At the beginning of 2022, Xiaomi released its Hypercharge 5G version of its 11i device which charges to 100% in 15 minutes, but in reality it might take 20 minutes or so.
With more than 11 months since its release, the world of smartphones is yet to discover the 120W charging technology with a handful of devices offering such an option.
But is that all? Fast charging does make life easier but what about the rest of the specs?
Before diving into the whole review, we would like to mention that the 6GB RAM and 128GB version of Xiaomi 11i Hypercharge 5G is available at Tk39,999 while the 8GB RAM and 128GB ROM version costs Tk42,999.
Aesthetics
Similar to the old iPhone 12, the Xiaomi 11i has flat edges.
Personally, I like flat edges, but only on smaller phones. The Xiaomi 11i HyperCharge is a large phone with a 6.7-inch display, and when combined with flat edges, it feels a little uncomfortable to hold.
Since there are no curves to wrap your palm around, the phone feels extremely heavy and must always be used with two hands. Using a case emphasizes this even further.
Being 163.7mm in height and 76.2mm in width, 11i weighs around 204 grams, which is still lighter than iPhones but on the heavier side if we compare it with other Android smartphones at a similar price point. The phone is only 8.3 mm thick, which is a good thing.
While it does feel uncomfortable to hold, the phone truly feels sturdy, which is something I liked.
Even though the side rails are made of plastic, the phone still has a quality feel about it. It feels premium. The glass back enhances the device's overall appearance and feel.
Additionally, the side-mounted fingerprint scanner on the Xiaomi 11i HyperCharge is lightning-quick and precise. Two SIM cards or a SIM and an SD card can fit in the bottom SIM slot with 5G support on both SIM slots.
The 3.5mm headphone socket, an IR blaster, and a secondary speaker with Dolby audio are all located on the top. Additionally, you receive an IP53 rating for splash resistance. So going outside occasionally in the rain shouldn't be a problem.
Another thing to mention here is the haptics. On all of its latest products, Xiaomi has been doing a terrific job with the haptics. The Xiaomi 11i has unquestionably the best haptics in its class. It just feels a lot more satisfying.
When it comes to colour, Xiaomi 11i HyperCharge 5G is available in Camo Green, Stealth Black, Purple Mist and Pacific Pearl colours.
Display
The display on Xiaomi's 11i is another area that was impressive. The Redmi Note 10 series, which had AMOLED panels, marked the beginning of the trend, which has since persisted.
A Full HD+ AMOLED display with a refresh rate of 120Hz is included with the Xiaomi 11i HyperCharge. The HDR 10+ certified panel creates some stunning colours. Since the screen is so large — almost 6.7 inches — watching videos is a fantastic experience.
Because the phone has Widevine L1 certification, you can access Netflix and Amazon Prime's Full HD content.
In reality, you may use this device to watch Netflix HDR content. You would notice how wonderful the display is and how the colours really pop up even when you're just navigating through your home screen or carrying out routine tasks on your phone.
The selfie camera's punch hole cutout is also among the smallest I've ever seen on a phone.
Performance
The Dimensity 920 on the Xiaomi 11i HyperCharge continues MediaTek's recent excellent work with all of its chipsets.
Dimensity 920 can be considered equivalent to the Snapdragon 778G chipset, considering that both of them support 5G. However, it scores a little less than 778G in all aspects apart from the battery life.
What made Xiaomi 11i run better with Dimensity 920, according to me, is the heavily optimized Xiaomi's MIUI Android skin.
All in all, the Dimensity 920 is a highly capable chipset that never gets hot while carrying out any common tasks. It's as easy as ever to scroll through social media feeds and move between apps.
When scrolling at 120Hz on a few older Xiaomi devices, I would occasionally notice lags or jitters. But this phone didn't have any such issues.
You can play as far as Genshin Impact on Xiaomi 11i. But you may need to adjust the graphics settings a little. And if it can run Genshin Impact, it can run any other high-intensive mobile games like Asphalt 9, PUBG Mobile or Call of Duty Mobile with ease.
Cameras
The Xiaomi 11i has so far received favourable reviews for the majority of its features, but this is where it falls short.
Xiaomi has utilized a 108MP sensor on its phones before. In actuality, Xiaomi released its first phone with a 108MP camera almost two years ago. The Xiaomi 11i HyperCharge doesn't appear to be utilizing the sensor to its best potential, despite having had so much time to perfect its picture processing.
Although the dynamic range is superb, when you zoom closer, the photographs lose detail. Additionally, the camera has a tendency to over sharpen shots, especially when you zoom in, which results in less than appealing images.
The colours appear a little flat as well, which I assume is a result of the phone's undersaturation of the photographs.
The main camera sensor does capture some decent shots. But it lacks that consistency.
Although it lacks details, the 8MP ultra-wide camera is also fairly good. However, a higher-resolution sensor would have undoubtedly been helpful in this situation.
However a higher resolution sensor would have undoubtedly been helpful in this situation, it is understood that Xiaomi made these compromises in order to integrate the charging technology while keeping the pricing at an affordable level.
The 2MP macro camera is also a downgrade from the 5MP telemacro camera on some Xiaomi phones.
While the colours and dynamic range of selfies are fantastic, most of the time the skin tones are a hit or miss. Additionally, it frequently oversharpens the face, giving the pictures a slightly grainy appearance. But edge detection in portrait mode appears to be working well.
In the video department, the rear camera supports up to 4K at 30fps, 1080p at 30/60/120fps and 720p at 960fps. The front-facing camera is locked at 1080p at 30fps.
Battery
I would have loved to see a 5000 mAh battery in this phone. However, Xiaomi didn't follow that path and went with a 4500 mAh battery instead, which makes sense considering that they are trying to market this as a phone which will fully charge from zero to hundred within 15 minutes. It takes a little more than 15 minutes, though.
On average, the phone takes around 20 minutes to fully charge mainly because charging depends on many factors including the outdoor temperature and the temperature of the device, which might not always be ideal.
And that's also thanks to the 120 Watts charger included in the box.
Verdict
If you want a big phone with a nice display, solid performance, nice media consumption experience and reliable battery life, you should definitely go for Xiaomi 11i Hypercharge 5G. The 120W charging speed will be a bonus for you in that case.
But if you are solely focusing on the camera performance then this might not be an ideal choice for you.
