
Anybody has an estimate for how thick is the camera bump ? I remember people going rant for 1 mm thick bumps.Yet still 24 mm is very wide to me for use as the primary lens.
When we will reach a sweet spot for phone camera sensor formats ? 1” seems like living on the edge.
Or are we going into ultrawide territory for the sake of bigger sensors ?
Varezhka - Monday, March 29, 2021 - link
I am curious about the camera thickness too.My old Nokia 808 is 18mm thick at the camera with its 1/1.2 in sensor. This looks much much thinner. Quite impressive.
Zizy - Tuesday, March 30, 2021 - link
Quick measurement using USB-C as scale confirms 8.38 mm is for phone without camera bump (I get about 8.1, but this is much closer than using camera bump). Bump pushes total thickness to about 11.5 to 11.9 (using 8.38 mm as phone thickness, disregarding usb-c; I get 11-ish with usb-c).MrSpadge - Monday, March 29, 2021 - link
Would be very interested in a camera like this if it came in a more modest package: Snapdragon 780, 8+128 GB, smaller, lighter, cheaper.Mil0 - Wednesday, March 31, 2021 - link
Pixel 6 will prob beat it in most aspects - finally a new sensorwr3zzz - Monday, March 29, 2021 - link
With such big compromises on thickness and weight, this is a camera with phone features and not a phone with good camera. I hope such realization and less bragging envy as a result will stop the price creep on flagship devices due to a lack of demand.markiz - Monday, April 12, 2021 - link
It's the same wight as iphone 12 pro max, with bigger battery. Seems reasonable.watzupken - Tuesday, March 30, 2021 - link
While the camera is very good, I feel the design of the phone looks bad. I get the point of the rear screen, but it looks like someone slapped a fever patch on the forehead of the phone. Hopefully the next iteration will have the fever patch covering half the rear of the phone since it seems to be growing in size each year.yhelothar - Tuesday, March 30, 2021 - link
It's not nearly as bad as it looks if you use a case, which is going to be almost everyone who gets a $1500 ultra phone.Dizoja86 - Tuesday, March 30, 2021 - link
If you can get this camera setup into a 6.1" Galaxy phone (I'm pretty invested in the ecosystem at this point), I'd happily take it. I wouldn't mind a phone that was a bit thicker and heavier, as long as it could still comfortably fit in my pocket.Valantar - Tuesday, March 30, 2021 - link
1: How long until we get phones with actual 1" camera sensors? I still remember when Sony putting sensors this size in their compact RX lineup of cameras was a big deal.2: How long until we start expressing sensor sizes in some metric that is even remotely understandable by humans? 1/1.12" is ... gibberish. I thought inches weren't supposed to have decimals anyhow? And isn't using decimals within a fraction just ... dumb? Could we please just call it a 22.7mm sensor? Which would quite logically be larger than a 21mm sensor, and smaller than a 24mm sensor. Instead, we have 1/1.12", which .. is a size. What size? Unless you have a calculator, there's no way of knowing.
Randomdude789 - Tuesday, March 30, 2021 - link
A 1" sensor isn't actually 1", it's 1.58mm....Yeah, time to change that.
Randomdude789 - Tuesday, March 30, 2021 - link
Sorry, I meant 15.8mmaaronlee0712 - Monday, April 12, 2021 - link
My calculation is 14.28mm diagonally? can you confirm which one is correct? Here is my comparison table for some of the devices you may find it interesting to read: https://i.imgur.com/4fpbeHi.pngaaronlee0712 - Monday, April 12, 2021 - link
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Optical_formatMobiusPizza - Tuesday, March 30, 2021 - link
Should the author be comparing the Mi 11 Ultra to the Mi 11 Pro rather than the base Mi 11?shabby - Wednesday, March 31, 2021 - link
"This is currently the largest camera sensor in any mobile phone on the market, measuring in at 1/1.12” optical format – keep in mind that optical format doesn’t actually correspond to the physical dimensions of the sensor which actually falls in at 11.4 x 8.6mm (14.3mm diagonal) active area."We've been bamboozled all this time?!?
zodiacfml - Thursday, April 1, 2021 - link
Sticker shock on first few seconds but realized that a Sony RX 100 camera, with a 1" sensor, cost as much. I could burn money for this device for travel photos and videos but the pandemic.ads295 - Saturday, April 3, 2021 - link
67W charger on a phone. Insane. Most laptops nowadays are on 45-60W chargers...brucethemoose - Saturday, April 10, 2021 - link
Yeah, thats just asking to destroy the battery, if not cook the whole device. Certainly no planned obsolescence there, right?Asus is the only Android manufacturer I know of who seems to care about battery longevity/health. Even Apple is better than most.
markiz - Monday, April 12, 2021 - link
Nothing is stopping anybody from using a more modest PD charger.I charge my phone mostly in car at ~10W, and at job as well at 10w.
But I sure appreciate having the option to supercharge it quickly those rare times that I AM in a rush and need juice quickly.
Maybe nannying idiot consumers is not worth it, I think. Especially in something as irrelevant as a smartphone.
Gadgety - Tuesday, April 6, 2021 - link
Looking forward to the reviews. As for the camera hump, I'd prefer they'd make the whole phone the thickness of camera section, and increase battery capacity, make it easier to grip etc.Violet Giraffe - Thursday, April 8, 2021 - link
Xiaomi for $1000? LOL, no. Not paying that much for a device ridden with telemetry, ads and other kinds of anal probes. Not going to buy Xiaomi again and don't recommend this brand to anyone.markiz - Monday, April 12, 2021 - link
As if others don't have anal probes.If the device is better then competition at the price point, what does it matter?
In EU, I have not noticed any ads.
RomanPixel - Wednesday, April 14, 2021 - link
I wouldn't mind losing the front facing camera to just use the back side camera with the small screen. Thus reducing the weight a tiny bit and cost of manufacturing. Plus, would ease my conscious of having a constant front side camera looking at me.I'm trying to come up with idea of what practical uses their could be for the back side screen? Like can I double tap to wake and then launch a application on the main screen with it? That sounds cool. Ooo Ooo maybe a count timer for when the camera takes the photo! :D Oooor for those of you who like the notification light. This screen could show the regular app icon that has that number bubble on it.
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fincherdavid - Thursday, April 29, 2021 - link
Not impressed till now by this camera system. The specs are amazing but the outcome is not at all. Still it is probably quite good for raw photography.
But here is my point:I am only judging based of footage I have seen, but Xiaomis Videomode isn't exceptional. Especially at night it sucks. Something the much cheaper Vivo X60 Pro+ nails. Next point: The Portrait Mode. It's much better than most phones but so much worse than the cheaper x60 Pro+. You just don't get the dslr feeling I expected after hearing they use such a big sensor.
And the next point where you see that they suck is: With a bigger sensor you can see that Xiaomis M11´s ultra pictures have much more detail. Well you might think: Whats wrong with that??! I am glad you asked: It means that also leaves, gras etc. are super sharp and have more detail. But that's something that will be very distracting. You want the main motive of your picture to stand out and not the leaves of a tree. So with that being said it is for me a killer argument at least for the random user. I just think the s21 ultra and the Vivo X60 Pro do the better .jpeg photos out of the system even though they lack some details.For Raw Photography on the other side: No one beats it at this moment. But the Xperia event is coming in a week and the Huawei P50 is coming soon too. And I feel like they will get out more creativity out of the bigger sensors.
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