New Xiaomi Mi 11 Lite render highlights the phone's key differentiator

The Xiaomi Mi 11 Lite didn’t launch alongside its more premium Mi 11 sibling, but the phone is seemingly still on the way. Now, we have a better idea of what it might look like when it arrives courtesy of a new leak.

Stemming from Digital Chat Station, a new render showcases the phone’s front and rear. Unsurprisingly, the Xiaomi Mi 11 Lite looks a lot like its sibling. The render suggests the phone will wear three rear cameras, but the specs of their sensors are unknown at present. From the back, it’s a tough task telling the two devices apart, but there’s one major difference around the front.

Unlike the curved edge of the Mi 11, the Lite model is set to feature a flat display. This does mean the Lite variant may have slightly thicker bezels around the screen, but it should make the phone a little easier to hold. A selfie camera cutout in the top-left also features, similarly to its sibling.

The render doesn’t quite provide insight into the top and bottom edges of the phone, so it’s unclear if the Xiaomi Mi 11 Lite will retain the previous model’s headphone jack. We do expect a USB-C port for charging, though. Digital Chat Station also hints that the phone may sport a side-mounted fingerprint sensor — a departure from the Mi 11’s in-display fingerprint sensor. This is unconfirmed though, and we wouldn’t rule out the latter if Xiaomi employs the rumored AMOLED panel. Historically, Xiaomi has preferred using LCD panels on its cheaper devices.

As for specs, previous leaks point to a mid-range Snapdragon chipset with Bluetooth 5.2 support. The latter feature is key as it seems to rule out the use of the Snapdragon 730-series line. Digital Chat Station has previously stated a mid-range Xiaomi phone would use an unannounced Snapdragon chipset.

Xiaomi has yet to pen an official launch date for the Mi 11 Lite, so we have a wait on our hands for confirmation of the device’s details.