Redmi Note 11S sits right in the middle of the Note 11 Series in Nepal. Launched at Rs.30,000 price segment, the phone comes with interesting specs like a 90Hz AMOLED panel, 108MP camera, and more. Powered by an Helio G96 chip, is it the best phone under 30K in Nepal? Find out in our Redmi Note 11S review article.
The 6.4-inch AMOLED Display panel is a visual treat with vivid and punchy colors.
Redmi Note 11S Design and Display
The phone borrows the same design language as its siblings. It features a boxy body with an all-new flat frame design with a minimalist style that gives off a dynamic and powerful look. The phone feels comfortable to hold. For a longer hand, one-hand usage is not a problem. While for those with shorter hands, you might want to use it with both hands. Having a glass back, the phone does throw a premium vibe. The fingerprint scanner mounted on the power key is also snappy and accurate. I also enjoyed the 3.5mm headphone jack.
Coming to the display, it has a gorgeous 6.43-inch FULL HD+ AMOLED DotDisplay with a 90Hz refresh rate. As an AMOLED panel, the contents look crisp, vivid, and punchy. The phone also supports Widevine L1. So, you can enjoy HD video quality and it looks very good. Similarly, watching videos on YouTube, and other social media felt satisfactory with the AMOLED panel. Talking about the 90Hz refresh rate, it feels fluid and fast. Although 120HZ would have been better, it is okay for the price. Switching from one app to other, and scrolling on social media were no hiccups on this phone.
Also, Read:-Redmi Note 11 Pro 5G Review, The Legacy Continues?
How is the Performance?
The device packs in a Mediatek Helio G96 chip onboard. It is a 12nm node-based processor with the configuration of 2×2.05 GHz Cortex-A76 & 6×2.0 GHz Cortex-A55 cores. The GPU is handled by Mali-G57 MC2. During my usage period, I found the chip to perform well for day-to-day activities. Normal usage like browsing the web, switching through apps, and moderate gaming went very well. Battle Royale titles like PUBG can be played up to 40fps while COD Mobile only supports up to 30fps. A software update from the game devs might resolve this issue. Anyways, PUBG gameplay was good on TDM mode. While for Classic matches, I felt some lags on hot drops. Besides that, the 40fps gaming is good for the price. So, you can game on this phone but it cannot support 60fps.
Besides gaming, the phone is a good-to-go device for normal tasks. The 90Hz refresh rate is good and there are no hiccups while scrolling. Intensive tasks might generate some heat. But given that it is summer, the phone is actually okay in thermal management. The chip is not too powerful but it can cater to those moderate gamers and users. While during intensive tasks or multitasking, you would see some hiccups.
Redmi Note 11S Camera Performance
Talking about the optics, the phone houses a quad-camera setup on the rear side. The highlighted 108MP primary camera performs well in daylight conditions. Normally, the lens produces pixel binned 12MP images. Switching to the 108MP resolution, you get extra details while zooming. The difference is not that huge though. But the dynamic range is great along with details and accurate colors for the primary sensor. For nighttime, turning on the night mode assist a bit.
Talking about portrait mode, the phone can capture natural-looking portrait shots with a natural skin tone. The edge detection is good too for both human and non-human subjects. It does better for human subjects though.
Let’s get to the 8MP Ultrawide sensor. The ultrawide camera captures average-looking images in the daytime. You get a wider field of view with lesser color accuracy. As expected, the details are not as good as the primary camera. Still, for a midrange ultrawide lens, it does its job. The edge distortion is managed well for daylight shots. Under low light though, the picture quality is not favorable. The rest 2MP + 2MP depth and macro sensors bring nothing much to the table though. The macro lens capture average macro shots.
About the videos, the primary camera supports up to 1080p at 30fps only although the G96 does support 4K at 30fps. This has to do with the more expensive Redmi Note 11 Pro 5G not supporting 4K recording due to SD695 chip limitation. So, it is likely that this phone won’t support it too. The 1080p video quality is good with some stabilization via EIS. Sadly, there is no 60fps support. For the front camera, it captures decent selfies in daylight. For portrait, the edge detection is okay but the face tends to come in pale colors. The dynamic range is also average here.
Battery Life and Charging
Redmi Note 11S boasts a 5000mAh cell that supports up to 33W fast charging technology. Luckily, we get the 33W adapter in the box. It can fill up the battery from 0 to 100% in 50 minutes approx. Talking about the battery life, the phone can last a whole day on moderate usage. If you are a light user, it can even last for two days. While for gamers, the maximum SOT is 5 hours on heavy usage.
Also Read:-Xiaomi 12X Price in Nepal | Detailed Specs
Redmi Note 11S Final Verdict
The phone is a very good midrange contender in the market right now. It provides a quality AMOLED panel and a good chipset for the price. The design also looks good and has a Gorilla Glass 3 protection upfront. it doesn’t feel too heavy. The 6.4-inch AMOLED panel is a visual treat with vivid and punchy colors. You get inkier blacks and decent color contrast. Also, the 90Hz refresh rate gets no complaints about the price tag it carries. It feels smooth and fluid. So, the multimedia experience is very decent. With the dual stereo speaker, it gets better. Yeah, the audio could have been louder but it is enough for watching movies in a private space.
The Helio G96 is a good chip for the price. The 12nm architecture might not be battery friendly as compared to a 6nm chip. But in real-life usage, the difference is not that great. For gaming, it can support up to 40fps on PUBG. Other casual games work like a charm. Be it social media browsing or moderate gaming, the phone can handle it well. While during heavy multitasking and usage, the phone gets some hiccups.
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Also, the battery life is very good on this phone. You also get an inbox 33W charger inside the box and it does its job well. It charges the phone from nil to full in less than 50 minutes. Overall, Redmi Note 11S is an all-rounder phone with a decent AMOLED panel, camera, and performance for the price. It is not the very best phone though as the ultrawide camera could be a bit better. Nonetheless, the phone is one of the best in the price segment without a doubt.
So, that was all about the Redmi Note 11S review. The phone is a good buy at the price and becomes one of the best under 30K price segments in Nepal. If you have a higher budget, you can check the best phones under 40,000.
What do you think about this device? Are you using one or planning to buy one? Do let us know your thoughts and opinions in the comment section below.
