Mehul Reuben DasJun 16, 2023 09:20:18 IST
Pros
– Vegan leather back
– Uses the same display as the Pro+ variant
– Has the same SoC as the Pro+ variant
– Battery management and battery life
– Impressive dual camera setup
– Great speakers
– Seems to be better tuned and optimised than the Pro+ variant
– Almost as good as the
Cons
– Tons of bloatware and ads
– No ultrawide camera
Price: Rs 27,999 for the tested 12GB + 256GB variant (starts at Rs 23,999)
Rating: 4/5
The Realme 11 Pro has an older sibling, the Realme 11 Pro+. Despite their similarities, the 11 Pro offers a more budget-friendly option by cutting back on certain features. It features a dual-rear camera setup instead of a triple-camera system, a lower resolution selfie camera, and supports 67W fast charging instead of the impressive 100W of its sibling, the Pro+.
Realme’s positioning of the Realme 11 Pro is a bit complex. Not only is the 11 Pro a massive upgrade over last year’s 10 Pro, it is also an upgrade over the 10 Pro+. And, barring a few things, there isn’t much of a difference between the 11 Pro and the 11 Pro+, especially when it comes to performance.
In this review, we try to assess whether the sacrifices made in the Realme 11 Pro take too much away from the experience, how it fare against its elder sibling, and if someone goes for the more budget-friendly option out of the two, what exactly do they give up on
Realme 11 Pro 5G review: The Design
Differentiating between the Realme 11 Pro and Pro+ can be challenging at first glance, but careful examination of their camera modules can reveal the distinction. The Realme 11 Pro has a subtle engraving in small letters that reads ‘100MP OIS camera’, while the Realme 11 Pro+ reads a ‘200MP OIS camera’. Plus, the Realme 11 Pro has two cameras instead of three, so in the camera module, there is a dummy placeholder.
Other than this, there’s no difference whatsoever in the design of the device. Whether it’s the dimensions, ports, finish, or colour options, both devices are virtually identical. We received the Sunrise Beige colour variant, which in the vegan leather, looks and feels great.
In case you want to take a deep dive into the design of the device, take a look at our detailed review of the Realme 11 Pro+.
Realme 11 Pro 5G review: The Display
The Realme 11 Pro is equipped with the same 6.7-inch curved OLED display that we find on the Realme 11 Pro+. It has the exact same peak brightness of 950 nits and the same refresh rate of 120Hz. Even the bezels and curved edges are the same. Like the Realme 11 Pro+, the 11 Pro has a Widevine L1 certification, allowing it to stream content in FHD resolution.
However, it’s important to note that, unlike the 11 Pro+ models, the regular 11 Pro smartphone does not currently support HDR capabilities on popular streaming platforms like Netflix.
The display, clearly, is the best in its segment, especially if you’re going for the base variants, which comes in at Rs 23,999.
For a more detailed dive into the display of the Realme 11 Pro, read our review of the Realme 11 Pro+.
Realme 11 Pro 5G review: The camera
It is when we come to the cameras that we get to see some major differences between the Realme 11 Pro and the Realme 11 Pro+. The Realme 11 Pro gets a dual camera setup at the rear.
The Realme 11 Pro is equipped with a 100MP OIS primary sensor, which is a downgrade from the 200MP sensor found in the Pro+ model. Additionally, it features a 2MP portrait unit. The primary sensor produces 12MP images by default, which are excellent when photos are shot in the daylight. The colours pop out and the dynamic range is pretty good. However, when zoomed in, the level of detail may appear slightly underwhelming.
Nevertheless, the overall results are satisfactory. In low-light conditions or indoor settings, noise tends to become noticeable. However, the phone manages to preserve details quite well. The device also offers a night mode, which reduces noise in images, but it has the tendency to overprocess and smooth everything out.
The primary camera of the Realme 11 Pro captures daylight photos with remarkable precision and vivid colours. It offers a dynamic range comparable to high-end flagship devices, benefiting from its large sensor that allows ample light to illuminate landscapes accurately.
The Realme 11 Pro offers a digital zoom capability of up to 20x, but the company claims that the in-sensor 2x zoom can capture lossless images. However, when using this mode, some warmth is taken out of the picture, and upon closer inspection, there are noticeable watercolour-like effects on foliage, which can degrade the overall image quality.
In the Street mode, there are two options available: 26mm and 52mm, which correspond to 1x and 2x zoom. One particularly enjoyable feature in the Street mode is the auto-zoom effect. By simply tapping on the subject, the focus locks and the camera gradually zooms in. This not only looks cool but also reduces the need for precise subject tracking and pinching the screen. The portrait mode also performs well, producing a good blur effect to enhance the subject separation.
The 16MP front camera captures acceptable selfies with good detail and accurate skin tones, especially in well-lit conditions. However, there is a slight issue with oversharpening, which can make the images appear artificially sharp. In low-light situations, the camera’s performance is average, and the resulting images may lack the desired level of quality.
Click here for some unprocessed and uncompressed images from the Realme 11 Pro 5G.
Realme 11 Pro 5G review: The performance, software experience and UI
The Realme 11 Pro 5G is powered by the same MediaTek Dimensity 7050 SoC, which we find in the high-end 11 Pro+. Our test unit was equipped with 12GB RAM and 256GB ]internal storage. Again, there is the option to virtually add another 12GB of RAM.
Surprisingly, the Realme 11 Pro, fared marginally better than the Realme 11 Pro+ across a bunch of benchmarks. To ensure that our results weren’t contaminated for some reason, we reran the benchmarks on the Realme 11 Pro+ and had the same results.
But, as we have always said, benchmarks are only indicative of what performance is like. In day-to-day usage, the Realme 11 Pro is exactly the same as the Realme 11 Pro+.
During our experience, we found that the Realme 11 Pro provides smooth gameplay when playing games like Asphalt 9 and Call of Duty Mobile, when set to the high graphics settings, at a consistent 60fps. We didn’t encounter any issues or performance issues during gameplay.
The Realme 11 Pro 5G runs on RealmeUI 4.0, which is based on Android 13. The user interface offers an impressive range of features, and easy customization options, and provides a user-friendly and intuitive experience.
You get Dolby Atmos support in the stereo speakers-powered audio setup, here as well.
The software experience, of the Realme 11 Pro, is marred by bloatware and ads, just like it happens with the Realme 11 Pro+. We have a detailed dive about this in our review of the Realme 11 Pro+, which you can check out here.
All things said and done, we have to say that RealmeUI 4.0 is actually intuitive, customisable, and overall easy to use.
Realme 11 Pro 5G review: The battery life
The Realme 11 Pro is equipped with a 5,000mAh battery, which offers sufficient capacity to last an entire day on a single charge, even with moderate gaming and occasional navigation. In my usage, which involved streaming, web browsing, and gaming, I was able to achieve around six hours of screen-on-time with the device.
During our regular usage, with the display set to 70 per cent brightness, the Realme 11 Pro can deliver over 8 hours of screen-on time and more than 15-16 hours of overall usage time.
This includes various activities such as video watching, web browsing, gaming, email handling, and video calls. The device’s battery life is impressive and can easily keep up with extended periods of usage without requiring frequent recharging.
While the Realme 11 Pro lacks the 100W fast charging support found in its higher-end counterpart, the Pro+, its 67W fast charging solution still provides satisfactory performance. Using this, the device can be fully charged from 0 to 100 per cent in well under an hour, ensuring quick and convenient charging.
Realme 11 Pro 5G review: The verdict
The Realme 11 Pro is priced at Rs 23,999 in India, about Rs 4,000 cheaper than the Realme 11 Pro+. This pricing makes the Realme 11 Pro a bargain, given that it performs just as well as its elder siblings in most aspects. The 100MP primary camera, although not as headline-worthy as the 11 Pro+’s 200MP sensor, is also pretty impressive.
Having said that, the lack of an ultra-wide camera is a notable drawback as it limits the phone’s ability to capture a wider field of view and include more details in photos. The excessive bloatware gives the interface a slightly cluttered appearance. Despite these shortcomings, the Realme 11 Pro remains a solid choice that offers reliable performance and overall satisfaction.
