If you are obsessive about cellphone specs and are on the lookout for the very best mixture of elements you may get with out spending an enormous quantity, likelihood is you have spent a while trying up Xiaomi’s Redmi Note and Redmi Note Pro fashions. The firm made its mark in India by promoting low-cost telephones, however the Redmi Note collection has all the time been about aspiration whereas remaining inexpensive. Whether it is a larger display screen, extra highly effective processor, larger battery capability, higher cameras, or simply extra RAM and storage you are after, Xiaomi is aware of the way to play this recreation.
However, we’re at a degree when it is robust for corporations to maintain pushing the envelope there’s solely a lot that may be stuffed right into a cellphone, and costs maintain rising. The new Redmi Note 11 Pro+ 5G is priced beginning above Rs. 20,000 which pushes it into new territory. Do consumers merely have to just accept that issues at the moment are dearer, or is that this now a cellphone that is meant for a special viewers? Keep studying to search out out if the Redmi Note 11 Pro+ 5G is best for you.
Redmi Note 11 Pro+ 5G value in India
The base variant of the Redmi Note 11 Pro+ 5G has 6GB of RAM and 128GB of storage, and is priced at Rs. 20,999. You can step as much as 8GB of RAM with the identical 128GB of storage for Rs. 22,999, and it’ll price Rs. 24,999 if you need 8GB of RAM with 256GB of storage. At that degree, you’d even have decisions such because the OnePlus Nord CE 2 (Review), Realme 9 Pro+ 5G (Review), and iQoo Z5 (Review).
Xiaomi additionally sells the lower-end Redmi Note 11 Pro, which lacks 5G and has a barely weaker SoC however is almost similar by way of show, battery, charging, and software program specs. This mannequin is priced at Rs. 17,999 with 6GB of RAM and Rs. 19,999 with 8GB of RAM. Both choices have 128GB of storage.
Redmi Note 11 Pro+ 5G design
As I said in my first impressions, the Redmi Note 11 Pro+ is quite plain-looking. Other than the end of the rear panel, which we’ll get to in a second, there’s little or no design aptitude to talk of. The strains and angles are all quite simple, which is a pity since final 12 months’s Redmi Note 10 Pro Max (Review) had extra of a person feel and look. The two-step digicam module on the rear is the one factor that stands out, design-wise, however sadly it makes the cellphone rock backward and forward when positioned face-up on a flat floor.
The entrance of the Redmi Note 11 Pro+ is all black, aside from the distinguished clear digicam lens on the high with its silver ring. Normally, that is one thing I discover distracting however it’s the solely strategy to inform which manner is up at a look.
The Mirage Blue end catches gentle and divulges patterns that seem like the floor of a pool of water
This cellphone is accessible in three colors Phantom White, Stealth Black, and Mirage Blue. The former two are comparatively plain-looking, however the latter, which is what I’ve for this evaluate, is extraordinarily eye-catching. You’ll see diagonal intersecting waves that after all catch the sunshine while you transfer this cellphone round. That notion of movement, together with the impact of depth that you just get with such a end, makes it appears as if you are taking a look at water on the floor of a pool. The steel body can be an identical pale blue. Even after seeing dozens of telephones with gradient and sample finishes over time, this appears contemporary. However, it is not for everybody.
At the highest of the Redmi Note 11 Pro+ you will discover a 3.5mm audio socket, a grille for the earpiece speaker, and an infrared emitter that can be utilized to regulate home equipment. The energy button with its built-in fingerprint sensor and the quantity buttons are on the fitting, all inside attain. The hybrid dual-SIM tray, USB Type-C port, and first speaker are on the underside, leaving the left aspect clean.
I might have most well-liked extra rounded sides or edges since this cellphone is not the simplest to carry and use. It’s comfy in opposition to the ear however you probably have smaller arms you would possibly discover it a bit awkward in on a regular basis use. The 202g weight and eight.12mm thickness are each barely above common. Xiaomi says it has used Corning Gorilla Glass 5 and frosted glass on the rear. This cellphone is IP53 examined which is technically not the identical as saying it has an official IP53 ranking, however nonetheless offers some reassurance. My unit got here with a display screen protector already adhered, and a semi-rigid clear plastic case within the field.
The Redmi Note 11 Pro+ 5G has a 3.5mm audio jack, IR emitter, and speaker cutouts on the highest
Redmi Note 11 Pro+ 5G specs
Keeping in thoughts that the Redmi Note 11 Pro+ 5G prices significantly greater than its predecessors, I’m anticipating specs that may compete with what you will discover within the sub-Rs. 25,000 market. It’s additionally attention-grabbing that there is a pretty costly 256GB storage possibility sometimes not one thing you’d anticipate value-conscious consumers to splash out on when you possibly can as an alternative channel that cash in the direction of a extra highly effective cellphone.
For that motive, the Qualcomm Snapdragon 695 SoC might want to go up in opposition to the likes of the MediaTek Dimensity 900 which is discovered within the OnePlus Nord CE2 and the Dimensity 920 which powers the Realme 9 Pro+ 5G and Xiaomi 11i 5G. We can also’t neglect the Snapdragon 778G within the iQoo Z5. All these telephones price about as a lot as the upper variants of the Redmi Note 11 Pro+ 5G.
You get a 6.67-inch full-HD+ (1080×2400) AMOLED show with a 120Hz most refresh price. Peak brightness is rated at 1200 nits however there isn’t any point out of HDR assist. Xiaomi additionally claims DCI-P3 color gamut protection. There’s an Always-on Display characteristic which is disabled by default however solely stays seen for 10 seconds when the display screen is tapped, which contradicts its identify.
The battery has a 5000mAh capability, and this cellphone helps 67W charging when the charger within the field is used. Other options value noting are this cellphone’s stereo audio system, Wi-Fi ac, Bluetooth 5.1, and assist for seven 5G bands.
Software is a bit dated the Redmi Note 11 Pro+ 5G ships with MIUI 13 but it surely’s working on Android 11. An replace to Android 12 ought to be launched quickly. My evaluate unit had the February 2022 safety replace which is nice. MIUI has a great deal of customisation potential beginning with an non-obligatory app drawer, navigation gestures or further shortcuts when you persist with buttons, icon measurement and format management, and tweaks for the Recents app menu.
The double-sided tray permits you to use both a second Nano-SIM or a microSD card
Much like on iOS, swiping down from the fitting of the digicam gap reveals fast toggles whereas swiping down from the left reveals notifications. There’s a system-wide search characteristic and a widget display screen to the left of the primary homescreen. In the Settings app, you will discover controls for extra options akin to Lite mode, Second Space for privateness, floating home windows, and a floating shortcut sidebar.
Unfortunately, a few of the default apps such because the GetApps retailer and MX participant present advert notifications with out having even been opened. The widgets are additionally stuffed with promotional content material, and Glance reveals sponsored content material in addition to advertisements in your lock display screen when you do not disable it. Several apps together with Facebook, LinkedIn, Amazon Prime Video, Spotify, and Mi Credit are preloaded, and the UI reveals right now’s suggestions and extra icons that make it appear as if customers must obtain much more apps. Xiaomi has prior to now mentioned that it could cut back litter and make its UI lighter, and so I really feel slightly upset with what I skilled on the Redmi Note 11 Pro+ 5G.
Redmi Note 11 Pro+ 5G efficiency
At this level we do not anticipate that any smartphone, even within the finances section, will battle with working on a regular basis apps. The Redmi Note 11 Pro+ 5G can deal with such duties simply and I had no hassle multitasking with a couple of massive video games and apps open within the background. Xiaomi despatched the center variant, with 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage, for this evaluate. The show refresh price is about to 60Hz by default, and since MIUI has numerous animations, there was a noticeable enchancment in UI responsiveness after I switched to 120Hz.
The fingerprint sensor was fast and simple to make use of. Face recognition was additionally handy, however I used to be stunned to see a warning throughout the setup course of that it may be defeated by a photograph of the consumer in addition to objects with an identical look. This is regarding, however a photograph of my face on one other cellphone’s display screen didn’t work to unlock the Redmi Note 11 Pro+ 5G even after a number of makes an attempt.
The embedded entrance digicam has a distracting shiny ring round it
I discovered the show readable beneath daylight. It’s fairly crisp and hues are vibrant, although some would possibly discover movies a bit oversaturated. The reflective ring across the entrance digicam is actually distracting. You get WideVine L1 DRM certification so HD playback ought to work in supported apps. The stereo audio system are comparatively nicely balanced and sound is kind of loud. Voices come via clearly when watching movies, however music sounded a bit harsh and compressed.
In phrases of benchmark scores, efficiency was fairly strong. AnTuTu confirmed a rating of 365,861 and Geekbench 5’s single-core and multi-core outcomes had been 688 and 1,903 respectively. These are a bit decrease than what the OnePlus Nord CE 2 managed, and fairly a bit behind the Realme 9 Pro+ 5G and iQoo Z5. The story was the identical for graphics assessments GFXBench’s T-rex scene ran at 82fps however the Car Chase scene solely mananaged 17fps. 3DMark Wild Life produced a rating of 1,211.
Gaming was pretty nice, although the higher rear of the Redmi Note 11 Pro+ 5G did get a bit heat after about quarter-hour. Asphalt 9: Legends ran with none hassle, and Battlegrounds Mobile India additionally ran nicely on the HD high quality setting and High body price. This ought to be greater than sufficient for most individuals, however once more, does not fairly match as much as the very best within the section.
The Redmi Note 11 Pro+ 5G did do nicely by way of battery life. With informal on a regular basis use, I nonetheless had a couple of 30 p.c cost left at evening. Our HD video loop check ran for 15 hours, 8 minutes. Using the equipped charger with the cellphone powered down, I used to be capable of go from zero to 36 p.c in quarter-hour and 66 p.c in half-hour. It took simply over 50 minutes to get to one hundred pc. Xiaomi claims a 51 p.c cost in quarter-hour which is a giant distinction, however what I noticed was nonetheless fairly good.
The cellphone does get uncomfortably heat whereas charging although, and you will want to hold the very cumbersome 67W charger in addition to Xiaomi’s personal cable all over the place to benefit from this charging pace on the go, while you’re almost certainly to want it. I used to be capable of cost a MacBook Air utilizing this charger, which was handy.
You get three rear cameras together with a 108-megapixel main digicam
Redmi Note 11 Pro+ 5G cameras
Xiaomi has managed to one-up its competitors within the digicam division, at the least with regards to specs. The Redmi Note 11 Pro+ 5G contains a 108-megapixel main rear digicam with a Samsung HM2 sensor and f/1.9 aperture. This sensor was additionally used for the Redmi Note 10 Pro Max final 12 months. There’s no optical picture stabilisation, and video recording solely goes as much as 1080p which is a shock.
There’s additionally an 8-megapixel ultra-wide digicam and a 2-megapixel macro digicam. Interestingly, the lower-end Redmi Note 11 Pro options a further 2-megapixel depth sensor on the rear this offers it a slight advertising and marketing benefit by way of numbers, however clearly Xiaomi felt that the dearer mannequin does not want this. Sadly, the 5-megapixel telemacro digicam of final 12 months’s Redmi Note 10 Pro collection, which I used to be extremely impressed with, has been dropped. The entrance digicam has a 16-megapixel decision and f/2.45 aperture.
Redmi Note 11 Pro+ 5G daytime picture samples (Top: customary, backside: 108-megapixel 1:1 crop) (Tap to see full measurement)
The digicam app is pretty nicely organised, although there are a couple of quirks akin to having a Macro toggle in a sub-menu quite than implementing this as a mode with all of the others. Thankfully, images will not be watermarked by default.
Shots taken with the 108-megapixel digicam are binned to a smart 4000×3000 decision by default, and that goes as much as 12,000×9000 pixels when you override this manually. Downsampled images taken open air within the daytime exhibited barely crisper element and punchier colors than full-resolution counterparts, however the true worth of a 108-megapixel shot is which you can enlarge and crop them to simulate optical zoom with out shedding constancy. Either manner, colors popped properly. Detail was good in close-ups, however dropped a bit if topics had been at a slight distance.
Redmi Note 11 Pro+ 5G daytime picture samples (Tap to see full measurement)
The ultra-wide digicam did not seize very vibrant pictures, and there was noticeable warping of perspective. Daytime macros had been disappointing final 12 months’s mannequin might seize genuinely usable and visually attention-grabbing macros, however we’re again to novelty worth for the sake of itemizing a number of cameras on the spec sheet with the Redmi Note 11 Pro+ 5G. Portaits got here out nicely sufficient.
At evening, the Redmi Note 11 Pro+ 5G’s foremost digicam was nearly okay. Detail was missing and pictures appeared murky and closely compressed except there was excellent lighting close by. Night Mode diminished shadows and barely improved element, however in some circumstances I noticed an exaggerated heat tone to pictures. 108-megapixel pictures did not enhance high quality a lot, and there was nearly no level making an attempt to make use of the ultra-wide-angle or macro cameras at evening. You cannot use Night Mode with the ultra-wide digicam or if the 108-megapixel mode is chosen.
Redmi Note 11 Pro+ 5G daytime picture samples (Top: portrait, backside: macro) (Tap to see full measurement)
Video was usually easy, but it surely’s stunning for a cellphone on this section to not supply 4K recording and even 1080p 60fps in any respect. Daytime footage shot with the primary digicam appeared to have a barely heat color tone however was usually sharp and easy. The ultra-wide digicam took grainier footage and there was a major drop in high quality. You can really file 720p video with the macro digicam, although that is largely pointless.
Skin smoothening is enabled by default while you swap to the entrance digicam. Selfies did have a synthetic high quality and element wasn’t nice. Portrait pictures had good depth separation. Front digicam high quality did endure fairly a bit in low gentle, although.
Redmi Note 11 Pro+ 5G low-light picture samples (Top: customary, center: Night mode, backside: ultra-wide) (Tap to see full measurement)
Verdict
The Redmi Note collection has been considered one of Xiaomi’s best-selling choices, however the firm has now pushed it into a better value section and so we won’t simply have a look at the Redmi Note 11 Pro+ 5G as a substitute for the Redmi Note 10 Pro Max and the numerous fashionable iterations which have come earlier than it. We do nonetheless have a number of fashions priced under this degree there’s the 4G-only Redmi Note 11 Pro, the Redmi Note 11S (Review), the Redmi Note 11T 5G (Review), and even the merely named Redmi Note 11, most of which overlap with one another. Older fashions proceed to be accessible as nicely.
What the brand new Redmi Note 11 Pro+ 5G has in its favour are its show and audio system, battery life, charging pace, software program options, and on a regular basis efficiency. You can discover most of this stuff in inexpensive telephones although, they usually do not justify its new excessive value. Even the bottom variant which prices Rs. 20,999 will face stiff competitors from its personal predecessor, the Redmi Note 10 Pro Max, which has the identical main rear digicam, a extra helpful macro digicam, and lots of comparable options. The older mannequin is actually weaker by way of SoC efficiency with regards to gaming, however when you prioritise that, you will not be selecting the brand new one both.
Overall, the Redmi Note 11 Pro+ 5G is ok for what it’s, but it surely is not a clear-cut section chief. If Xiaomi had gone all-out with both the SoC or the cameras, there may need been a selected area of interest for it. The OnePlus Nord CE2, Realme 9 Pro+ 5G, and iQoo Z5 are its most notable opponents they do have barely larger beginning costs, however when you’re spending this a lot, you must take into account them.
