Introduction
The Redmi Note 11S is the fifth Note 11 model we are reviewing, and just when we thought our review series was finally complete, we received its 5G-enabled sibling as well.
The Redmi Note 11S is a more powerful version of the vanilla Redmi Note 11. Borrowing hardware from the Redmi Note 11 Pro, the Note 11S has a snappier Helio G96 chipset (up from Snapdragon 680), which is coupled with more RAM and a 108MP primary camera (up from 50MP). Meanwhile, the 11S has a smaller display than the Note 11 Pro and a slower 33W charging.
The Redmi Note 11S looks like the rest of the Redmi Note 11 phones - an IP53-rated flat design with a large rectangular camera island on the back. Its centerpiece is the 6.43-inch 1080p AMOLED screen with a 90Hz refresh rate.
The Redmi Note 11S employs this year's Xiaomi mid-range camera combo with a 108MP primary, an 8MP ultrawide, and a 2MP macro cams, plus a 2MP depth sensor. The front camera is a 16MP shooter, and all cameras (except for the macro) support 1080p video capturing.
Finally, the Redmi Note 11S has a 5,000mAh battery, a typical capacity for the Note series. It supports 33W fast charging, and it ships with the corresponding power adapter. The Pro models, on the other hand, support 67W fast charging.
Here is the complete specs sheet of the Redmi Note 11S.
Xiaomi Redmi Note 11S specs at a glance:
- Body: 159.9x73.9x8.1mm, 179g; ; IP53, dust and splash resistant, Gorilla Glass 3 front, glass back, plastic frame.
- Display: 6.43" AMOLED, 90Hz, 700 nits, 1000 nits (peak), 1080x2400px resolution, 20:9 aspect ratio, 409ppi, Gorilla Glass 3.
- Chipset: Mediatek Helio G96 (12 nm): Octa-core (2x2.05 GHz Cortex-A76 & 6x2.0 GHz Cortex-A55); Mali-G57 MC2.
- Memory: 64GB 6GB RAM, 128GB 6GB RAM, 128GB 8GB RAM; UFS 2.2; microSDXC (dedicated slot).
- OS/Software: Android 11, MIUI 13.
- Rear camera: Wide (main): 108 MP, f/1.9, 26mm, 1/1.52", 0.7µm, PDAF; Ultra wide angle: 8 MP, f/2.2, 118˚; Macro: 2 MP, f/2.4; Depth: 2 MP, f/2.4.
- Front camera: 16 MP, f/2.5, (wide), 1/3.06" 1.0µm.
- Video capture: Rear camera: 1080p@30fps; Front camera: 1080p@30fps.
- Battery: 5000mAh; Fast charging 33W, 100% in 58 min (advertised), Power Delivery 3.0, Quick Charge 3+.
- Misc: Fingerprint reader (side-mounted); Infrared port; 3.5mm jack.
The Redmi Note 11S looks like a balanced lower mid-range offer with a good AMOLED screen, one versatile camera with a high-res primary, as well as stereo speakers, a large battery with fast charging, and a chipset that should be enough for a smooth experience. All these are wrapped within a likable shell with basic waterproofing.
It's not all promising, though. The Redmi Note 11S GPU is inferior to the one used on the previous Note 10S model. And there is no 4K video capturing - something the Note 10S could do. Finally, MIUI 13 is available out of the box, yet it runs on top of the older Android 11 OS.
Still, we are living in challenging times, and we can imagine the manufacturers have to go through many hurdles to push a new phone and keep the price as low as possible. And with that being said, let's unbox this Redmi Note 11S and see what happens.
Unboxing the Redmi Note 11S
The Redmi Note 11S retail bundle is quite familiar. The box contains the phone, a 33W power adapter, and a 3A-rated USB cable.
Just like other Xiaomi models, this one also ships with a soft transparent case and a cheap-looking protective film you'd need to apply by yourself.
Design, build quality, handling
If you have a hard time telling one Redmi Note 11 from another, that is completely understandable. Xiaomi hasn't made it exactly easy to do so, but one thing is sure - all Redmi Note 11 smartphones are good-looking devices with recognizable and likable designs.
Left to right: Redmi Note 11 • Note 11S • Note 11 Pro • Note 11 Pro 5G
You can also easily tell the Redmi Note 11 from the Redmi Note 11 Pro models - they are smaller.
Left to right: Redmi Note 11 • Note 11S • Note 11 Pro • Note 11 Pro 5G
The Redmi Note 11S looks a lot like the rest of its Note 11 siblings. It is a dual-glass smartphone with a flat plastic frame. The front glass is a Gorilla Glass 3 and is completely flat.
Finally, the rear panel as per official press materials is made of AG Glass. But unlike on the Pro versions, the 11 and 11S back glass has these subtle curves across all sides - not steep enough to say they are rounded, but enough to make them worthy of mentioning.
We have to be honest and say the back feels more plasticky than the one we've encountered on the Note 11 Pro models, but unless we break this thing, we cannot be certain what it is made of. So, for now, we are relying on Xiaomi's word for it being a glass piece.
What we do appreciate, though, is the matte finish of the entire rear panel, which makes it incredibly pleasant on touch - it feels somewhat frosted - and smudges are not as visible as on glossy pieces.
Finally, the Redmi Note 11S is IP53-rated for dust and splash resistance. This is one of the most basic water-proofing categories, and it means the phone can handle light rains or light splashes, and that's it. We can confirm there is rubber insulation around the SIM/microSD card tray.
Now, let's take a closer look.
The 6.43-inch AMOLED panel occupies most of the front, quite expectedly. The bezels are reasonably thin, all things considered, and the chin is in line with other similar phones.
The panel has a 1080p resolution and supports a 90Hz refresh rate. It has a tiny perforation centered at the top - this is where you'd find the 16MP selfie camera.
Above the screen, you can spot a thin grille that hides one of the speakers - the one that also acts as an earpiece. This speaker has two sound outlets - besides the one at the front, there is another one on the top of the phone. This speaker is not as loud as the bottom one, but thanks to the two outlets, it makes for a pleasant and balanced audio experience.
The two-step camera island is on the back, and it looks a lot like the ones we've already seen. The 108MP primary camera is jutting out the most, while the 8MP ultrawide, the 2MP macro and the 2MP depth sensor, along with the LED flash, sit on the lower level.
The back itself has a matte finish, and we loved the soft touch.
Because of the thick camera, the Redmi Note 11S wobbles a whole lot when lying down on a table or desk. The bundled case reduces this wobbling if it annoys you.
The frame of the Redmi Note 11S is made of thick plastic and has a matching paint and matt finish to the back panel. It provides for a secure enough grip.
The 3.5mm jack, the IR port, a secondary microphone, and one of the speakers are together at the top of the Redmi Note 11S.
The bottom has the other speaker, the USB-C port, and the primary microphone.
The tri-card slot that accepts two nano-SIM cards and a microSD one is on the left.
The right side houses the volume and power/lock keys. The surface of the power button cans your fingerprints - the sensor is incredibly fast and reliable.
The Redmi Note 11S measures 159.9 x 73.9 x 8.1mm and weighs 179 grams. This makes it identical to the Redmi Note 10S and Redmi Note 11.
We did like the Redmi Note 11S shape and design - it has a solid build and provides for a secure enough grip. The design is stylish and no-nonsense, and the Graphite Gray color is particularly nice. The splash resistance, however basic, is also appreciated and helps for peace of mind when raining. Overall, the Redmi Note 11S is one well executed device, and we liked our time spent with it.
Display
The Redmi Note 11S uses the same screen we experience on the Redmi Note 11, an upgraded version of the Redmi Note 10S panel. It is a 6.43-inch AMOLED of 1080p resolution and 90Hz refresh rate.
The exact resolution of the OLED panel is 1,080 x 2,400 px or 409ppi. A flat sheet of Gorilla Glass 3 handles the screen protection.
The AMOLED screen of the Redmi Note 11S supports DCI-P3 color space. The official numbers for the screen brightness are 700nits for the sunlight mode and 1000nits for local peak. There is no HDR support whatsoever.
The max brightness we measured on our matches what Xiaomi promises. The numbers are also identical to what we've captured on the vanilla Redmi Note 11.
The Redmi Note 11S has a typical maximum brightness of 465 nits, but it can reach 744nits when the automatic sunlight/bright light boost kicks in.
Meanwhile, the minimum brightness is just 2.1 nits, similar to what we've seen on the other Redmi Note 11 phones and an excellent one.
| Display test | 100% brightness | ||
| Black, |
White, |
||
| 0 | 465 | ∞ | |
| 0 | 744 | ∞ | |
| 0 | 465 | ∞ | |
| 0 | 736 | ∞ | |
| 0 | 470 | ∞ | |
| 0 | 746 | ∞ | |
| 0 | 383 | ∞ | |
| 0 | 800 | ∞ | |
| 0 | 427 | ∞ | |
| 0 | 830 | ∞ | |
| 0 | 511 | ∞ | |
| 0 | 716 | ∞ | |
| 0.327 | 458 | 1401:1 | |
| 0.4 | 534 | 1335:1 | |
| 0.301 | 429 | 1425:1 | |
| 0.38 | 537 | 1413:1 | |
| 0 | 433 | ∞ | |
| 0 | 613 | ∞ | |
| 0.288 | 461 | 1601:1 | |
| 0.385 | 567 | 1473:1 | |
| 0 | 438 | ∞ | |
| 0 | 633 | ∞ | |
Color accuracy
The display on the Redmi Note 11S supports DCI-P3 wide color space, just like the rest of the Note 11 models. The screen settings offer three different color models - Vivid (default, DCI-P3), Saturated (DCI-P3 with boosted saturation), and Standard (sRGB accurate). You can tweak the color temperature for each mode.
The default Vivid option is tuned to reproduce DCI-P3 rather well, and we did find it to be fairly accurate, excluding the slightly bluish-white and gray colors. Then there is the Standard mode, which has a perfect accuracy to sRGB, including the white and gray hues.
Refresh rate
The Redmi Note 11S display supports 60Hz (Standard) and 90Hz (High) refresh rates. The default 90Hz option uses 90Hz most of the time, though it switches between 90Hz and 60Hz on static pictures and interface. Other than that, the screen also reverts to 60Hz for video playback and across apps that cannot support higher than 60Hz.
The Redmi Note 11S has a rather weak GPU, and even if high refresh gaming is theoretically possible, we doubt you will be able to run games at higher than 60fps even on lower graphics settings.
Streaming
The Redmi Note 11S has Widevine L1 DRM support out of the box, and it can stream Full HD content from all popular video services. There is no HDR support on the phone, and HDR video streaming is not possible.
Battery life
All Redmi Note 11 smartphones are powered by 5,000mAh batteries, and the Note 11S is no different. The Redmi Note 11S has the same battery and chipset as the Redmi Note 11 Pro, though its AMOLED screen is smaller in size, and we can expect more Screen-On-Time on some of the battery tests.
So, the Redmi Note 11S scored an outstanding endurance rating of 133 hours. It indeed posted much better times on the screen tests, both web and video, while the call time is a match to the Note 11 Pro.
Another thing that's drastically better than the otherwise identical Note 11 Pro is the standby performance - the power consumption is much lower on the Note 11S.
All test results shown are achieved under the highest screen refresh rate mode. You can adjust the endurance rating formula manually so it matches better your own usage in our all-time battery test results chart where you can also find all phones we've tested.
Charging speed
The Xiaomi Redmi Note 11S comes with a large 5,000mAh battery, and it supports 33W Xiaomi fast charging. The phone ships with the needed power adapter, so you can fast charge it straight away.
We tested the Redmi Note 11S with the bundled 33W charger, and the experience is indeed satisfying. The original power adapter takes the battery from 0% to 59% in 30 minutes. This is even faster than the same battery and charger on the vanilla Redmi Note 11, and the only variable that could account for this noticeable difference is the chipset.
30min charging test (from 0%)
Higher is better
- Xiaomi Redmi Note 11 Pro
78% - Realme 9 Pro+
77% - Poco X3 GT
75% - Poco F3
67% - Xiaomi Redmi Note 11S
59% - Samsung Galaxy A52s 5G
53% - Realme 9 Pro
52% - Xiaomi Redmi Note 11
51% - Samsung Galaxy A53 5G
45%
A full charge requires 62 minutes - that's plenty fast! This time is also better than the Redmi Note 11's 78 minutes, and once again, we can only guess it's a Qualcomm vs. MediaTek difference.
Time to full charge (from 0%)
Lower is better
- Xiaomi Redmi Note 11 Pro
0:48h - Poco X3 GT
0:48h - Realme 9 Pro+
0:49h - Poco F3
0:56h - Xiaomi Redmi Note 11S
1:02h - Realme 9 Pro
1:14h - Xiaomi Redmi Note 11
1:18h - Samsung Galaxy A53 5G
1:24h - Samsung Galaxy A52s 5G
1:28h
Speakers - loudness and quality
The Redmi Note 11S has two symmetrically placed speakers. They are found behind grills on the top and bottom sides. The speaker above the screen has two outlets - one front-facing and one top-firing, and unlike on other Redmi Note 11 phones, it is incredibly weak on the Note 11S. We'd say it acts like a slightly amplified earpiece instead of an actual speaker.
Meanwhile, the bottom speaker is powerful, and we can hear both bass and mid-tones. The earpiece is responsible for high frequencies mostly. Luckily, those are tuned quite right, the sound is balanced, and the multimedia experience is pleasant.
The Redmi Note 11S scored a Very Good mark on our loudness test, just like the other Note 11 models.
The sound quality is good, even if our tool didn't manage to capture it well. In real life, we could hear good mid-tones and minor bass, in addition to the well-presented high notes.
Use the Playback controls to listen to the phone sample recordings (best use headphones). We measure the average loudness of the speakers in LUFS. A lower absolute value means a louder sound. A look at the frequency response chart will tell you how far off the ideal "0db" flat line is the reproduction of the bass, treble, and mid frequencies. You can add more phones to compare how they differ. The scores and ratings are not comparable with our older loudspeaker test. Learn more about how we test here.
MIUI 13 on top of Android 11
The Xiaomi Redmi Note 11S, like the rest of the Redmi Note 11 quartet, boots Android 11 with the most current MIUI 13 version. Most of the new MIUI features are under the hood, though they should make for a smoother, smarter, and more secure experience.
This version of MIUI 13 is based on Android 11, and it does not include any of the Android 12 features like the revamped widgets and their new widget page in the app drawer. There is no advanced Privacy Dashboard either with options like a protected clipboard, approximate location, updated Face Unlock algorithm. The updated File Manager and Clock app with Bedtime mode are nowhere to be found either.
Other notable missing features on Android 11 + MIUI 13 combo are the improved one-handed mode (iOS-style), and the improved camera app with zero shutter lag and motion photos.
Finally, the new live wallpapers showing microscopic stuff like how vitamin C and citric acid crystallize, as part of the Beauty of Science collaboration, are not available on the Redmi Note 11 series just yet.
Still, Xiaomi claims that MIUI has been reworked completely, even if you cannot tell that by the interface and its design alone - it looks and feels just like MIUI 12. But the new version reportedly focuses on much better resource distribution and should handle processor, RAM and storage usage better and smarter.
For example, MIUI 13 is supposed to keep track of the current use of the processor and RAM and suspend any currently unnecessary tasks to free resources and offer more fluid performance. Xiaomi promises a background process efficiency increase of up to 40% compared to the previous version.
Liquid storage is what sounds really cool and relevant for modern smartphones. Xiaomi says that in most phones, the storage performance is halved in 36 months due to inefficient storage management. And this is where MIUI 13 comes from - it offers 60% better defragmentation efficiency than MIUI 12 and different competitors. So, the storage performance drop in 36 months should be merely 5%. This sounds impressive, so here is hoping this feature lives up to the hype.
The final optimization done within MIUI's core is power management - the new version's optimization should lead to a 10% drop in the power consumption compared to MIUI 12's.
There is also an improved Smart Sidebar for even more fluid multi-tasking with pop-up apps. And the privacy has been improved with a number of features, some of which unique.
And now, let's take a closer look at MIUI 13 on the Xiaomi Redmi Note 11S.
The Xiaomi Redmi Note 11S supports an Always-on display - unfortunately, it can never be always on. It can only appear for 10s after a tap. At least there are a lot of AOD themes you can choose from. A few of those can also be customized.
Always-on display
Breathing light is called Notification effect in MIUI 13. It can work with or without Always-on Display. Basically, that's a fancier version of the notification LED that uses the edges of the display - they flash with colors upon new notifications.
One more thing, you can choose the lockscreen clock style, too.
Notification light • Notification light • Notification light • Lockscreen clock style
You unlock the screen via the side-mounted fingerprint scanner. The reader is easy to set up, blazing-fast, and the accuracy is superb. You can set the unlock method to Touch or Press - the Press will spare you accidental misreads of your palm (that eventually lead to PIN input) if you are using the phone without a case. A 2D Face Unlock is available, too, but it is far less secure than the fingerprint option.
Biometrics
The homescreens are business as usual - they are populated with shortcuts, folders, and widgets. The leftmost pane, if enabled, is Google's Discover.
MIUI 13
MIUI 13 offers an app drawer, and it automatically organizes your apps into categories. The first is All, meaning it contains all apps. Then follow Communication, Entertainment, Photography, Tools, New, and Business. You can edit these categories or even disable them altogether.
You can disable the app drawer entirely if that's not your thing.
App drawer
Just like in MIUI 12, MIUI 13 offers an independent Notification shade and Control Center. You summon them like on the iPhones - pull down from the left part of the screen for the Notification Center, pull down from the right for the Control Center.
If you are not fond of this iPhone-ish split - you can disable the Control Center, and the shade will revert to its normal looks and operation.
Notifications • Toggles • Settings
The task switcher is familiar, too, if you've ever used a Xiaomi. It shows all of your recent apps in two columns. Tap-and-hold on any card for the split-screen and pop-up shortcuts (where available), or just swipe it left or right to close it.
There is a Floating Windows button on top of everything. You can put a compatible app in a floating state, but you only have one floating window at a time.
Task switcher • Task Switcher • Task switcher • Split screen • Floating window • Floating window
Themes have always been a huge part of MIUI, and they are available on MIUI 13, too. You can download new ones from the Themes store, and they can change wallpapers, ringtones, system icons, and even the always-on display style.
Themes
MIUI comes with its proprietary multimedia apps - Gallery, Music, Mi Video (with streaming options), FM radio. There is also an MIUI File Manager. And, of course, a Mi Remote app that uses the integrated IR blaster.
Gallery • Music • Video • FM Radio • File Manager • Mi Remote
MIUI also offers a Security app. It can scan your phone for malware, manage your blacklist, manage or restrict your data usage, configure battery behavior, and free up some RAM. It can also manage the permissions of your installed apps, define the battery behavior of selected apps, and apply restrictions only to certain apps.
Security
And speaking of memory, MIUI 13 offers a Memory Extension option that's active by default (you can disable it if you like). It reserves 3GB of internal storage that serves as RAM extension. Less important memory blocks should come here.
RAM Extension
The Smart Sidebar is quite familiar - a small visible mark on the edge of the screen that expands into a menu anytime you swipe on it. You launch apps in pop-up windows from here. Of course, you can customize the actions for this menu. If you are within a multimedia app (like YouTube, Mi Video, Gallery, etc.), you will get the Video toolbox next to the shortcuts - it contains shortcuts for Screenshot, Record screen, Cast, Sound settings and Play Video with the screen off. And, oh yes, the last one works on YouTube, no Premium subscription needed!
Smart Sidebar • Smart Sidebar • Pop-up apps • Video toolbox • Sound settings
Other interesting MIUI 13 improvements you may not notice at first include a better screenshot editor, a brand-new battery page with performance mode, and an option for the camera app to shoot videos with the screen turned off.
When you take a screenshot, you will notice a modern-looking interface with brushes, erasers, text and selection tools, among others.
The Battery page offers power-saving modes. Here, you can also check the battery temperature. Note that some phones have an optional Performance Mode, but it is not available on the Redmi Note 11 Pro.
Finally, even if not new per se, the Camera app offers an option to Shoot with screen off. If you toggle this feature on, the screen will be turned off after three minutes of inactivity.
Camera options • Screenshot editor • Battery page and options
Some MIUI ROMs include ads in the default apps; it is a well-known thing. On our review units, the Redmi Note 11S does have ads, also known as baked-in "recommendations".
If your Redmi Note 11S comes with such ads, you can disable those even if it's a bit tedious because you have to do it for every system app that has them. For example, if you are annoyed by the app scanner's ads, just hit the settings gear, and disable recommendations. Ads in the File Manager - Settings->About should do it. Themes - go to Settings and disable Recommendations. It's not ideal, sure, but at least you can get rid of them all.
Ads • Ads • Disable ads • Disable ads
MIUI 13 has a lot of under-the-hood improvements that promise a smoother and faster experience right now, as well as for the next couple of years due to many optimizations. The interface is pretty much MIUI 12 with a couple of tweaks here and there. So, if you didn't expect a groundbreaking redesign, you will feel right at home with MIUI 13. We don't expect Android 12 to change that either.
Performance and benchmarks
The Redmi Note 11S, just like the Redmi Note 11 Pro, employs the Helio G96 chipset by MediaTek, a less powerful chipset than the Helio G95 within the Redmi Note 10S (don't let the model number fool you). It is fabricated on the 12nm FinFET manufacturing process from TSMC.
The Helio G96 has the usual octa-core CPU with two high-performance Cortex-A76 cores clocked at 2.05GHz and six energy-efficient Corext-A55 cores working at 2.0GHz. This is the same CPU inside the Helio G95 inside the Note 10S.
The Helio G96 chip features a dual-core Mali-G57 GPU. Unlike the previous G9x chips, and the G95 in particular, here we have a dual-core configuration instead of quad-core, which is somewhat disappointing.
Finally, the Redmi Note 11S is available in three configurations, both with LPDDR4X RAM and UFS 2.2 storage - 6GB RAM + 64GB, 6GB RAM + 128GB, and 8GB RAM + 128GB (our review unit).
So, GeekBench CPU tests show that the Helio G96 has an adequate processor performance for this class.
GeekBench 5 (multi-core)
Higher is better
- Samsung Galaxy A52s 5G
2801 - Poco X3 Pro
2574 - Realme 9 Pro+
2335 - Poco X3 GT
2310 - Xiaomi Redmi Note 11 Pro+ 5G
2225 - Xiaomi Redmi Note 11 Pro 5G
2063 - Realme 9 Pro
2020 - Xiaomi Redmi Note 11S
1873 - Samsung Galaxy A52 5G
1820 - Xiaomi Redmi Note 10 Pro
1780 - Xiaomi Redmi Note 11 Pro
1729 - Realme 8
1690 - Xiaomi Redmi Note 11
1662 - Realme 9i
1581 - Samsung Galaxy A52
1577 - Xiaomi Redmi Note 10S
1576
GeekBench 5 (single-core)
Higher is better
- Realme 9 Pro+
814 - Samsung Galaxy A52s 5G
771 - Xiaomi Redmi Note 11 Pro+ 5G
736 - Poco X3 Pro
735 - Realme 9 Pro
694 - Poco X3 GT
693 - Xiaomi Redmi Note 11 Pro 5G
688 - Samsung Galaxy A52 5G
636 - Xiaomi Redmi Note 10 Pro
569 - Realme 8
533 - Xiaomi Redmi Note 11S
526 - Samsung Galaxy A52
525 - Xiaomi Redmi Note 11 Pro
511 - Xiaomi Redmi Note 10S
502 - Realme 9i
384 - Xiaomi Redmi Note 11
376
Unfortunately, the graphics performance and experience are subpar. The Helio G96 has a two-core Mali-G57 GPU, which is about 30% slower than the four-core Mali-G76 GPU inside the Helio G95 chip inside the previous Redmi Note 10S and the Realme 8 in our charts.
And the Redmi Note 11S is also one of the lower-scoring phones in the current price bracket, with the vanilla Redmi Note 11 being the weakest.
GFX Car Chase ES 3.1 (onscreen)
Higher is better
- Poco X3 Pro
38 - Poco X3 GT
38 - Samsung Galaxy A52s 5G
28 - Realme 9 Pro+
23 - Xiaomi Redmi Note 11 Pro+ 5G
22 - Realme 8
18 - Xiaomi Redmi Note 11 Pro 5G
17 - Samsung Galaxy A52 5G
16 - Xiaomi Redmi Note 10 Pro
16 - Realme 9 Pro
16 - Samsung Galaxy A52
15 - Xiaomi Redmi Note 11S
12 - Xiaomi Redmi Note 11 Pro
12 - Realme 9i
7.3 - Xiaomi Redmi Note 11
6.8
GFX Manhattan ES 3.1
Higher is better
- Poco X3 GT
68 - Poco X3 Pro
67 - Samsung Galaxy A52s 5G
49 - Realme 9 Pro+
41 - Xiaomi Redmi Note 11 Pro+ 5G
38 - Xiaomi Redmi Note 11 Pro 5G
30 - Realme 9 Pro
29 - Realme 8
29 - Samsung Galaxy A52 5G
28 - Samsung Galaxy A52
26 - Xiaomi Redmi Note 11 Pro
22 - Xiaomi Redmi Note 11S
21 - Realme 9i
14 - Xiaomi Redmi Note 11
12
GFX Manhattan ES 3.0 (onscreen)
Higher is better
- Poco X3 GT
97 - Poco X3 Pro
93 - Samsung Galaxy A52s 5G
69 - Xiaomi Redmi Note 11 Pro+ 5G
57 - Realme 9 Pro+
56 - Realme 8
48 - Xiaomi Redmi Note 11 Pro 5G
41 - Realme 9 Pro
41 - Samsung Galaxy A52 5G
39 - Samsung Galaxy A52
35 - Xiaomi Redmi Note 11 Pro
34 - Xiaomi Redmi Note 11S
32 - Realme 9i
20 - Xiaomi Redmi Note 11
18
3DMark Wild Life Vulkan 1.1 (offscreen 1440p)
Higher is better
- Poco X3 GT
3991 - Poco X3 Pro
3401 - Samsung Galaxy A52s 5G
2491 - Realme 9 Pro+
2296 - Xiaomi Redmi Note 11 Pro+ 5G
2014 - Realme 8
1486 - Realme 9 Pro
1211 - Xiaomi Redmi Note 11 Pro 5G
1204 - Samsung Galaxy A52 5G
1107 - Xiaomi Redmi Note 11S
1101 - Xiaomi Redmi Note 11 Pro
1101 - Samsung Galaxy A52
1040 - Realme 9i
452 - Xiaomi Redmi Note 11
439
The Redmi Note 11S is among the lowest-scoring phones on the compound AnTuTu benchmarks. The Redmi Note 11 is the only one to have worse performance.
AnTuTu 8
Higher is better
- Poco F3
631850 - Poco X3 GT
506800 - Realme 9 Pro+
495096 - Poco X3 Pro
453223 - Samsung Galaxy A52s 5G
429675 - Xiaomi Redmi Note 11 Pro+ 5G
375528 - Samsung Galaxy A52 5G
334981 - Realme 8
298328 - Xiaomi Redmi Note 10 Pro
295442 - Xiaomi Redmi Note 11 Pro 5G
288914 - Xiaomi Redmi Note 11 Pro
261309 - Samsung Galaxy A52
261282 - Xiaomi Redmi Note 11S
251201 - Realme 9i
229368 - Xiaomi Redmi Note 11
228044
AnTuTu 9
Higher is better
- Poco X3 GT
578505 - Samsung Galaxy A52s 5G
506432 - Xiaomi Redmi Note 11 Pro+ 5G
437872 - Realme 9 Pro+
416031 - Realme 9 Pro
401894 - Samsung Galaxy A52 5G
386474 - Xiaomi Redmi Note 11 Pro 5G
382902 - Realme 8
357488 - Xiaomi Redmi Note 10S
330909 - Xiaomi Redmi Note 11 Pro
319093 - Xiaomi Redmi Note 11S
308741 - Xiaomi Redmi Note 11
244526
There is some good news, too. The Redmi Note 11S offers outstanding stability - it offers 73% CPU, and 99.5% GPU sustained performance. You can expect no throttling and/or overheating during prolonged periods of benchmarks or testing.
CPU test • GPU test
The Redmi Note 11S offers smooth UI performance most of the time. The 90fps weren't always solid when some background task, notification, or other process intervenes, though. Some minor lag/stutter could happen when there is too much scrolling or swiping, too.
High frame rate gaming is possible in theory, but in real life, you will need to make quite a few tweaks for a smooth gaming experience, meaning lowering graphics quality and/or resolution.
So, the Redmi Note 11S offers a good overall experience, excluding gaming. Unfortunately, it is one of the slowest modern phones right now, with worse graphics performance than the Redmi Note 10S and most of its competitors. And that is not going to work in its favor when people get to vote with their wallets.
High-res primary camera, budget companions
The Xiaomi Redmi Note 11S has the same camera setup as the Redmi Note 11 Pro. It also packs the same trio of cameras we saw on the Redmi Note 11 Pro 5G and Note 11 Pro+ 5G but adds an additional depth sensor.
So, the Redmi Note 11S offers a 108MP primary, an 8MP ultrawide, and a 2MP macro camera, plus a 2MP depth sensor. There is also a single LED flash.
The selfie is also the same 16MP camera we saw across the Redmi Note 11 series.
The primary camera is the same across all but the vanilla Redmi Note 11 phones - it relies on a 108MP Samsung ISOCELL HM2 1/1.52" sensor with 0.7µm pixels and 24mm f/1.9 lens. The color filter is Nona-Bayer, which means 9 sensor pixels are combined into one 2.1µm, and the output resolution is 12MP. PDAF is available. Night Mode is available, too.
The ultrawide camera has an 8MP Sony IMX355 sensor behind a 16mm f/2.2 lens. Some units may come with an 8MP Samsung S5K4H7 sensor instead of Sony's IMX355. Either way, the focus is fixed at infinity. There is no Night Mode for this camera.
The macro camera packs a 2MP GalaxyCore GC02M1 sensor behind an f/2.4 lens. The focus is fixed at about 4cm away.
The fourth and final camera on the back is a 2MP OmniVision OV02B1 depth sensor.
The selfie camera uses a 16MP Sony IMX471 1/3" sensor with an f/2.5 lens. The focus is fixed.
Camera app
The camera app is a rather straightforward implementation, though it does have its quirks. First, basic operation for changing modes works with sideswipes (on the black bezel!), and you can also tap on the modes you can see to switch to those directly. Up and down swipes don't work for switching between the front and rear cameras; only the toggle next to the shutter release does that.
You can add, remove, and rearrange modes in the main rolodex by going to the More tab and navigating to the edit button, and you can access that from the settings menu as well. The unused modes will still be in that More tab, but you can switch to a (less intuitive) pull-out pane that's summoned from a line next to the shutter release.
The hamburger menu at the far end is where you'll find additional options, including the Super Macro mode (why here and not a mode in the rolodex?), plus the icon to access the settings. Next to that hamburger menu, you have a flash mode switch, an HDR switch, an AI toggle, a shortcut to Google Lens, and a magic wand with beauty effects and filters.
On the near end, you have the camera zoom switch that operates in one of two fashions. The first one is simply tapping on one of the three dots that represent the ultra-wide, primary, and 2x digital options. Or you can tap on the active magnification and slide sideways to reveal even more zoom levels - 2x and 10x, plus a slider for intermediate magnifications.
Camera app
There's a nicely capable Pro mode, where you can tweak the shooting parameters yourself. You can use the primary and the ultrawide cameras here. You get to pick one of 4 white balance presets or dial in the light temperature with a slider; there's a manual focusing slider (with peaking as an option), and shutter speed (1/4000s to 30s/15s for main/ultrawide) and ISO control with the range depending on which camera you're using. A tiny live histogram is available, and a toggle for zebras can be found in the hamburger menu.
As expected, there's a host of extra modes, including Long Exposure with its own set of different presets - moving crowd, neon trails, oil painting, light painting, starry sky, and star trails.
Night mode is available for the main camera only. There is no Auto Night mode as on previous Xiaomi models.
Photo quality
The main camera saves 12MP photos by default, and unlike on most of the Redmi Note 11 models we've reviewed so far, these ones turned up excellent. They show a high amount of resolved detail, balanced sharpness and accurate white balance and color presentation.
One of the major problems we saw with the other 108MP Redmi cameras - the noise - is absent here. In fact, the noise reduction seems incredibly proficient, and the daylight photos are nicely clean.
Finally, the 12MP shots have high contrast and adequate dynamic range. They were shot with HDR set on Auto, but it never chose to use HDR.
Overall, the Redmi Note 11S seems to be offering a similarly good photo quality as the Redmi Note 11 Pro+ 5G, and much better than the Redmi Note 11, 11 Pro and 11 Pro 5G. Go figure!
Main camera, 12MP
There is a 2X zoom shortcut on the viewfinder. Quite expectedly, it offers a simple digital zoom achieved by cropping and upscaling from the center of the 12MP default output. The images look good on the phone's screen and when resized by the social networks, but pixel peeping on them will reveal their poor detail.
Main cam 2x zoom, 12MP
There is also a 108MP mode, and you can use these artificially upscaled photos for two things - achieve even sharper 12MP images, or for high-quality 2x zoom by cropping and resizing their center. None of these can be easily done on the go - you will need a computer and an image editing software, but still.
Other than that, the 108MP photos are good - they have excellent contrast, colors, good dynamic, and tolerable noise levels. The resolved detail is somewhat average, and random detail is often a mixed bag. As we said, these are better used to extract more detail in regular or zoomed shots.
Main camera, 108MP
The 8MP ultrawide photos are okay - the resolved detail is acceptable, the noise is kept low enough, the colors are good, and so is the contrast. The dynamic range is a bit low but still acceptable for this type of camera.
These photos are nothing impressive, really, but they will do for the occasional ultrawide snap you may want to take.
Ultrawide camera, 8MP
There is a 2MP depth sensor on the Redmi Note 11S, and it assists the main camera when shooing portraits. And these photos are pretty good - the subjects are developed well, sharp with a lot of detail, good colors and exposure. Their separation from the background is not ideal, but it will be good enough if your haircut is not too complex. Finally, the simulated blur looks good, and we are sure most people will be happy with the Redmi Note 11S portraits.
Portraits, 12MP
The photos we took with the 2MP macro camera are alright, provided you learn to shoot from exactly 4-5cm away. Their detail is good, and so is the contrast; the colors are lively, and the noise is low. If you are deadest on shooing a bug or a flower that close, you can do it. Just take at least 5 photos by changing the distance a bit - this way, you will get at least one with the correct focus.
Macro camera, 2MP
The 16MP selfies are pretty nice - they exhibit accurate colors, good exposure and contrast, and the noise is quite low.
The selfies aren't that sharp as the camera uses a Quad-Bayer filter, but instead of 4MP images, it saves 16MP shots. They do look good on the phone and on the social networks and apps, which is the whole reason for the existence of the front camera in the first place. So, we'd say the Redmi Note 11S offers good selfies.
Selfies, 16MP
You can shoot portrait selfies, too. The separation is okay, the subjects are a bit softer than in the regular selfies, but otherwise - the photos are good. The exposure is great, the colors seem accurate, the contrast is good, and the noise reduction does a good job, too. The detail is average at best, but that was to be expected.
Portrait selfies, 16MP
Moving on to low-light photo quality. The photos we snapped with the main camera at night are good. They are detailed enough and not that smeared - this means there is a good balance between sharpness and noise reduction. The color saturation is kept accurate., the contrast is good, and the dynamic range is not bad.
Main camera, 12MP
The primary camera supports Night Mode, and we strongly recommend using it. It saves very natural-looking photos, which have more resolved detail, the noise is cleaned more proficiently, the contrast is better, and so is the color saturation. It also restores clipped highlights where it matters.
It takes about 2-3s to take such a photo, but it is worth the wait.
Main cam Night Mode, 12MP
The 8MP ultrawide photos we took at night are usable, but that's the best we can say about them. There is acceptable detail, and you can see what's on them, but you can also clearly see the photos are quite noisy, and the colors are somewhat desaturated.
Ultrawide camera, 8MP
And here are photos of our usual posters taken with the Redmi Note 11S. You can see how it stacks up against the competition. Feel free to browse around and pit it against other phones from our extensive database.
Redmi Note 11S against Redmi Note 10 Pro and the Galaxy A52s 5G in our Photo compare tool
Video recording
The Xiaomi Redmi Note 11S supports up to 1080p@30fps video capturing on its primary, ultrawide and selfie cameras. The 2MP macro camera is limited to 720p@30fps.
The Redmi Note 10S and its Helio G95 chipset offered 4K video capturing, while the newer Helio G96 has no 4K support. Some of our readers have expressed doubts about the necessity of 4K video capturing on phones with 1080p screens - our experience shows that 4K videos look much better when shown at 1080p resolution, be it on the phone, tablets, PCs, TVs. Meanwhile, the 1080p clips are not always that good, and they look even worse when shown at full resolution.
Electronic stabilization is available across all cameras, except for the macro; it is always on and does a good job at stabilizing the picture when necessary.
The video bitrate is about 20Mbps, while audio is recorded in stereo at 256kbps bitrate.
The main camera captures good 1080p videos - the resolved detail is plenty for a Full HD video, the colors are accurate, the contrast is high, while the dynamic is realistic.
The 1080p low-light videos are of poor quality - the clips are soft, and the noise reduction smears too much, yet noise is still visible. The only good thing about these videos is the colors.
Finally, the 1080p clips from the ultrawide camera are likable. They have enough detail, the colors are true to life, and the dynamic range is high, though the contrast is rather average as a result.
Finally, here is the iPhone SE (2022) in our video tool so you can make your own comparisons.
Redmi Note 11S against Redmi Note 10 Pro and the Galaxy A52s 5G in our Video compare tool
Alternative offers
Let's be honest - the Redmi Note 11 series did not turn out to be what many expected - the usual bang for the buck offers you just cannot miss. Hurt by the multiple ongoing global crises, the phone industry has to deal with increased prices of, well, everything and various production and logistics hurdles. And that is why the Redmi Note 11 phones are pricier than usual, and yet they offer few upgrades over their 2021 versions.
The Redmi Note 11S is a continuation of the Redmi Note 10S, and it brings a couple of new features like 90Hz display refresh rate, more RAM, and a higher-res 108MP primary camera. But the new Note 11S has weaker graphics performance, there is no 4K video capturing, and the proximity sensor has been replaced with a virtual one. And, oh, the Redmi Note 11S is more expensive.
And that has to be our first suggestion - the Redmi Note 10S. It's a smaller Redmi Note, yet more powerful than the current Note 11 alternatives. The 4/64 version of the Note 10S retails at €180, while the 6/64 model of the Note 11S is priced at €230 or €250 depending on current promotions or the lack of such.
Or you better get the Redmi Note 10 Pro, which costs about €250 and offers a better 120Hz AMOLED and faster GPU as part of its Snapdragon 732G chipset. The Note 10 Pro also comes with a nice 5MP telemacro camera for much better closeups, in addition to the 108MP primary and the 8MP ultrawide shooters.
And why even both with the Redmi, when you can buy the Poco F3 for €250 straight from the source. It's a way more powerful smartphone with a faster 120Hz AMOLED, a flagship Snapdragon 870 5G chipset, and a similar camera and battery experience.
The 128GB Galaxy A52s by Samsung costs about €280, and it has so much more to offer. The A52s is a fully water-resistant smartphone with a 120Hz AMOLED and much more powerful Snapdragon 778G 5G chipset. The Galaxy A52s offers a better camera setup on the back with a 64MP OIS primary and a 12MP ultrawide shooters, both capable of 4K video capturing. There is also a 5MP macro and a 32MP selfie camera.
Xiaomi Redmi Note 10S • Xiaomi Redmi Note 10 Pro • Xiaomi Poco F3 • Samsung Galaxy A52s 5G
Our verdict
The Xiaomi Redmi Note 11S is a good smartphone with a solid splash-resistant build, an attractive design, excellent battery life, loud speakers, and a reliable camera experience. And it offers many fan-favorite extras like a standalone microSD slot, a 3.5mm audio jack, an IR port, and FM radio.
The 11S is surely worthy of the Redmi Note branding by having many attractive specs and a budget pricing. There is just one issue with the Note 11S - it is not a fast smartphone.
On the contrary, the Redmi Note 11S performance can be best described as entry-level, and we doubt many people will be happy with it - you can notice some lag and stutter, and the camera app can sometimes crash. None of these is occasional, but it happens.
The worse part is that there are much faster and better phones priced around the Redmi Note 11S. And to make things impossible for the buyer, Xiaomi has decided to release multiple Redmi Note 11 smartphones, and even our reviewers have a hard time telling them apart.
So, at the end of the day, the Redmi Note 11S is a good phone and will keep most people happy as long as they don't care about games. It's just a bit pricey and not very well positioned right now. And unless it gets a sensible price cut, or its competitors get discontinued, we just cannot recommend it.
Pros
- Solid build, IP53-rated.
- Bright 90Hz AMOLED screen.
- Excellent battery life, fast charging.
- Loud stereo speakers, good audio.
- Dependable photo camera.
- 3.5mm jack, IR port, microSD, FM radio.
Cons
- Subpar performance.
- No 4K video capturing.
- Doesn't have the latest Android 12.
- A bit pricey at launch.
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