El Androide Libre. Redmi note 11r

El Redmi Note 11R llega al mercado con conectividad 5G, buena batería y un diseño renovado que le sienta bastante bien.

Tras el lanzamiento de algunas versiones como el Redmi Note 11 SE, el nuevo Redmi Note 11R ha sido presentado oficialmente, y podría ser uno de los últimos integrantes de esta familia de smartphones.

Se trata de un nuevo modelo de gama media que cambia otra vez el diseño de su parte trasera para ofrecer algo diferente respecto a lo que Xiaomi nos tiene acostumbrados en los últimos tiempos.

Este smartphone llega, además, presumiendo de contar con un precio inferior a los 200 euros que hace que pinte muy bien, en especial si buscas algo con una buena relación calidad precio.

Características Redmi Note 11R

Redmi Note 11R pantalla El Androide Libre

• Tamaño: 6,58 pulgadas.
• Resolución: Full HD (2400 x 1080 píxeles).
• Tecnología: LCD IPS.
• Tasa de refresco: 90 Hz.

Procesador MediaTek y varias opciones de RAM

Redmi Note 11R El Androide Libre

El Redmi Note 11R cuenta en su interior con un procesador MediaTek Dimensity 700 que le da conectividad 5G y que es capaz de hacer un buen trabajo a la hora de jugar y navegar por redes sociales. A este le acompañan 4, 6 u 8 GB de memoria RAM y 128 GB de almacenamiento ampliable mediante tarjeta microSD.

Su pantalla tiene una diagonal de 6,58 pulgadas, es una LCD de 90 Hz de tasa de refresco y su resolución es Full HD, puede ofrecer un buen rendimiento a la hora de jugar. El diseño del móvil es de lo más interesante, e integra una barra horizontal en la trasera para albergar las cámaras traseras.

Redmi Note 11R pantalla El Androide Libre

Por otra parte, tiene un apartado fotográfico en el que parece que Xiaomi ha recortado un poco, con un sensor de 13 megapíxeles y otro de 2 megapíxeles que tiene la función de detectar la profundidad para hacer mejores retratos.

Su batería tiene una capacidad de 5.000 mAh, y su carga rápida tiene una potencia de 18W. También incluye otras características como el jack de 3,5 milímetros o el lector de huellas dactilares montado en el lateral.

Precio y disponibilidad

Redmi Note 11R colores El Androide Libre

El Redmi Note 11R llega en diferentes versiones y colores, estando disponibles en blanco, azul y negro, y ya está disponible para su compra en china. Todos los modelos tienen 128 GB de almacenamiento interno, lo que cambia es la memoria RAM.

El modelo de 4 GB de memoria RAM y tiene un precio de unos 160 euros al cambio. La versión de 6 GB de RAM costaría alrededor de 185 euros, mientras que el modelo más top, de 8 GB de memoria RAM, costaría unos 215 euros al cambio.

Redmi Note 11 Pro 5G Review: a worthy successor or just a 5G update?

Xiaomi has long proven by now that it is one of the best manufacturers of budget-friendly phones, offering flagship-like features for affordable price tags. Well, here we have the Redmi Note 11 Pro 5G, which has arrived to prove that statement once again.

The Redmi Note 11 Pro 5G is just one of the Note 11 Pro trio from Redmi. The other two are the Redmi Note 11 Pro and the Redmi Note 11 Pro Plus 5G.

Now, yes, it definitely has its downfalls and certainly is not for everyone, but depending on what you are looking for, it could be the perfect fit both for your needs and your wallet.

The of the Redmi Note 11 Pro 5G can vary, but it goes somewhere between 330 to 400 in the US and €330 to €400 in Europe. It comes in three RAM/storage combos: 6/64GB, 6/128GB, and 8/128GB.

But enough beating around the bush, let’s get to the nitty-gritty and see what this affordable Xiaomi phone has to offer.

Xiaomi Redmi Note 11 Pro 5G

The Good

• Great audio quality for media consumption
• Great battery life and charging speeds
• 67W charger in the box
• Awesome display
• Good main camera
• Clean and simple design
• Expandable storage

The Bad

• Subpar video quality and stabilization
• Bugs
• Old Android version
• Only 2 years software updates
• Bloatware

Design and Display Quality

Much like its predecessor, the Redmi Note 11 Pro 5G is definitely one of the better-looking affordable phones out there. We are used to seeing flashy designs and cheap-feeling builds in this price range, but that’s not the case here.

The back panel is made out of glass, although you could easily confuse it for metal. It has a somewhat matte look and is quite good at hiding fingerprints. You will find the Redmi Note 11 Pro 5G in three colors: Graphite Gray, Polar White, and Atlantic Blue, all of which look pretty cool and stylish.

The only buttons you will find on the Redmi Note 11 Pro 5G are the power button and volume rocker on the right side. Both give off a really pleasant sensation when being clicked. Somehow they are soft but also satisfyingly clicky at the same time. Yes, I am aware that this description is on the border of sounding, well, weird, but what can I say—Xiaomi pushed all of the right buttons for me here.

Speaking of buttons, embedded in the power button is the Redmi Note 11 Pro 5G’s fingerprint scanner. I wouldn’t exactly place my bet on it in a race for the fastest fingerprint scanners, but it does a good enough job. It’s worth noting that it seems to be a bit faster if you actually click the power button compared to just placing your finger on it.

Ports-wise, there is a 3.5mm headphone jack at the top. Wait! Hold your horses. It gets even better! On the bottom, there is a SIM card tray that also doubles as what now? Yes, a microSD card slot! Definitely some bonus points here for the Redmi Note 11 Pro 5G for bringing both wired audio and expandable storage to the table. Oh, yeah, and the USB-C port is there too.

In terms of protection, the Redmi Note 11 Pro 5G is IP53 certified, meaning that it is somewhat shielded against dust and can handle rain or sweat. The glass covering the display is Corning Gorilla Glass 5, but I wouldn’t depend on it too much.

If you want to be extra careful, you can install the plastic screen protector and sturdy-looking transparent case that come in the box with the Redmi Note 11 Pro 5G. The screen protector is not installed, so you will have to do that yourself.

Speaking of what’s in the box, the Redmi Note 11 Pro 5G also comes with a 67W fast charger, which helps it achieve some amazing charging speeds that I touch upon later, in the battery section of this review.

One of the strongest suits of the Redmi Note 11 Pro 5G is its display. It can go up to 120Hz of refresh rate, or if you want to save a considerable amount of battery, you can reduce it to 60Hz instead.

The 6.67” AMOLED DotDisplay with a resolution of 2400 x 1080 pixels produces great colors, contrast, and viewing angles. The outdoor visibility of the display was decent enough, given that I tested it in bright daylight conditions. I could see what was on the screen without straining my eyes too much.

Lastly, while the Redmi Note 11 Pro is undoubtedly a big phone, so is its display. In other words, the screen-to-body ratio leaves little room for disappointment. Most of the bezels stay thin on all sides, with the bottom one being slightly thicker.

The CIE 1931 xy color gamut chart represents the set (area) of colors that a display can reproduce, with the sRGB colorspace (the highlighted triangle) serving as reference. The chart also provides a visual representation of a display’s color accuracy. The small squares across the boundaries of the triangle are the reference points for the various colors, while the small dots are the actual measurements. Ideally, each dot should be positioned on top of its respective square. The ‘x: CIE31’ and ‘y: CIE31’ values in the table below the chart indicate the position of each measurement on the chart. ‘Y’ shows the luminance (in nits) of each measured color, while ‘Target Y’ is the desired luminance level for that color. Finally, ‘ΔE 2000’ is the Delta E value of the measured color. Delta E values of below 2 are ideal.

The Color accuracy chart gives an idea of how close a display’s measured colors are to their referential values. The first line holds the measured (actual) colors, while the second line holds the reference (target) colors. The closer the actual colors are to the target ones, the better.

The Grayscale accuracy chart shows whether a display has a correct white balance (balance between red, green and blue) across different levels of grey (from dark to bright). The closer the Actual colors are to the Target ones, the better.

Performance and Software

During regular use, the Redmi Note 11 Pro 5G’s Snapdragon 695 and 6/8GB RAM delivered snappy and fluid performance while navigating the UI. Browsing the web and watching media were also a breeze for this budget-friendly Xiaomi phone.

In terms of gaming, the Redmi Note 11 Pro 5G can handle light and somewhat heavy titles, especially in combination with Xiaomi’s LiquidCool Technology. If you want to play some more graphically intensive games, though, this is not the phone you’ve been looking for.

If the T-Rex HD component of GFXBench is demanding, then the Manhattan test is downright gruelling. It’s a GPU-centric test that simulates an extremely graphically intensive gaming environment that is meant to push the GPU to the max. that simulates a graphically-intensive gaming environment on the screen. The results achieved are measured in frames per second, with more frames being better.

Currently, the Redmi Note 11 Pro 5G is running MIUI 13. Now, Xiaomi’s Android skin is definitely not for everybody. That being said, throughout the last couple of years, it’s become ever so more user-friendly. Behind MIUI 13, however, lies Android 11, which at this point is starting to feel a bit too old.

In terms of software updates, you can expect two major Android updates, which is not that much, especially given that you are starting out with an already old version. To put it this way, the last guaranteed Android version you will get will likely be Android 13. Security patches will continue for three years though.

It’s almost as if Android and iOS had a kid, and it came with a mixed bag filled with both of those UIs features. A good example of this is the control center which seems to have taken a bit of both worlds, and I’ve got to say I am a bit of a fan.

What persists to this day, however, is the huge amount of bloatware that comes with the phone. Why is there bloatware you ask? Well, sometimes companies use this type of advertising as a way to reduce a phone’s price tag and make it look more appealing when potential buyers look at the spec sheet.

Camera

The Redmi Note 11 Pro 5G has a triple camera setup on the back including the main 108MP with Samsung’s HM2 sensor powering it, an 8MP ultra-wide, and a 2MP macro camera.

The main camera does a good job at delivering overall crisp images with vivid colors, however, it tends to overexpose more often than not, which can sometimes result in a loss of detail in the highlights and can make the photo look unappealing. Of course, that can easily be corrected manually but the point here is that it is not always reliable in point-and-shoot situations.

There is also the 108MP mode which gives you some highly detailed shots that you can massively zoom into without losing detail. In my testing, the results were impressive. You could—without a doubt—tell the massive increase in quality. One thing to keep in mind, though, is that you need a good amount of light to make complete use of this mode.

The ultra-wide snapper, on the other hand, as you might expect, does not boast the same detail as the main one. Thankfully, the colors look consistent with the main camera, albeit exposure tends to be a bit darker since the ultra-wide camera is not as sensitive to light.

As for the 2MP macro, contrary to macro cameras on other phones, the one on the Redmi Note 11 Pro 5G does an admirable job in terms of detail and color representation, so props to Xiaomi for that.

The front-facing camera also did not disappoint. The shots I managed to muster up with this little guy were clean, and so were the ones I took in portrait mode. One gripe that I have, though, was the lack of any HDR, which you can see from the blown-out background behind me.

Now, in the camera app menu, there is a button dubbed AI, which I would refrain from using. It’s supposed to figure out the scene and accurately adjust settings for a successful image but it was way off during my testing. The AI feature added excessive saturation and confused sunny conditions for snow.

The night mode, on the other side, even though it works only with the main shooter, did an amazing job in low-light scenarios. Dare I say, I was a bit impressed by how well it did, given the phone’s price range.

One of the more disappointing parts of the phone’s performance was a certain bug while shooting with the cameras. After a few shots, the camera app would freeze and shut down almost every time I tried to take a few shots. Hopefully Xiaomi takes care of that issue in the future.

While taking photos with the Redmi Note 11 Pro 5G is an overall nice experience, I cannot say the same is true for shooting video. First and foremost, the only modes you have are 720p in 30fps and 1080p in 30fps. Now, those modes would have been okay if only the quality was better. Both in terms of detail and stabilization, I was left rather disappointed. A small saving grace of shooting video with this phone is the good audio recording quality.

Audio Quality and Haptics

Speaking of audio, it is definitely one of the better aspects of the Redmi Note 11 Pro 5G. There are two speakers—one on the bottom of the phone and one on the top. Actually, the top side of the phone has two speaker grills, so even if you block one of them the sound still comes out of the other, which minimizes the chance of ruining your YouTube or gaming bing sessions.

The channel separation coming out of the two speakers is also noteworthy. This is probably what Xiaomi is talking about when calling the speakers of the Redmi Note 11 Pro 5G “super linear.”

The sound itself is really good for watching media, especially speech and some more vocal music. The bass, however, lacks richness and can sometimes come off as muffled, so I wouldn’t replace my Bluetooth speaker with the Redmi Note 11 Pro 5G. The volume also leaves some room for improvement.

Thankfully, if you want to listen to some bass-heavy music and have a pair of wired headphones that can deliver such performance, you can plug them in. Yes, the 3.5mm headphone jack is still here folks!

Moving on to the haptics in the Redmi Note 11 Pro 5G, they are definitely not the best out there, however, they don’t leave a cheap feeling impression while using the phone. At least not as much as other affordable handsets on the market.

Battery Life and Charging

The battery in the Redmi Note 11 Pro 5G is 5,000mAh, which is about as much as you would need in a phone like this. In a heavy-use scenario like browsing, watching videos and movies, gaming, I did not manage to completely drain it in one day. Overall, the phone lasted me almost two days with my use.

But even when you reach those single digit percentiles on the battery you just need to plug in the included 67W charger that came in the box and the Redmi Note 11 Pro 5G will be full in no time. I found myself surprised each time I left it to charge and then returned to check whether there was enough juice in it.

Xiaomi Redmi Note 11 Pro 5G Review

By now, Xiaomi basically established their Redmi Note series as one of the top setters for what a bang-for-your-buck midrange smartphone should be. Last year, we gave the Note 10 Pro a number of thumbs up for the upgrades it received. And now that we have the Redmi Note 11 Pro 5G, let’s find out if it still reigns supreme in its range. Continue reading for our full review.

Design and Construction

Right off the bat, the first thing we noticed with this phone is how hefty it is. The Redmi Note 11 Pro is thick with sharp and flat edges, which isn’t really easy to use one-handed nor slip into s. Nonetheless, it feels and looks robust, plus, its IP53 dust and splash resistant so it should be fine for people with slippery hands. Take note that this doesn’t mean that it’s waterproof, but it should survive accidental splashes or rain.

The unit we have is in the Mysterious Black color, and it sports a solid metal chassis with a frosted glass back that gives off somehow a light effect when moved towards different angles. We do prefer this to a glossy finish since it’s less prone to smudges. Locally, it’s available in Polar White and Atlantic Blue.

at the back, we get a protruding 2 square camera module on the upper left corner to house its triple rear cameras and LED flash. Then there’s some Redmi branding below.

Found on the right side are all the buttons; the volume rocker and the power key, which doubles as a fingerprint scanner.

Meanwhile, located on top is a secondary noise-canceling microphone along with a second set of speaker grills, 3.5mm audio port, and an IR blaster.

Now the bottom part is also packed with the primary microphone, primary speaker, USB Type C port, and a hybrid card slot for a nano-SIM or a microSD card.

Display and Multimedia

Flipping upfront, we get a similar display to its predecessor. Not that we’re complaining, it’s still very nice to see a 6.67-inch 120Hz FHD AMOLED display with Gorilla Glass 5 protection in a midrange smartphone. The bezels look relatively slim with the call speaker on the top part, and as you can see we get a punch hole notch on the upper-middle, which you can still hide with a black bar in the settings. There’s an additional screen protector included in the box that you can install yourself.

This display is vibrant and sharp with nice deep blacks, so maximizing the system-wide dark mode is great. Viewing angles are looking good, and it’s easily viewable under direct sunlight with a peak brightness of 1200 nits.

In the display settings, you can change the color scheme to Standard, Saturated, or Vivid, and you can also tweak your preferred color temperature. Then, of course, there’s the option to switch the refresh rate between the smooth 120Hz and the standard 60Hz if you want to save more battery life. Xiaomi’s reading mode is also on board and it helps reduce eye fatigue if you’re always on your screen.

As for audio quality, the Redmi Note 11 Pro 5G features a dual-stereo setup that can get really loud compared to most smartphones in its price range. Oftentimes we get a balanced mix of mids and highs but expectedly still lacks bass. Thankfully you can always use your wired headsets on it for an even better listening experience.

Cameras

The triple set up at the back is composed of a 108MP f/1.9 wide primary lens, which is similar to last year’s model, followed by an 8MP f/2.2, 118-degree ultrawide lens, and a 2MP f/2.4 macro lens. At the front, there’s a single front-facing camera with a 16 MP f/2.4 lens.

When it comes to quality, we’re impressed with the images produced. It brings out a lot of details, vibrant colors, and a decent dynamic range in bright conditions. Ultrawide photos also turn out good as well. However, looking closely at the edges and corners, there is some softness and distortion.

The set of cameras allows you to zoom in from 2x, 4x, 6, 8, and up to 10x with still preserving some clear details. But if you want better quality, then you can always use its 108MP mode or the Pro mode that also gives quick access to the 108MP lens.

As for night photography, it often looks shadowy and muddy without any AI or night enhancement turned on. But when we used its night mode on, we get more subtle details with better lighting effects. It does a respectable job.

Checking out some selfies, it looks a bit pale most of the time, falling more on cooler tones. But with very good lighting or sunlight, you can get a natural-looking photo.

Its portrait mode provides good enough subject-background separation, plus you can adjust the aperture and blur style depending on what you prefer in post.

For videos, weirdly, you can shoot only up to 1080p at 30 fps. It’s rather disappointing that the brand decided to remove its 4k video recording option here, since it’s becoming a norm in a lot of midrange smartphones already, and this is their Pro 5G model, c’mon. But anyway, there’s a Pro video mode with stabilization that you can take advantage of.

OS, UI, and Apps

Running the software show is Android 11, skinned with MIUI 13. The interface still resembles MIUI 12 a lot but a few upgrades on the font, live wallpapers, privacy features, and overall app performance.

Apps are arranged on the home screen, but there’s also an option for an app drawer if that’s what you prefer. Thankfully, there are now lesser ads across the system, and the promoted ads toggle is now turned off by default. Well, you can still turn it on if for some reason you want the ads.

You have the option of customizing between a system-wide light mode or dark mode. Then, of course, there’s also the option to change the Control Center style if you want the simple and familiar drop-down style or the newer iOS familiar look that separates the notifications from the main control center. Personally, we prefer the new version.

As expected, we still get a number of Xiaomi proprietary apps, Google apps, and a few third-party apps like. Lazada, Netflix, TikTok. and Spotify. I like that majority of these apps are used by most users, so they’re more of a convenience than a bother.

With 128GB of internal storage, this leaves us with a usable space of 106GB out of the box, that you can expand with the dedicated microSD card slot for up to 1TB.

Performance and Benchmarks

Moving on to performance, locally, the Note 11 Pro 5G is equipped with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 695 processor, together with an Adreno 619 GPU, and 8GB of RAM with 3GB memory extension available—you can turn this on in the settings manually for more efficient multitasking.

So the new Snapdragon 695 is an octa-core chipset manufactured using a 6-nanometer process technology, and it’s comparable to a Snapdragon 765G in terms of performance with a slight advantage on battery life.

In our day-to-day experience, the phone has been great, especially for ordinary tasks like taking photos and videos, running social media apps simultaneously, and browsing. We get a smooth scrolling and even gaming experience thanks to its 120Hz refresh rate and 360Hz touch sampling rate.

Although, we did encounter some heating when playing heavy games for a long period of time, not to an alarming level. There were also rare occasions wherein an app would just crash, if too many other apps are running in the background, therefore we suggest keeping the device optimized.

If you’re interested in the numbers, take a look at the benchmark scores we got:

• AnTuTu v9.2.9 – 380,251
• AnTuTu v9.1.7 Storage Test – 23,822, (523.3 MB/s Seq. Read, 497.6 MB/s Seq. Write)
• Geekbench 5.4.4 – 638 (Single-Core), 1,593 (Multi-Core)
• PCMark – 10,121 (Work 3.0)
• 3D Mark – 1,189, 7.10 Ave FPS (Wild Life), 361, 2.20 Ave FPS (Wild Life Extreme)

When it comes to biometrics and security, you can unlock the device via the side-mounted fingerprint scanner and through facial recognition. Both worked snappily and accurately. Honestly, we think that placing the fingerprint scanner on the side is a more convenient way to unlock your phone as it is quick and easy to access.

Connectivity and Battery Life

The device’s connectivity features are complete with Dual-SIM, 5G, 4G LTE, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 5.1, GPS, NFC, screencast, and an IR blaster.

One of the major upgrades that we get is in the battery. Despite getting a lower capacity of 5000mAh compared to its predecessor, it is now well compensated with 67W fast charging. Surely, there’s an adapter and cable included in the box.

When we ran it in our standard video loop test, which entails playing a 1080p video on loop at 50% brightness, 0% volume,120Hz refresh rate, and airplane mode turned on, the Note 11 Pro 5G yielded 22 hours and 30 minutes. That’s very good. Charging, on the other hand, takes less than an hour to reach 100%.

Conclusion

Alright. We’re now down to price. Here in the Philippines, the Redmi Note 11 Pro is yet to be officially released, but based on its global pricing, we’re looking at between PHP 14-16,000. Stay tuned for future updates regarding the official tag.

For our thoughts, honestly, it didn’t stray away much from its predecessor, but its upgrades in faster charging, overall performance, 120Hz refresh rate, and 5G connectivity seem like practical improvements that a lot of users would want to have. It’s more than enough for its price, making this another bang-for-your-buck device from Xiaomi. We highly recommend it unless the lack of 4k video recording is a deal-breaker for you.

Xiaomi Redmi Note 11 Pro 5G specs: 6.67-inch FHD (2400 x 1080) AMOLED display 120Hz refresh rate, 360Hz touch sampling rate Corning Gorilla Glass 5 front Qualcomm Snapdragon 695 SoC Adreno 619 GPU 6GB, 8GB LDPRR4X RAM 64GB, 128GB UFS 2.2 microSD support (hybrid) Triple-rear cameras: 108MP F1.9 main 8MP F2.2 ultra-wide 2MP F2.4 macro 16MP F2.4 front camera Dual-SIM 5G, 4G LTE Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac Bluetooth 5.1 NFC IR blaster GPS, A-GPS, GLONASS, BDS, GALILEO Fingerprint scanner (side) USB-C Dual speakers 3.5mm audio jack IP53 splash-proof MIUI 13 (Android 11) 5,000mAh battery w/ 67W fast charging 164.19 x 76.1 x 8.12 mm 202 g Polar White, Atlantic Blue

Xiaomi Redmi Note 11 review

The Redmi Note 11, like any budget phone, is a compromise: the design, build quality, screen and battery life are great, but the rear camera quality and the overall performance are where you’ll notice the savings on the price of the handset have been made.

Cons

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Two-minute review

With its Redmi and Poco sub-brands, Xiaomi wants to remind us that it’s not all about the top-tier flagship smartphones – and the company consistently puts out low-price handsets that give you more than you might expect for your money. We’ve seen it plenty of times in the past and the Redmi Note 11 is another example.

Despite costing very little – around £200 in the UK – the phone comes with decent battery life, an excellent screen, and a build quality that’s impressive. Picking up and using the Redmi Note 11, you wouldn’t necessarily think that you’d paid so little for it, and it might make your flagship-owning friends wonder why exactly they’ve paid so much.

The specs that the Redmi Note 11 comes with aren’t quite as impressive, which is to be expected, but during our time with the phone, we didn’t notice any major issues in terms of slowdowns or bugs. Whether it’s watching movies, playing games, sending messages, checking social media, or browsing the web, the phone is perfectly capable and isn’t going to let you down in any of these areas.

Thanks to the bright AMOLED screen and the competent stereo speakers, media playback is an area where the Redmi Note 11 does really well. If you’re looking for a phone that is going to cope well with YouTube, Netflix, iPlayer, and so on, then this might be exactly what you need – and at 6.43 inches, the screen hits a sweet spot between the smallest and the largest displays out there.

Of course, there are shortcomings, as you would expect from a phone that costs so little. Photos and videos captured by the phone’s rear camera aren’t brilliant, especially as the available light goes down. A lot of the time you’ll get snaps that look pretty good, but for difficult situations – moving subjects, night shots – you’re going to want to think about spending more for a phone with a better camera on the back.

You don’t get any support for 5G here either, which is unusual for a phone nowadays, even one that costs as little as the Redmi Note 11 does. How much this matters to you will likely depend on whether there’s any 5G in your area yet – after all, 4G is still pretty speedy. Overall though, if you can live with those issues, you’ll find this is one of the best cheap phones available.

Xiaomi Redmi Note 11 price and availability

The price of the Redmi Note 11 is £199 in the UK, making it one of the cheapest phones on the market at the moment (the phone has already launched in China, too). As per usual for Xiaomi, you won’t be able to buy the Redmi Note 11 in the US.

That low price is one of the key selling points for this handset, and secures it a place in our list of the best Xiaomi phones.

Design

Take a look at the Redmi Note 11, and you wouldn’t think it’s a budget phone that costs as little as it does. It feels light but well constructed in the hand, the matte plastic backing is comfortable to the touch (and feels more premium than we expected it to), and even the rear camera bump is tastefully handled.

At a mere 8.1mm (0.32 inches) thick, this is more svelte than a lot of the budget phones that have crossed the TechRadar reviews desk, and all the curves and ridges on this phone are tastefully and thoughtfully positioned. It’s perhaps only the slightly thicker bottom bezel underneath the display that gives away this phone’s affordable price tag.

Our review unit came in a rather gorgeous-looking Graphite Gray color, which manages to be both eye-catching and subtle at the same time. If you’d rather have a phone that pops a bit more, you can get the Redmi Note 11 in Pearl White and Star Blue, but for us, it’s the gray color that’s the most appealing.

With a 6.43-inch display, the overall dimensions of the phone are 159.9 mm x 73.9 mm x 8.1 mm (that’s 6.3 inches x 2.9 inches x 0.32 inches), and it weighs in at 179 grams (0.39 pounds). What you don’t get – and we wouldn’t expect it at this price – is full waterproofing and dust-proofing: with an IP53 rating, you get dust and splash protection but no more than that, so don’t drop it in the sink.

There’s a 3.5 mm audio jack on the top of the device for your wired headphones, and a USB-C slot on the bottom for charging the phone or transferring data to another device – you don’t get wired charging with this smartphone. The volume buttons and power button are on the right as you look at the phone, and there’s a serviceable fingerprint sensor built into the power button.

Display

Xiaomi has excelled itself with the 6.43-inch AMOLED screen on the Redmi Note 11. With a resolution of 1080 x 2400 pixels, 1000 nits peak brightness and a 90Hz refresh rate, it’s superb for everything from browsing the web to watching movies streamed from the web. There’s no HDR support, but it’s not something that you’ll really miss.

The only distraction is the punch-hole camera in the center of the screen up at the top, which mostly stays out of the way. As we’ve said, the bezels are nice and slim, with the bottom chin the only real giveaway that this isn’t a screen on a more expensive mid-range or even flagship smartphone.

Dive into the display options on the phone and you’ve got a few settings to play around with: you can choose from a light or a dark mode, and the color scheme can be set to either vivid (the default), saturated (so colors are always enhanced), or standard (a more natural look). The color temperature can be adjusted too.

Camera

The Redmi Note 11 comes with a quad-lens rear camera made up of a 50MP wide lens, an 8MP ultrawide lens, a 2MP macro lens and a 2MP depth lens. On the front, there’s a single 13MP wide lens which is good enough for straightforward selfie shots and video calls through whatever apps you want to use.

The rear camera does okay, up to a point, but it’s one of the weakest cameras we’ve seen on a smartphone lately. That’s not to say it’s bad, exactly, in decent lighting: you’ll get snaps that are more than good enough for social media most of the time, and occasionally you’ll get a really impressive shot or two.

It’s in the details that the camera starts to let itself down, with features like FOCUS and HDR not quite as good as they are on the mid-range or flagship phones that you’ll have to pay more for. As you can see from the camera samples below, certain areas can get muddy and colors can be a bit drab, especially when you’re out taking pictures in the middle of February in England.

Budget phones at this price are rarely capable of taking great photos at night, and the Redmi Note 11 continues this tradition: if there’s no or very little light available then you probably won’t get the photo you’re looking for, even with the night mode switched on. If there is a bit of light and your subjects keep still, you might just get something usable.

As for the ultrawide mode, it’s handy for fitting more in the frame, but it tends to shift the colors of the shot, and images start to look a little fuzzy on closer inspection. We don’t want to be too negative about the cameras on the Redmi Note 11, but this isn’t a phone for people who need a camera they can rely on.