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Xiaomi 11 Lite 5G NE Kittie Yiyi Edition Review: Same Device, Different Styles

Xiaomi Mi 11 Lite 5G NE Kittie Yiyi Limited Edition

The Xiaomi 11 Lite 5G NE is a great midrange device on its own, but now has some flair added to it, with an fun and quirky touch from local designer, Kittie Yiyi. Making your smartphone a fashion statement, the Kittie Yiyi Edition of the Xiaomi 11 Lite 5G NE not only comes with a specially designed phone case, but it also gets decked out with a bright neon shoulder strap that somewhat turns the phone into looking like a flowery mini pouch.

For the internals, it shares the same specs as the standard Xiaomi 11 Lite 5G NE, but let’s go through them again.

Xiaomi 11 Lite 5G NE Kittie Yiyi Limited Edition

Specifications

  • Body: 160.5×75.7×6.8mm, 158g; Gorilla Glass 5 front, glass back, plastic frame; IP53, dust and splash protection.
  • Display: 6.55″ AMOLED, 1B colors, Dolby Vision, HDR10+, 90Hz, 1080x2400px resolution, 20:9 aspect ratio, 402ppi.
  • Chipset: Qualcomm SM7325 Snapdragon 778G 5G (6 nm): Octa-core (1×2.4 GHz Kryo 670 & 3×2.4 GHz Kryo 670 & 4×1.80 GHz Kryo 670); Adreno 642L.
  • Memory: 128GB 6GB RAM, 128GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 8GB RAM; UFS 2.2; microSDXC (uses shared SIM slot).
  • OS/Software: Android 11, MIUI 12.5.
  • Rear camera: Wide (main): 64 MP, f/1.8, 26mm, 1/1.97″, 0.7µm, PDAF; Ultra wide angle: 8 MP, f/2.2, 1/4.0″, 1.12µm; Macro: 5 MP, f/2.4, 50mm, 1/5.0″, 1.12µm, AF.
  • Front camera: 20 MP, f/2.2, 27mm (wide), 1/3.4″, 0.8µm.
  • Video capture: Rear camera: 4K@30fps, 1080p@30/60/120fps; gyro-EIS; Front camera: 1080p@30/60fps, 720p@120fps.
  • Battery: 4250mAh; Fast charging 33W.
  • Misc: Fingerprint reader (side-mounted); Infrared port; Virtual proximity sensing.

What’s In The Box?

  • Xiaomi 11 Lite 5G NE
  • Kittie Yiyi Phone Case
  • Neon Shoulder Strap
  • Charger
  • USB-C Cable
  • User Guide

Design

Xiaomi 11 Lite 5G NE Kittie Yiyi Limited Edition

The Xiaomi 11 Lite 5G NE feels very premium in the hands, and is really comfortable to hold. Mainly because it weighs only 158g and measures only 6.8mm thin. The design of the Xiaomi 11 Lite 5G NE itself hasn’t changed, and the addition would only be the Kittie Yiyi accessories for the phone.

The device still has the ports in the usual areas. Fingerprint sensor embedded power button and volume buttons on the right, USB-C port and speaker grille on the bottom, and the microphones on the top and bottom of the phone. Round the back, you get the triple camera module with a very thin camera bump, and the flash module on the top right corner of the device, with the Xiaomi 5G logo below it.

Xiaomi 11 Lite 5G NE Kittie Yiyi Limited Edition

The Kittie Yiyi casing is also thin, which doesn’t add too much bulk to the phone, but adds protection to the phone and the camera lenses. The back of the casing has these Kittie Yiyi flower designs with her brand logo imprinted right in the middle. On the bottom of the case, there are two knobs screwed in that would hold the neon shoulder straps. The strap is also apparently length adjustable, but I can’t for the life of me figure out how to do it.

Display

Xiaomi 11 Lite 5G NE Kittie Yiyi Limited Edition

The AMOLED display on the Xiaomi 11 Lite 5G NE can get really bright, but the colours do seem a little dull for my usage. I did turn it up to Vivid, but it still wasn’t to my liking, and now I’m on Saturated which makes the colours pop even more. Of course, this is subject to individual preference. I did enjoy social media scrolling, watching videos, and gaming on the device, with the large screen and the barely visible keyhole notch.

By default, the screen is set to 60Hz, so navigating throughout the phone did feel sluggish. But after heading into the display settings and bumping it up to 90Hz, the phone felt a whole lot smoother and just more pleasurable to use. I’ve been accustomed to 120Hz displays, so 60Hz doesn’t really work for me anymore. 90Hz refresh rate is a good enough upgrade for those who have not yet jumped onto the 120Hz bandwagon.

User Experience

Xiaomi 11 Lite 5G NE Kittie Yiyi Limited Edition

Using the phone for a couple of weeks, I’ve grown to really like the Xiaomi 11 Lite 5G NE. I love how slim and comfortable it is in my hands, even with the Kittie Yiyi casing. The overall design is more catered for the ladies, but I tried to embrace it by going out to the mall with it for one day. And boy, did I get a few stares. With the neon shoulder strap, it’s quite hard not to get noticed. But if you are going for this edition, you’d want to stand out. Otherwise, why would you get it in the first place, right?

The only problem I had with the casing is that the cutout for the power button is a bit too thick, making it hard for your thumb to fully touch the power button. Don’t get me wrong, fingerprint authentication and actually pressing the button still works, just a bit uncomfortable when you do. And yes, should you choose not to use the neon shoulder strap, you can unscrew the bottom knobs at any time and just use the casing as it is.

Xiaomi 11 Lite 5G NE Kittie Yiyi Limited Edition

When it comes time to charge the phone, it’s a bit annoying that you’ll have to move the strap away a little to get to the charging port, but this isn’t a big issue. There’s also the problem with storage. Whenever you place your phone on a surface, you’ll have to make sure the straps are bundled up with it, otherwise it might get pulled or hooked onto something then falling on the floor. Alternatively, you could unscrew the knobs when you’re home, and only screw on the shoulder strap when you’re going out. No need to be fashionable at home, right?

Performance

Xiaomi 11 Lite 5G NE Kittie Yiyi Limited Edition

During my time with the Xiaomi 11 Lite 5G NE, I’ve had little to no issues with performance on the device. The 90Hz refresh rate made everything seem smooth and efficient, however, I did get a couple of screen hiccups from time to time, but nothing major that’d make me want to throw the phone towards the wall.

Running on the Qualcomm Snapdragon 778G processor, app switching is also relatively quick, but you do notice the difference with the Xiaomi 11T Pro. Apps load quick, and there’s not much downtime or waiting time when it comes to data loading and processing.

Here are the benchmarks we’ve run on the Xiaomi 11 Lite 5G NE on GeekBench 5 and 3DMark:

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Xiaomi 11 Lite 5G NE Kittie Yiyi Edition Review: Same Device, Different Styles 11

Camera

Xiaomi 11 Lite 5G NE Kittie Yiyi Limited Edition

In the camera department, the Xiaomi 11 Lite 5G NE has a triple camera system consisting of a 64MP main sensor, an 8MP ultra-wide angle sensor, and a 5MP macro sensor, along with a 20MP sensor on the front for selfies and video calls. These lenses support AI features from Xiaomi like the One-click AI cinema, cinematic video filters, and a new Vlog mode.

In general, the camera does pretty well and you get what you’d expect from a midrange device. The main sensor captures great close-up shots, with good details on the wide angle shots. Colour reproduction is decent, and photos come out looking vibrant. In macro mode, the camera can go really close, but there are some distortions from extreme close up shots.

Xiaomi 11 Lite 5G NE Kittie Yiyi Limited Edition

When it comes to night mode, lowlight shots are alright, but it takes quite a bit on your part to make the shot look nice. You’ll need to have steady hands, of course, and angle the camera properly where lighting is the best. As for selfies, they’re great in well lit environments, not so much when you’re in darker places/areas.

Here are some photo samples we took with the Xiaomi 11 Lite 5G NE:

Audio

Xiaomi 11 Lite 5G NE Kittie Yiyi Limited Edition

I was really glad to find out that the Xiaomi 11 Lite 5G NE had a dual stereo speaker system and it can go really loud too. It has great highs and exceptional mids for vocals, but the lows are a bit drowned out by the other two frequencies. That’s still okay because you still get crispy vocals and details, which can be good for when you’re video calling too.

Battery

Xiaomi 11 Lite 5G NE Kittie Yiyi Limited Edition

When it comes to the battery, the Xiaomi 11 Lite 5G NE could last for the entire day and then some. A full day is guaranteed, but there are certain days when I’m more casual with the phone, it could last me till half of the next day. The 4,250mAh battery on the device does support 33W fast charging, so it’s good it lasts the day, and even better when the charging speed gets you back up from 1% to 100% in an hour and 20 minutes.

Conclusion

Xiaomi 11 Lite 5G NE Kittie Yiyi Limited Edition

The Xiaomi 11 Lite 5G NE Kittie Yiyi is essentially the same device, but with some Kittie Yiyi pizzazz. If you’re using the casing with the shoulder strap, it also somewhat alters the experience of using the phone too, both physically and aesthetically. If I were to choose between the standard device and the Kittie Yiyi or Swarovski versions, I’d go for the latter, because why be the same when you can be different right?

All in all, the device is great as a daily driver and it has a couple of features which make it punch a little above its weight. Like the 5G chip making it future proof, the 90Hz refresh rate for smoother navigation, large AMOLED screen, long lasting battery life, and more. If you’re looking for a midrange device to switch to, I’d suggest taking a look at the Xiaomi 11 Lite 5G NE and adding it to your consideration list.

Written By

Chief Content Developer at The AXO

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