Xiaomi's Redmi phones have been dominating the entry-level and mid-range segments for some time now and the Redmi Note 11 is yet another model that is ideal for shoppers that want a competent device at a bargainous price. First of all, it comes with an impressive AMOLED display with 1000 nits of peak brightness and 1080 x 2400 pixels. Quality displays like this are getting more widespread as the tech gets cheaper, but it's still difficult to find these at this price segment. It doesn't support HDR, sadly, but the refresh rate is a smooth 90 Hz, which is yet another surprise on the display front. Splash Protection and Slender Design The Xiaomi Redmi Note 11S is part of the expanding Xiaomi Redmi Note 11 series which includes the Pro 5G, Pro+, 11, 11T 5G, 11 4G, 11i, 11i IN, 11 Pro 4G, 11E Pro, 11S 5G, 11T Pro+ and 11SE models. The main 108-megapixel camera on the Redmi Note 11S uses the Samsung HM2 sensor. It captures 12-megapixel pixel-binned photos by default, but you can take photos at the native 108-megapixel resolution too. Under bright sunlight, this camera managed good detailbut colours in photos tended to look wildly exaggerated, withthe AI feature on or off. The optional Pro Colour mode boosted vibrance even further, making photos look very artificial. Shooting at the full 108-megapixel resolution offered much better detail, but more importantly, colours were better controlled and objects looked a lot more natural in my tests.

The power button on the side is also a fingerprint scanner. It has been fast and reliable in our testing: no complaints here. The Xiaomi Redmi Note 11 Pro 5G has an impressive screen, even if it doesn’t set any new standards. A dynamically variable refresh rate is the missing feature, which saves battery. This phone will drop to 60Hz when an app doesn’t support 120Hz, but sits at the higher rate when sitting idle on the home screen. The phone doesn't play Ark: Survival Evolved too well with everything maxed out. While there are not too many annoying dips, the frame rate is suboptimal — in the 20s with some descents into the teens. You’ll want to play it at medium graphics with the resolution slider diminished a bit for a smooth experience.As a tech enthusiast, I recently had the opportunity to test out the Redmi Note 11 Pro, and I must say, I was thoroughly impressed. The Redmi Note 10 Prowas tested last year, and a year later, the hardware hasn't changed much in the 11 Pro. 5G is an obvious addition, but in the US, that has a limited impact on cellular connectivity. Unfortunately, the Note 11 Pro is still currently being powered by Android 11, the same as the Note 10 Pro in early 2021, so Xiaomi needs to step up the firmware game.

Shooting at the full 108-megapixel resolution under good light on the Redmi Note 11S results in much better image quality The 8-megapixel ultra-wide camera has a more restrained colour profile when shooting during the day, which for once, is a good thing. Low-light photos came out expectedly weak and blurry, with poor colour reproduction. The Redmi Note 11S has a basic 2-megapixel macro camera, not the impressive tele-macro one we had on the Note 10 Pro series, so the results are not as good. There's also a 2-megapixel depth sensor.Additionally, the Redmi Note 11 Pro has a great battery life. I was easily able to use it for a full day of moderate to heavy use without having to charge it thanks to the 5,000mAh battery. The phone has a 67W fast charging capability, so when I did need to charge it, it was fully charged in just under an hour. The Xiaomi Redmi Note 11 Pro 5G stereo speakers are the part we’ve appreciated most, though. A stereo array is always beneficial for gaming and video streaming, but these speakers also provide solid maximum volume and a decent amount of mid-low frequency substance. There are mitigating factors, of course. The Xiaomi Redmi Note 11 Pro 5G’s screen is lovely, the speakers are good. You can simply get phones much better suited to the job of playing games if that is your top priority. Xiaomi Redmi Note 11 Pro 5G software The 16-megapixel selfie camera captured decent photos during the day, however I noticed quite a bit of oversharpening when using Portrait mode for the same frame. Selfies taken indoors were decent provided there was good ambient lighting, but outdoors at night, the quality was quite weak. It could be worse. Phones at this level often do not have software stabilization at 4K, making the entire mode of limited value. The Xiaomi Redmi Note 11 Pro 5G at least stabilizes footage at 1080p. But having a frame rate cap of 30fps rather than 60fps feels like an insult. It’s not a super-cheap phone, and has “Pro” in its name. Such titles never meant much of anything removed from the context of their own ranges, but c’mon Xiaomi.

Chipset: Mediatek Helio G96 (12 nm): Octa-core (2x2.05 GHz Cortex-A76 & 6x2.0 GHz Cortex-A55); Mali-G57 MC2. The Redmi Note 11S is the fifth Note 11 model we are reviewing, and just when we thought our review series was finally complete, we received its 5G-enabled sibling as well.The IR blaster, 3.5mm audio port, and microSD card support are relics of the past on flagship smartphones, so if these features are important to you, then you may want to consider a Redmi Note 11S or 11 Pro 5G. Specifications How is the Xiaomi Redmi Note 11 Pro 5G for gaming? It is far from Xiaomi's best. With this sort of budget you could get the Xiaomi Poco F3. Its Snapdragon 870 5G chipset is one of the best cost-to-performance processors in years. It’s a beast. You have three color modes to play around with. These are vivid, saturated, and standard. Xiaomi recommends “vivid,” which changes the color saturation based on the app you’re using. We chose “standard” because it removes the radioactive red effect from your app icons. Plenty of people will love that kind of saturation, though.