Xiaomi 11T review

Android 11 with MIUI 12.5

The Xiaomi 11T boots Android 11 with MIUI 12.5 at the time of release. MIUI 13 should be arriving by the end of 2021, and logic points to the newest phones being among the first to get it. Unrelated to that, with the new 11T series Xiaomi announced its commitment to delivering three major Android updates and four years of security patches - a most welcome development.

Meanwhile, the current MIUI 12 has been around for quite some time, and it is plenty familiar already.

Starting at the Always-on display on the 11T, it offers the usual choice of being always on, appear according to a schedule, or just show up for 10s after a tap. MIUI 12 has a ton of AOD themes you can choose from, and you can customize many of those and make them truly yours. The Always-on display also supports breathing light - the curved edges of the display will flash with colors upon new notifications.

Always-on display

Biometric security is taken care of by the side-mounted fingerprint scanner. The reader is easy to set up, blazing-fast, and the accuracy is superb. We advise you to set the unlock method to Press as the always-on reader will often attempt reading your palm and/or other fingers and eventually disable the fingerprint unlock until you input your PIN. A 2D Face Unlock is available too, but it is far less secure than the fingerprint option.

Security options

The homescreens are business as usual - they are populated with shortcuts, folders, and widgets. The leftmost pane, if enabled, is Google's Discover.

Lockscreen • Homescreen • Folder view • Google Discover • Homescreen settings • Navigation

The high-end phones running on MIUI 12 support a feature called Super Wallpapers. It's a type of dynamic wallpaper that zooms each time you pass a certain screen. While not something groundbreaking, it does provide a very coherent visual experience that is a feast for the eyes and, in the meantime - connects the parts of MIUI in a subtle yet striking way.

There are now five Super Wallpapers available, the newly added Snowy Peaks joining the older Home (Earth), The Red Planet (Mars), Faraway rings (Saturn), and Geometry.

Super Wallpapers

MIUI 12 offers an app drawer, and it automatically organizes your apps into categories. The first is All, meaning it contains all apps. Then follow Communication, Entertainment, Photography, Tools, New, and Business. You can edit these categories or even disable them altogether.

You can disable the app drawer entirely if that's not your thing.

App drawer

Another interesting feature is the Notification shade split into Notification Center and Control Center. It's clearly inspired by iOS, and you even summon them in the same fashion - pull down from the left part of the screen for the Notification Center, pull down from the right for the Control Center.

If you are not fond of this split - you can disable the Control Center, and the shade will revert to its normal looks and operation.

Notification Center • Control Center • Control Center • Options • Classic Notification Shade

The default task switcher is the MIUI-specific one that shows all your recent apps in two columns. Tap and hold on a card for the split-screen shortcut, or just swipe it left or right to close it. There is a Floating Windows button on top, which lets you put a compatible app in a floating state, but you can only have one floating window at a time.

If you don't like the MIUI task switcher, you can set a classic horizontally scrollable layout with a rolodex of vertical cards.

Task Switcher • Window options • Floating Window • Split screen • Traditional is an option

Themes are a huge part of MIUI, and they are available on the 11T's version of the software. You can download new ones from the Themes store, and they can change wallpapers, ringtones, system icons, and even the always-on display style.

Themes

Xiaomi enhanced MIUI 12 with a couple of additional privacy options. Now, when sharing stuff, like photos and videos, you can opt to remove location info and/or other metadata (incl. device info) and thus protect your privacy better. It will ask you the first time you choose to share stuff, but the setting is there in the menu if you change your mind afterwards.

MIUI also offers a Security app. It can scan your phone for malware, manage your blacklist, manage or restrict your data usage, configure battery behavior, and free up some RAM. It can also manage the permissions of your installed apps, allows you to define the battery behavior of selected apps, and applies restrictions only to the apps you choose.

Proprietary Gallery, Music, and Video player are included, and in some regions, the music and video apps may include paid streaming options. Mi Remote for the IR blaster is available, too.

The Notes app has been enhanced with even more Task checklists and subtask options.

Gallery • Privacy Settings • Security • Music • Video • Mi Remote

MIUI 12 supports Dark Mode, too, and you can even force it on wallpapers or restrict its application on incompatible individual apps.

Dark Mode

Synthetic benchmarks

The 11T is powered by the Dimensity 1200, Mediatek's top-of-the-line 5G-capable chipset that's manufactured on a 6nm production line. It features a 1+3+4 CPU with one Cortex-A78-based Ultra core that's clocked at up to 3.0GHz, three more A78s limited to 2.6GHz and four A55s reaching up to 2GHz. A Mali-G77 MC9 GPU is in charge of graphics. Two storage versions are available - 128GB (our review unit) and 256GB, and both come with 8GB of RAM.

In GeekBench, the 11T posted slightly lower than usual numbers (for a Dimensity 1200) under single-core loads with the OP Nord 2 and the Reno6 Pro 5G outperforming it slightly, and the Realme X7 Max 5X even further up. SD778 and SD780 handsets also have a minor advantage over the 11T. SD800-series devices are significantly more powerful, be it the 870 or 888 that ticks inside them.

GeekBench 5 (single-core)

Higher is better

• Realme GT 5G
  1139
• ZTE Axon 30 Ultra 5G
  1124
• Xiaomi Mi 11i
  1114
• vivo X60 Pro
  1034
• Realme GT Explorer Master
  1020
• ZTE Axon 30 5G
  985
• Motorola Edge 20 Pro
  972
• Motorola Moto G100
  950
• OnePlus Nord 2
  814
• Oppo Reno6 Pro 5G
  813
• Xiaomi Mi 11 Lite 5G
  803
• Xiaomi 11 Lite 5G NE
  787
• Realme GT Master
  785
• Samsung Galaxy A52s 5G
  771
• Motorola Edge 20
  762
• Xiaomi 11T
  742
• Poco X3 GT
  693

Under multi-core loads, the Xioami 11T is, in fact, slightly ahead of the other Dimensity 1200 phones we've tested though it still loses to SD870 or SD888 models.

GeekBench 5 (multi-core)

Higher is better

• Xiaomi Mi 11i
  3641
• ZTE Axon 30 Ultra 5G
  3582
• Realme GT 5G
  3555
• vivo X60 Pro
  3490
• ZTE Axon 30 5G
  3160
• Motorola Edge 20 Pro
  3140
• Realme GT Explorer Master
  3050
• Realme GT Master
  2917
• Xiaomi Mi 11 Lite 5G
  2909
• Motorola Moto G100
  2860
• Xiaomi 11T
  2834
• Xiaomi 11 Lite 5G NE
  2832
• Samsung Galaxy A52s 5G
  2801
• OnePlus Nord 2
  2792
• Oppo Reno6 Pro 5G
  2621
• Motorola Edge 20
  2550
• Poco X3 GT
  2310

In Antutu, the 11T is on par with the Nord 2, the overachieving Realme X7 Max 5G, meanwhile, posting uncharacteristically high scores for the chipset. SD778 handsets are behind the Xiaomi here, while the high-end Snapdragon-powered rivals are way ahead.

AnTuTu 9

Higher is better

• Realme GT 5G
  810433
• ZTE Axon 30 Ultra 5G
  804626
• Xiaomi Mi 11i
  779481
• vivo X60 Pro
  720352
• Realme GT Explorer Master
  717879
• Motorola Edge 20 Pro
  711090
• ZTE Axon 30 5G
  701991
• Motorola Moto G100
  681559
• OnePlus Nord 2
  598022
• Xiaomi 11T
  590837
• Poco X3 GT
  578505
• Realme GT Master
  529263
• Xiaomi 11 Lite 5G NE
  527663
• Xiaomi Mi 11 Lite 5G
  522490
• Samsung Galaxy A52s 5G
  506432
• Motorola Edge 20
  488574

In graphics benchmarks, the 11T is tightly packed with the rest of the 1200 Dimensities. Its Mali GPU is a tangible upgrade over the Adrenos in the SD700-series, and it's a match for the Adreno 650 in the SD870-powered phones in most tasks. The Adreno 660 in the SD888 still reigns supreme.

GFX Manhattan ES 3.1 (offscreen 1080p)

Higher is better

• ZTE Axon 30 Ultra 5G
  118
• Realme GT 5G
  112
• Realme GT Explorer Master
  99
• ZTE Axon 30 5G
  96
• Motorola Edge 20 Pro
  92
• Motorola Moto G100
  91
• Oppo Reno6 Pro 5G
  81
• Xiaomi 11T
  77
• OnePlus Nord 2
  75
• Poco X3 GT
  74
• Xiaomi Mi 11 Lite 5G
  65
• Motorola Edge 20
  57
• Realme GT Master
  56
• Xiaomi 11 Lite 5G NE
  56
• Samsung Galaxy A52s 5G
  56

GFX Manhattan ES 3.1 (onscreen)

Higher is better

• ZTE Axon 30 Ultra 5G
  93
• ZTE Axon 30 5G
  84
• Motorola Edge 20 Pro
  83
• Motorola Moto G100
  79
• Xiaomi 11T
  72
• Poco X3 GT
  68
• Oppo Reno6 Pro 5G
  61
• Realme GT Explorer Master
  60
• Realme GT 5G
  60
• OnePlus Nord 2
  57
• Xiaomi Mi 11 Lite 5G
  57
• Motorola Edge 20
  51
• Xiaomi 11 Lite 5G NE
  49
• Samsung Galaxy A52s 5G
  49
• Realme GT Master
  46

GFX Car Chase ES 3.1 (offscreen 1080p)

Higher is better

• ZTE Axon 30 Ultra 5G
  69
• Realme GT 5G
  65
• ZTE Axon 30 5G
  60
• Realme GT Explorer Master
  59
• Motorola Edge 20 Pro
  57
• Motorola Moto G100
  56
• Oppo Reno6 Pro 5G
  48
• Xiaomi 11T
  47
• OnePlus Nord 2
  46
• Poco X3 GT
  44
• Xiaomi Mi 11 Lite 5G
  40
• Realme GT Master
  33
• Motorola Edge 20
  33
• Xiaomi 11 Lite 5G NE
  33
• Samsung Galaxy A52s 5G
  33

GFX Car Chase ES 3.1 (onscreen)

Higher is better

• Realme GT 5G
  55
• ZTE Axon 30 Ultra 5G
  54
• ZTE Axon 30 5G
  51
• Realme GT Explorer Master
  50
• Motorola Edge 20 Pro
  49
• Motorola Moto G100
  47
• Oppo Reno6 Pro 5G
  42
• Xiaomi 11T
  40
• OnePlus Nord 2
  38
• Poco X3 GT
  38
• Xiaomi Mi 11 Lite 5G
  35
• Motorola Edge 20
  29
• Xiaomi 11 Lite 5G NE
  28
• Samsung Galaxy A52s 5G
  28
• Realme GT Master
  27

GFX Aztek Vulkan High (onscreen)

Higher is better

• ZTE Axon 30 Ultra 5G
  41
• Realme GT 5G
  38
• Motorola Edge 20 Pro
  35
• ZTE Axon 30 5G
  34
• Motorola Moto G100
  33
• Realme GT Explorer Master
  33
• Xiaomi 11T
  29
• Poco X3 GT
  28
• OnePlus Nord 2
  26
• Motorola Edge 20
  20
• Xiaomi 11 Lite 5G NE
  20
• Samsung Galaxy A52s 5G
  20
• Realme GT Master
  19

GFX Aztek ES 3.1 High (onscreen)

Higher is better

• ZTE Axon 30 Ultra 5G
  39
• Realme GT 5G
  39
• ZTE Axon 30 5G
  33
• Realme GT Explorer Master
  32
• Motorola Moto G100
  31
• Motorola Edge 20 Pro
  31
• OnePlus Nord 2
  30
• Xiaomi 11T
  30
• Poco X3 GT
  29
• Motorola Edge 20
  19
• Xiaomi 11 Lite 5G NE
  19
• Samsung Galaxy A52s 5G
  19
• Realme GT Master
  18

3DMark Wild Life Vulkan 1.1 (offscreen 1440p)

Higher is better

• Realme GT 5G
  5872
• ZTE Axon 30 Ultra 5G
  5714
• Realme GT Explorer Master
  4255
• Oppo Reno6 Pro 5G
  4236
• OnePlus Nord 2
  4224
• Motorola Edge 20 Pro
  4206
• ZTE Axon 30 5G
  4191
• Xiaomi 11T
  4172
• Motorola Moto G100
  4114
• Poco X3 GT
  3991
• Xiaomi Mi 11 Lite 5G
  3136
• Motorola Edge 20
  2494
• Samsung Galaxy A52s 5G
  2491
• Realme GT Master
  2481
• Xiaomi 11 Lite 5G NE
  2477

The Xiaomi 11T showed good stability under sustained load in the GPU department, posting a 93% stability rating in the 3DMark Wild Life stress test. It was a bit shakier under CPU load, its performance dropping to around 70% of the initial result. Overall, the 11T and its Dimensity 1200 are dependable and deliver plenty of performance for the money, if not quite up to SD870 level.

CPU throttling test • 3DMark Wild Life stress test