Redmi Note 11 Pro+ 5G Review: Sticks To The Winning Formula

Redmi Note 11 Pro+ 5G Review: Design

The Redmi Note 11 Pro+ 5G, when compared to the Redmi Note 10 Pro Max looks a lot different. The device boasts an all-new EVOL. Pro design now offers a flat frame when compared to the curved frame on the previous Redmi Note series of smartphones.

Being an iPhone user, I just can't stop comparing the flat frames of the iPhone 12/iPhone 13 with the Redmi Note 10 Pro+ 5G. Unlike an iPhone, the Redmi Note 10+ 5G uses a plastic frame, and considering the price tag, I have no issue with that. The plastic frame also makes the device a tag lighter, and it weighs 202 grams.

By looking at the number, one might feel that the Redmi Note 11 Pro+ 5G is a heavy smartphone. However, due to the proper weight balance, the device actually feels a lot lighter, and the flat edges give this smartphone a unique feel, even when compared to the Redmi Note 10 Pro Max.

The Redmi Note 11 Pro+ 5G is available in three colors and I have been using the Phantom White variant. This model offers a pearl-like finish on the back, and the contrasting camera module offers a dual-tone-like finish. The front and the back of the Redmi Note 11 Pro+ 5G is protected by the Corning Gorilla Glass 5, and the phone also has an IP53 rating for water and dust resistance.

The phone has a stereo speaker setup, a 3.5mm headphone jack, and a USB Type-C port. The SIM card slot on the Redmi Note 11 Pro+ 5G can either accept two nano-SIM card slots or a nano-SIM and a microSD card slot. Given the price segment, I would have loved to see a dedicated microSD card slot, which would have given more choice to the users.

The volume buttons are on the right along with the power button, which also doubles as a fingerprint sensor. The Redmi Note 11 Pro+ 5G definitely has one of the most responsive fingerprint sensors. However, phones like the OnePlus Nord CE 2 5G offers an in-display fingerprint sensor at the same price range.

Overall, in terms of design, the Redmi Note 11 Pro+ 5G has maintained the right balance of feature and practicality. Even when it comes to the in-hand feel, the phone feels premium, and definitely has a note-like feel due to the large 6.67-inch screen with flat side bezels.

Redmi Note 11 Pro+ 5G Review: Display

The Redmi Note 11 Pro+ 5G has a 6.67-inch FHD+ AMOLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate and 360Hz touch sampling rate. This is an HDR10 certified display, which can reach up to 1200 nits of peak brightness. The display also offers DCI-P3 color gamut support and is protected by the 2.5D curved Corning Gorilla Glass 5.

While the display on the Redmi Note 11 Pro+ 5G is slightly better than the Redmi Note 10 Pro Max, it still misses out on features like Dolby Vision playback, which has become a standard these days. Not just that, despite the certification, I was not able to play the HDR content on platforms like YouTube or Prime Video.

I personally love the large display on the Redmi Note 11 Pro+ 5G smartphone. From gaming to content consumption, the high-resolution AMOLED display just works like a charm. The colors are slightly on the saturated side, which makes the content look pop, especially if you are into streaming movies and web series on OTT platforms.

A few caveats that I have regarding the display are the fact that the phone does not have an in-display fingerprint sensor, does not support HDR streaming on major OTT platforms, and has an ever so slightly thick bottom bezel. At around Rs. 22,000 price range, the Redmi Note 11 Pro+ 5G possibly has one of the best displays on a smartphone.

Redmi Note 11 Pro+ 5G Review: Cameras

The Redmi Note 11 Pro+ 5G has a triple camera setup with a 108MP primary camera, an 8MP ultra-wide angle camera, and a 2MP depth camera. The company officials confirmed that they downgraded the macro camera to 2MP as only around 3 percent of the Redmi Note 10 Pro users made use of that camera.

While this is a good move to increase BOM (bill of materials), the company should have just offered a dual-camera setup instead of offering a 2MP macro lens. Lastly, there is a 16MP selfie camera at the front, which does support 1080p video recording at 30fps.

If there is one downside to the camera setup on the Redmi Note 11 Pro+ 5G smartphone, it is the video recording capability. The Redmi Note 10 Pro, Redmi Note 9 Pro, Redmi Note 8 Pro, and even the Redmi Note 7 Pro offered native 4K video recording, while the Redmi Note 11 Pro+ 5G does not support 4K video recording. This is again, one of the drawbacks of the Qualcomm Snapdragon 695 SoC.

Redmi Note 11 Pro+ 5G 108MP Camera Review

The 108MP camera sensor on the Redmi Note 11 Pro+ 5G is a Samsung HM2 sensor, which takes native 12MP pictures using pixel binning technology. As expected, you can also capture native 108MP images, which captures a lot of details when compared to the native 12MP mode.

This picture of the yellow flower has been taken using the primary camera. As you can see, the Redmi Note 11 Pro+ 5G has captured a lot of details, and there is also the natural bokeh which is due to the wider F/1.9 aperture. Taking close-up shots will help you to capture the subject with a natural-looking bokeh, which helps to highlight the subject.

This photo of the dragon was captured using 2x zoom (digital zoom). Despite being a zoomed-in picture, there is still a lot of clarity in the dragon and definitely does not look like a digitally cropped picture. However, we do not recommend using this mode in low-lighting conditions.

I am also quite impressed with the portrait mode on the Redmi Note 11 Pro+ 5G, and the camera has done a good job of separating the background from the subject. However, do note that when I tried to capture the image from a distance to cover the complete subject, the bokeh mode was not this prominent.

Lastly, this picture of the blue-colored flower also looks vivid, and it also has that same amount of depth that one can get from more expensive smartphones. Overall, the primary camera on the Redmi Note 11 Pro+ 5G does a great job of capturing photos in bright and low lighting conditions.

Redmi Note 11 Pro+ 5G Selfie Camera Review

When it comes to the selfie camera, the 16MP sensor also does a good job of capturing a lot of details and the portrait mode also works like charm even when there are two subjects in the frame. The ultra-wide angle albeit captures wider pictures, I felt that those images lack clarity, especially in low-light situations.

Redmi Note 11 Pro+ 5G Review: Performance

The Redmi Note 11 Pro+ 5G is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 695 SoC, a 6nm chip with a peak clock speed of 2.2GHz. When it comes to performance, the device scored 334678 points on AnTuTu. On Geekbench, the phone posted 653 points on the single-core CPU test and 1874 points on the multi-core CPU test.

The closest competitor to the Redmi Note 11 Pro+ 5G is the OnePlus Nord CE 2, powered by Mediatek Dimensity 900 SoC. On both AnTuTu and Geekbench, The OnePlus Nord CE 2 has outperformed the Redmi Note 11 Pro+ 5G.

Keeping the benchmark numbers aside, when it comes to real-world performance, the Redmi Note 11 Pro+ 5G is one smooth smartphone. From gaming (COD: Mobile) to browsing social media platforms, you will have a great experience with the Redmi Note 11 Pro+ 5G. On our CPU stress test (60 minutes) the CPU throttled down to 68 percent and can sustain the peak performance for a long time.

Redmi Note 11 Pro+ 5G Review: Software

The Redmi Note 11 Pro+ 5G ships with MIUI 13 based on Android 11 OS. The company has promised two major Android upgrades, and the device will get both Android 12 and Android 13 operating systems. When compared to MIUI 12, MIUI 13 has few third-party apps and gives more control to the users. However, it is still not as stock as the OxygenOS 11 on the OnePlus Nord CE 2 5G.

The MIUI 13 on the Redmi Note 11 Pro+ 5G has a dedicated gaming mode, and it also offers useful functions like always-on-display support, full-fledged theme support, and it even offers dedicated dark mode, which will help the smartphone save some battery. Given the time of launch, the phone should have come with Android 12 OS.

Redmi Note 11 Pro+ 5G Review: Battery Life

The Redmi Note 11 Pro+ 5G has a 5,000 mAh battery with support for 67W of fast charging. In our testing, the smartphone took around 56 minutes to fully charge the battery from one percent. Although this is not the fastest charging phone in the segment, the charging speeds have definitely improved over the Redmi Note 10 Pro Max.

When it comes to battery life, on most days, I got around 6.5 hours of screen on time with around 25 percent of the charge to spare. Even if you are a heavy user, the Redmi Note 11 Pro+ 5G should last for an entire day without any issue. Despite having a higher refresh rate screen, the Redmi Note 11 Pro+ 5G offers better battery life than the OnePlus Nord CE 2 5G.

Redmi Note 11 Pro+ 5G Review: Verdict

A few more mention-worthy features of the Redmi Note 11 Pro+ 5G are the dual stereo speakers with support for Dolby Atmos and a 3.5mm headphone jack with support for HD audio streaming. The phone also supports a 5G network on both slots, and it supports 2.4GHz and 5GHz Wi-Fi.

If you already own the Redmi Note 10 Pro Max, then the only major advantage of the Redmi Note 11 Pro+ 5G is the support for the 5G network and faster-charging speed. However, if you have a Redmi Note 9 Pro or any previous model, the Redmi Note 11 Pro+ 5G will feel like a massive upgrade in every way.

Even when compared to the OnePlus Nord CE 2, the Redmi Note 11 Pro+ 5G has better cameras and offers better battery life along with a higher refresh rate display. However, the OnePlus Nord CE 2 is the better performer, and it can even sustain the performance for a much longer period.

While there are a few things that make the Redmi Note 11 Pro+ 5G a truly unique smartphone, especially at around Rs. 22,000, the phone, when compared to the Redmi Note 10 Pro Max does not bring much to the tablet. Given we are still around a year away from the 5G launch, the Redmi Note 11 Pro at a slightly lower price is also a great device, which is almost similar to the Redmi Note 11 Pro+ 5G, except for the processor.

Overall, the Redmi Note 11 Pro+ 5G is a great smartphone, which is overshadowed by the standard set by its predecessor. If you are looking for an all-rounder smartphone for around Rs. 22,000, then the Redmi Note 11 Pro+ 5G is the device that you can consider over the competition.