Xiaomi Redmi Note 11 Pro+ 5G, analysis: a shot of improvements that raises the range to touch the ‘premium’ Olympus

Xiaomi has unfolded the recent Redmi Note family more than ever, pointing from the lowest of the mid-range to the highest segment; right where the Xiaomi Redmi Note 11 Pro + 5G, protagonist of this analysis, is located. It is powerful, offers great appeal and has a lot of potential: we have checked it.

The best mobile of the new Redmi Note 11 range has such a number of surnames that it is difficult to pronounce it in one go. Because, would you be able to tell the store that you want a Xiaomi Redmi Note 11 Pro+ 5G? This accumulation of characteristics shows that the brand is aimed at a much more select audience, the technical sheet also has components that are usually seen only in the high-end Xiaomi. All this unfolding ends up being transmitted to the experience.

Xiaomi Redmi Note 11 Pro+ 5G technical sheet

Better material contrast with superb display and sound

After analyzing the “normal” Xiaomi Redmi Note 11, and verifying that the design was practically traced, we expected a phone with the same economical feeling of materials. It is not the case: this Pro+ version has a better contrast of elements, the glass gives a much more “premium” feel to the back of the phone and, in general, feels more solid and heavier. They are extra sensations that end up adding to the final price of the Redmi Note 11 Pro+ 5G; even though they do not make a clear difference in performance either.

The mobile is great, this is already usual. Front used with somewhat generous frames, buttons on the right side with some difficulty in finding the fingerprint reader by touch (on the power button; with the cover the problem is solved), the Redmi Note 11 Pro+ 5G includes speakers on the edge upper and lower, the mobile does not dispense with a headphone jack (top), offers dual SIM or SIM + micro SD card (on the bottom edge) and the rectangular rear lens slightly unevens the phone when resting it on a surface.

The screen is one of the jewels of our protagonist, even though the whole family boasts an AMOLED panel. In the case of the Redmi Note 11 Pro+ 5G, the screen offers high refresh rate at 120 Hz (the mobile feels more fluid despite the fact that scrolling can be hampered in certain apps, such as Twitter), the standard calibration is adequate (it can be adjusted in temperature and saturation), it looks perfect outdoors and the automatic brightness is not a problem . It is an excellent board.

Apart from the quality screen, our protagonist boasts classy audio: Hi-Res sound, double external speaker with high power (one of the best we have tested on a mobile, it is spectacular), it includes a headphone jack (and FM radio) and the quality is excellent: it’s a pleasure to listen to music, both with wired headphones and via Bluetooth. Very rich sound, with a good bass boost and compatible with Dolby Atmos. Also, the Redmi Note 11 Pro+ 5G includes support for a diverse collection of Bluetooth codecs: AAC, all aptX, LDAC and LHDC in all four versions. Good for Xiaomi.

Secure unlocking is done via the enabled fingerprint reader located on the side of the phone. It’s fast enough though reads don’t always happen on the first try (This is greatly influenced by the position in which the finger is placed). Apart from fingerprint unlocking, the Redmi Note 11 Pro+ 5G includes facial unlocking. Of course, it is less secure (but very comfortable).

Very powerful in hardware, with certain doubts in software

The MediaTek chosen for the phone brings great power under the silicon together with the relevant compatibility with 5G mobile networks. We cannot say that the MediaTek Dimensity 920 is a bad SoC: at all times it has behaved fabulously, it has maintained extreme fluidity, zero perceptible “lags” and with a quality in 3D graphics at a very good level. Too bad that, for the price of the Redmi Note 11 Pro+ 5G, a processor with higher capacities, such as the MediaTek Dimensity 1200 (present in the OnePlus Nord 2, for example), would not have been bad.

In games it has behaved very well and with medium high-end performance (usually the maximum configuration slightly weighed down the phone, as in the case of Genshin Impact). The Xiaomi Redmi Note 11 Pro+ 5G is perfect for playing even demanding games. And without us noticing excessive heating after long sessions (it does not heat up when charging, as we will see later).

From left to right: Geekbench 5, 3D Mark Slingshot, and PX Mark 3.0

Below you have the scores in the usual benchmarks contrasted with mobiles in the same category as the Redmi Note 11 Pro+ 5G.

Although in hardware we do not have much to discuss, the opposite happens in software: Xiaomi launches the mobile on the market with Android 11 and MIUI 12.5. To underline how outdated the software is, the phone maintains the security patch from January to the date of this analysis. And there is another notable drawback: despite the high price of the phone, Xiaomi pre-installs a considerable amount of bloatware (apps and games; most can be uninstalled). The shell is heavy, packs a remarkable number of features, and steers clear of stock Android.

We return to the land of flattery: the autonomy of the phone is notorious. The expense in the background is almost nil, it does consume when it is used in tasks of a certain demand (especially games with high graphic capacity). According to our tests, the Xiaomi Redmi Note 11 Pro+ 5G can stay alive for almost two days with contained use; arriving at the day abusing the use.

The eight hours of screen are usual, even more. Navigation, a lot of social network, mobile connectivity (including 5G) and streaming movies: Xiaomi has achieved excellent autonomy that does not suffer during the daily rhythm. And what about fast charging at 120 W: it’s insane. Having the mobile almost ready in less than a quarter of an hour is crazy. And with hardly any heat.

Below are the load times from zero to 100%. Always with the charger that comes in the box.

• 5 minute charge: 25% battery.
• 10 minute charge: 56% battery.
• 15 minute charge: 75% battery.
• 20 minute charge: 93% battery.
• Total: 22 minutes.

The best camera in a Redmi Note 11

In the field of photography, our protagonist flexes his muscles by mounting a 108-megapixel sensor with which he aims to improve the light in the shots thanks to Samsung’s Nonapixel technology, he also poses a higher level of detail and a good quality night mode. In our experience, the Xiaomi Redmi Note 11 Pro+ 5G meets these premises in most situations.

After having tried other models of the Redmi Note 11 family, we can say that the phone in question provides enough differentiation to be at the top of the family. We can’t say that the photographic performance is top of the range, but yes it performs well.

Outdoor shots in broad daylight are of sufficient quality and with great detail in the background. It does show some underexposure, it also suffers from insufficient dynamic range. All despite the fact that the automatic HDR is activated when it touches, also the automatic detection of scenes (if it remains activated, something not essential).

The main camera portrays with enough detail in the background, the shots are sharp and with a successful white balance. Yes it suffers from dynamic range: the darkest area is underexposed.

The wide angle does not come out as well as the main camera: some difference in white balance, lack of detail with some zoom and noticeable optical distortions around the center.

Portrait mode is of good quality in most conditions. Appropriate cropping with the logical errors in the areas where the contrast is lacking and quite natural bokeh.

Below is a camera sample of the Xiaomi Redmi Note 11 Pro+ 5G. If you want to access the gallery in its original resolution and without retouching, you can access all the shots in this Google Photos album.

Xiaomi Redmi Note 11 Pro+ 5G, the opinion of EuroXliveAndroid

It is surprising that Xiaomi has decided to raise the price and characteristics of its Redmi to the line of 400 euros, an area in which the Lite of its key mobiles usually roam freely; like the Xiaomi Mi 11 Lite, for example. In comparison, it is not that the Xiaomi Redmi Note 11 Pro+ 5G is excessively better than the Redmi Note 11 alone or the Redmi Note 11 Pro 5G, for example, but yes you can appreciate the many “premium” details.

The protagonist of our review has been powerful, capable, the materials provide an extra quality, the screen is at a very good level, the sound is one of the best we have heard (even in higher ranges) and even the camera comes out quite well. On the negative side, we were very surprised that Xiaomi did not deliver it updated to Android 12, not even to MIUI 13. This laxity in the software marks the worst of the phone.

It’s time to recommend it or not do it. Under our experience, It is an excellent phone that surely will not disappoint. Even so, if you are looking for raw power, there are phones like the POCO F3 that compete with it at a ridiculous price. Even so, the Xiaomi Redmi Note 11 Pro+ 5G has an excellent balance. And surely it will not take long to drop in price; which will make you even more attractive.