Xiaomi Mi 11 launch date confirmed, but don't bother tuning in for the live event

Xiaomi Mi 10 Pro
(Image credit: Future)

The Xiaomi Mi 11 was one of the most anticipated phones of 2021 - we say 'was' because, as it turns out, it's actually coming in 2020.

On Chinese social media platform Weibo, Xiaomi confirmed its Mi 11 line of smartphones, the next generation of its flagship line, will launch on December 28 at 7:30pm CST (1:30pm GMT, 8:30am ET, 5:30am PT). That's a day earlier than rumors were suggesting, and months earlier than the February launch precedent would suggest.

The event teaser was light on details of the phone apart from confirming its name as the Xiaomi Mi 11, so we're going to have to wait and see what the handset looks like, and how many siblings it'll come with. However, if you're a big tech fan and you like tuning into phone launch events you might want to skip this one.

China-only for now

As with most, but not all, Xiaomi phone launches, the Xiaomi Mi 11 unveiling is a China-only event. Text and spoken language will be in Mandarin, and region-specific information like availability and price will only be provided for China. If you speak the language, the event will make sense for you but if not tuning in might be a confusing experience.

That doesn't mean the phone will only come out in China - Xiaomi often hosts subsequent global launches where it unveils pricing in many other currencies. We could also find out which handsets are coming to which countries - Xiaomi tends to launch a random selection of phones in markets like the UK.

So, when could this second event be? The Xiaomi Mi 10 global launch took place six weeks after its Chinese one, so perhaps we'll see the Xiaomi Mi 11 in late January or early February. Only time will tell.

If you're desperate to know what the Xiaomi Mi 11 will be like, TechRadar will tune into the Chinese event and bring you all the relevant information, so stay tuned on December 29 for that.

Tom Bedford
Contributor

Tom Bedford was deputy phones editor on TechRadar until late 2022, having worked his way up from staff writer. Though he specialized in phones and tablets, he also took on other tech like electric scooters, smartwatches, fitness, mobile gaming and more. He is based in London, UK and now works for the entertainment site What To Watch.


He graduated in American Literature and Creative Writing from the University of East Anglia. Prior to working on TechRadar, he freelanced in tech, gaming and entertainment, and also spent many years working as a mixologist. He also currently works in film as a screenwriter, director and producer.