Xiaomi Redmi Note 11 Pro Review – All-Rounder Budget Phone

The Xiaomi Redmi Note 11 Pro has gotten a lot of attention because of its low pricing and the features it offers. The Redmi Note 11 Pro is a low-cost 4G smartphone designed for those on a budget who want to get the most for their money. The primary camera hardware is the same as on the Note 10 Pro. There is enough juice in the battery to go you through a day of heavy use, the charging speed is amazing, and the AMOLED display is among the best in this price segment.

With a starting price of Rs. 17,999, the Xiaomi Redmi Note 11 Pro appears nearly identical to its predecessor, but it comes with a lower price tag. It has a few upgrades and some drawbacks, which we’ll discuss in this review.

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The Xiaomi Redmi Note 11 Pro costs Rs. 17,999 for the 6GB + 128GB storage model and Rs. 19,999 for the 8GB + 128GB storage model in India. You can choose between three different colour options for the smartphone: Phantom White, Star Blue, or Stealth Black. Amazon, Mi.com, Reliance Digital, and other retail stores will begin selling the Redmi Note 11 Pro on March 23 at 12 am.

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The Xiaomi Redmi Note 11 Pro packs the following items inside the box:

• Redmi Note 11 Pro
• 67W Power adapter
• Type-C USB cable
• SIM eject tool
• Warranty card
• User guide
• Clear soft case
• Screen protector pre-applied on the phone

Before we talk in detail about the Xiaomi Redmi Note 11 Pro, let’s see what the on-paper specs look like:

• Display: 6.67 inches AMOLED
• Chipset: MediaTek Helio G96
• RAM & ROM: 6GB 128GB, 8GB 128GB
• Software: Android v11
• Rear camera: 108MP + 8MP + 2MP + 2MP
• Selfie camera: 16 MP
• Battery: 5000 mAh
• Weight: 202 grams
• Dimensions: 164.1 x 76.1 x 8.1 mm

The Xiaomi Redmi Note 11 Pro features a standard mid-range four-camera layout on the back. The camera setup has a 108MP main sensor, an 8MP ultrawide lens, a 2MP macro sensor, and a 2MP depth sensor. Also on the front is a 16MP camera for taking selfies. The camera app on the Redmi Note 11 Pro is straightforward and easy to use.

The 108MP primary camera performs well. The default 12MP images taken in the daylight are vibrant, colourful, and detailed. The main sensor performs well at night also, delivering shots with less distortion and a good amount of brightness and clarity. When it comes to portrait photography, the Redmi Note 11 Pro does an excellent job. The subject is well-separated from the background, well-exposed and detailed.

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The Xiaomi Redmi Note 11 Pro has a dedicated 108MP mode, which captures high-quality images rather than simple upscales. The photos we took had good resolution, balanced sharpness, and realistic colours. The dynamic range was the same as on the default photos.

It is possible to get usable shots from the 8MP ultrawide camera if the lighting conditions are favourable. Even then it has issues with exposure and level of detail. The images are clear enough in the middle and have a good amount of details, but the noise correction at the corners adds softness.

The 2MP macro lens takes acceptable close-up shots. They’re not the sharpest, but they’ll do for Instagram and other social media platforms because of the good details. The colours are vibrant and have good contrast. It’s nowhere near as good as the 5MP camera on the Note 10 Pro Max. Moreover, the 2MP depth sensor is average at its best.

Selfies taken with the 16MP camera are good, if not particularly detailed, thanks to realistic colours, good contrast, minimal noise, and a well-exposed subject. You can also take portrait selfies, which are rather good.

The Xiaomi Redmi Note 11 Pro can record videos at up to 1080p@30fps with its main, ultrawide, and selfie cameras. The 2MP macro camera can only shoot at 720p@30fps. I like the 1080p videos taken by the main camera. Videos shot in low-light conditions are fine, but nothing special. Except for the macro lens, all cameras include electronic stabilisation; it is always on and performs a good job at stabilising the videos.

It is easy to tell right away that you have a premium smartphone in your hands when you first take it out of the box and peel the plastic wrapper. Its design and form factor are both excellent. The Phantom White colour variant that I have feels and looks super-premium in hand, despite following the very same style as other members of the Note 11 family.

The Xiaomi Redmi Note 11 Pro has a rectangular camera layout on the back and a flat display on the front. When placed on a flat surface, the camera unit sticks out and makes the phone wobbly. There is also some Redmi branding on the back, but it’s very subtle. With a frosted glass back and a matte finish, it is both beautiful and smudge-proof. The size of the device is just right for holding in one hand comfortably.

The display and back are both square and bold, similar to the iPhone 13. As a result, the corners are gently curved, making the phone easy to hold. The 202g weight is a tad heavy, but it’s a well-balanced phone so you won’t notice it much.

The IP53 rating of the Xiaomi Redmi Note 11 Pro 4G ensures that it will not be damaged by dust or splashes. The additional rubber insulation surrounding the SIM slots added by Xiaomi ensures that water and dust cannot enter the slot. The front is covered by Gorilla Glass 5, so you don’t have to worry about any sort of accidents.

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In addition, there is a USB Type-C port on the bottom, as well as a stereo speaker and a SIM card slot. Power and volume buttons are located on the right side. The power button also serves as a fingerprint reader. On the top, you’ll find a 3.5mm headphone jack and the second stereo speaker.

Overall, the Xiaomi Redmi Note 11 Pro is one of the most well-built and stylish smartphones I’ve seen in the sub-20,000 price range.

There hasn’t been a lot of improvement on this front. Xiaomi Redmi Note 11 Pro has a 6.7-inch FHD+ AMOLED screen with a 120Hz refresh rate which is the same as the predecessor. If you’re looking for a phone with an AMOLED display and 120Hz refresh rate, this is one of the best options for under Rs 20,000. You can choose between 60Hz and 120Hz for your display refresh rate. The display on the Note 11 Pro has a regular peak brightness of 470 nits, however, it can be even brighter when the automatic sunlight boost steps in – around 750 nits.

With a resolution of 2400×1080 and an aspect ratio of 20:9, this is a tall smartphone, and it will almost certainly require both hands to use comfortably, but that is pretty much the norm these days. You can stream anything in great resolution on the phone, and it’ll be a great experience for you.

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The screen, as promised, is stunning to look at, with rich colours, fluid animations, and high brightness levels. The Xiaomi Redmi Note 11 Pro ships with Widevine L1 DRM support and is capable of streaming Full HD content via all major video streaming providers like Netflix, Prime etc. There are three colour models to choose from in the display’s settings: Vivid, Saturated and Standard. For each mode, you can change the colour temperature.

The MediaTek Helio G96 CPU in the Xiaomi Redmi Note 11 Pro 4G keeps everything running smoothly on a daily basis. It comes with either 6GB of RAM and 128GB of storage, or 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage. There is a Memory Extension feature in MIUI 13 and it is turned on by default. It keeps 3GB of internal storage available for use as a RAM expansion.

Whether you’re browsing the web, reading the news, checking social networking sites, or doing something else, the fast refresh rate ensures a smooth scrolling experience.

There were a few instances of page stuttering and crashes during my testing, but nothing major. Note that, I wasn’t even playing a game here. There were no memory issues because there were only a few apps running in the background. Despite this, the device seemed to be slowed down.

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I don’t think it’s a problem with MIUI 13, which is based on Android 11. However, the issue here is the processor used in the Xiaomi Redmi Note 11 Pro. For this price, I’d be happy to carry this device in my pocket, however, there are many phones in the same or even lower price ranges that provide much better performance.

It’s not as snappy as the Snapdragon 695 found in similarly priced phones, but it’ll suffice for gaming. The truth is that as long as you’ve got your graphics settings in BGMI and COD Mobile set to “Smooth,” you can play at high frame rates and enjoy a stable gameplay experience. However, even at low settings, I faced frequent lags and jitters in BGMI. I would not recommend this phone for hardcore gamers at all.

Even though gaming isn’t its strong point, the Redmi Note 11 Pro still delivers a pleasant user experience in the end.

The Xiaomi Redmi Note 11 Pro runs on Xiaomi’s MIUI 13, which is an improved version of its predecessor. This version of MIUI 13 is built on Android 11, and it lacks Android 12 features such as revamped widgets and a new widget tab in the app drawer. In addition, there is no Privacy Dashboard.

In spite of this, Xiaomi claims that the MIUI 13 has been fully reworked, even if you cannot tell from the interface and design alone – it appears and feels exactly like MIUI 12. It is more optimised and includes some bloatware. The third-party apps that come with your phone can be removed if you don’t need them, and there are many ways to customise and personalise them as well.

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There’s also a new Smart Sidebar for even more seamless multitasking with pop-up applications. MIUI 13 includes an app drawer that categorises your apps for you. If the app drawer isn’t your thing, you can turn it off completely.

The only drawback is that it is still running Android 11, and there is no indication as to whether or when the Android 12 update will be available.

The Xiaomi Redmi Note 11 Pro comes with a 5000mAh battery that can easily fuel the phone for a complete day of use on a busy day. This includes tasks such as calling, messaging, browsing, camera use, and streaming videos. Games drain the battery more quickly, so if your gaming sessions last a long time, you may need to charge your phone sooner than a typical day. The battery life is clearly reduced when the refresh rate is set to 120Hz.

Using the 67W fast charger from Xiaomi, you can charge your Xiaomi Redmi Note 11 Pro from 0 to 100 per cent in just around 45 minutes. This charger has the fastest charging speed in its category. You don’t have to bother about purchasing the adapter separately because the charger is included in the box. Unfortunately, there is no wireless charging option available, which is not surprising given the price of the phone.

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The Xiaomi Redmi Note 11 Pro has a dual speaker system, and the audio quality is good. The maximum audio volume is not really what I expected, but that’s okay because many of us don’t hear much these days without earphones. Yes, the device has a 3.5mm jack, which gives it some bonus points.

This model of Xiaomi Redmi Note 11 Pro has 4G connectivity, there is a 5G variant also. It offers Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 5.1, IR blaster, GPS and NFC as other connectivity options.

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You unlock the device with the fingerprint scanner on the side. The fingerprint reader is simple to set up, really fast, and very accurate. If you don’t have a case on your device, you can select the unlocking method to either Touch or Press, which will prevent accidental misreadings of your palm. There’s also a Face Unlock option, although it’s much less secure than using a fingerprint.