With the Redmi Note 11 Pro+ 5G, Xiaomi has launched a strong mid-range smartphone that wants to convince with many luxury functions from the upper class. I have used the smartphone in everyday life for the past few weeks and summarize my experiences in the test report.
Beautifully edged
I really like the look of the Xiaomi Redmi Note 11 Pro+ 5G. The angular design fits in with the times and the smartphone is comfortable to hold. In contrast to many well-rounded smartphones, you really feel that you have a solid smartphone in your hand. The 6.67-inch display is framed by relatively wide frames. The chin is particularly large. If Xiaomi had made the frames narrower, the form factor would have appealed to me even more. The build quality is first class and hardly any fingerprints remain visible on the back.
A punch-hole camera with a resolution of 16 MP is embedded in the center of the display. The earpiece is almost invisible in the frame above it. The speakers are on the top and bottom. They were tuned by JBL. The sound is absolutely fine, but I don't hear any added value from JBL . As with any smartphone, it lacks bass. I would have expected a little more from the name. Dolby Atmos at least creates more volume.
On the underside you will find the USB-C port and next to it the slot for two nano SIM cards or one nano SIM card and one microSD card. So you can expand the internal memory. There is also a seal , although officially the Xiaomi mobile is not waterproof.
The fingerprint sensor is integrated into the power button on the side . You have to like that. At least it works very quickly and reliably. It gets interesting again on the top of the Redmi Note 11 Pro+ 5G, because in addition to the 3.5 mm jack you will also find an IR transmitter there. So you can also use the Xiaomi phone as a remote control. You hardly find that in modern smartphones anymore. The corresponding app is pre-installed.
On the back, the 108 MP camera protrudes massively. If you put the phone on the table and want to tap on it, it wobbles quite a bit. But I really like the design of the camera unit, because you can clearly see the main sensor and the additional sensors. Otherwise, the back looks rather unspectacular.
Display could be brighter
According to Xiaomi, the Redmi Note 11 Pro+ 5G's display can reach up to 1,200 nits of brightness . However, the AMOLED display doesn't seem as bright to me as the competition, especially outdoors. On the Redmi Note 11 Pro+ 5G (max. 1,200 nits), Pixel 6 Pro (max. 1,075 nits) and OnePlus 10 Pro (max. 1,300 nits) I activated the maximum brightness with any outdoor mode and compared them. The Xiaomi phone is significantly darker than the Google phone. The OnePlus device is the brightest. So I would like to know when the Xiaomi phone will hit 1,200 nits. The 700 nits that Xiaomi also states sound much more realistic:
| Type | Super AMOLED, 120Hz, HDR10, 700 nits (HBM), 1200 nits (peak) |
| Size | 6.67 inches, 107.4 cm2 (~86.1% screen-to-body ratio) |
| Resolution | 1080 x 2400 pixels, 20:9 ratio (~395 ppi density) |
| Protection | Corning Gorilla Glass 5 |
Of course, such a high brightness would have a negative impact on battery life, but if the display can handle this brightness, I actually want to be able to call it up when I need it. This is especially the case in summer when the sun is shining brightly.
Otherwise I have nothing to complain about on the display. Content is displayed very clearly, the resolution of Full HD+ is sufficient and content is displayed smoothly at 120 Hz . In comparison to a real high-end smartphone, however, you also notice that 120 Hz is not the same as 120 Hz. The OnePlus 10 Pro and Pixel 6 Pro work a little more smoothly. It is pleasing that Xiaomi has applied a protective film directly to the display. That way you don't have to do anything extra. However, a lot of dirt quickly collects on this, so that regular cleaning is on the agenda.
Performance is okay
The Redmi Note 11 Pro+ 5G is powered by a MediaTek Dimensity 920, which in our case is accompanied by 8 GB of RAM and 128 GB of internal storage. There are also versions with 6 GB RAM and 128 GB as well as 8 GB RAM and 256 GB internal storage. So we received the middle version for testing. The performance under Android 12 with MIUI 13 is absolutely fine .
The operating system itself runs smoothly and without delays. Apps and games launch quickly. I occasionally noticed small delays in apps and in the Chrome browser. Scrolling wasn't always smooth, even on very fast websites, where no ads should reduce performance. But that's complaining at a high level, because overall the Xiaomi cell phone works very quickly .
I even used the Redmi Note 11 Pro+ 5G to play Diablo Immortal. Works pretty well on the lowest settings. It could run a little smoother, but in an emergency it works that way. It only gets very jerky on large battlefields. Casual games, on the other hand, run without problems. Diablo Immortal is graphically very demanding and even pushes high-end cell phones like the OnePlus 10 Pro (test) to their limits.
Software with many possibilities
Xiaomi installs Android 12 with MIUI 13 on the Redmi Note 11 Pro+ 5G via update. At the time of testing, the April 2022 security patch was installed. That's a bit weak, because Samsung very quickly distributes monthly security updates for its current smartphones. Xiaomi shouldn't be three months behind when it comes to a new cell phone . Especially since the mobile phone is not one of the cheapest models.
In general, there is no update guarantee for the Redmi Note 11 Pro+ 5G from Xiaomi . Only the Xiaomi 11T, 11T Pro, 12 and 12 Pro are guaranteed to have three new Android updates and four years of security updates. For all other devices you have to hope for the goodwill of Xiaomi.
Otherwise you get the typical MIUI 13 interface. Everything runs smoothly and is basically self-explanatory . However, some options are somewhat hidden, while Xiaomi has highlighted other settings. For example, you can access the updates directly by pressing Settings. If Xiaomi emphasizes that, the monthly security updates should also come quickly. Overall, there are no surprises on the surface. Everything is a bit more colorful than with other manufacturers, but that's a matter of taste.
Two points struck me as negative. The Redmi Note 11 Pro+ 5G actually has an always-on display, but it turns off automatically after 10 seconds . You can't influence that either. So it's not really "always on". Furthermore, many apps are preinstalled. These include Lords Mobile, AliExpress, Amazon Music, Amazon Shopping, Joom, LinkedIn, Netflix, PUBG Mobile, TikTok, Spotify, and WPS Office. I wouldn't consider all of this to be bloatware, but not everyone will want to use everything. At least the apps can be deleted.
108 MP camera is weak
Xiaomi installed a 108 MP camera with f/1.8 aperture in the Redmi Note 11 Pro+ 5G, but it is not optically image stabilized. You can often feel that. From time to time the focus is not right and the picture becomes blurred. The colors are also a problem, because some motifs are captured very well, while others are completely wrong. I would have liked more consistency .
In low light you should use the night mode and show a steady hand so that the pictures are sharp. Almost every photo I've taken in the dark lacks that. On the small display, the photo looks quite good, on a PC you can see clear weaknesses. Then the image noise and the slight lack of sharpness become visible .
The 8 MP ultra wide-angle camera is okay, although the images are a bit too dark there. You can improve the software by manually influencing the brightness. I would also see the manual mode as semi-automatic, because you have influence here, but the smartphone still helps you with many settings. A telephoto lens is not installed at all, so you only digitally enlarge the pictures taken with the main camera. You should only do this in an emergency, because it will not improve the results. To be honest, I would have liked a little better image quality from the sensors . After all, we're talking about a 400-euro cell phone here.
120-Watt-Battery-Turbo
One of the biggest highlights of the Redmi Note 11 Pro+ 5G is without a doubt the charging speed. Xiaomi installs a 4,500 mAh battery that can be recharged with 120 watts. That this technology is used in a mid-range smartphone is a privilege. This means that the mobile phone is charged within minutes . We're talking about 15 minutes here. Even high-end smartphones that cost twice as much take over an hour.
And that also hides the short battery life. The battery is smaller than in the Galaxy A53 from Samsung and you can feel that too. I got through the day easily and had a little buffer left over . But I only managed two days if I did very little with my smartphone. A 5,000 mAh battery would have been perfect for this smartphone. But the 120-watt charging technology rips everything out. The 120 watt power adapter is included in the scope of delivery. However, the cell phone cannot be charged wirelessly.
ratings in detail
| Category | Rating (max. 10) |
| Sustainability | 4 |
| Processing, feel and design | 8 |
| Display | 7 |
| Cameras | 6 |
| Software | 7 |
| Performance | 8 |
| Calls and audio | 8 |
| Storage | 8 |
| Battery and everyday life | 8 |
| In total | 7.1 |
Xiaomi Redmi Note 11 Pro+ 5G in the test: conclusion
Rating: 7.1 / 10
The Xiaomi Redmi Note 11 Pro+ 5G convinced me in the test with its beautiful design, the high performance and the incredible charging speed of the battery . With the 108 MP camera and 120 watt fast charging function, Xiaomi tries to convince with superlatives that you won't find in the middle class. It worked for the loading speed, a little less for the camera. The 108 MP camera is just too inconsistent. Xiaomi could improve this with future software updates if updates come. An update guarantee is completely missing.
The battery life is absolutely fine , but it could be a bit better if the battery were bigger like some competing devices. The AMOLED display is easy to read in most situations, but could be a bit brighter for outdoor use. The toughest challenger in the form of the Samsung Galaxy A53 (test) does it a little better.
The price of 399 euros is a bit too high for the performance offered . You can even get more attractive alternatives from Xiaomi, such as the Poco X4 Pro 5G for less than 300 euros. With this cell phone, for example, you get a larger battery, you also have a 108 MP camera and pay 100 euros less. You can get over the fact that the battery can "only" be used with 67 watts.
If the Redmi Note 11 Pro+ 5G costs around 300 euros over time, the price-performance ratio is right again. Then you can access it without hesitation . But even so, you won't do anything wrong if you choose this Xiaomi cell phone. Overall, the device left a good impression and is recommended.
Advantages:
- ✅ Design
- ✅ Build quality
- ✅ Performance
- ✅ Loading speed
- ✅ IR-Sender
- ✅ Fast fingerprint sensor
- ✅ 120 watt power supply included
Disadvantages:
- ❌ No IP certification
- ❌ No update guarantee
- ❌ Price a bit too high
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