Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra finally goes on sale in India, but you can’t get it

Xiaomi officially launched the Mi 11 Ultra earlier this year, and it’s perhaps the most impressive smartphone the company has ever produced (at least in terms of specs). It’s taken a long time, but the phone finally goes on sale in India today at midday IST (2:30 AM ET).

Unfortunately, the Indian sale today is a limited quantity sale and required users to register ahead of time. Registration has since closed, so you’ll need to wait for the next sale date (TBA) to get your Mi 11 Ultra. We’ve asked Xiaomi how many units were available at this first launch, but the company declined to comment.

Those who successfully registered for the sale needed to buy a gift card for Rs 1,999 (around $27) which knocked Rs 1,999 off the phone’s Rs 69,999 (around $936) price tag. The gift card also includes a couple of bonuses, like two free screen replacements and a merchandise box.

The Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra is arguably the first superphone from the Chinese brand, featuring an IP68 rating, Snapdragon 888 SoC, 67W wired/wireless charging, and a 5,000mAh battery. It also offers a high-resolution triple rear camera system, featuring a 50MP main camera, 48MP ultra-wide sensor, and 48MP periscope camera. Oddly enough, the camera housing also plays host to a secondary rear display, allowing you to take selfies and more with the rear cameras.

I think the Mi 11 Ultra was a good device, but the price it higher compared to rival devices from Samsung and OnePlus. Meanwhile, the phone’s Indian price was actually on par with the OnePlus 9 Pro and cheaper than the Galaxy S21 Ultra, which means that the phone managed to stand out in a crowded market.