Xiaomi 11i HyperCharge review: Superfast charging… but does it change your life?

Xiaomi 11i Hypercharge specifications: 6.67-inch full HD+ display, 120 Hz refresh rate | Mediatek 920 Dimensity | 6GB or 8GB RAM+128GB storage | 108MP+8MP+2MP camera + 16MP camera | 4500 mAh battery with 120W fast-charging | MIUI 12.5 with Android 11

Xiaomi 11i Hypercharge price in India: Rs 26,999 for the 6GB option; Rs 28,999 for 8GB RAM

Xiaomi 11i Hypercharge in ‘Camo Green’ variant. (Image credit: Shruti Dhapola/Indian Express)

Xiaomi 11i Hypercharge review: What’s good?

The battery on the Hypercharge variant is 4500 mAh. It took around two-three movies, game downloading, etc to drain this down to zero per cent.  The phone’s 120W charging is not turned on by default. You need to go to the phone’s settings> battery and turn on Boost charging speed. The phone will have a notification displaying this when the feature is turned on. Also, the words ‘120W charging’ will appear written in yellow. If they appear in Blue, it means boost charging is not on.

Without boost charging, the phone went from zero to 75 per cent in around 15 minutes, which frankly is good enough for most users. But I drained the battery completely to zero per cent and then started charging. The phone got to 80 per cent at the 15-minute mark and was at 100 per cent in another 5 minutes or so.

How to turn on Boost charging in the Xiaomi 11i Hypercharge.

Xiaomi says the battery needs to be at 1 per cent in order for it to hit 100 per cent at 15 minutes. Still. a phone getting to 100 per cent in just 20 minutes from zero is very fast. It is interesting to note that when boost charging is on, Xiaomi does display a notice saying it will cause the device to heat up. And yes, the phone does get warm.

Xiaomi also claims the fast charging will not destroy the battery life on your device. It claims the phone’s battery will hold peak capacity at 80 per cent even after 800 of these fast charge cycles. Now, whether that’s actually true is something that can only be determined after really long-term usage. But at least you have the option of turning it off and sticking to regular fast-charging, which is frankly good enough.

The phone has 16MP punch-hole camera on the front. (Image credit: Shruti Dhapola/Indian Express)

The 4500 mAh battery should be enough for most users to get through the day. As I said, it took me some time to drain the battery, even with movies playing, etc. But I was not running resource-heavy games on the device so the results might vary for those who are playing these for a longer duration.

I quite liked the ‘Camo Green’ colour variant. For one, it only appears green depending on when and how the light hits it. In fact, when I unboxed it, the device looked black and I had to double-check the colour on the box. The tones of black and green are very well done. The back has a matte finish, though it is prone to picking up fingerprints.

The camera module at the back. (Image credit: Shruti Dhapola/Indian Express)

The overall design of the device is compact. But the camera module does jut out. Nonetheless, the phone itself is easy to use and not bulky. Xiaomi has managed to retain the headphone jack on this one, something many users will appreciate. There are two speakers, one at the top and the bottom. The fingerprint scanner is embedded into the power button. It works accurately and quickly for the most part.

The 6.67-inch OLED display has a 120Hz refresh rate. The peak brightness is 1200 nits and the display works well. I had to crank up brightness during one of the rare sunny days we had this January. But the display is legible in bright sunlight. I watched two movies on Netflix over the week, and the experience was enjoyable. The audio which has ​​Dolby Atmos, Hi-res audio certification was enjoyable as well. I did have to crank up the volume while watching the films though.

The phone also sports 120 Hz refresh rate and 360 Hz touch rate. (Image credit: Shruti Dhapola/Indian Express)

The phone is powered by the MediaTek 920 Dimensity chipset, and the 8GB RAM+128GB version worked smoothly during the course of my one week review. I had games such as Genshin Impact, Asphalt 9 all running without any problem on the device.

Camera sample taken from Xiaomi 11i Hypercharge. (Image credit: Shruti Dhapola/Indian Express)

Camera sample taken from Xiaomi 11i Hypercharge. (Image credit: Shruti Dhapola/Indian Express)

Camera sample taken from Xiaomi 11i Hypercharge. (Image credit: Shruti Dhapola/Indian Express)

Camera sample taken from Xiaomi 11i Hypercharge with the 108 MP mode. This is a cropped part of the 108MP photo. (Image credit: Shruti Dhapola/Indian Express)

Camera sample taken from Xiaomi 11i Hypercharge in low-light with Night Mode turned on. (Image credit: Shruti Dhapola/Indian Express)

The camera of the Xiaomi 11i Hypercharge is a bit of a hit and miss. The main camera by itself is quite good, and the results are pleasing. The night mode also delivers well, with the photos retaining details providing you keep the phone and object in focus steady. Yes, some of the colours such as reds and greens are more saturated, but the photos are sharp and with enough detail. Portraits and skin tones are pleasing too, though the red undertone is hard to ignore in some photos. However, the macro and ultra-wide cameras are just disappointing.

Xiaomi 11i Hypercharge review: What’s not good?

This segment from Xiaomi is supposed to be about the premium experience. But I do not appreciate the unnecessary notifications from the GetApps (third-party app store) feature. Yes, MIUI 12.5 lets users delete other unnecessary apps, but not GetApps. I did switch off the ads and ‘Glance’ feature when setting up the phone. I suppose that spared me some other notifications.

But Xiaomi needs to work on ensuring a cleaner experience, especially if they want to project the device as premium. Plus this phone is still on Android 11, which is not so good for 2022. However, Xiaomi has promised this will get MIUI 13 once that starts rolling out.

Camera sample taken from Xiaomi 11i Hypercharge. The white flower is actually pink in colour. (Image credit: Shruti Dhapola/Indian Express)

The macro camera just failed to impress. Usually, these work okay in bright sunlight, and the photos are acceptable. But with the Xiaomi 11i Hypercharge, the macro camera struggled to get the colours right. Nor would it focus. Plus some pictures I took looked burnt out both with macro and the regular camera. A pink flower, for instance, appears white in the photo.

The ultra-wide camera is similarly disappointing, given the mode does not really add much to the photos. The colour range is off, details are missing, and other than a wider angle you really are not getting much out here.

Genshin Impact running on the device. (Image credit: Shruti Dhapola/Indian Express)

Xiaomi 11i Hypercharge review: Verdict

Xiaomi’s ‘i’ series has always tried to offer new technology at a slightly more affordable price. For instance, last year’s Mi 10i had a 108MP camera and started at Rs 20,999. With the Xiaomi 11i, the prices have definitely gone up, as it now starts at Rs 24,999 for the non-Hypercharge version. That one has 67W fast charging. The Hypercharge variant starts at Rs 26,999 for 6GB RAM, while the 8GB RAM option costs Rs 28,999.

The Xiaomi 11i Hypercharge has good performance, excellent battery life and of course, that extra fast charging. But the camera felt like a letdown overall. I had higher expectations here. If you are considering this series, the Xiaomi 11i will be good enough for most users. Both phones have similar specifications. Not everybody really needs 120W fast charging. But for those who want to boast that their phone charges in just 15 minutes, this is your main pick right now.