Published on 12:00 AM, April 22, 2022

Xiaomi Redmi Note 11: The fabled ”JATIO” phone?

Today we are going to share our take on the locally manufactured Xiaomi Redmi Note 11. As phone aficionados can attest, Note series of Xiaomi has been enjoying an inherent hype for the last several years now. Some reviewers have even dubbed them as 'JATIO' phone (national phone). However, the immediate predecessor of Note 11 had its fair share of complaints - online forums were flooded with issues regarding the display, the battery, the OS etc.

So, will the Redmi Note 11 be any different? Let's find out:

The display

This is perhaps the best part of the phone - a vibrant and colour accurate display. The 6.43-inch Full HD+ display will fit in our palm easily while the AMOLED display will be able to dazzle you with 700nits of brightness. Most devices in this range usually offer an LCD panel but Xiaomi did not seem to have cut any corners here. The display felt a bit smooth too, thanks to the 90Hz refresh rate. The one thing we wished was if Xiaomi only could go for narrower bezels for the screen.

The build

The overall build quality of the phone is quite good. The matte finish, the back-camera housing and tightly wrapped buttons on the side reek a premium feel. The phone does not weigh much and can slip on your palm easily. The phone also offers IP53 rating which is indicative of its robust build.

The hardware

The phone comes equipped with Qualcomm 680 chip and is paired with a 6GB RAM. This should be enough if this phone is your daily driver and if you are not into gaming. The phone also comes with a massive 5,000 mAh battery which is bound to last you an entire workday. It also comes with 33W Pro fast charging. However, competition has already incorporated features in similarly priced phones- so this is nothing exclusive to this particular phone.

The price point: The variant I am reviewing comes with 8GB RAM 128GB ROM which is priced at Tk. 18,999/-. This year the pricing is a bit extra-competitive as it is able to circumvent some taxes due to local manufacturing of the phone.

The camera

Over the last few years we have been spoiled with great camera phones that will not put a dent in your wallet. Redmi Note 11's AI camera is not an exception in that regard. You can expect to get a decent click every time. Night mode image was average and portrait mode offered some decent bokeh effect. In the past, we have seen many mid ranger's image quality deteriorate over time. Unfortunately, the device has not been made available for long enough time for us to make a conclusive remark.

The OS

Ah... Xiaomi's Achilles' heel. Xiaomi devices' performance has been plagued by jittery updates before. Xiaomi authority, however, has informed that this time, the updates are going to be bug-free and will not brick your phone.

After using the phone for nearly two weeks, I found it a great secondary phone for me. Although the phone might have cut a corner here and there, for the budget, this is a great phone to buy. Not sure if this going to be the next JATIO phone, but this device is certainly going to stir up the competition.