Intro
Xiaomi recently launched its latest series of devices in its Redmi Note range, which is a benchmark in the affordable smartphone market. Three new phones from the company are currently available on the market: Redmi Note 11, Note 11T (review) and Note 11S. All three phones demonstrate Xiaomi's commitment to making an impact in the affordable phone space with their specifications.
The Redmi Note 11S, is a 4G device that has impressive hardware and is worth checking out. However, we expect the 5G version of the phone to be launched soon as most companies are joining the 5G race. The price of the Redmi Note 11S starts at $200.
Before reading the full review, you can familiarize yourself with the detailed Xiaomi Redmi Note 11S 5G specs or watch the video below the article.
Specifications
- Release date: 2022, March 29
- Colors: Midnight Black, Twilight Blue, Star Blue
- Dimensions: 163.6 x 75.8 x 8.8 mm.
- Weight: 195 g.
- Screen: 6.6" inc, 1080 x 2400, IPS LCD
- Camera : Triple, 50MP
- Chipset: MediaTek MT6833P Dimensity 810 (6 nm)
- CPU: Octa-core (2x2.4 GHz Cortex-A76 & 6x2.0 GHz Cortex-A55)
- Memory: 64GB 4GB RAM, 128GB 4GB RAM, 128GB 6GB RAM
- Battery: 5000, Li-Po, non-removable
- Network: GSM / HSPA / LTE / 5G
- Operating system: Android 11, MIUI 13
- Sensors: Fingerprint (side-mounted), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass
Design
Redmi is known for creating visually appealing smartphones. The Note 11S inherits the best design elements from its predecessor, including the all-matte finish on the back. The edges slope down slightly, meeting the rails with the same matte finish, providing an easy grip.
The Note 11S has a clean and minimalist look. Three color options are available: Polar White, Horizon Blue and Space Black.
The rear panel is uninterrupted, except for the large camera module in the upper right corner, which is reminiscent of the previous Note 10 smartphones. The module houses a massive primary sensor, three smaller cameras and a flash.
Despite having a 5000mAh battery, the Note 11S is incredibly light at 179g, with weight evenly distributed. Xiaomi chose to place the 3.5mm headphone jack at the top of the phone, which is an unconventional location.
An IR port is also located on the top, while the bottom has a USB-C port and a speaker grill that doubles as an earpiece for stereo sound.
The fingerprint sensor is integrated into the power button on the side, and the volume rocker is located just above it.
Display
The Redmi Note 11S features a 6.43-inch AMOLED display with a 90Hz refresh rate and 180Hz touch sampling rate. Xiaomi continues its tradition of creating affordable OLED smartphones with the Note 11S.
The display is calibrated to display a wide range of colors, making it brighter than any LCD panel in its price range. The visual palette can be easily customized according to the user's preferences, and the 90Hz panel ensures smooth and trouble-free operation.
With a peak brightness of 1000 nits, the display of Redmi Note 11S will not be a problem in bright sunlight. Unlike the Redmi Note 10, the Note 11S does not support HDR10, but it does have a standard WideVine L1 certification for HD content on OTT platforms. There is a small hole at the top of the display that does not interfere with the visual experience, although the chin at the bottom is noticeably wide.
Cameras
The Redmi Note series' cameras have improved significantly over the past few years, and the Note 11S boasts a 108MP main sensor for its image-capturing capabilities. In good daylight conditions, the Note 11S is able to capture a lot of detail and offer a wide dynamic range.
The device tends to overexpose shadow areas with mixed results, but manages to maintain a balanced exposure in bright sunlight. Color temperatures tend to be cooler than natural, but detail is relatively smooth.
AI camera features tend to make colors look oversaturated. Standard images are scaled down to 12MP, but you can get more detailed photos with the 108MP UHD mode, although this requires more processing time. It also has noticeable shutter lag and difficulty focusing when using the special night mode.
Ultrawide photos are distorted at the edges, but have a more neutral color temperature than a regular wide-angle sensor.
The 2MP macro and 2MP depth cameras perform poorly in low-light conditions.
The front-facing 16-megapixel selfie camera has some facial oversharpening and skin tones tend to be lighter than normal, but selfies are generally of good quality.
Productivity
When it comes to more demanding activities like playing BGMI, the phone can handle the Ultra setting (45fps) with balanced graphics. However, it may not be suitable for higher load.
There's a microSD card slot for up to 1TB of additional storage. The Note 11S boasts a stereo speaker that delivers excellent sound and can easily be heard in a noisy room.
There's also a 3.5mm headphone jack with Hi-res audio certification for compatible headphones. The fingerprint sensor is fast, while facial recognition can be improved in low-light conditions.
Software
In terms of software, the Redmi Note 11S runs on MIUI 13.0.5, which is based on Android 11.
Xiaomi is expected to release an update to Android 12 soon. App switching in the current interface is done vertically, not horizontally, which may take time to get used to. Although there are some pre-installed apps, most of them can be removed.
The user interface is user-friendly and offers options to customize themes, icons, and more. MIUI 13's sidebar, which can be accessed with a single swipe, provides a list of apps that can be quickly launched.
The control panel has been redesigned with larger icons and a better arrangement of notifications, and you can also switch to the old version through the settings menu.
The Glance feature integrated into the lock screen can be customized to display live content, news, sports updates and more without consuming data when not in use.
Battery
The Redmi Note 11S has a 5000 mAh battery that can last through a day of heavy use and still have some energy for the next day. While it's not the longest-lasting device, it provides enough power to get the job done on a single charge. The included 33W charger can fully charge the battery in about 90 minutes.
Conclusion
The Redmi Note 11S is a premium offering that lives up to its $200 price tag. The device features an elegant design, impressive display and decent performance. However, the camera's low-light capabilities could be improved, and there's a glut of pre-installed Mi-branded apps. Despite these setbacks, the Redmi Note 11S is a decent choice if you're willing to overlook them and don't care about heavy gaming.
Pros:
- Great display
- Nice design
- Decent performance
Cons:
- Low light photos can be improved
Xiaomi Redmi Note 11S 5G video review
Disclaimer: The information presented in this article is based on our team's personal experience with the Xiaomi Redmi Note 11S 5G and third-party sources. While every effort has been made to provide accurate and reliable information, readers should keep in mind that this is a subjective assessment. The writing of this article was not paid for or sponsored by Xiaomi.
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