Performance, Audio, And Software
The Xiaomi 11T Pro is not much different from the Mi 11 and Mi 11 Ultra in terms of performance, audio and software. It packs the same Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 as in both devices, and by virtue of the fact that it's the latest flagship chipset, it can basically run everything you put it on. I certainly didn't notice any idiosyncrasies in my usage, and from emulation to gaming, it didn't struggle at all.
In terms of audio, again, you're basically getting the same dual-speaker setup as the Mi 11 and Mi 11 Ultra. They're tuned by Harmon Kardon, and like I said about the Mi 11, I'm really impressed. They're loud and not overly distorted, and there's bass in the audio, though not overpoweringly. Simply put: they're absolutely great speakers for smartphones, but they're still smartphone speakers. The top speaker is slightly quieter than the bottom speaker, a typical imbalance we usually see in smartphones. Top-firing speakers also technically have two outputs – the four holes on the top let out some of the sound, but there's an actual earpiece sandwiched between the metal and the screen, where most of the sound escapes. For phone calls, the sound is loud, and the person on the other end has no trouble hearing me.
Finally, on the software front, MIUI is as good as ever. This is of course a controversial Android variant, but I like it, especially after the company fixed a number of touch issues present on the Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra. I have no complaints here, but be sure to check out our Mi 11 and Mi 11 Ultra reviews where we take a deeper dive into MIUI if you're concerned.
Displays
The Xiaomi 11T Pro's display is a flat 6.67-inch AMOLED panel with a 120Hz refresh rate and a punch hole at the top. It gets very bright at a peak brightness of 1,000 nits and supports HDR10+ content. If you're a fan of flat screens, then the 11T Pro is a great choice. It looks clean, edge-to-edge, and drops the rounded sides of the Mi 11 and Mi 11 Ultra.
On the plastic back is the single camera module at the top left, which packs a triple camera array, as well as the Xiaomi brand logo at the bottom. The Xiaomi 11T Pro feels good in the hand, although it collects fingerprints easily. On the right side is the power button which doubles as a fingerprint sensor. The volume rocker is also on top of that.
There are two speakers on the Xiaomi 11T Pro, one above and one below. The ones on the bottom are louder than the ones on the top, but they get really loud and sound pretty good. The IR blaster, a Xiaomi classic, returns on the top of the 11T Pro, and a single USB-C port sits on the bottom. However, there is no 3.5mm headphone jack on the Xiaomi 11T Pro.
Overall, the Xiaomi 11T Pro is comfortable to hold, and the only disappointment in its design is the fingerprint scanner. It's not the easiest for lefties to use, and I found myself consistently swiping it when my phone screen was off. When it does, it's considered a failed attempt to unlock the phone, and later I have to enter my phone's password to unlock it due to repeated failed attempts. Curved screens are also a matter of personal preference, and while I prefer the look of them, I found flat screens easier to work with.
Camera
The Xiaomi 11T Pro has a 108MP main camera, just like the regular Mi 11 and Mi 11 Ultra. In fact, the camera array is more or less identical to that of the Xiaomi Mi 11X Pro that was launched earlier this year, with the same main, ultra wide-angle and macro cameras. While the shooting capabilities of the Xiaomi 11T Pro aren't quite as good as the Mi 11 Ultra, this phone is a more than capable shooter capable of taking some fantastic photos.
Based on the photos above, I trusted the Xiaomi 11T Pro as my primary photography device on a recent trip to Newgrange, a prehistoric tomb built around 3200 BC. Some of the photos I took while there are in the album above, and they certainly did not disappoint. I was very impressed with the 11T Pro's rear camera, although I can't say the same for the selfie camera, which is only average.
Battery Life
The Xiaomi 11T Pro comes with a 120W charging adapter in the box, the fastest smartphone charger on the market today. Smartphone brand Infinix showcased a 160W charger in a concept phone recently, but it wasn't available for purchase. As such, Xiaomi holds the fast charging crown with the 11T Pro and Mi 10 Ultra from last year, which also support 120W charging.
Surprisingly, no other Xiaomi smartphone — apart from the aforementioned Mi 10 Ultra — charges anywhere close to that speed. The Mi 11 Ultra has “only” 67W charging, a pretty big downgrade (but only when comparing, as 67W charging is pretty fast too). The company, to my knowledge, has never publicly stated why that was the case with the Ultra, but I hope this feature is carried over to future smartphones.
Xiaomi says the 11T Pro can reach 72% battery in just ten minutes of charging from 1%, and I can reproduce results close to that, reaching 71% in 10 minutes. The phone is understandably warm when using a 120W charger, though it didn't feel any warmer than when I quickly charged other phones.
