A mobile phone has become a key part of all of our lives. These days, with advancements in technology, a person is capable of doing everything and anything they need and want to do on this handy, compact companion. From ordering groceries and takeaways, and indulging in your favourite streaming series and movies, to connecting with loved ones, organising and conducting business and much more, just imagine what life would be like without your phone.

There is no shortage of options to choose from when selecting a new smartphone, whether it’s part of an upgrade, buying it for a loved one, or simply feeling it’s time for a change from your current one. But one thing is guaranteed, value for money and high-level specs and features are top selection criteria.

A double award-winning option

The Xiaomi 11T Pro was recognised and praised for these in the prestigious 2021 Stuff Awards, one of the leading tech awards in South Africa. Not only did it win the Affordable Phone of the Year Award, but also scooped the coveted 2021 Gadget of the Year Award. In their feedback, which you can read here or by picking up a copy of the February issue of Stuff Magazine, the Stuff team said they were “gobsmacked with the hardware the Xiaomi 11T Pro is packing and how cheap that hardware is”. Powered by a Snapdragon 888 5G, it has 128GB of storage and 8GB of RAM. They added that, “Xiaomi’s 11T Pro might be an affordable device, but it’s also one heck of a value proposition. It’s the best bargain we’ve seen in ages — a smartphone that packs the sort of spec you’d expect from a device that starts from about R10,000 more expensive.”

Flagship-level specs and features

Other features include an impressive 108MP pro-grade, triple camera setup, long lasting 5000mAh (typ) battery and 120W Xiaomi HyperCharge, meaning your photos will always look beautiful and you won’t have to worry about your phone running out of power or the need for it to be constantly charging. In fact, you can fully charge the phone to 100% in an ultra-rapid 17 minutes*. Or if you’re in a hurry, it powers up from

zero to 72% in just 10 minutes** and that 10-minute charge will give you 11 hours of calling, 7 hours of video playback, 5 hours of navigation, and 2 hours of video recording at 1080p. For added peace of mind, Xiaomi 11T Pro features 34 battery charging safety features and maintains 80% battery health after 800 cycles.

The phone’s tech also means its display is top-notch, boasting a stunning 6.67’’ 120Hz AMOLED flat display with TrueColor, 1 billion colours, and 1000 nits peak brightness. With this, Xiaomi 11T Pro lets content jump off the screen in cinematic brilliance. Expect buttery smooth visuals and extreme responsiveness without compromising battery life with its 120Hz AdaptiveSync and up to 480Hz touch sampling rate.

On the other side of the cinematic experience, audio also matters - and Xiaomi 11T Pro’s dedicated dual speakers deliver with SOUND BY Harman Kardon and Dolby Atmos support.

With all of this packed into the Xiaomi 11T Pro, it’s clear to see why it picked up double honours in the 2021 Stuff Awards.

You can get your Xiaomi 11T Pro from partners like Takealot, MTN and Vodacom for a recommended retail price of R12 999 for the 256GB version.

*Battery is split into two 2500mAh cell structures for a total capacity of 5000mAh.

**Data sourced from Xiaomi labs.