The Redmi Note 11T 5G, the latest addition to Xiaomi’s popular Note series, promises to be a compelling choice for budget-conscious consumers seeking 5G connectivity and snappy performance. This successor to the Redmi Note 10T 5G boasts a powerful MediaTek Dimensity 810 SoC, a 90Hz display, and 33W fast charging, all at a price point that makes it highly competitive. But is the Redmi Note 11T 5G just a minor upgrade or a true standout performer? We put it through a rigorous evaluation to determine its strengths and weaknesses, and provide a comprehensive analysis of its design, performance, camera capabilities, and overall value proposition.
Redmi Note 11T 5G: Price & Availability in India
The Redmi Note 11T 5G is available in India with a starting price of Rs. 16,999 for the base variant, offering 6GB of RAM and 64GB of storage. The variant with 6GB of RAM and 128GB of storage is priced at Rs. 17,999, while the top-end option featuring 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage is priced at Rs. 19,999. Xiaomi offers introductory discounts and ICICI Bank cardholder offers, effectively bringing the price down by Rs. 2,000 for each variant. The phone is available in three stylish color options: Stardust White, Aquamarine Blue, and Matte Black
Redmi Note 11T 5G: Design & Build
The Redmi Note 11T 5G incorporates Xiaomi’s recognizable EVOL design language, familiar to users of previous Note series devices. It features a large display with a hole-punch cutout for the front camera, slim bezels at the top and sides, and a slightly thicker chin. Although constructed from plastic, both the frame and the back panel feel remarkably sturdy.
Weighing in at 195g, the phone feels substantial in the hand, but its weight is well-distributed and manageable. The right side houses both the power and volume buttons, conveniently positioned within reach. The power button features an integrated capacitive fingerprint scanner, providing a swift and effortless way to unlock the device. On the opposite side, you’ll find the hybrid dual-SIM tray, allowing users to choose between a second SIM card or expandable storage.
Xiaomi has opted for stereo speakers on the Redmi Note 11T 5G, with the top speaker positioned alongside the secondary microphone and IR emitter. On the bottom, the primary speaker sits beside the USB Type-C port, primary microphone, and a welcome addition – a 3.5mm audio jack.
The rear panel features a prominent camera module that protrudes slightly from the body. While the module’s size might suggest a quad-camera setup, it actually accommodates only two cameras. This is surprising given the trend of manufacturers incorporating depth sensors and macro cameras to inflate camera counts.
We tested the Stardust White color variant, which we found aesthetically pleasing and effective at concealing fingerprints. Xiaomi generously includes a protective case in the box, along with a 33W fast charger to quickly replenish the device’s sizable 5,000mAh battery. The Redmi Note 11T 5G also enjoys IP53 dust and splash resistance rating, offering a level of protection against the elements.
Redmi Note 11T 5G: Specifications & Software
The Redmi Note 11T 5G’s major highlight is its MediaTek Dimensity 810 SoC, a powerful octa-core chip built on a 6nm process. This chipset features two ARM Cortex-A76 cores clocked at 2.4GHz and six ARM Cortex A55 cores clocked at 2GHz.
The lower-priced variants come with 6GB of RAM coupled with either 64GB or 128GB of storage. The top-end variant, which we reviewed, boasts 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage. Xiaomi has incorporated a memory extension feature that leverages up to 3GB of storage space as additional RAM. This Virtual RAM feature is enabled by default, providing a potential boost to multitasking capabilities. Expandable storage is available, but it comes at the expense of the second Nano-SIM, as the phone houses a hybrid dual-SIM slot.
The generous 6.6-inch display boasts a full-HD+ resolution, a smooth 90Hz refresh rate, and added protection with Corning Gorilla Glass 3. The refresh rate dynamically adjusts between 50Hz, 60Hz, and 90Hz, depending on the content displayed. While the phone defaults to a 60Hz refresh rate, activating the 90Hz refresh rate manually significantly enhances the user experience, making animations and scrolling feel remarkably smooth.
The Redmi Note 11T 5G supports dual 5G, enabling the use of two 5G SIM cards simultaneously, alongside dual 4G VoLTE, Bluetooth 5.1, and dual-band Wi-Fi.
Running MIUI 12.5 on top of Android 11, the Redmi Note 11T 5G comes with the November Android security patch. MIUI offers a customizable and user-friendly interface, allowing for extensive personalization.
Although the phone ships with a fair number of preinstalled apps, including Xiaomi’s own Mi Credit and Mi Pay, many of these apps can be uninstalled. The default navigation layout is the classic three-button system, but users can switch to gesture-based navigation if preferred. The power button can also be configured to perform a specific action when double-tapped.
Redmi Note 11T 5G: Performance & Battery Life
The Redmi Note 11T 5G’s display is crisp and bright enough for outdoor visibility. As mentioned earlier, the default refresh rate is 60Hz, but switching to the 90Hz refresh rate transforms the user experience. The display offers Vivid, Saturated, and Standard modes, allowing users to tailor the colors to their preference. The color temperature can also be adjusted for a more personalized viewing experience.
The dual speaker setup, however, isn’t perfectly balanced, with the bottom speaker significantly louder than the top speaker.
In our testing, we experienced no lag or stutter during regular usage, and multitasking between multiple apps was remarkably smooth. The side-mounted fingerprint scanner, as previously mentioned, is convenient and responsive.
To gauge the performance of the Dimensity 810 SoC, we ran a series of synthetic benchmarks. The phone achieved a score of 355,628 points in AnTuTu. In Geekbench 5’s single-core and multi-core tests, it scored 604 and 1,808 points, respectively. PCMark Work 3.0 yielded a score of 9,071 points, However, the Redmi Note 11T 5G did not support running graphics benchmarks.
The Redmi Note 11T 5G is a capable gaming device. We tested Battlegrounds Mobile India (BGMI) and found that the game ran smoothly at the HD graphics and High frame rate settings by default. After a sustained gaming session of approximately 16 minutes, we observed a 5 percent drop in battery level and a slight warming of the phone’s body, indicating its ability to handle graphically intensive games.
Battery life is excellent, with the Redmi Note 11T 5G comfortably exceeding a day and a half of use without requiring a charge. Idle battery drain is minimal, meaning the phone should remain charged for extended periods when not actively in use. In our HD video loop test, the 5,000mAh battery lasted for 16 hours and 32 minutes with the refresh rate set to 90Hz.
The provided 33W fast charger delivers impressive charging speeds. In just 30 minutes, the battery reached 56 percent, and a full charge was achieved in just over an hour, reaching 97 percent at the one-hour mark.
Redmi Note 11T 5G: Cameras
The Redmi Note 11T 5G features a 50-megapixel primary camera and an 8-megapixel ultra-wide angle camera, but it notably lacks a depth sensor or a macro camera. The absence of these additional sensors isn’t a major drawback unless macro photography is a priority. For selfies, there’s a 16-megapixel front shooter housed within the hole-punch cutout.
The camera app is familiar and user-friendly, with all the shooting modes intuitively arranged. There are convenient toggles for HDR and AI scene detection.
Focus locking and exposure settings were quick and accurate. Daylight shots appeared good on the phone’s display, but magnifying them revealed that details were average. The phone tends to oversharpen photos, resulting in a loss of detail in shadow areas.
The ultra-wide angle camera, while offering a wider field of view, produced less detailed images compared to the primary camera. We also observed distortion in a few shots, despite distortion correction being enabled by default.
Users can capture shots with the primary camera at its full 50-megapixel resolution, but this resulted in only marginally better details with the same oversharpening effect.
Close-up shots performed better, capturing textures successfully. The phone applies a subtle background blur, even without Portrait mode, effectively making the subject pop. Portrait shots benefited from accurate edge detection, with the option to adjust the blur level before capturing. Surprisingly, Portrait shot files were substantially larger, ranging from 8MB to 10MB, roughly three times the size of regular shots.
Low-light shots were of average quality, with a slightly off color tone. Objects located at a distance lacked the most detail. Night mode shots took between 3 and 5 seconds to capture but resulted in slightly better colors and marginally improved details.
Selfies taken in daylight exhibited good detail, and the Portrait mode successfully detected edges. Low-light selfies with a nearby light source also produced pleasing results.
Video recording capabilities top out at 1080p 60fps, which is surprising considering the older Redmi Note 10S could record in 4K resolution. Footage captured in daylight was well-stabilized, but low-light footage exhibited noticeable shimmer.
Redmi Note 11T 5G: Verdict
The Redmi Note 11T 5G represents the first smartphone in the Redmi Note 11 series to launch in India. Similar to its predecessor, the Note 11T 5G prioritizes performance. The powerful Dimensity 810 SoC not only delivers impressive processing speeds but also supports 5G connectivity, making it a compelling option as 5G networks roll out in India.
While MIUI 12.5 has reduced the level of bloatware compared to previous versions, the phone still comes with a considerable number of preinstalled apps. The sizable 5,000mAh battery provides excellent battery life, and the 33W fast charging capabilities ensure a relatively short charging time.
However, the Redmi Note 11T 5G’s camera performance falls short of expectations, which might deter potential buyers looking for an all-around phone. While the camera is adequate for everyday use, it lags behind competitors in terms of detail and consistency.
If camera performance isn’t a top priority, the Redmi Note 11T 5G remains a strong contender in its price range. For those seeking alternatives, the Realme 8s 5G is a worthy competitor, offering a solid performance and a more refined camera experience.
