The Xiaomi Redmi Note 11 is a phone that has an AMOLED 90Hz display panel, a dual stereo speaker setup, IP53 dust and splash resistance, Corning Gorilla Glass 3 protection and a Snapdragon 680 chipset.
But what about the price? Well, the core 4GB RAM and 64GB ROM version of this phone cost only Tk16,500.
The global edition of Xiaomi’s Redmi Note 11 smartphone was launched in the Bangladeshi market last week.
The phone also launched in the market with two other RAM/ROM combinations. The 4GB RAM, 128GB ROM and 6GB RAM, 128GB ROM versions are priced at Tk17,500 and Tk19,000 respectively.
In today’s review, we will be focusing on how the phone performs on daily usage.
Aesthetic
The smartphone looks and feels really good. It has a plastic back and weighs only 179 grams. The plastic back has a frosted matte type finishing, which gives the user a strong grip and zero fingerprints on the back. The phone is only 8.09 mm thick and holds quite comfortably on the palm.
The volume and power button are located on the right side of the phone. The power button also works as the fingerprint reader and it’s exactly where your thumb will rest if you hold the phone in your right hand. If you use your left hand, the index finger will rest on the power button.
One thing to complain about here is the placement of the headphone jack. Just like Redmi 10, the headphone jack in Note 11 is also placed at the top instead of the bottom of the smartphone.
Display
Xiaomi took a huge step forward with the display of the Redmi Note 11. This smartphone introduced an AMOLED display within budget smartphones with a 90Hz refresh rate.
The display is fairly well-lit with a typical brightness of 700 nits and a peak brightness of 1000 nits. So, using it outdoors won’t be a problem. The first thing people see while buying a smartphone is the display, and Xiaomi made sure that they impress the consumers at first glimpse. If you look at the pricing and the phone’s display, you will most probably end up buying it. But if you are reading this article, make sure to stick to the end.
In comparison with other smartphone’s within a similar price range, Realme’s 9i also offers a 90Hz display at Tk17,490 for 4GB RAM and 64GB ROM version of the phone. However, the display in 9i is an IPS LCD display and the brightness is much lower.
Performance
Xiaomi Redmi Note 11 rocks Qualcomm’s latest budget chipset Snapdragon 680. It is built in a 6nm architecture. MiUi, the Xiaomi OS surely takes full advantage of the chipset while gaming. We played Asphalt 9 on this smartphone and the performance was impressive.
However, do keep in mind that Snapdragon 680 isn’t meant for high-end gamers. You will occasionally face frame drops while playing games at high graphics settings. Everything will work fine as long as they are kept within the medium or medium-low graphics settings.
There’s nothing to complain about here. The chipset performs how it should perform in a budget smartphone.
Camera
To be fairly honest, the camera of the Redmi Note 11 failed to impress me due to its nighttime performance. The camera works really well in daylight conditions. The viewfinder shows some noise in a moderately lit environment, but the post-processing fixes that.
However, during the low light scenario, the camera fails to capture images without the noise. I believe that this is something Xiaomi will be able to fix with a future software update since the problem seemed like a post-processing issue.
The smartphone has a 50MP main sensor on the back along with an 8MP 118-degree ultra-wide camera, a 2MP macro lens followed by a 2MP depth sensor.
The selfie camera of the Redmi Note 11 is a 13MP unit, and to be honest, it performs well. Portrait images in a well-lit scenario were also impressive.
Battery
The battery life is quite impressive in Redmi Note 11. With its 5,000 mAh massive battery, the smartphone gives around 8 to 9 hours of screen on time. It should last about a day and a half for regular users.
Xiaomi offered 33 Watts fast charging with this smartphone, and it takes around 1 hour 15 minutes to fully charge the battery. Realme, well known for its charging speed has put the same battery capacity and charging speed in its 9i smartphone.
Ads and pre-installed apps
Just like its previous devices, Redmi Note 11 also shows ads in its user interface. Every time you install an app, you will see a pop up scanning that app and it will also show an ad. A simple life hack to avoid such ads is to use Blokada, a free ad blocker for smartphones.
The phone also comes with tons of pre-installed apps. You may need to spend a few minutes removing those you don’t need before you start using the phone.
Final verdict
Xiaomi is currently in a very strange situation. Their smartphones are frequently being reported to have some serious issues including screen flickering, stereo speakers/camera not working and many more.
However, Xiaomi is trying to fix those, and it seems like the Redmi Note 11 is a better device than its predecessors.
That being said, I would still recommend consumers wait for a while before going for this device. But if you are a regular Xiaomi user and have faith in the brand, this phone is surely worth recommending. Keep in mind that most of the issues are covered under warranty.
Moreover, it will be very difficult for other smartphone brands to offer such features at such aggressive pricing to compete with Redmi Note 11.