Realme 11 review: Worth the ask?

Realme launched the Realme 11 alongside the 11x in Nepal. Here, I will be reviewing the 8/256GB configuration of the former which goes for around NPR 40,000. That's over 25% pricier than the equivalent Indian counterpart. So, it is somewhat disappointing to see that the overpricing trend continue here. With that being said, does it justify the 40,000 rupee price tag? Find out in this review of the Realme 11 5G. Before we start, let’s take a quick look at what Realme 11 offers in terms of specifications.

Realme 11 Review Specifications:

• Body: 165.7 x 76 x 7.98 – 8.1 mm, 190 gm
• Display: 6.72-inch IPS LCD, 120Hz refresh rate, 240Hz touch sampling rate, 680 nits brightness (HBM mode)
• Resolution: FHD+ (2400 x 1080 pixels), 20:9 aspect ratio
• Chipset: MediaTek Dimensity 6100+ 5G (6nm Mobile Platform)
• Memory: 8GB LPDDR4X RAM, 256GB UFS 2.2 storage (expandable)
• Software & UI: Realme UI 4.0 on top of Android 13
• Rear Cameras: Dual (108MP f/1.75 primary, 2MP f/2.4 depth)
• Front Camera: 16MP f/2.45 (hole-punch cutout)
• Audio: Single speaker, 3.5mm headphone jack
• Security: Side-mounted fingerprint sensor
• Battery: 5000mAh with 67W SuperVOOC charging
• Price in Nepal: Rs. 39,999 (8/256GB)

Buy Realme 11 here

Realme 11 Review

Design and Build

• 165.7 x 76 x 7.98 – 8.1 mm, 190 gm
• Glass front, Plastic back, aluminum frames

One of the things that Realme is known for is its design and the Realme 11 5G is no exception. The phone looks quite aesthetic, and the shiny frames and back panel create a flashy design that complements the modern boxy look. However, the phone does not give a comfortable hands-on feel, it feels a bit heavy, and the sharp edges make it difficult to use without a case. The standout feature here is the distinctive camera module, giving the phone a unique look. While I had the gold color variant, the black finish is also available and, in my opinion, looks even more attractive. For the price point, I feel like Realme could have gone with a glass back to give it a more premium look but overall it ain't so bad here.

Display

• 6.72-inches FHD+ IPS LCD
• 120/240Hz refresh/touch sampling rate

Now, let's talk about the display where Realme seems to have made a rather basic compromise. The Realme 11 5G sports a 6.7-inch IPS LCD screen – Really? LCD? Actually yes, and it comes with a peak brightness of 680 nits and is just satisfactory for outdoor visibility on sunny days. Having said this, the color reproduction on this display is quite good. I'm not a fan of overly vibrant colors, but if you prefer punchy displays, you might enjoy the "Vivid" color mode that Realme 11 5G offers. The phone comes with a 120Hz refresh rate which is quite smooth. Although Realme UI's animations can sometimes feel a bit heavy, resulting in a perceived slowdown, tweaking the system response in the developer options can alleviate this minor issue. Moreover, Realme has implemented a dynamic refresh rate feature to save battery life. However, it's worth noting that the dynamic refresh rate adjusts content-wise rather than app-wise. In my usage, I found myself mostly operating in the 120Hz mode. Speaking of content consumption, it's a bit of a letdown that the Realme 11 lacks any HDR certification for its display. Nevertheless, it still manages to stream FHD videos smoothly on platforms like Netflix and Amazon Prime – thanks to the Widevine L1 certification. The overall content consumption experience on the Realme 11 was just about average for me. One notable drawback is its single down-firing speaker instead of stereo speakers. The same thing applies to the vibration feedback—it's there, but it feels weak and buzzy.

Performance

• MediaTek Dimensity 6100+ 5G (6nm Mobile Platform)
• 8GB LPDDR4X RAM, 256GB UFS 2.2 storage

The Realme 11 comes with the MediaTek Dimensity 6100+, a 6nm chipset, paired with 8GB of RAM and up to 256GB of storage. Technically, this is a relatively new chip, which was announced just a few months ago. Moreover, it looks like the Realme 11's Dimensity 6100+ is a rebranded Dimensity 810, with a slightly underclocked CPU for this particular model. The Dimensity 6100+ has slightly less powerful Cortex-A76 performance cores when compared to chips like the Dimensity 1080 or even the Snapdragon 695 found in phones around the price range of 40,000. Whether you're running benchmarks or playing games, you'll notice a difference in performance, and it might not be as responsive as some of its competitors as I just mentioned.

Gaming performance

I conducted a gaming test where I compared the Realme 11 with the OnePlus Nord CE 3 Lite, which runs on the Snapdragon 695. As per my observation, the OnePlus Nord CE 3 Lite seemed to have better optimization for Call of Duty, allowing it to support graphics settings up to High. However, when it came to games like PUBG and Genshin Impact, both phones showed similar frame rates and temperatures during gameplay.

Software

• Realme UI 4.0 on top of Android 13

In terms of day-to-day performance, the Realme 11 works well. This phone runs on Android 13-based Realme UI 4, so multitasking is smooth and hassle-free. However, this comes with pre-installed bloatware apps, recommendations, and ads which can be quite annoying. It's somehow possible to manage and minimize these boatwares to some extent, I believe Realme could have provided a better out-of-the-box software experience.

Battery

• 5000mAh with 67W SuperVOOC charging

When it comes to battery life, the Realme 11 is quite impressive. With normal usage, the 5000mAh battery easily lasts a day and a half. Under slightly heavier use – which could be gaming, taking photos/videos, and using mobile data – you would want to recharge your phone. Moreover, Realme 11 comes with a 67W fast charger in the box, and under my testing, the phone went from 0 to 100% in about an hour.

Camera

• Dual camera setup at the back
• (108MP main, 2MP depth)
• 16MP selfie camera (hole-punch cutout)

Considering the phone's price,  Realme could have included an ultrawide camera but it is what it is! However, the 108MP main camera is similar to what you find in Realme 9 and Realme 10 Pro, but Realme 11 seems to do a bit better.

Primary Images

The pictures are good most of the time, and the colors are a bit vibrant, which is typical for Realme phones. When I compared it to the OnePlus Nord CE 3 Lite, which also has a 108MP main camera, Realme 11's photos looked better to me. Realme 11 does well in different lighting situations, keeping things like brightness and contrast in check. It struggles a bit when taking close-up shots, but overall, its main camera is reliable.

Portraits

Now, when it comes to portrait photos, Realme 11 keeps a more natural look if compared to OnePlus which tends to make faces smoother and brighter.

Selfies

Similar to portraits, Realme 11 is more towards the natural side which I like but the results are not always consistent. Also, if you're someone who likes to see your face smoother and brighter, you will prefer the OnePlus Nord CE 3 Lite.

Lowlight Images

In low light, Realme 11 performs well, especially with its Night Mode turned on. It handles low-light situations nicely. It is perfectly handling the glares and harsh light sources. OnePlus, on the other hand, doesn't do as well in its night mode -- it is not able to process the images that well.

Videography

Getting to videos, you can only record at 1080p 30 fps from both the front and the rear camera from these phones. They lack both hardware-level OIS and EIS so the output is quite unstable. Nothing very beautiful or WOW about the video aspect. However, Realme's microphones handle background noise better than the OnePlus.

Realme 11 Review: Conclusion

To conclude my review, the Realme 11 5G, priced at 40,000, turns out to be a fairly average offering. While it boasts a good design and generous 256GB storage, its performance falls short in various aspects, except for the photography aspect. If the price were around 35,000, my conclusion might have been different, but at 40,000, the Realme 11 feels a bit overpriced. In this price range, considering options like the Redmi Note 12 Pro makes more sense. Also, if you can spend a bit more, I suggest you go for the Realme 11 Pro or Samsung's Galaxy A34. They offer a 120Hz OLED display and better performance across the board compared to the Realme 11.

Realme 11 Review: Pros and Cons

Pros:

•  Visually pleasing design
• Good cameras
• 67W fast charging

Cons:

• LCD Display
• No stereo speakers
• Ads and Bloatware