On February 28th during Mobile World Congress 2022, we saw the launch of the Poco X4 Pro 5G and the Poco M4 Pro LTE. Xiaomi did send us the regular Redmi Note 11 Pro as well for review. Since this device shares so many of the features and parts from the other three devices, I decided to do a hands-on mini-review for this smartphone. Since most of you have seen the reviews of the 5G device, let’s just focus this mini-review on the differences between the 5G version and the regular Redmi Note 11 Pro.
Redmi Note 11 Pro sports a modern squarish design
With the exception of the 5G logo on the rear of the device, the Redmi Note 11 Pro is identical to the 5G version in terms of size, build, weight, buttons, speakers, etc. Both the regular and 5G versions have identical weight and battery capacity along with the 67W fast charging support.
Even the outer packaging is identical with just the 5G missing in the front. Let’s see what makes these Redmi Note 11 Pro series devices different.
Redmi Note 11 Pro has an excellent 6.67″ 120Hz refresh rate AMOLED display which is the same one found on the more expensive 5G version.
Performance is identical to the Poco M4 Pro LTE
The Redmi Note 11 Pro uses the same Helio G96 processor found in the Poco M4 Pro LTE version. This octa-core processor runs on 2x 2.05Hz Cortex-A76 and 6x 2.0GHz Cortex-A55 cores. Geekbench 5 scores are fairly respectable for this device. Not as good as the 5G version but still quite good for everyday use including gaming. The Helio G96 is slightly outdated for a 2021 processor since it is based on a 12nm process. In terms of power consumption, this chipset isn’t as efficient as some of the newer processors. But you still get reasonably decent benchmark scores on Geekbench and AnTuTu. I would say that the benchmark scores and actual performance are comparable to the Snapdragon 720 processor.
There is a quad-camera module on the rear
In an interesting twist, the LTE version of the Redmi Note 11 Pro has one more 2MP depth sensor on the rear which helps with portrait mode. Another difference is that the non 5G version of the device has electronic video stabilization on the rear along with the ability to shoot 1080p video at 60fps. During my time, I found that the still pictures from the 5G version were slightly better than the regular Note 11. While portrait mode pictures and rear camera video were better on the LTE version. Night mode results and selfie camera results are better on the more expensive Note. So it is an interesting mix of choices that Xiaomi made with the two different types of Note 11 devices. Besides the processor and slight differences in terms of branding and one extra 2MP depth sensor, it is difficult to tell this device apart from the Redmi Note 11 Pro 5G. You still get stellar battery life thanks to a large 5,000 mAh capacity and rapid top-up times with the 67W fast-charging brick. I would anticipate this smartphone getting about 5-6 hours Screen-on-time in daily use without any major issues. For light users, this could easily translate to 2-day battery life and, for regular use, expect to charge it in the later hours of the evening.
And as usual, you get the latest MIUI 13 software, excellent dual audio speakers, a headphone jack, and good LTE connectivity. For more details on each individual category, check out our review of the 5G Note 11 or the Poco M4 Pro reviews.
Who should buy the Redmi Note 11 Pro?
For people who want a slightly larger screen and a better-looking back cover compared to the Poco M4 Pro, the Note 11 makes sense for roughly the same price. Additionally, for people in countries where 5G is still not widely available, it makes sense to get the cheaper Note 11 device in my opinion. You basically get great performance, the rest of the features on the more expensive device, and better main camera video. There are some minor tradeoffs with the rest of the cameras, but if you are not big into selfies or night photography, then the regular Note 11 is a great choice for a lower price.
