Xiaomi 11 Lite 5G NE Review

Design, build and controls

The Xiaomi 11 Lite 5G NE (Xiaomi 2109119DG) exudes subtle elegance. By simply being very slim and very light, it is already quite impressive. The front and back are 2.5D curved and covered with glass. The rear shell, in particular, uses frosted glass that contrasts with the glossy finish of the plastic frame. We are reviewing a black unit but the frosted effect makes it look gray and sometimes there are bluish tints depending on the angle light is reflected. The front and rear also use an oleophobic coating. It does a good job of lessening fingerprint residue. According to our measurements with a caliper and scales, the Xiaomi 11 Lite 5G NE is 75.5 mm wide, 160.5 mm high, 6.8 mm thick, and weighs 158 g. If you take into account the camera bump. the thickness increases to 8.8 mm. In terms of width, it is below average for a smartphone with a 6.55-inch display. In terms of height - it is also way below average for a smartphone with a 6.55-display. Moreover, together with the other 11 Lite models, this is the thinnest smartphone among those with a 4000+ mAh battery and a 6.55-inch screen. Finally, this is also the lightest smartphone among its peers with a similarly sized display and battery. The Xiaomi 11 Lite 5G NE's front is covered with a 2.5D curved Corning Gorilla Glass. 85.5% of the front is occupied by the display. The bezels are very thin - the side ones measure only 1 mm, the top bezel is 1.5 mm, and the bottom one - 2 mm. The top left corner of the display is occupied by a punch hole for the front camera. Its diameter is 3.5 mm. The ultrasonic distance sensor is positioned under the display in the top right area. Navigation is available either via an onscreen navigation bar or gestures with additional customizations available. The frosted glass rear shell houses the triple camera module. It is positioned in the top left corner and has a squarish shape with strongly curved corners. The main and the macro camera are vertically aligned in what looks like a module within the module - it sits a bit higher than the larger camera area and that's what contributes to the thickest part of the smartphone. The ultra-wide camera and the dual-tone LED flash are vertically aligned to the right of the main and macro cameras. The main camera has a silver ring around the lens. Further down, vertically aligned along with the left frame you can see the "Xiaomi 5G" inscription. Regulatory information is also included in smaller print. The top frame houses the second microphone and the IR blaster. The bottom frame is the home to a number of elements. Here they are from left to right - a hybrid, dual Nano-SIM card slot, the main microphone, the USB Type-C port, and the bottom-firing speaker. The left frame of the smartphone is bare. The Volume Up/Down button and the Power button are placed on the right frame. The Volume one is colored just like the frame, protrudes only slightly from its surface, and provides an excellent tactile experience. The Power button has a fingerprint sensor embedded in it. Hence, it has a different color and protrudes by mere microns from the surface of the frame. You can customize both functions of the button from the corresponding settings.