Having launched the Xiaomi Mi 11 right at the end of last year, Xiaomi has now unveiled the Mi 11 Ultra. It's a flagship phone in every department, not least in the huge camera bump on the back – which is big enough to have its own display.
Like the standard Mi 11, the Ultra edition comes running a Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 processor and up to 12 GB of RAM. The maximum internal storage gets bumped from 256 GB to 512 GB compared with the standard edition, while the battery capacity gets boosted from 4,600 mAh to 5,000 mAh.
Both the new Mi 11 Ultra and the Mi 11 we've already seen come with a 6.81-inch, 1,440 x 3,200 pixel AMOLED screen, with a maximum refresh rate of 120 Hz – although the Ultra's screen is rated as several notches brighter at its peak, at an impressive 1,700 nits.
The Mi 11 Ultra offers a 67W charging rate for both wired and wireless charging, the fastest we've seen on a consumer smartphone to date (the Mi 11 gives you 55W wired and 50W wireless charging, by comparison). 5G is on board too, as you would expect.
It's the rear camera where the Mi 11 Ultra gets the biggest upgrade: the triple-lens 50-MP wide + 48-MP periscope telephoto + 48-MP ultrawide is capable of ultrawide shots and 5x optical zoom, and takes up a lot of room on the back of the phone. It's the first phone camera with Samsung's Isocell GN2 sensor, featuring a whole host of mobile photo tricks (and supporting 8K video recording).
The Mi 11 Ultra also has the distinction of having a second display in that rear camera block: a small 1.1-inch, 126 x 294 pixel AMOLED affair. Xiaomi says it can be used as an always-on display, or to show notifications, or to help frame selfies.
International availability and pricing has yet to be announced, but in China the Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra starts at 5,999 yuan (about US$915), and comes in ceramic white or ceramic black.
Xiaomi has also unveiled the more affordable Mi 11 Pro, Mi 11i, and Mi 11 Lite handsets, covering a variety of configurations and price points. As with the Mi 11 Ultra, it's not immediately clear which markets outside of China will get which phones.
It's the Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra that's going to attract most of the headlines – both for its internal specs and its external camera bump. The phone is undoubtedly one of the most powerful handsets you can buy, if it's available in your region.
Product page: Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra
