Is it worth to buy Mi Notebook Ultra?

Just over a year after the launch of the Mi Notebook 14 in India, Xiaomi followed the Redmibook line and now the Mi Notebook 2021 family. With prices starting at Rs. 56 999 and Rs. Every 59,999, the new Mi Notebook Pro and Mi Notebook Ultra are essentially the same and share many interesting features. Now I have a slightly more expensive Mi Notebook Ultra with me and here are my first impressions.

While last year's Mi laptops were all 14-inch thin and light models designed for mass appeal, the 2021 family still consisted of premium 14-inch and 15.6-inch models. , of course, at a higher price. The differences between the two primarily reflect size and quality, and therefore their overall size and weight. Mi Notebook Ultra has an aluminum body with a black sand beam and an anodized surface called Lustrous Gray by Xiaomi. It looks so unique - simple and straightforward, yet high quality. Unlike last year's completely minimalist look, there is a glossy black Xiaomi logo in the middle of the cover. Although the 17.9 mm thick Mi Notebook Ultra is still relatively thin, it weighs 1.7 kg, which is a high standard for non-gaming notebooks today.

Turn the cover over and you'll see the main point of sale for the Mi Notebook Ultra - its 15.6-inch IPS LCD display. It is a bit unique because it has an aspect ratio of 16:10 and a resolution of 3.2K (2560x1600) as well as a refresh rate of 90Hz. Brightness goes up to 300 nits and colour coverage is rated at 100 percent of the sRGB gamut. 

I particularly like the 16:10 aspect ratio, and I'm happy to see it make a comeback after years of manufacturers prioritising 16:9 for watching videos on. It's a small but significant difference and is more comfortable for everyday work. First impressions of this screen are that it is very crisp and pleasant. It has a non-reflective matte texture and relatively narrow borders, and thankfully there's a webcam in its rightful place, unlike last year's models. In the lower deck you will see a black keyboard standing against black metal. Potential buyers are pleased to note that there is now a backlight - it was on my wish list for last year's upgrade. The layout looks good, with multiple arrow keys and a column of paging keys on the right. The power button has an integrated fingerprint sensor, which should also make everyday use easier. A unique touch is the macro key, which is commonly only seen by enthusiasts like gaming keyboards - I can see how it works when I use this laptop for a few days. I will talk more about the keyboard and trackpad in my full review after using my Notebook Ultra for a while. I am still satisfied with the overall quality of the assembly of this notebook - the cover does not bend and can be easily opened with one finger. The cover can be removed and the hinge is solid.

You can choose between Intel Core i5-11300H and 11th generation Core i7-11370H processors. Both quad-core CPUs with HyperThreading and integrated Intel Iris Xe graphics. Both are based on the "Tiger Lake-H35" architecture and differ only in clock speed, cache size and GPU performance. If you choose a Core i5 processor, you can get 8 GB or 16 GB of RAM - these variants are priced at Rs. 59 999 and Rs. 63,999 each. The Core i7 will only be available with 16 GB of RAM per Rs. 76 999. All variants have 512GB NVMe SSD. While the RAM is sold and cannot be upgraded, the SSD is a slot, but Xiaomi recommends that you go to an authorized service center and replace it if necessary.

You get a Thunderbolt 4 Type-C port and a USB 3.2 Type-C port, as well as a USB 3.2 Type-A port and a USB 2.0 port. There is an HDMI video output and a 3.5 mm audio socket, but no SD card slot. You can charge this notebook via one of the Type-C ports with the included 65W adapter. There are two 2W stereo speakers. The resolution of the webcam is 720p and of course there is also Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.1.

Xiaomi promises a 12-hour battery life of 70Wh and this is something I should try in my full review. Another thing to mention is that you have a full license for Microsoft Office 2019 Home & Student Edition and you may be eligible to update Windows 11 as soon as it is released. I will run various tests, including games, and check the ergonomics, design and features that will be valuable for this notebook in the coming days. Stay tuned for a complete review soon.