What do we expect from a smartphone at 199 euros? While Xiaomi is renewing its Redmi Note range by launching no less than four Redmi Note 11s this February 17 (Redmi Note 11, Note 11S, Note 11 Pro, and Note 11 Pro 5G), “20 Minutes” wanted to look into the cradle of the weakest, the Redmi Note 11. Less well equipped than its elders and sold for less than 200 euros, can this entry-level smartphone suffice for most of our uses? If so, what are its weaknesses?
4G only
Should we spend more? The question regularly comes up on the table in the face of ever more aggressive commercial offers from smartphone manufacturers. With its Redmi Note 11, the Chinese manufacturer Xiaomi continues its offensive on the market with its mini prices. Behind the window and a mobile terminal with a sober design with shells (plastic) in black, purple, and blue hides a 4G smartphone and not 5G. The device will immediately have certain limits in relation to the network and will display a technical delay in the face of a large number of 5G smartphones available. Among them, the Redmi Note 10, or the Oppo A54 5G, both around 200 euros. But if you’re not a big streamer, you can also live without 5G… Another sign betraying its entry-level DNA: the Redmi Note 11 runs Android 11 and not Android 12.
No big bug next to his screen
Its 6.43”/16.33cm screen is Full HD+ (2400 x 1080 pixels), with a 90Hz refresh rate. That’s a little better than the classic 60Hz of most smartphones. entry-level, but just enough to bring a little extra fluidity in certain circumstances: navigation and gaming. Still a nice screen.
During our tests, we asked him in particular to watch Big Bug on Netflix. Supported by infinite contrasts, the vibrant colors of Jean-Pierre Jeunet’s new film have found a very good setting there. The onboard stereo speakers do an honest job and make it possible to get rid of a wired or Bluetooth headset or earphones.
Photos that lack detail
The photo section of the Redmi Note 11 seemed enticing to us: 50-megapixel main sensor, 8-megapixel ultra-wide-angle, 2-megapixel macro and 2-megapixel depth of field. It’s a little better than the Redmi Note 10, but without radical evolution (the main sensor of the elder was 48 megapixels…). After our tests, the coupling quickly finds its limits.
Generally beautiful on the smartphone screen, the photos taken reveal their true nature once transferred to a tablet or computer. There, the slightest zoom in the image is fatal to them. The details are only apparent. Confirmation with the selfies, in 13 megapixels: a kind of artistic blur reigns supreme over our beards and our hair.
As for the macro sensor (a long-standing argument at Xiaomi), it is an extra here. On the other hand, the Portrait function, with its bokeh effect behind the subject, works rather well. Please note: no 4K video under the shutter, but Full HD at 30 frames/second.
33 watt charger included
On paper, the new Snapdragon 680 (2.4 GHz) processor does slightly better than the 678 of the Redmi Note 10, but the improvements are marginal. Its 6 mm engraving, however, gives it better provisions for the game. And a good point: the Redmi Note 11 is displayed with a 5000 mAh battery. We were thus able to make it pass the course of the day and a half of use!
Xiaomi drives the point home by providing a 33-watt fast charger in the box. A good hour is enough to refuel the Redmi Note 11. Finally, note that the repairability index of the terminal is quite correct: 7.8/10. Its IP53 protection index allows it to ensure its rear against dust and rain, but not against immersion.
Sold for 199.99 euros (4GB/64GB expandable), the Redmi Note 11 is rather well thought out. A little disappointing in photos if you are demanding about the quality of your images, you are completely satisfied with your large AMOLED screen and your excellent battery life. It can appeal to fans of video, even gaming (but in small doses). In the end, its generally honorable performance makes it a good economical and all-purpose smartphone.