Xiaomi Redmi Note 11 review

Introduction

The device we are reviewing today is the recently-announced international Redmi Note 11. It brings a few notable improvements to its predecessor – the Redmi Note 10. Its Super AMOLED panel may be the same size and resolution but its refresh rate is not higher at 90Hz. There is also a new 50MP main camera.

Xiaomi’s current Redmi Note lineup naming is a bit of a mess, and that’s just us being polite about it. As things stand, you should not confuse the model we’re reviewing with last year’s Redmi Note 11 for China or the Redmi Note 11 4G even though the device we have on our hands today is very much 4G-only as well.

It should also be differentiated from the Redmi Note 11S – basically the same model but with a MediaTek chipset and a camera upgrade to a 108MP main snapper.

Xiaomi Redmi Note 11 specs at a glance:

• Body: 159.9×73.9×8.1mm, 179g; plastic body; IP53, dust and splash protection.
• Display: 6.43″ AMOLED, 90Hz, 700 nits, 1000 nits (peak), 1080x2400px resolution, 20:9 aspect ratio, 409ppi.
• Chipset: Qualcomm SM6225 Snapdragon 680 4G (6 nm): Octa-core (4×2.4 GHz Kryo 265 Gold & 4×1.9 GHz Kryo 265 Silver); Adreno 610.
• Memory: 64GB 4GB RAM, 64GB 6GB RAM, 128GB 4GB RAM, 128GB 6GB RAM; UFS 2.2; microSDXC (dedicated slot).
• OS/Software: Android 11, MIUI 13.
• Rear camera: Wide (main): 50 MP, f/1.8, 26mm, PDAF; Ultra wide angle: 8 MP, f/2.2, 118-degree; Macro: 2 MP, f/2.4; Depth: 2 MP, f/2.4.
• Front camera: 13 MP, f/2.4, (wide).
• Video capture: Rear camera: 1080p@30fps; Front camera: 1080p@30fps.
• Battery: 5000mAh; Fast charging 33W, 100% in 60 min (advertised), Power Delivery 3.0, Quick Charge 3+.
• Misc: Fingerprint reader (side-mounted); Infrared port; 3.5mm jack; Virtual proximity Sensor.

This Redmi Note 11 starts at $180 for a 4/64GB unit (and this is if you missed the early bird deal) and goes up to $230 for a 6/128GB unit. That’s a bit less than last year’s vanilla Redmi Note 10, which is curious.

Perhaps the reason for that is that not all of the changes are strictly upgrades over the last year’s model. The Snapdragon 680 4G chipset for this year is definitely newer than the Snapdragon 678 in the Redmi Note 10 and is hence made on a much smaller and more efficient 6nm manufacturing process (compared to 11nm).

Even though it’s a newer chipset, the Adreno 610 GPU inside the Snapdragon 680 is a downgrade compared to the Adreno 612 inside last year’s Snapdragon 678. The same goes for the camera DSP, which is limited to 1080p video capture. Yet another unfortunate case of a 2022 device dropping 4K recording due to the feature being dropped from the Snapdragon 680 and Snapdragon 695.

Unboxing

The Redmi Note 11 has what can only be considered a rich retail package. The box itself is nothing special, just your standard two-piece affair. It is still made from sturdy cardboard, with everything on the inside nice and protected.

And there is plenty on the inside indeed. Aside from the phone itself and the usual things like a Type-A to Type-C cable, SIM ejector and some leaflets, Xiaomi has also included a 33W charger. It saturates the advertised 33W charging support on the Redmi Note 11 and is a great inclusion in the retail package. The same goes for the transparent TPU case. It feels sturdy and should hold up well. Plus, you can slap it on straight away and not worry about any accidents. The same goes for the included soft plastic screen protector. Even though the Redmi Note 11 has Gorilla Glass 5 covering its display, we still see the value of having that extra protection.

Many sellers also seem to be offering a free pair of wired headphones with the Note 11 Pro.