The new Redmi Note 11 line of smartphones by Xiaomi is finally here. It includes 4 models: base, Note 11S, Note 11 Pro, and Note 11 Pro 5G. I got the simplest and, therefore, affordable version for the test. I’ll tell you first about its characteristics, and only then about the prices.
Appearance
Redmi Note 11 resembles the previous Note 10 model. I am definitely pleased with the flat side edges (I don’t want to draw an analogy with the iPhone, but I have to): they allow you to securely hold the gadget in your hands. The screen is also without fashionable rounding.
The camera block is arranged quite interesting from a design point of view, while, of course, it protrudes beyond the surface of the back cover. By the way, it is made of plastic.
The top end allows Note fans to breathe a sigh of relief: there is not only a 3.5 mm jack but also an IR transmitter.
Another nice bonus is a triple slot that can accommodate two SIM cards and a memory card. It is located on the left side.
On the right is the volume rocker and the power button, which integrates a fingerprint sensor. Hooray, they didn’t reinvent the wheel here either and left the scanner in the optimal place.
USB-C is used for charging and connection. Next to it is a speaker and a microphone.
By the way, there are two speakers here located diagonally (one closer to the left end, the other to the right). As a result, no matter how you pick up a smartphone, it is quite difficult to close both at once with your fingers.
Screen
The screen matrix actually remained the same. This is still the same AMOLED, 6.43 inches, with a resolution of FHD + (2400 x 1080). Even the pixel density and brightness values ​​match the Note 10’s 409 ppi and 700 nits (1000 nits peak), respectively. But the Redmi Note 11 has increased the refresh rate to 90Hz, which gives certain advantages in gaming and simply makes the banal use of the interface smoother.
Traditionally, you can choose between light and dark themes, set one of three color schemes (standard, rich and adaptive, which controls colors based on the type of content on the screen). The default color tone suited me perfectly, but in the settings, you can make it warmer or colder.
Brightness, indeed, with a margin. Even during the day on the street, the image is perfectly visible, and the text is well-read. The matrix allows you to use the active screen mode. You can display a clock, a beautiful picture, or just text.
CamerasÂ
- Primary: 50 MP, f/1.8, autofocus
- Wide angle: 8MP, 118°, f/2.2
- Macro: 2MP
- Depth Sensor: 2MP
- Front: 13 MP, autofocus
The main camera is powered by a 50-megapixel module from Samsung, and it works great. Dual-phase autofocus rarely makes mistakes and focuses quickly. Post-processing doesn’t abuse saturation, so the photos are quite natural. By default, the camera produces pictures at a resolution of 12 megapixels, but there is a maximum resolution mode.
The 118° wide-angle (8MP) is unremarkable, as is the 2MP macro camera. The fourth eyepiece in the camera block is a monochrome sensor that is responsible for the depth of the scene. Oh yes, there is also an LED flash.
The front camera is in a small window in the center of the screen and, importantly, also has autofocus. Resolution – 13 MP.
Performance
- Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 680
- Memory: 4/64, 4/128, 6/128 GB
The base model, as you might guess, also got a simpler processor. This is the Snapdragon 680, made using the 6nm process technology. While it’s not far off the Snapdragon 678 used in the Note 10 in terms of performance, its power efficiency is much better than the same SoC. In any case, running most games will not be a problem. The only question is whether you can play at high settings.
There are quite a few options with memory, from the minimum reasonable 4/64 GB for today to quite decent 6/128 for the middle segment (our copy has just that). Tests in Geekbench 5 give the expected result. The smartphone scores 387 points in single-threaded and 1698 points in multi-threaded modes. We can say that this is the level of Xiaomi Mi 9 Lite on Snapdragon 710.
MIUI 13 out of the box
The Redmi Note 11 line was the first to receive the pre-installed new MIUI 13. We still have to deal with this shell, but its main features announced at the presentation, are as follows.
The Liquid Storage feature will track drive fragmentation and write data more efficiently. Due to this, even after two or three years of use, the speed of writing and reading files will practically not suffer.
Optimizing RAM will allow you to store more open applications in the same volume. How exactly it works, I don’t know yet.
“Focused algorithms” will give more resources in priority order to the active application. As a result, the speed of its work should be maximum.
“Smart balance” will optimize energy consumption by about 10%, balancing performance and energy efficiency depending on the situation.
Autonomy
Batteries in capacity stopped growing, but competitions in charging speed began. Redmi Note 11 has a 5000 mAh battery with support for 33-watt wired charging. Of course, the adapter itself is included. It took us 55 minutes to fully charge from scratch. Without wires in this class, even Xiaomi is not charging yet.
Prices
Pro versions will only be available in February. Redmi Note 11 and 11S are already available on AliExpress. The recommended price for the base model so far is as follows:
- Redmi Note 11 4/64 GB – $179;
- The Redmi Note 11 4/128 GB – $199;
- Redmi Note 11 6/128 GB – $229.
The sale prices look very attractive. After all, the Redmi Note 10 with 4/64 GB of memory is now selling for $179. And looking at the regular ones, we can say that the new generation has not risen in price much.
Here is an unboxing video:
