Redmi Note 11S and 11 Pro 5G: Side-by-side review

While the data show that Apple has captured seven of the top ten positions For global smartphone sales in 2021, Xiaomi’s Redmi brand has secured two of the remaining three positions. Over the past few weeks, we had the opportunity to test two of the new Redmi Note 11 Series phones, the Redmi Note 11S and 11 Pro 5G.

These two phones cost just under $400, but have compelling design elements and solid specs. For those who are looking for a more affordable phones then either of these may be appropriate. There are a lot of similarities between the two phones with a few minor feature differences that might leave you in awe of one over the other. The phones are priced around $85 apart, but the lower-priced Note 11S may be a better choice for US customers.

Although the word Note in the names of these two phones, neither of them support stylus. The Redmi brand is the more affordable entry in the Xiaomi lineup and has a few specs that make them budget phones. One of the best places to find Redmi phones is in Amazon Xiaomi Store.

Hardware

I was sent both phones in Graphite Gray and when they were face down I had to look for the 5G branding to figure out the difference. The Note 11 Pro 5G larger and has a flat back while the Note 11S has curves around the edges that translate to the sides of the phone. Another difference on the back is Note 11S there are four camera openings while one of the openings on the Note 11 Pro instead has the text AI on the opening. The 108MP main camera is a large module at the top with the other supporting camera lenses appearing below this camera on the left rear.

Both phones have a professional-looking matte back and offer a solid grip. The back of the Note 11 Pro is glass and the Note 11S is plastic, but not the cheap glossy material you might see on other plastic phones.

The sides of the phone are square with rounded corners. The USB-C port, open mic, and bottom speaker are on the bottom edge. There’s a speakerphone, open mic, IR blaster and 3.5mm audio port on top of the phone.

There’s nothing on the left with the volume and power/fingerprint sensor on the right. Both phones have a fingerprint sensor built into the power button, my favorite security setup for a smartphone, and activating it is reliable and quick.

The AMOLED display is very nice with good brightness levels, stable resolution and high refresh rate. Higher refresh rates in budget phones are not uncommon, and we saw 120Hz on the Note 11 Pro and 90Hz on the Note 11S, so both offer a great viewing experience.

Minimal bezels are found around the display with a very small punch-hole camera centered at the top of the screen. Similar to the Galaxy S22 Ultra, the front camera is under the glass but not below the viewable display.

Overall, there’s nothing particularly remarkable about the hardware, but neither phone feels like a budget phone in the hand. The Note 11 Pro’s deeper flat sides, slightly thicker feel, and glass back mean this is what I would choose if I had to choose about how the phone feels in my hand.

Also: Best cheap phones 2022: Top features for under $450

A large 5,000 mAh battery is included in each phone so you can easily get through a long day of use. Note 11 Pro 5G supports 67W turbo charging and Note 11S supports 33W fast charging. Xiaomi claims that the 67W charger can charge the Note 11 Pro 5G to 50% in 15 minutes and to 100% in 42 minutes.

Samsung 108MP camera is the main camera on this phone with 9-in-1 photo compositing support. An 8MP ultra-wide camera with 118-degree field of view is also featured on both phones. A 2MP macro camera combines the triple camera on the Note 11 Pro while the Note 11S also adds a 2MP depth camera to improve portrait shots. Camera performance is very good, especially for a budget phone, but there’s no telephoto camera and the camera is challenging in low light.

Both phones support shared LTE networks, and I experienced stable cellular reception with my T-Mobile SIM card. The Note 11 Pro 5G supports 5G on various bands, but my T-Mobile SIM only supports the n41 band (the old 2.5GHz Sprint network) so 5G support is limited in the US.

IR blaster, 3.5mm audio port and microSD card support are a relic of the past on flagship smartphones so if these features are important to you then you might want to consider Redmi Note 11S or 11 Pro 5G.

Specifications

• Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 695 (Note 11 Pro) or MediaTek Helio G96 (Note 11S)
• Screen (Note 11 Pro): 6.67 inches, 2400 x 1080 pixels resolution, AMOLED with 120Hz refresh rate
• Monitor (Note 11S): 6.43 inches, 2400 x 1080 pixels resolution, AMOLED with 90Hz refresh rate
• Operating system: Android 11 with MIUI 13
• RAM: 8GB
• Warehouse: 128GB with microSD card
• Camera: 108MP rear camera with wide angle f/1.9, 8MP f/2.2 ultra-wide camera (118-degree field of view), 2MP macro and 2MP depth (Note 11S only). 16MP f/2.4 front camera.
• Connection: Wi-Fi 802.11 a / b / g / n / ac, Bluetooth 5.1, GPS / Galileo / GLONASS / Beidou, NFC
• Sensor: Accelerometer, Gyroscope sensor, Geomagnetic sensor, Proximity sensor, Ambient light sensor, IR blaster
• Water proof: IP53 . splash protection
• The battery: 5000 mAh non-removable with fast charging.
• Dimensions (Note 11 Pro): 164.19 x 76.1 x 8.12mm and 202 grams
• Dimensions (Note 11S): 159.87 x 73.87 x 8.09mm and 179 grams
• Color (Note 11 Pro): Polar White, Graphite Gray, Atlantic Blue
• Color (Note 11 Pro): Pearl White, Graphite Gray, Twilight Blue

The screen size and resolution, 2MP depth camera, 5G network support and the glass back of the Note 11 Pro are the key differences between these two affordable phones. The Note 11 Pro feels flatter than the 11S, but with limited 5G support, the 11S could be a better and cost-effective option.

Software

One area where this is clearly not a flagship phone is the software. Both launch with MIUI 13 built on top of Android 11 even though Android 12 has been out for months. Both were updated to the February Android security update during our review period, so that’s encouraging. Hopefully Android 12 will arrive on these phones in the next few months, but we don’t have high expectations for low-cost phones getting long-lasting and reliable software support.

MIUI 13 offers an almost native Android experience with the main differences observed in the notification drawer and additional settings. Special features available in MIUI 13 include sidebar, floating window, second space and Lite mode. More gesture shortcuts, quck balls and other settings are also available to help you create a personalized experience with your phone.

Some useful conveniences are provided on the phone, including an FM radio app and Mi Remote app so you can use the IR blaster and 3.5mm audio port. There are also some additional pre-installed apps, including WPS Office, PUBG Mobile, LinkedIn, Amazon Shipping, etc. However, these can also be removed so you can optimize your phone the way you roll.

Also: Best Android Phones 2022: Top Experts’ Choice

Along with 108MP camera hardware and other cameras, Redmi Note 10 Pro includes advanced camera software that has a lot of shooting modes. These include 108MP with pixel-binning, video, photo, portrait, copy, long exposure (moving crowd, neon streaks, oil painting, light painting, starry sky, star trails), night , panorama, document, vlog, slow motion, time lapse, dual video, short video and pro / manual. With this solid camera hardware and software, your ability to get creative and spend a lot of time taking pictures with this phone is at hand. The 5,020 mAh battery ensures you can shoot all day.

Daily use experience

I am fortunate to be able to test and write about a lot of mobile phones on ZDNet, so I tend to buy high-end flagship phones for my personal use. However, if I hadn’t tested too many phones, I would seriously consider one of these under $400 phones as they offer solid hardware, responsive performance, side fingerprint sensors, and more. lovely in power button, access to all apps. need, a fun media experience, legacy features (IR blaster, microSD card and 3.5mm audio port) and all-day battery life.

The Redmi Note 10 Pro was 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 it has had a limited impact on cellular connectivity. Unfortunately, the Note 11 Pro is still being powered by Android 11, just like the Note 10 Pro in early 2021 so Xiaomi needs to up the firmware game.

Note 11S offers quite a lot for Price $300 and as long as you’re not running 20 apps at once or playing high graphics games you should be fine with the phone’s processor and performance. It has great looks, solid build quality, and seems to be a much better capable phone than what we’ve bought for just $300.

Since we spend a lot of time interacting with the screens on our phones, the high refresh rates in both of these phones set them apart from others in this price range. The AMOLED display, good speakers, and headphone port make these phones solid for media, and as long as you don’t want to take professional pictures on your phone then the Redmi Note 11 Pro or 11S are some of the best affordable phones we’ve tested in 2022.