Mi 11 Ultra is the Galaxy S21 Ultra alternative you've been waiting for

The Mi 11 Ultra is one of Xiaomi's most impressive Android flagships yet.

What you need to know

• Xiaomi announced three new Mi 11 series phones at its mega launch event in China today.
• The new Mi 11 Ultra and Mi 11 Pro are the world's first phones to feature Samsung's ISOCELL GN2 50MP 1/1.12" sensor.
• Xiaomi's Mi 11 Ultra also includes a 48MP periscope camera with 120x AI super zoom and 5x optical zoom.

Back in December, Xiaomi announced the world's first Snapdragon 888-powered phone, the Mi 11. The company has now announced three new additions to its Mi 11 series: Mi 11 Ultra, Mi 11 Pro, and the Mi 11 Lite.

Just as you would expect, the Mi 11 Ultra is powered by Qualcomm's Snapdragon 888 processor, paired with up to 12GB of LPDDR5 RAM and 512GB of UFS 3.1 storage. It sports a 6.81-inch quad-curved AMOLED display with WQHD+ resolution, a 120Hz refresh rate with AdaptiveSync technology, and a 480Hz touch sampling rate. There is a secondary 1.1-inch Always-on AMOLED display on the back of phone for notification alerts and rear selfie preview.

Xiaomi claims the Mi 11 Ultra has an industry-leading triple pro-grade camera array. Unlike the Mi 11, which uses a 108MP main sensor, the Mi 11 Ultra comes equipped with a 50MP 1/1.12" "super sensor" that promises to deliver stellar low-light performance. The phone also includes a 48MP ultra-wide lens and a 48MP periscope lens with 5x optical zoom, giving it an edge over nearly all the best Android phones out there.

The Mi 11 Ultra also packs a large 5,000mAh battery with 67W wired as well as wireless charging capabilities. Xiaomi says it only takes 36 minutes for the phone to be fully charged. Other key highlights include Hi-Res audio certification, a new three-phase cooling technology, dual stereo speakers tuned by Harman Kardon, IP68 water resistance, and an X-axis linear vibration motor.

Xiaomi Mi 11 Pro is almost identical to the Mi 11 Ultra in most areas, but there a few small differences. While it uses the same 50MP main sensor as the Mi 11 Ultra, the phone features an 8MP telephoto lens with 50x zoom and a 13MP ultra-wide lens. The Pro model also misses out on the secondary AMOLED display.

The Mi 11 Pro be available in China from 4,999 yuan ($760) for the 8GB/128GB version and go up to 5,699 yuan ($868) for the 12GB/256GB version. Xiaomi's Mi 11 Ultra, on the other hand, starts at 5,999 yuan ($814) for the 8GB/256GB version and goes up to 6,999 yuan ($1,065) for the 12GB/512GB version.

The Mi 11 Lite is a mid-range model that offers a 6.55-inch FHD+ AMOLED display with a 90Hz refresh rate and a 240Hz touch sampling rate. It is powered by Qualcomm's Snapdragon 780G processor, which has been paired with up to 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage.

The triple-camera array on the back of the phone includes a 64MP primary sensor, an 8MP ultra-wide lens, and a 5MP tele-macro lens. Keeping the lights on is a 4,250mAh battery with support for 33W fast charging. While the 8GB/128GB version of the phone is priced at 2,299 yuan ($350) in China, the 8GB/256GB version will retail for 2,599 yuan ($395).