Apple iPhone 11 vs Xiaomi 12
The Verdict
Apple's iPhone 11 and Xiaomi's 12 serve very different market segments despite similar pricing. Xiaomi's display significantly outperforms with its 6.28-inch AMOLED screen delivering 1100 nits brightness and 120Hz refresh rate, compared to iPhone 11's 625-nit Liquid Retina LCD at 60Hz. The Xiaomi 12 also crushes performance with Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 processing, 8GB RAM, and a massive 4500mAh battery supporting 67W wired and 50W wireless charging. Its camera system is objectively superior: 50MP main sensor with f/1.9 aperture, 32MP front camera, and 8K video capability versus iPhone 11's dual 12MP setup. However, iPhone 11 maintains practical advantages through iOS reliability, three years of guaranteed updates (compared to Xiaomi's typical two years), and superior software optimization on modest hardware. The iPhone's IP68 rating provides better water resistance assurance. Battery capacity is the Xiaomi's decisive advantage at 4500mAh versus 3110mAh, translating to noticeably longer daily usage. If raw specifications matter, the Xiaomi 12 dominates across nearly every technical metric. If ecosystem stability and long-term software support are priorities, iPhone 11 remains the safer choice despite older technology.
Who Should Buy
Buy the Apple iPhone 11 if…
- →Excellent value with A13 Bionic chip
- →Night mode on main camera
- →Dual camera system with ultrawide
Buy the Xiaomi 12 if…
- →Compact flagship at 6.28 inches
- →67W wired and 50W wireless charging
- →Good 50 MP main camera with OIS
Category Scores
Pros & Cons
Apple iPhone 11
Pros
- Excellent value with A13 Bionic chip
- Night mode on main camera
- Dual camera system with ultrawide
- Great battery life for the price
- Wide range of color options
Cons
- LCD display instead of OLED
- 720p-class resolution on 6.1-inch screen
- No telephoto camera
- 5W charger in the box (no fast charger)
- No 5G connectivity
Xiaomi 12
Pros
- Compact flagship at 6.28 inches
- 67W wired and 50W wireless charging
- Good 50 MP main camera with OIS
- Lightweight at 180 g
- Harman Kardon stereo speakers
Cons
- Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 runs hot
- No telephoto camera
- 13 MP ultrawide is weak
- No official IP rating
- MIUI 13 bloatware
Full Specifications
| Spec | Apple iPhone 11 | Xiaomi 12 |
|---|---|---|
| Software | iOS 13 | Android 12, MIUI 13 |
| Body | ||
| Weight | 194 g | 180 g |
| Material | Aluminum frame, glass back | Aluminum frame, Gorilla Glass Victus |
| IP rating | IP68 | No official rating |
| Dimensions | 150.9 x 75.7 x 8.3 mm | 152.7 x 69.9 x 8.16 mm |
| Camera | ||
| Main camera | 12 MP, f/1.8, OIS | 50 MP, f/1.9, OIS (Sony IMX766) |
| Front camera | 12 MP TrueDepth, f/2.2 | 32 MP, f/2.45 |
| Video | 4K@60fps | 8K@24fps, 4K@60fps |
| Ultrawide | 12 MP, f/2.4 | 13 MP, f/2.4 |
| Macro | — | 5 MP, f/2.4 |
| Memory | ||
| RAM | 4 GB | 8 GB |
| Storage options | 64 GB, 128 GB, 256 GB | 128 GB, 256 GB |
| Battery | ||
| Capacity | 3110 mAh | 4500 mAh |
| Charging | 18W wired (adapter sold separately) | 67W wired |
| Wireless charging | 7.5W Qi | 50W wireless |
| Display | ||
| Size | 6.1 inches | 6.28 inches |
| Type | Liquid Retina IPS LCD | AMOLED |
| Resolution | 1792 x 828 | 2400 x 1080 |
| Refresh rate | 60Hz | 120Hz |
| Brightness (nits) | 625 | 1100 |
| Processor | ||
| CPU | Hexa-core (2x2.65 GHz + 4x1.8 GHz) | Octa-core (1x3.0 GHz + 3x2.5 GHz + 4x1.8 GHz) |
| GPU | Apple GPU (4-core) | Adreno 730 |
| Chipset | Apple A13 Bionic | Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 |
| Connectivity | ||
| 5G | ||
| NFC | ||
| USB | Lightning | USB-C 2.0 |
| Wi-Fi | Wi-Fi 6 | Wi-Fi 6 |
| Bluetooth | 5.0 | 5.2 |
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This comparison is based on verified manufacturer specifications covering display, performance, camera, battery, and build quality. Scores are generated by analyzing specs across weighted categories on a 10-point scale. Learn more about our methodology.
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