Realme GT vs Xiaomi Mi 11X Pro Camera Comparison: which flagship-killer has better cameras?

For the longest time, OnePlus reigned supreme in the flagship-killer space, but in recent times we’ve seen many more brands step into the ring. Case in point, the Xiaomi Mi 11X Pro (review) and the Realme GT, both of which ship with Qualcomm’s cream of the crop, Snapdragon 888 SoC. What’s more, the phones have been priced rather attractively too, which begs the question – how does one pick one over the other? Well, by gauging their camera capabilities, of course! So, without any further ado, let’s take a look at which of the two – the Realme GT or the Xiaomi Mi 11X Pro – clicks better photos. 

Before I barrage you with a bunch of photos shot under different scenarios, let’s take a quick look at the camera specs on offer here. Starting with the Realme GT, the handset ships with a triple-camera setup at the back comprising a 64MP Sony IMX 682 main sensor which works alongside an 8MP ultra-wide angle sensor with a 119-degree FoV and a 2MP macro sensor. For selfies, the device gets a 16MP Sony sensor upfront.

As for the Mi 11X Pro, the handset features a triple-camera stack towards the back too, comprising a 108MP 3rd Gen HM2 sensor which works alongside an 8MP ultra-wide angle lens with a 119-degree FoV and a 5MP tele-macro sensor. For selfies, the device gets a 20MP front-facing camera.

Daylight

With the specs out of the way, let’s take a closer look at the Realme GT and the Mi 11X Pro’s photography prowess. Now, you should know that for the most part, both the devices click identical photos with similar details. However, during the day, the Realme GT puts forth more realistic photos. That said, the Mi 11X Pro processes shadows better and has less noise near the darker areas of the shot, giving it a slight edge over Realme’s offering.

As an example, if you look at this first shot of my apartment complex from these two phones, the colours in the Mi 11X Pro’s photo look a bit off. In fact, the smartphone has rendered the building adjacent to my apartment complex purple. On the flip side, the Realme GT’s shot, albeit a tad over-saturated, is much closer to how the scene actually looked. 

With that said, the details are more or less the same across the two photos. However, the Mi 11X Pro has managed to squeeze out a bit more information from the darker areas, including but not limited to the sides of the green generator and the tree towards the right-hand side of the frame. You’ll also notice that, unlike the Mi 11X Pro, Realme GT’s post-processing has introduced noise in the shot, which is evident if you pan towards the generator.

In a similar fashion, if you look at this next shot then here, the Mi 11X Pro has managed to bring out more details in the frame of the cycle, which appears quite dark in the Realme GT’s shot. That said, the colour of the leaves is once again, more accurately represented in Realme GT’s photo. 

Turn the page over to a really bright scene and here, you’ll be hard-pressed to find any differences between the photos from the two phones. Case in point, this next shot around my apartment complex and here, barring the colour of the sky, both the images draw parallels in terms of detailing, exposure control and dynamic range. So, to sum up, the Realme GT’s forte is its truer-to-life colour processing. However, the Mi 11X Pro’s bigger sensor exposes shadows better and mitigates noise near the darker regions. 

High-res shots

Next up, are high-res images from the two phones. Unsurprisingly, the Mi 11X Pro easily wins this bout, which can be accredited to the unit’s 108MP sensor. In the slider attached below, you’ll notice that the leaves towards the left-hand side of the frame have much better definition on the Mi 11X Pro’s image. In fact, the trees, as well as the edges of the buildings appear a tad oversharpened on Realme’s shot. So, if you plan on clicking a lot of landscapes, the Mi 11X Pro is undeniably a better handset. 

Wide-angle

Moving on, let’s take a look at the two phones wide-angle sensors. As prefaced previously, both the devices ship with an 8MP UW sensor with a 119-degree FoV.

Unsurprisingly, the images snapped by the handsets are neck and neck too. However, I noticed that the shot from the Realme GT exhibited purple fringing, which is evident if you zoom in towards the edge of the tall building in the foreground. That said, the colour of the sky was represented better on the GT’s shot. 

Zoom

Moving on, let’s take a look at some digitally zoomed images from the two phones. In particular, I’ll be comparing the 2X zoomed shot from the two phones as you’ll get an option for the same on both phones’ respective camera interfaces. Here, while the two images look quite similar at face value, upon zooming in, I observed that the Realme GT’s shot was much sharper when compared to the Mi 11X Pro’s photo. Rest assured, Realme has this scenario in the bag. 

Close-up shots

Finally, let’s take a look at some closeups from the two phones. Once again, the shots from the two phones seem to be cut from the same cloth, as the images offer the same details across the board. However, the Mi 11X Pro has added a reddish tinge in the shot of the brown leaf.

Thankfully, the device doesn’t blotch the colour red, at least not to the same degree as the Realme GT. Case in point, the comparison shot attached above wherein, the petals of the red flower have little to no texture in the Realme GT’s photo. The same can be seen with pretty much any other closeup involving the shade red.

As an example, if you turn your attention to the group of smaller red flowers, then here, the yellow dots in the petals are only visible on the Mi 11X Pro’s photo. The Realme GT’s shot, on the other hand, has glossed over these fine details.

The same goes for macros too and here, the Mi 11X Pro’s tele-macro sensor will not just allow you to edge closer to the subject, but it’ll also output a sharper image. Suffice it to say, the Mi 11X Pro is much better equipped to take closeups.

Selfies

The same goes for the selfies from the two phones as well and here, the Mi 11X Pro’s selfie, albeit sharper, doesn’t do justice to the subject’s skin tone. On the flip side, the shot from the Realme GT looks more aesthetically pleasing to the eyes. That’s partly why I prefer the images from the Realme GT’s front snapper, even though the sensor mucks up the blur effect in portrait shots.

The same is evident if you pan to the left-hand side of my unruly hair and here, the Mi 11X Pro has managed to create a convincing blur effect that perimeters the individual strands too.

Low light shots

Moving on, let’s take a look at how the devices fare in lowlight scenarios. To do so, I shot various images with the phones in pitch darkness with the Night mode enabled and disabled. With the utility turned off, I noticed that the Mi 11X Pro’s HM2 sensor put forth a more detail-laden image with significantly less noise.

Case in point, the bottom half of the image wherein, there’s noticeable grainy-ness in the Realme GT’s shot, especially around the grey car. On the other hand, the Mi 11X Pro’s photo isn’t just brighter, but the colours have been reciprocated better too, be it the greens in the leaves, or the colours of the cars. To no one’s surprise, both the devices yielded a better image with the night mode enabled. So much so, barring the colours in the shot, the two images are on par with one another.

However, as can be seen from the slider attached above, the Realme GT’s image swayed in favour of warmer tones, whereas the Mi 11X Pro retained the actual colours of the scene. That said, the Mi 11X Pro’s shot exhibited oversharpening at a 100 percent crop, which is evident focus your attention on the cars at the bottom once again. 

Verdict

So, what’s the takeaway then? Well, both, the Realme GT, as well as the Mi 11X Pro feature stellar camera setups and are very similar when it comes to clicking pictures. That said, if you preface the details in a shot over everything else, then you might want to go with the Mi 11X Pro, seeing how it exposes shadows a tad better and has a better lid on noise control too.

What’s more, the handset clicks superior high-res shots as well, so, if you plan on clicking photos of scenic landscapes, you’d be better off with Xiaomi’s offering. That being said, the smartphone’s colour science leaves a lot to be desired, so, if you don’t want to sit through the process of editing images before sharing them, then I’d say you should opt for the Realme GT instead.