Xiaomi Mi 11 vs. OnePlus 9 smartphone camera comparison: Disappointments on both sides

Photos in daylight are at an appealing quality level with both premium smartphones. However, the results with the main cameras are very different in detail. While the Xiaomi Mi 11 renders subjects a bit more softly, and these look less sharp but more natural as a result, OnePlus overdoes it - from our point of view - when it comes to image sharpness with its 9 model. The pictures taken with the OnePlus 9 are often oversharpened, but we like their color reproduction. We find the green tones of the Xiaomi Mi 11 to be exaggerated here. The base sharpness could be slightly higher as well.

However, the Xiaomi phone has considerably more details in its photos than the OnePlus 9. Photos taken with the latter look very detailed on the small smartphone panel, but there are clear weaknesses when the pictures are viewed on a large screen. Occasionally, background areas like in the last image even look a bit artificial.

If the wide-angle lens is used for taking pictures, you'll have to deal with a visible reduction in details and sharpness with the Xiaomi Mi 11 - especially at the edges. The detail reproduction is much better with the OnePlus 9. Dynamic range and exposure are also rendered more appealingly by OnePlus.

In terms of zoom photos, we focused on the 5x zoom range, which can achieve a decent quality in everyday use - at least with the Xiaomi Mi 11. This category is where the Xiaomi phone shines, because the results of the OnePlus 9 look quite artificial here. Due to the lack of a telephoto lens, however, you also have to make compromises with the Mi 11 in terms of zoom photos.

The qualitative difference in low-light photography is particularly pronounced in both high-end smartphones compared to flagships, even though the Xiaomi Mi 11 does a bit better than the OnePlus 9. The latter often reveals weaknesses in terms of focus (it wasn't possible at all to take a decent picture of one of the subjects), and details are covered by softening as well.

The OnePlus smartphone is better when using Night Mode, which combines pictures over a certain time interval to create the best possible image - especially in terms of brightness and image sharpness. Xiaomi still has to work on its algorithms here.

Neither the Xiaomi Mi 11 nor the OnePlus 9 can produce truly appealing results in low light when it comes to 5x zoom photos and ultra wide-angle shots. The OnePlus phone is ahead again when taking wide-angle photos, and the Xiaomi model is better at taking zoom pictures.

Neither of the high-end phones are selfie kings. In a direct comparison, the front-facing camera in the OnePlus 9 scores points with its slightly higher image sharpness, but the Xiaomi Mi 11 takes photos with rich contrast and better exposure.

The support of Widevine L1 and LTE band 20 as well as the low prices in China make the CN version of the Mi 11 very attractive this year. If you're in the United Stated, where this smartphone is not officially sold, you can keep your eyes out for the Mi 11 in online stores like newegg, Amazon, or ebay.

Moreover, the OnePlus 9 is available on Amazon for $729.