Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra: Rumours, features, specification and more details.

Xiaomi’s 2021 top-end flagship, the Mi 11, had its global launch in early February. It was the world’s first device to feature the Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 processor.

Now there’s speculation about the Mi 11 Ultra was leaked in a YouTube video, which is set to up the camera game and includes a tiny second screen to the rear to assist with taking selfies. Here’s everything we know about the handset.

Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra: Price & Release Date

• 29 March launch event

While the Mi 11’s launch event took place on 28 December 2020 – and the global launch was on 8 February 2021 – the Ultra wasn’t at that event. Instead, we’re expecting the Mi 11 Ultra to be announced at an event on 29 March. You can watch that event online, the details are right here.

Regarding price, anticipate this device to sit in the four-figure category given its high-end specification – in particular, it’s the cameras that will add to costs.

Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra: Design & Display

• 6.81-inch AMOLED quad-curved ‘DotDisplay’ panel

1. 2560 x 1440 resolution (WQHD+)
2. 120Hz refresh rate
3. 20:9 aspect ratio

• Glass and vegan leather options anticipated

The interesting thing about the Ultra is that front-on, it’s said to cut the same silhouette as the standard Mi 11. That’s to say it’s got the same 6.8-inch AMOLED screen, featuring all the mod cons of a 2021 flagship: a 120Hz refresh rate and WQHD+ resolution.

In March the TENAA certification was spotted online, which included TUV SUD, suggesting there may be a quality certification in tow – perhaps for the screen, although nothing is confirmed just yet.

Despite also featuring a rear-positioned screen to assist with selfies, for some reason, Xiaomi has also opted to feature a front-facing punch-hole camera on the main display too. Shame, as we don’t think it’s needed – save for facial recognition login – in order to give the display a chance to really max out.

In terms of finish, there are already two options for the Mi 11: frosted glass or vegan leather. We would anticipate the Ultra to follow suit, perhaps with some unique color options. How a leather covering will work regarding heat dissipation is certainly a question that needs some thought – especially with the top-tier Qualcomm hardware under the hood.

Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra: Hardware & Specification

• Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 processor (5G), 8GB/12GB RAM options
• Up to 256GB storage (no microSD expansion), dual SIM
• 5,000mAh battery capacity, 67W fast-charging
• Software: MIUI 12.5

This brings us to the hardware side of things. Xiaomi confirmed early on that the Mi 11 would feature the Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 platform, making it the first flagship phone with such an accolade. The Ultra can’t reach any higher than that, so this is expected to be the same hardware.

As per the Mi 11, there’s an 8GB RAM standard, with a 12GB RAM variant if you want to pay the extra. There’s no microSD card expansion expected, as ever, but dual SIM is on board.

Elsewhere the Mi 11 Ultra is said to house a 5,000mAh battery – a little more capacious than the standard Mi 11, which leads us to believe that the Ultra will be a marginally thicker device (as in the body, ignoring the larger camera protrusion to the rear).

There’s even faster charging, too, with 67W wireless charging said to be supported – and certification has leaked to support this. That’ll be the quickest wireless charging to release, if true.

On the software front, the Mi 11 features Google’s Android operating system, with Xiaomi’s MIUI 12.5 expected over the top. This software skin is said to bring “upgrades in privacy and security”, while optimizations see lower memory and power usage.

Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra: Cameras

• Triple rear cameras system:

1. Main: 50-megapixel, f/1.95 aperture, optical stabilization (OIS)
2. Wide-angle: 48MP, f/1.95(?)
3. Periscope zoom (5x): 48MP, f/4.1

• Rear-positioned small OLED screen for selfies
• Front-facing selfie camera (20MP, f/2.4?)

Xiaomi has long been trying to push advances in phone-camera photography, as one of the first companies to utilize a 108-megapixel sensor. That’s apparently not returning for the Ultra model, however, instead, it’s said to be a 50-megapixel main sensor – the Samsung GN2, no less, and the first phone to house this next-gen processor.

While the standard Mi 11 pushes a telephoto macro camera, that’s all gone in the Ultra. Instead, it’s all about zoom. A leaked video of the phone suggests a 48-megapixel wide-angle and 5x optical periscope zoom instead.

But the most eye-catching part of the rear camera setup? The enclosure is massive because there’s a small-scale second OLED screen housed within, used for assisting with selfie-taking. This is why we’re somewhat surprised to spy a front-facing selfie camera as part of this design.

It’s actually not the first time we’ve seen such an idea – that goes to the Meizu Pro 7, from back in 2017 – but we’ll be interested to see how it plays out in reality and whether that second screen is a practical idea or not.