Redmi Note 11 Pro+ 5G: Capable, but is it worth the price?

Each year, the Redmi Note series pushes the boundaries for the under 20,000 price segment. Inevitably, the Pro options offer a little extra in terms of power and at a higher price. But as I have noted in earlier reviews, the Redmi Note series has become more fragmented over the years, with a higher starting price. This year’s Redmi Note 11 Pro+ 5G has a starting price of20,999, one of the highest ever. It goes up to Rs 24,999 for the 8GB RAM+256GB storage. This is a price ceiling that the Redmi Note series has not crossed to date. But does the hike in price match up to expectations? Here’s our review.

What’s good?

The Redmi Note 11 Pro+ has a flatter body compared to the previous Redmi Note 10 Pro Max, which was the most expensive variant last year. The camera module looks slightly different and there’s another major change – the Redmi Note 11 Pro+ has a triple camera. The Pro Max had a quad-camera setup instead. The Redmi Note 11 Pro+ continues with a 6.67-inch AMOLED Full HD+ display. The maximum refresh rate is 120 Hz, but there’s no smart refresh setting which some rival devices do have and at a lower price bracket. It has Corning Gorilla Glass 5 as well. The display works well in bright sunlight. If you’re buying a phone primarily for your daily entertainment quota – from streaming movies or watching YouTube – this one fulfills those with ease.

Redmi Note 11 Pro+ includes 5G support, it runs the Qualcomm Snapdragon 695 chipset, which appears to be a popular choice in this segment as even realme and vivo have options powered by the same. The phone’s performance is smooth, and for daily tasks such as browsing social media websites or regular multitasking, it works without any hiccups.

The rear camera includes a 108MP+ 8MP ultra-wide and 2MP macro camera setup. The main camera continues to perform well with balanced colours for most scenarios. I used it during a trip to Golden Temple in Amritsar, and its camera delivered excellent details with ample details and good colours.

What’s not good?

The ultra-wide and macro cameras remain unimpressive. This is disappointing more so because the macro in the Redmi Note 10 Pro Max was something I quite liked. Again, I’m keeping Redmi Note 10 Pro Max in mind here because that was the most premium variant last year. This time, the macro feels like a compromise. It does struggle with bright colours like reds and pinks and colour accuracy in general. Even for the main camera, pinks and reds at night appear too processed.

Verdict

The Redmi Note 11 Pro+ is no doubt a capable device. The main camera, the display, battery life and day-to-day performance are all strong points. The phone also includes 5G connectivity, which means if you want a future proof device, this remains an option on the list. The challenge though is the price increase, which Redmi might find hard to justify since the phone starts at `20,999. If you are not too keen on spending extra and don’t need 5G, the Redmi Note 11 Pro or even the 11S might make more sense for some users.