Xiaomi is launching its 2021 flagships on March 29. No, not the Mi 11, that one was technically launched at the tail-end of 2020. It’s debuting the Mi 11 Pro and Mi 11 Ultra, its true flagships for 2021. The company broke the announcement on its Weibo social account today.
Xiaomi, like most Android phone makers, doesn’t just make one high-end phone a year. So while the Mi 11 offers a good experience on its own, the Mi 11 Pro will have that at a minimum, but the hardware will be improved. It’ll also be coming with more RAM and a bigger battery. Leaks from XDA Developers say the Mi 11 Pro will have up to 12GB of RAM, while the Ultra will have up to 16GB of RAM. Both are said to come with 5,000 mAh batteries and 67W wired fast charging.
We also expect 50-megapixel main cameras for both, a 13MP wide-angle with a 5MP macro and a telephoto camera for the Pro, plus a pair of 48MP wide and telephoto cameras for the Ultra. The front cameras will remain the same, as will the Snapdragon 888 chip and the glass-clad design.
The key selling point will be the camera. While a 50MP camera could look to be a numerical downgrade from the 108MP in the Mi 11 to the casual eye, leaker Ice Universe says it’ll have the Samsung ISOCELL GN2, which the company says will feature its new “Dual Pixel Pro, an innovative all-direction auto-focusing solution that elevates the agility to capture moments as they unfold.” The new Mi 11 models will be the first phones to ship with that technology, so it would also offer a peek at what Samsung’s cameras for the latter half of the year could offer.
This will be the first global “Ultra” phone from Xiaomi, as the Mi 10 Ultra was only released in China. While Xiaomi has always been a strong brand, the company may be making the most of the opportunity given to it by the neutering of rival brand, Huawei, Xiaomi has been quick to pick up sales and its partnerships with European carriers have likely increased its visibility. Xiaomi will be launching the Mi 11s next week, and we’ll have more to share when they come in.
