This year, no doubt is the year of 5G, not just because Nigeria plans to begin deployment in August 2022, but for the sheer number of 5G smartphones being churned out by mobile manufacturers since the beginning of 2022.
The Redmi Note 11S falls into this category of 5G phones entering the Nigerian market ahead of the technology.
The Redmi Note 11S is a continuation of the Redmi Note 10S, and it brings a couple of new features like 90Hz display refresh rate, more RAM, and a higher-res 108MP primary camera.
But the new Note 11S has weaker graphics performance, there is no 4K video capturing, and the proximity sensor has been replaced with a virtual one.
Key features
- Body: 159.9×73.9×8.1mm, 179g; ; IP53, dust and splash resistant, Gorilla Glass 3 front, glass back, plastic frame.
- Display: 6.43″ AMOLED, 90Hz, 700 nits, 1000 nits (peak), 1080x2400px resolution, 20:9 aspect ratio, 409ppi, Gorilla Glass 3.
- Chipset: Mediatek Helio G96 (12 nm): Octa-core (2×2.05 GHz Cortex-A76 & 6×2.0 GHz Cortex-A55); Mali-G57 MC2.
- Memory: 64GB 6GB RAM, 128GB 6GB RAM, 128GB 8GB RAM; UFS 2.2; microSDXC (dedicated slot).
- OS/Software: Android 11, MIUI 13.
- Rear camera: Wide (main): 108 MP, f/1.9, 26mm, 1/1.52″, 0.7µm, PDAF; Ultra wide angle: 8 MP, f/2.2, 118Ëš; Macro: 2 MP, f/2.4; Depth: 2 MP, f/2.4.
- Front camera: 16 MP, f/2.5, (wide), 1/3.06″ 1.0µm.
- Video capture: Rear camera: 1080p@30fps; Front camera: 1080p@30fps.
- Battery: 5000mAh; Fast charging 33W, 100% in 58 min (advertised), Power Delivery 3.0, Quick Charge 3+.
Fingerprint reader (side-mounted); Infrared port; 3.5mm jack.
Pros
- Solid build, IP53-rated.
- Bright 90Hz AMOLED screen.
- Excellent battery life, fast charging.
- Loud stereo speakers, good audio.
- 3.5mm jack, IR port, microSD, FM radio.
Cons
- No 4K video capturing.
- Doesn’t have the latest Android 12.
- Weak graphic
Bottomline
The Xiaomi Redmi Note 11S is a good smartphone with a solid splash-resistant build, an attractive design, excellent battery life, loudspeakers, and a reliable camera experience. And it offers many fan-favourite extras like a standalone microSD slot, a 3.5mm audio jack, an IR port, and FM radio.
However, the Redmi Note 11S performance can be best described as entry-level, even though Xiaomi describes it as a flagship. The weak graphic performance and occasional lags means that gamers will find this phone frustrating to use. But for other type of users, it is still a good smartphone to buy.
Redmi Note Series aren’t the flagship of the Xiaomi brand. Even Poco is higher rated than Redmi Note. The flagships are called “Redmi mi” or “Redmi”, not “Redmi Note”