iPhone 12 mini vs. Xiaomi 11 Lite 5G NE: A Compact Smartphone Showdown
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🏆 Quick Verdict
For the average user prioritizing all-day battery life and fast charging, the Xiaomi 11 Lite 5G NE is the clear winner. However, the iPhone 12 mini’s significantly more powerful A14 Bionic chip and tightly integrated ecosystem make it the superior choice for performance-demanding tasks and iOS devotees.
| PHONES | ||
|---|---|---|
| Phone Names | Apple iPhone 12 mini | Xiaomi 11 Lite 5G NE |
| Network | ||
|---|---|---|
| 2G bands | GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 | GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 |
| 3G bands | HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 / 2100 | HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 / 2100 |
| 4G bands | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 14, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 29, 30, 32, 34, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 46, 48, 66, 71 - A2176 | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 17, 18, 19, 20, 26, 28, 32, 38, 40, 41, 42, 66 |
| 5G bands | 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 12, 20, 25, 28, 38, 40, 41, 66, 71, 77, 78, 79, 260, 261 Sub6/mmWave - A2176 | 1, 3, 5, 7, 8, 20, 26, 38, 41, 66, 77, 78 SA/NSA |
| Speed | HSPA, LTE, 5G, EV-DO Rev.A 3.1 Mbps | HSPA, LTE, 5G |
| Technology | GSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE / 5G | GSM / HSPA / LTE / 5G |
| 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 12, 20, 25, 28, 38, 40, 41, 66, 77, 78, 79 Sub6 - A2398, A2399, A2400 | - | |
| Launch | ||
|---|---|---|
| Announced | 2020, October 13 | 2021, September 15 |
| Status | Available. Released 2020, November 13 | Available. Released 2021, October 02 |
| Body | ||
|---|---|---|
| Build | Glass front, glass back, aluminum frame | - |
| Dimensions | 131.5 x 64.2 x 7.4 mm (5.18 x 2.53 x 0.29 in) | 160.5 x 75.7 x 6.8 mm (6.32 x 2.98 x 0.27 in) |
| SIM | · Nano-SIM + eSIM· Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM | Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM |
| Weight | 135 g (4.76 oz) | 158 g (5.57 oz) |
| IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 6m for 30 min) Apple Pay (Visa, MasterCard, AMEX certified) | IP53, dust and splash resistant | |
| Display | ||
|---|---|---|
| Protection | Ceramic Shield glass | Corning Gorilla Glass 5 |
| Resolution | 1080 x 2340 pixels, 19.5:9 ratio (~476 ppi density) | 1080 x 2400 pixels, 20:9 ratio (~402 ppi density) |
| Size | 5.4 inches, 71.9 cm2 (~85.1% screen-to-body ratio) | 6.55 inches, 103.6 cm2 (~85.3% screen-to-body ratio) |
| Type | Super Retina XDR OLED, HDR10, Dolby Vision, 625 nits (HBM), 1200 nits (peak) | AMOLED, 1B colors, Dolby Vision, HDR10+, 90Hz, 500 nits (typ), 800 nits (HBM) |
| Platform | ||
|---|---|---|
| CPU | Hexa-core (2x3.1 GHz Firestorm + 4x1.8 GHz Icestorm) | Octa-core (1x2.4 GHz Cortex-A78 & 3x2.2 GHz Cortex-A78 & 4x1.9 GHz Cortex-A55) |
| Chipset | Apple A14 Bionic (5 nm) | Qualcomm SM7325 Snapdragon 778G 5G (6 nm) |
| GPU | Apple GPU (4-core graphics) | Adreno 642L |
| OS | iOS 14.1, upgradable to iOS 26.1 | Android 11, upgradable to Android 14, HyperOS |
| Memory | ||
|---|---|---|
| Card slot | No | microSDXC (uses shared SIM slot) |
| Internal | 64GB 4GB RAM, 128GB 4GB RAM, 256GB 4GB RAM | 128GB 6GB RAM, 128GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 8GB RAM |
| NVMe | UFS 2.2 | |
| Main Camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Dual | 12 MP, f/1.6, 26mm (wide), 1.4µm, dual pixel PDAF, OIS 12 MP, f/2.4, 13mm, 120˚ (ultrawide), 1/3.6" | - |
| Features | Dual-LED dual-tone flash, HDR (photo/panorama) | Dual-LED dual-tone flash, HDR, panorama |
| Single | - | 20 MP, f/2.2, 27mm (wide), 1/3.4", 0.8µm |
| Triple | - | 64 MP, f/1.8, 26mm (wide), 1/1.97", 0.7µm, PDAF 8 MP, f/2.2, 119˚ (ultrawide), 1/4.0", 1.12µm 5 MP, f/2.4, 50mm (telephoto macro), 1/5.0", 1.12µm, AF |
| Video | 4K@24/25/30/60fps, 1080p@25/30/60/120/240fps, HDR, Dolby Vision HDR (up to 30fps), stereo sound rec. | 4K@30fps, 1080p@30/60/120fps, 720p@960fps; gyro-EIS |
| Selfie camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Features | HDR | HDR, panorama |
| Single | 12 MP, f/2.2, 23mm (wide), 1/3.6", 1.0µm SL 3D, (depth/biometrics sensor) | 20 MP, f/2.2, 27mm (wide), 1/3.4", 0.8µm |
| Video | 4K@24/25/30/60fps, 1080p@25/30/60/120fps, gyro-EIS | 1080p@30/60fps, 720p@120fps |
| Sound | ||
|---|---|---|
| 3.5mm jack | No | No |
| 35mm jack | No | No |
| Loudspeaker | Yes, with stereo speakers | Yes, with dual speakers |
| Comms | ||
|---|---|---|
| Bluetooth | 5.0, A2DP, LE | 5.2 (Global), 5.1 (India) |
| Infrared port | - | Yes |
| NFC | Yes | Yes (market/region dependent) |
| Positioning | GPS, GLONASS, GALILEO, QZSS | GPS (L1+L5), GLONASS, BDS, GALILEO, NavIC |
| Radio | No | No |
| USB | Lightning, USB 2.0 | USB Type-C 2.0, OTG |
| WLAN | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6, dual-band, hotspot | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6 (Global), Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac (India) |
| Features | ||
|---|---|---|
| Sensors | Face ID, accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, barometer | Fingerprint (side-mounted), accelerometer, gyro, compass |
| Ultra Wideband (UWB) support | Virtual proximity sensing | |
| Battery | ||
|---|---|---|
| Charging | Wired, PD2.0, 50% in 30 min 15W wireless (MagSafe) 15W wireless (Qi2) - requires iOS 17.4 update | 33W wired |
| Type | Li-Ion 2227 mAh (8.57 Wh) | Li-Po 4250 mAh |
| Misc | ||
|---|---|---|
| Colors | Black, White, Red, Green, Blue, Purple | Truffle Black (Vinyl Black), Bubblegum Blue (Jazz Blue), Peach Pink (Tuscany Coral), Snowflake White (Diamond Dazzle) |
| Models | A2399, A2176, A2398, A2400, A2399, iPhone13,1 | 2109119DG, 2107119DC, 2109119DI |
| Price | $ 165.79 / C$ 268.99 / £ 155.00 / € 178.00 | About 200 EUR |
| SAR | - | 1.09 W/kg (head) 1.05 W/kg (body) |
| SAR EU | 0.99 W/kg (head) 0.99 W/kg (body) | 0.59 W/kg (head) 0.95 W/kg (body) |
| Tests | ||
|---|---|---|
| Battery life | Endurance rating 69h | Endurance rating 122h |
| Camera | Photo / Video | Photo / Video |
| Display | Contrast ratio: Infinite (nominal) | Contrast ratio: Infinite (nominal) |
| Loudspeaker | -24.6 LUFS (Very good) | -23.6 LUFS (Very good) |
| Performance | AnTuTu: 589616 (v8) GeekBench: 4174 (v5.1) GFXBench: 60fps (ES 3.1 onscreen) | AnTuTu: 527663 (v9) GeekBench: 2832 (v5.1) GFXBench: 28fps (ES 3.1 onscreen) |
Apple iPhone 12 mini
- Superior processing power with the A14 Bionic chip
- Premium build quality and iOS ecosystem integration
- Excellent video recording capabilities
- Significantly shorter battery life
- Slower charging speeds compared to the Xiaomi
- Higher price point
Xiaomi 11 Lite 5G NE
- Exceptional battery life and endurance
- Faster 33W wired charging
- More affordable price
- Less powerful processor compared to the A14 Bionic
- Android ecosystem may not appeal to all users
- Camera performance may not match the iPhone in all scenarios
Display Comparison
Both the iPhone 12 mini and Xiaomi 11 Lite 5G NE feature displays with an 'Infinite' (nominal) contrast ratio, suggesting excellent black levels. However, the iPhone 12 mini boasts a measured peak brightness of 627 nits, likely providing better outdoor visibility than the Xiaomi, though specific Xiaomi 11 Lite 5G NE brightness data is unavailable. While both are excellent, the iPhone’s color accuracy, typical of Apple displays, is likely superior. The Xiaomi 11 Lite 5G NE’s larger physical size allows for a slightly larger display, but the iPhone 12 mini’s smaller form factor is a key differentiator for one-handed use.
Camera Comparison
Both phones offer capable photo and video recording, but details are limited without specific sensor information. The iPhone 12 mini benefits from Apple’s renowned image processing pipeline, known for its natural-looking results. The Xiaomi 11 Lite 5G NE likely relies more on computational photography to enhance image quality. Without knowing sensor sizes or aperture values, it’s difficult to definitively declare a winner, but Apple’s consistent camera performance and video capabilities give it an edge. The presence of OIS on the iPhone is also a likely advantage for stable video recording.
Performance
The performance gap is significant. Apple’s A14 Bionic (5nm) chip, with its hexa-core CPU (2x3.1 GHz Firestorm + 4x1.8 GHz Icestorm), demonstrably outperforms the Qualcomm Snapdragon 778G 5G (6nm) found in the Xiaomi 11 Lite 5G NE. The A14’s architecture, with its focus on single-core performance, translates to snappier app launches and smoother multitasking. While the Snapdragon 778G is a capable mid-range chip, its octa-core configuration (1x2.4 GHz Cortex-A78 & 3x2.2 GHz Cortex-A78 & 4x1.9 GHz Cortex-A55) cannot match the A14’s raw power. This difference is particularly noticeable in graphically intensive games and video editing.
Battery Life
Battery life is where the Xiaomi 11 Lite 5G NE truly shines. Its endurance rating of 122 hours significantly surpasses the iPhone 12 mini’s 69 hours. This difference is attributable to the more efficient Snapdragon 778G chip and a larger battery capacity (specific mAh not provided). The Xiaomi also supports 33W wired charging, allowing for a much faster recharge than the iPhone’s 20W wired charging (via PD2.0, 50% in 30 min). While the iPhone 12 mini offers 15W wireless charging with MagSafe and Qi2 (with iOS 17.4), the Xiaomi’s faster wired charging is a more practical benefit for most users.
Buying Guide
Buy the Apple iPhone 12 mini if you need a premium, compact iOS experience with exceptional processing power for demanding apps and games, and value the Apple ecosystem. Buy the Xiaomi 11 Lite 5G NE if you prioritize long battery life, faster charging speeds, and a more affordable price point, and prefer the flexibility of Android.