Mi 11 Lite vs Redmi Note 10 Pro Max camera comparison: Best under Rs 25,000?
The newly launched Mi 11 Lite is positioned in a similar price category as the Redmi Note 10 Pro Max. Obviously, smartphone enthusiasts have a lot of questions. We try to answer here.
In Short
- The close-up shots on both smartphones are identical.
- Mi 11 Lite does a better job with wide shots.
- Redmi Note 10 Pro Max is more effective in the portrait mode.
Ever since Xiaomi launched the Mi 11 Lite in India, I have been getting a lot of queries about its camera performance and more specifically, about where it stands against the Redmi Note 10 Pro Max. Both the Xiaomi smartphones are positioned in the same price segment, even though they target different set of customers. The Redmi series has always been the more affordable line-up and the Note 10 Pro Max costs between Rs 18,999 and Rs 21,999 for all its variants. That’s exactly where a more premium Mi 11 Lite picks from. Its base variant would cost you Rs 21,999.
Both the smartphones have glass back, feature AMOLED displays (90Hz on Mi 11 Lite and 120Hz on Redmi Note 10 Pro Max), pack the same Qualcomm Snapdragon 732G processor, run MIUI on top of Android 11 and ship with the same 33W fast chargers. The Mi 11 Lite focuses more on design, is 6.8mm thick and weighs 157 grams. Meanwhile, the Note 10 Pro Max offers a bigger 5000 mAh battery and is obviously heavier.
This leaves you with the cameras. That’s where the Redmi Note 10 Pro Max seems to have an advantage on paper with its quad-read camera setup led by a 108-megapixel main camera. But, where does it stand in real world? Let’s find out in our detailed camera comparison of the Mi 11 Lite and Redmi Note 10 Pro Max.
For the ease of understanding, I have divided the comparison in seven different sub-heads: Close-up shots, Wide shots, Portrait shots, Ultra-Wide-angle shots, Macro shots, Zoom-in shots, Selfies and Night shots. I will give both the smartphones points in each of these categories and then, we will come to conclusion.
First, let’s have a look at the camera specifications of both these smartphones.
The Redmi Note 10 Pro Max features a 108-megapixel primary camera, a second 8-megapixel ultra-wide-angle camera, a third 5-megapixel macro camera, and a fourth 2-megapixel depth sensor.
The Mi 11 Lite has a triple rear camera setup that consists of a 64-megapixel primary camera, a second 8-megapixel ultra-wide-angle camera and a third 5-megapixel macro camera. Both the smartphones have a 16-megapixel camera on the front for selfies and can record 1080p videos at 30fps.
Mi 11 Lite vs Redmi Note 10 Pro Max camera comparison: Close-up shots
Starting with the close-up shots, the colours definitely look better on the Mi 11 Lite. The first picture has come out brighter on the Mi 11 Lite and the dynamic range also looks better. The orange colour looks more natural and toned down on the Mi 11 Lite while the Note 10 Pro Max has boosted it a lot. Even the wooden stand is recreated better on the Mi 11 Lite.
The second image looks brighter on the Redmi Note 10 Pro Max. You can zoom in and see that the Captain America text and his shield are sharper on the Redmi Note 10 Pro Max. It has definitely captured better details here because of a high-resolution lens.
The third image of the Kurkure packet was taken indoors and quite identical in terms of colour reproduction and detailing. The image on the Redmi Note 10 Pro Max is slightly brighter but, that’s only noticeable after zooming in.
Coming to human subjects, the Mi l1 Lite offers more natural skin tones while the Redmi Note 10 Pro Max offers better details and more sharpness. Unfortunately, the Note 10 Pro Max again boosts the colours to the point where they look unpleasant. The Red on my t-shirt in this case was over exposed.
It’s clear from the image samples that it is very difficult to choose a winner in close-up shots. The Mi 11 Lite has better colour reproduction and the Note 10 Pro Max captures more details. So, I will give them both a point each.
Mi 11 Lite vs Redmi Note 10 Pro Max camera comparison: Wide shots
For the wide shots, let’s start with the image of these plants in my gallery. You don’t have to be a photographer of tech expert to notice that the image is more pleasant on the Mi 11 Lite. It captures more details, light and colours. You can zoom in on either side of the image to see that leaves are washed out on the Redmi Note 10 Pro Max.
The second image I have is of this building next to my house which looks identical in both the pictures. You can zoom in on each corner and find similar amount of details. The only major difference I can spot here is the sky which has a purple hue on the Redmi Note 10 Pro Max.
This third image was taken on a warm afternoon under harsh sunlight and the Mi 11 Lite has again done a remarkable job. The yellow colour on the building is boosted on the Redmi Note 10 Pro Max and even the leaves appear greener than they actually were.
Mi 11 Lite vs Redmi Note 10 Pro Max camera comparison: Portrait shots
This is one area where both the smartphones disappoint with their colour processing. The portrait shots on both Redmi Note 10 Pro Max and Mi 11 Lite are oversaturated. The colours in the close-up shot are boosted but, the Mi 11 Lite does a better job of separating the subject from the background.
The edge detection is good on both the devices as you can see in case of human subjects. The Mi 11 Lite has washed out the sky here and made it appear pink. On the other hand, Redmi Note 10 Pro Max has better shadows and still retains details in the background.
I will give the point to Redmi Note 10 Pro Max, just because we tend to capture more people in portrait mode than objects. Score: 2-2.
Mi 11 Lite vs Redmi Note 10 Pro Max camera comparison: Ultra-wide-angle camera
This first image with the ultra-wide-angle camera was taken in the evening right before a dust-storm. The images on both the phones look similar from far away but, differences are noticeable as you zoom in. The flag on the right side is still visible on the Mi 11 Lite after zooming in but, completely washed out on the Note 10 Pro Max. The text on the garbage cart is readable on the image captured by the Note 10 Pro Max but, not on the Mi 11 Lite.
The second image clicked during afternoon again looks identical from far out. However, the sky is more natural on the Redmi Note 10 Pro Max and feels orang-ish on the Mi 11 Lite. The colour of leaves and trees is also better on the Redmi Note 10 Pro Max.
The Redmi Note 10 Pro Max beats the Mi 11 Lite in the ultra-wide-angle game and takes a lead. Score 3-2 in favour of Note 10 Pro Max.
Mi 11 Lite vs Redmi Note 10 Pro Max camera comparison: Macro shots
It almost feels like a shame to compare the macro lenses on these phones because they are probably the best in this segment but, we have to pick a winner, so here we go. The images are almost identical on both the smartphones. The first image here is sharp on both phones. The difference is the colours and the Mi 11 Lite has done a better job here.
The second image also looks better on the Mi 11 Lite because of the same reason. The wooden stand was better recreated by the Mi 11 Lite and this image has also come out sharper on the Mi phone.
So, here we go again. It’s deuce! 3-3. Moving on to the selfie camera.
Mi 11 Lite vs Redmi Note 10 Pro Max camera comparison: Selfies
The Mi 11 Lite beats the Redmi Note 10 Pro Max hands-down when it comes to selfies. The images from the camera are sharper, have more details and maintain the skin tone better as well.
That also applies to the selfies clicked with the portrait mode. This makes it 4-3 in favour of the Mi 11 Lite.
Mi 11 Lite vs Redmi Note 10 Pro Max camera comparison: Night shots
Again, the night selfies look very similar on both these smartphones. The colours on the wall on this first image have come out punchy on this first image. But, if you zoom in, you can see that the text is crispier on the Mi 11 Lite.
The second image I have below is of the tall building. Both the images are identical, have equal amount of detailing and if you zoom in, the objects are blurred equ ally as well. However, the building colour has come out more natural on the Mi 11 Lite.
The front camera on both these phones under perform in lowlight conditions and I don’t even want to waste time talking about the selfies. Check them out yourself and decide.
Another point for Mi 11 Lite and it wins with a score of 5-3. Overall, the Mi 11 Lite appears to click better images in most light conditions. It has handles colours and skin tones better. The images also appear sharper on the Mi 11 Lite. The Redmi Note 10 Pro Max has advantage when it comes to ultra-wide-angle shots and macro images. Its sensor also allows more light, making pictures appear brighter in some cases.
You can decide what you need and make a choice accordingly.