Redmi Note 11s Specs, Reviews & Price: You can currently get the Redmi Note 11S with 128 GB of storage for €184.87 at MediaMarkt. The VAT discount Action takes place automatically in the shopping cart. For us the best smartphone under 200€!
- 90Hz AMOLED
- Helio G96
- 128GB storage
- 5,000mAh battery
For the first time with the Redmi Note 7 there was an S upgrade, but only in India. In 2021, the first S upgrade for the global market came with the Redmi Note 10S. Now comes the Redmi Note 11S, which, like its predecessor, tries to be the better version of the normal Redmi Note (11). The differences amount to three main factors: processor, memory and camera. Do these differences make the big difference?
Redmi Note 11s Specs, Reviews & Price
Redmi Note 11s Specs, Reviews & Price list below:
- Redmi Note 11S (6/64GB)
- Redmi Note 11S (6/128GB)
- at MediaMarkt for €184.87 – discount automatically in the shopping cart | Mi.com for €199.90
- Specifications of the Redmi Note 11S
| screen | 6.43″ AMOLED (2400 x 1080p), 90 Hz, Gorilla Glass 3 |
| processor | MediaTek Helio G96, Octa Core @ 2.05GHz |
| graphics chip | ARM Mali G57 |
| random access memory | 6/8GB LPDDR4X |
| Internal memory | 64/128 GB UFS 2.2 (expandable) |
| main camera | 108 MP Samsung HM2 with ƒ/1.9 aperture 8 MP ultra wide-angle camera (118°) 2 MP macro camera 2 MP portrait sensor |
| front camera | 16 MP with ƒ/2.4 aperture |
| battery pack | 5,000mAh, 33W charging |
| connectivity | LTE Band 20, Bluetooth, IR, USB-C, 3.5 mm jack, GPS, NFC |
| features | Fingerprint sensor side, IP53 rating |
| operating system | MIUI 13 based on Android 11 |
| dimensions / weight | 159.87 x 73.87 x 8.09mm/ 179g |
Since we have already extensively tested the Redmi Note 11, we will focus on the differences between Redmi Note 11 and Redmi Note 11S in this review. Still, all the important aspects of the Note 11S are taken into account. For a detailed impression of the similarities, we recommend our review of the Redmi Note 11.
90 Hz AMOLED display in this price range
It is difficult to tell the Redmi Note 11 and Redmi Note 11S apart visually. At least on the front, Xiaomi equips both identically. The punch-hole front camera in the middle of the upper edge of the screen actually signals the middle class of the manufacturer, with the Xiaomi 12 you have thrown that overboard.
However, it relies on the same 6.43″ AMOLED display with a resolution of 2400 x 1080 pixels, which results in an average sharpness of 409 ppi. Here, too, you can look forward to a 90 Hz refresh rate with a 180 Hz touch sampling rate, so animations are smoother. The brightness is also an average of 700 nits, with a maximum of 1000 nits.
In everyday life, this means that you get a surprisingly good OLED panel and that Xiaomi does not use leftovers here. Good viewing angles, high contrast and the good sharpness of the display thanks to the slightly smaller screen diagonal are also convincing in the S version. The biggest point of criticism remains the software. On the one hand, the 90 Hz refresh rate isn’t initially enabled, nor is it part of the setup process. On the other hand, the “always-on display” only works for ten seconds and is therefore not always-on, i.e. always-on display. Xiaomi urgently needs to fix this with a software update.
While Gorilla Glass 3 is used on the front for protection, the back and frame are made of plastic. This doesn’t necessarily make it unstable, but it definitely makes it more prone to scratches. The 179 g smartphone shares the angular design not only with the current iPhones, but also with the entire Redmi Note series.
An IP53 rating is not missing either, but that is only enough for splash water, not for submersion. Contrary to its “little” brother, the Redmi Note 11, the Redmi Note 11S is also available in gray and blue, but also in white ( Pearl White ). You can recognize it either by this or by the 108 MP lettering on the back of the camera. In addition, the main camera protrudes further out of the case.
Redmi Note 11S with better MediaTek processor
The processor is also different. Instead of the Qualcomm Snapdragon 680, the MediaTek Helio G96 works in the S version. The octa-core CPU clocks slightly lower at 2.05 GHz and performs in the tag team with the ARM Mali-G57 GPU. This system-on-a-chip (SoC) is fittingly the successor to the G95 that was in the Redmi Note 10S. Interestingly, the same processor is also used in the Redmi Note 11 Pro 4G, so they share the same performance.
And the performance is noticeably better than in the Redmi Note 11 with the Qualcomm chip. This is once again proof that old prejudices against MediaTek should be discarded, at least when it comes to performance. If you use the benchmark Geekbench 5 for comparison, the multi-score is almost identical, the difference is only 7%. However, there is a difference of 36% in the single core.
This is noticeable when opening apps, but also when processing photos. The Redmi Note 11S is always half a second ahead of the Redmi Note 11 in almost all tasks. The 90 Hz refresh rate is given for both, but the 11S does not even skip animations like the 11er.
To do this, you delete the 4 GB of RAM and, depending on the version, install 6 or 8 GB of LPDDR4X RAM and 64 or 128 GB of UFS 2.2 storage. Only the 6 GB RAM version is available in Germany, but you can also get the 8 GB version from other European markets. But you don’t need them. The two extra gigabytes compared to the Redmi Note 11 are important and ensure better multitasking. Also in terms of the future one benefits from more memory. Mass storage can be expanded by up to 1 TB thanks to the microSD memory slot.
Battery worse thanks to MediaTek
Redmi Note 11s Specs / As in the Redmi Note 11, the battery is large at 5,000 mAh and can be charged with the supplied charger with 33W power. This means that you have to plan about an hour and 15 minutes to recharge the Note 11S. In half an hour you reach the 50% limit, which may be enough for a moderate day.
Because the MediaTek Helio G96 is the more powerful processor, but due to the 12 nm manufacturing process it is not as energy-efficient as the modern Qualcomm Snapdragon 680. Where it gets a battery life of two days out of the Redmi Note 11 and shines in the benchmark with almost 15 hours, the Redmi Note 11S draws the short straw.
Redmi Note 11S with 108 megapixel camera
Redmi Note 11s Specs: The 108 megapixel sensor is one of the main differences to the normal Redmi Note 11. While the Redmi Note 11 works with a 50 megapixel sensor, the Redmi Note 11S uses the Samsung HM2 sensor with 108 megapixels and ƒ/1.9 aperture. Due to the high resolution, 9-in-1 pixel binning is used here . In everyday life, you shoot 12 megapixel photos with the 1/1.52″ sensor.
In addition, however, there is the same 8 megapixel ƒ/2.2 ultra wide-angle camera with a recording angle of 118° and two 2 megapixel sensors for macro shots and additional image information. A 16 MP camera takes care of selfies. This is the same setup as in the Redmi Note 11 Pro 4G.
Main Camera
Actually, I’m not a fan of the 108 megapixel sensor, at least not in top smartphones. However, it makes sense that this is now being installed across the board in mid-range phones from Xiaomi. Now Xiaomi has a lot of practice to optimize the sensor and that’s what they did in the case of the Redmi Note 11S.
I like the photos surprisingly well, especially in comparison to the Redmi Note 11 a significant difference can be seen. The 50 megapixel sensor in the 11 tends to be underexposed, the Redmi Note 11S exposes correctly. In addition, there is an autofocus that works much more reliably, so that moments are really captured and are not blurred. Colors are also more accurate due to the brighter photos. In the case of the clamp set, the orange on the Note 11S is really orange and not pink like the Note 11.
But the main difference is probably the details. While the larger sensor takes up more space in the case, it also captures more detail. A test photo of our roof reveals that the 11 summarizes parts of the planting as a muddy heap, while the Redmi Note 11S clearly shows more details. Overall, the sharpness is really very good, especially for the price range.
But this also has a disadvantage: the bokeh is strong and only the focus area is really sharp. This is my main criticism of the sensor, which can be seen in the photo of the cake. Condensation drops can even be seen in the focus, but a few cm to the left you can hardly tell whether it’s a marble cake or a Danube wave (it was a Danube wave – thanks Alex!).
Ultra Wide Angle Camera
“Same camera, same results” one might think. This is not the case with the 8 MP ultra wide-angle camera. The other processor seems to deliver more in terms of processing and computational photography. One aspect in particular is the dynamic range, which is higher in the Redmi Note 11S. The backlit photo taken through the window frame creates a dark window sill in the Note 11 and a strong purple cast in the shadows. The Note 11S, on the other hand, can still correctly illuminate the windowsill.
Otherwise, you get the brighter photo in the 11S, even black elements, such as those in the terminal blocks, are still sufficiently exposed. As a result, the photos are also sharper because you get more details in the dark areas of the photo. Due to the optics, a clear focus point is usually not recognizable in ultra-wide-angle photos, but with the 11S it is significantly more than with the Note 11. With an already mediocre sensor, the Redmi Note 11S simply gets more out of it due to the chip.
Macro Camera
The better processor cannot save much, even with a 2 megapixel macro sensor. The photos from this mode are unfortunately of little use and are no fun. You don’t get enough detail for serious macro photography. In addition, the focus does not work reliably, which is why most shots are blurred.
Front Camera
There is a small but subtle difference in the front camera. The Redmi Note 11S gets a 16 megapixel camera with ƒ/2.45 aperture, the Redmi Note 11 offers 3 megapixels less resolution. In most situations, the Redmi Note 11S manages to take the better, because it is sharper, photo. This is solely due to the autofocus , which often works reliably in a direct comparison in the 11S. That’s the only way to explain the difference in resolution.
The color profile is basically identical in both cases and quite accurate. The skin tones are successful and appear lively, although Xiaomi generally tends to be slightly pale.
Redmi Note 11S: ways to connect
Redmi Note 11s Specs: The Redmi Note 11S is not a 5G smartphone either, and it doesn’t have to be in this price range either. Xiaomi installs LTE including band 20 and 28, which can be used on the dual SIM slot, just like Bluetooth 5, dual band ac-WiFi, GPS and NFC. However, availability varies depending on the market. Physically, there is a USB-C port, a 3.5 mm jack, an infrared blaster, stereo speakers and a fingerprint sensor on the side.
The Redmi Note 11S runs MIUI 13 based on Android 11. The new Xiaomi operating system is basically reminiscent of MIUI 12, there are hardly any great new functions. Since our test device is the global version, the OS is completely in German, all Google services are preinstalled and Widevine Level 1 copy protection is also available.
The only thing that caught our eye was the sidebar, which was still missing in the Xiaomi Redmi Note 11 but is already known to us from the Xiaomi 12. Apparently one looked here in the direction of realme OS. Under “Special functions” you will find the sidebar, which you can display always or only for videos, for example. The position is not freely selectable, you only have the choice between left and right. This accommodates as many apps as you want and is intended to facilitate one-handed operation. In order for this to work better, however, it should also be adjustable in height.
Proximity Sensor
In the last generation, some models of the Redmi Note series and also some POCO devices had problems with the proximity sensor. We were not able to determine this in our test devices at the time, and our test device of the Redmi Note 11S is not affected either. The problem was probably most evident in voice messages and phone calls. With the Sensor Test app from the Play Store, we were able to ensure the functionality of the sensor.
Conclusion: Buy Redmi Note 11S?
As in the previous generation, the regular Redmi Note (11) and the Redmi Note 11S are very similar. The main differences are in the main camera, the processor and the memory. There is also a better selfie camera and a different color variant. Is this surcharge justified?
Yes, absolutely. The Redmi Note 11S is sold in the small version for €249.90, which is €50 more than the Redmi Note 11. In return, there is better performance including stronger multitasking and a better camera and selfie camera. But the battery life suffers. For €50 this is a fair exchange, with some manufacturers you almost only pay for more RAM.
Redmi Note 11s Specs: For this difference in performance, the difference in price seems weird. Either the Redmi Note 11 is too expensive or the Note 11S is “too cheap”. The Redmi Note 11 is still a good cell phone for its price, I think Xiaomi can or must fix more here with a software update. In both cases, an upgrade from the predecessor is certainly not worthwhile, as they are too close together for that. And the Redmi Note 10 Pro from last year is still available and available at the same price as the Note 11S and is simply better.
In addition, one has to say that the prices, especially from import shops, will certainly still be adjusted. And then you have to make surprisingly few compromises with the Redmi Note 11S. Redmi Note 11s Specs, Reviews & Price video below:
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