Nothing Phone (1) vs Xiaomi 11 Lite 5G NE
The Verdict
Both phones share the same 6.55-inch display size and 5G connectivity, but diverge in meaningful ways. Nothing Phone (1) features a brighter OLED panel at 1200 nits with 120Hz refresh versus Xiaomi's 800-nit AMOLED at 90Hz, giving Nothing the edge in scrolling smoothness and outdoor visibility. Processor-wise, Nothing uses the Snapdragon 778G+ while Xiaomi has the standard 778G, a minor difference in real-world performance. Nothing's dual 50MP camera setup (main and ultrawide) with OIS provides better zoom stability than Xiaomi's 64MP main with 8MP ultrawide, though Xiaomi's higher megapixel count helps in cropped shots. Battery capacity slightly favors Nothing at 4500 mAh versus 4250 mAh, and Nothing adds 15W wireless charging whereas Xiaomi lacks it entirely. Xiaomi compensates with a slimmer 6.81mm profile and lighter 158g frame, plus it runs the older Android 11. Durability matters too: Nothing has IP53 water resistance while Xiaomi offers none. At their $30 price difference, Nothing Phone (1) delivers better display tech, wireless charging, and protection for the premium.
Who Should Buy
Buy the Nothing Phone (1) if…
- →Unique transparent Glyph Interface LED design stands out
- →Clean Nothing OS closely mirrors stock Android
- →Dual 50 MP cameras perform well for the price
Buy the Xiaomi 11 Lite 5G NE if…
- →Ultra-thin at 6.81 mm and ultra-light at 158 g
- →Snapdragon 778G provides solid mid-range gaming performance
- →90Hz AMOLED display is vibrant and smooth
Category Scores
Pros & Cons
Nothing Phone (1)
Pros
- Unique transparent Glyph Interface LED design stands out
- Clean Nothing OS closely mirrors stock Android
- Dual 50 MP cameras perform well for the price
- Wireless charging included at mid-range pricing
- Solid 120Hz OLED display
Cons
- Snapdragon 778G+ is mid-tier and shows limits
- Glyph notifications are a novelty more than practical
- Only IP53 splash protection
- 33W charging is modest for 2022
- USB-C 2.0 limits transfer speeds
Xiaomi 11 Lite 5G NE
Pros
- Ultra-thin at 6.81 mm and ultra-light at 158 g
- Snapdragon 778G provides solid mid-range gaming performance
- 90Hz AMOLED display is vibrant and smooth
- 5G connectivity at an affordable price
- 64 MP main camera captures good daylight photos
Cons
- 4250 mAh battery drains quickly due to thin chassis limitations
- Only 33W charging — slower than newer Xiaomi phones
- No water resistance rating
- 8 MP ultrawide is low quality
- MIUI includes bloatware and ads
Full Specifications
| Spec | Nothing Phone (1) | Xiaomi 11 Lite 5G NE |
|---|---|---|
| Software | Android 12 (Nothing OS 1.0) | Android 11 (MIUI 12.5) |
| Body | ||
| Weight | 193.5 g | 158 g |
| Material | Aluminum frame, transparent glass back with Glyph LED strips | Plastic frame, glass front and back |
| IP rating | IP53 | None |
| Dimensions | 159.2 x 75.8 x 8.3 mm | 160.5 x 75.7 x 6.81 mm |
| Camera | ||
| Main camera | 50 MP, f/1.88, OIS (Sony IMX766) | 64 MP, f/1.79, PDAF |
| Front camera | 16 MP, f/2.45 | 20 MP, f/2.2 |
| Video | 4K@30fps | 4K@30fps |
| Ultrawide | 50 MP, f/2.2, 114-degree (Samsung JN1) | 8 MP, f/2.2 |
| Macro | — | 5 MP, f/2.4 |
| Memory | ||
| RAM | 8 GB | 6 GB / 8 GB |
| Storage options | 128 GB, 256 GB | 128 GB, 256 GB |
| Battery | ||
| Capacity | 4500 mAh | 4250 mAh |
| Charging | 33W wired | 33W wired |
| Wireless charging | 15W wireless | No |
| Display | ||
| Size | 6.55 inches | 6.55 inches |
| Type | OLED | AMOLED |
| Resolution | 2400 x 1080 | 2400 x 1080 |
| Refresh rate | 120Hz | 90Hz |
| Brightness (nits) | 1200 | 800 |
| Processor | ||
| CPU | Octa-core (1x2.5 GHz Cortex-A78 & 3x2.4 GHz Cortex-A78 & 4x1.9 GHz Cortex-A55) | Octa-core (4x2.4 GHz + 4x1.8 GHz) |
| GPU | Adreno 642L | Adreno 642L |
| Chipset | Qualcomm Snapdragon 778G+ | Qualcomm Snapdragon 778G |
| Connectivity | ||
| 5G | ||
| NFC | ||
| USB | USB-C 2.0 | USB-C 2.0 |
| Wi-Fi | Wi-Fi 6 | Wi-Fi 6 |
| Bluetooth | 5.3 | 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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