The Redmi Note 11 Pro 5G is already available at a price of 369.90 euros (6/128 GB) and 399.90 euros (8/128 GB). Xiaomi offers it in three colors: Polar White, Atlantic Blue and Graphite Grey.
Full view!
Last year, Xiaomi equipped the Redmi Note 10 Pro with a high-quality display. Inevitably, his successor could not be worse off. The Redmi Note 11 Pro therefore inherits a 6.67” OLED panel with Full HD+ definition and 120 Hz refresh rate. It does not have an adaptive display for obvious cost reasons. This does not prevent it from being among the most beautiful screens on the market in this price range, alongside the Galaxy A53 from Samsung.
The Redmi Note 11 Pro is distinguished first by its excellent calibration as well as its very good brightness. We could blame it for a cold color temperature, but the many customization options available in the settings allow you to adjust the set as desired.
If its imposing diagonal will not suit all consumers, the screen of the Redmi Note 11 Pro will appeal to lovers of films / series (provided they do not go through SVOD platforms – we will come back to this) and games.
The panel’s high refresh rate provides great fluidity in animations, transitions and scrolling. The contract is therefore largely fulfilled.
Correct performance and autonomy, nothing more
With his Snapdragon 695 processor associated with 6 or 8 GB of RAM, the Redmi Note 11 Pro does not sparkle. The scores on the various benchmarks place it in the soft underbelly of its category. Concretely, it responds present in common uses and manages multitasking very well. And it stops there.
If it is fluid and responsive most of the time, we sometimes encountered slowdowns, freezes or crashes. This was the case for example with the photo application which completely blocked when switching from one optic to another.
We also do not recommend the Redmi Note 11 Pro to hardcore gamers. The graphics chip is struggling and does not allow you to enjoy an optimal experience with 3D games. This is particularly evident with the latest fashionable licenses like Fortnite. Nothing surprising in this price segment, users are accustomed to having to choose between fluidity and high graphic quality. The Redmi Note 11 Pro is therefore on par with its rivals in this field.
On the other hand, it does not manage to rise among the references in terms of autonomy. Despite a generous 5000 mAh battery, you will have to go through the recharge box every night. By moderating a little greedy uses such as photography, video or games, we can hope to reach a day and a half.
We are therefore far from reference models up to two to two and a half days. Note, however, that the Redmi Note 11 Pro is very effective in saving energy consumption when it is on standby. We comfort each other as best we can.
A mind-blowing charging system
If the Redmi Note 11 Pro 5G does not particularly stand out for its endurance, it makes up for it (and this is an understatement) with its charging system. Xiaomi provides a 67W charger capable of breaking all records in this price segment. The Redmi Note 11 Pro is even much better off than most high-end models.
So with the supplied charger (yes yes), the smartphone is charged to 50% in just 15 minutes. In half an hour the 5000 mAh battery is 90% charged. It will take another 15 minutes to reach 100%. On the other hand, wireless charging is always up to absent subscribers. Shame.
Red card for software
The Redmi Note 11 may integrate MIUI 13, the manufacturer’s latest overlay, the latter accompanies Android 11 and not Android 12. In 2022, for a model at nearly 400 euros, the pill is struggling to pass.
Like previous versions, MIUI 13 is a perfect mix between the best of Android and iOS. From the first it takes up the many customization parameters, from the second the slick interface and some welcome features.
We would have liked the main problems identified in previous versions to be corrected. It is not so. MIUI 13 here comes with way too many pre-installed appsautomatic antivirus scanning of default applications (fortunately it can be disabled) is still in the game and the interface still suffers from unforgivable flaws.
Among them are display issues in settings with texts that slip under the icons for lack of space. We have seen more readable. Above all, these hiccups bring us back to the not so distant era of Chinese interfaces barely adapted to Europe.
The result is an unconvincing everyday experience. Whether we like MIUI or not, we must recognize that all these defects are a task. So we wonder what could have happened for Xiaomi to opt for Android 11 while other models (even cheaper) are running Android 12. Incomprehensible.
To top it all, the Redmi Note 11 Pro does not support the Widevine L1 protocol on which high definition SVOD is based. This hardware limit cannot therefore be corrected via an update. Concretely, it is impossible to watch movies/series on Netflix, Prime Video or even Disney+ in HD quality. A real disappointment when you have such a good quality screen.
Decent camera…
Xiaomi may play the race for the number of sensors and megapixels, the Redmi Note 11 Pro’s camera only gets away with a passable mention.
Xiaomi does not hide it: for him, multiplying the number of sensors is an undeniable marketing asset even if technically it is not of great interest.
The Redmi Note 11 perfectly embodies this philosophy. Equipped with a 108MP main sensor (f / 1.9 wide-angle lens) convincing, it also has an 8 Mpxl sensor with mediocre ultra wide-angle (f / 2.2) lens and a 2 Mpxl sensor with lens designed for the macrophotography (f/2.4) anectodic.
If the main sensor is correct in good light conditions, it is a bit difficult when the conditions are less favorable. Indoors or in low light, the loss of detail is obvious, especially in the background. At night, the shots remain usable but are not impressive either. In summary, the main sensor does the job, nothing more.
The same cannot be said for the secondary sensors. If the one dedicated to macro photography gets away with the honors, the ultra wide-angle has too many flaws for the Redmi Note 11 Pro to erase the competition. The distortion is significant, the colors denote with those of the main sensor and the loss of detail is significant in the peripheral areas.
Xiaomi is catching up a little with successful portraits and, above all, a whole lot of features to stimulate your creativity. The front sensor, on the other hand, proves to live up to expectations and will seduce consumers who are a bit narcissistic.
But still ?
The Redmi Note 11 Pro does not particularly stand out for its design. Sober, he dresses in a plastic dress with a matte treatment. The photo module is integrated in a somewhat brutal way but a shell should cover the whole thing to hide the misery a little.
The grip remains very good even if the format of the phone is imposing. Compact smartphone enthusiasts will go their way.
The Redmi Note 11 Pro is 5G, Bluetooth 5.2 and WiFi 5 compatible. You can also opt for a dual SIM or a nano SIM card and a microSD card.
Our opinion on the Redmi Note 11 Pro
If you fell for the Redmi Note 10 Pro last year, there’s no need to upgrade to this new version. Otherwise, the Redmi Note 11 Pro is a very good smartphone with a very interesting price-performance ratio.
Equipped with a beautiful screen, it also stands out with its ultra-fast charging system, its sober but elegant design and its versatile camera. If the performance and autonomy are just right, we especially regret the incomprehensible software choices.
At almost 400 euros, this Redmi Note 11 Pro loses some of its luster compared to previous generations, but it remains a recommendable product for users on tight budgets.
