The camera becomes a frustration rather than a tool
In the spring of 2022, Xiaomi placed the Redmi Note 11 Pro Plus into that restless middle ground between budget and ambition — a phone that charges faster than almost anything at its price, yet stumbles when asked to simply capture a moment. At £369, it embodies a familiar tension in consumer technology: the pursuit of one spectacular feature often comes at the cost of the quieter, everyday ones. It is a device that rewards those who know precisely what they need, and disappoints those who expect everything.
- 120W fast charging — a full battery in 15 minutes — arrives in budget territory like a flagship gate-crasher, and it genuinely delivers.
- The 108MP camera, despite its impressive specification, consistently underexposes images, blows out skies, and loses shadow detail, turning spontaneous photography into a chore.
- At 204 grams with an uninspired design nearly identical to its cheaper sibling, the phone feels like a missed opportunity in an era when rivals are proving budget needn't mean bland.
- The phone ships on Android 11 with an older version of MIUI than its non-Plus counterparts — a small but telling sign of where priorities were placed.
- For gamers and power users, the Dimensity 920 chipset and brilliant AMOLED display make a compelling case; for photographers, the Realme 9 Pro Plus quietly waits as the wiser choice.
The Xiaomi Redmi Note 11 Pro Plus launched in April 2022 at £369, occupying that uncomfortable middle ground between budget and mid-range — a position that defines both its strengths and its limitations.
Its headline achievement is 120W fast charging, a capability borrowed from Xiaomi's flagship lineup. The promise of a full charge in 15 minutes feels almost implausible at this price point, yet it holds up even with third-party adapters. For anyone who has ever watched their battery drain at the wrong moment, this feature alone carries real weight.
Elsewhere, the phone performs solidly. The 6.67-inch AMOLED display runs at 120Hz with a peak brightness of 1200 nits, the MediaTek Dimensity 920 chipset handles gaming and daily tasks with ease, and the 4,500mAh battery stretches comfortably through a full day. A side-mounted fingerprint sensor, a 3.5mm headphone jack, and 5G connectivity round out a respectable feature list.
But the camera is where the phone loses its footing. The 108MP main sensor struggles persistently with exposure — skies blow out, shadows collapse, and images arrive looking flat and lifeless. Getting a decent shot requires deliberate effort in Pro mode rather than a quick tap of the shutter. The 16MP selfie camera, by contrast, performs noticeably better, which only sharpens the disappointment.
The design offers little comfort. Heavy, wide, and nearly indistinguishable from its cheaper sibling, the phone lacks the visual ambition that rivals like Realme and Vivo have demonstrated is achievable at this price. The software situation adds a small but symbolic slight: the Pro Plus ships on an older version of MIUI than the standard model.
The Redmi Note 11 Pro Plus is a phone of clear contrasts — exceptional where it chooses to excel, mediocre where it cannot be bothered. For budget gamers or charging-speed devotees, it makes a reasonable case. For anyone who wants to photograph the world around them, better options exist.
The Xiaomi Redmi Note 11 Pro Plus arrives with one genuinely impressive trick and a handful of compromises that keep it from being a clear winner. Launched in April 2022 at £369—roughly $480 or AU$650—it sits in that awkward middle ground between budget and mid-range, and that positioning shapes everything about what it is and what it isn't.
The headline feature is the 120W fast charging, a capability that trickles down from Xiaomi's flagship phones like the 12 Pro and Mi 11T Pro. In theory, it powers the device from empty to full in just 15 minutes, a claim that seems almost absurd for a phone at this price. The reviewer couldn't test the official charger due to regional incompatibility, but using a nearly-equivalent third-party adapter still delivered impressive speeds. For anyone tired of overnight charging rituals or the anxiety of a dying battery, this alone might justify the purchase.
Beyond the charging speed, the Redmi Note 11 Pro Plus inherits most of what made its non-Plus sibling competent. The 6.67-inch FHD+ AMOLED display runs at 120Hz with a peak brightness of 1200 nits—genuinely bright for a budget device. The MediaTek Dimensity 920 chipset, the same processor found in the Vivo V23 and Realme 9 Pro Plus, delivered a Geekbench 5 multi-core score of 2,175, enough for smooth gaming at moderate graphics settings and snappy menu navigation. The 4,500mAh battery comfortably lasts a full day under normal use, stretching to about a day and a half under heavy load. The side-mounted fingerprint sensor is intuitive and quick. There's even a 3.5mm headphone jack, a rarity these days. The phone supports 5G connectivity, though the reviewer questions whether that feature justifies its cost when the money might have gone elsewhere.
But the camera is where the phone stumbles. Despite the impressive-sounding 108MP main sensor paired with an 8MP ultrawide and 2MP macro lens, the results in practice are disappointing. The phone struggles to balance exposure, often producing underexposed images that look dull and lifeless. Skies frequently blow out, washing away detail in bright areas. Darker regions lose information entirely. The 16MP selfie camera performs noticeably better, delivering brighter and more colorful results, and portrait mode is merely adequate—the word "fine" appears in the review with audible resignation. To get acceptable photos, users need to spend time in Pro mode tweaking settings or carefully framing shots to avoid problematic lighting. For anyone wanting to grab a quick snapshot of a pet or a fleeting moment, the camera becomes a frustration rather than a tool.
The design doesn't help matters. At 204 grams and measuring 163.7 x 76.2 x 8.3mm, the phone is bulky and will stretch the hands of anyone without large fingers. It looks nearly identical to the non-Plus version, save for a slightly redesigned camera bump. Xiaomi chose a glass back panel, which feels nicer than plastic but doesn't transform the overall aesthetic. The IP53 rating offers basic protection against dust and moisture but won't survive submersion. In an era when Vivo, Realme, and Samsung are demonstrating that budget phones can be both attractive and affordable, the Redmi has no excuse for its uninspired form factor.
The software situation is oddly dated. The phone ships with Android 11 and MIUI 12.5, while its non-Plus siblings get Android 11 with MIUI 13. It's a minor but noticeable step backward. MIUI itself is primarily cosmetic—redesigned icons and menu layouts—but includes a useful iOS-style quick-settings system where swiping from the right brings up settings and swiping from the left brings up notifications. Bloatware is less aggressive than in older Xiaomi phones, though some pre-installed apps will likely need uninstalling.
At £369, the Redmi Note 11 Pro Plus occupies a strange position. It excels where it matters most for its price: charging speed, display quality, processor performance, and battery endurance. It fails where many buyers expect competence: photography and design. The phone makes sense for gamers on a budget or anyone who values fast charging above all else. For photography enthusiasts or those seeking a compact device, better alternatives exist—the Realme 9 Pro Plus offers superior cameras and a color-changing rear panel, while the older Redmi Note 10 Pro actually performs better in the camera department. The Redmi Note 11 Pro Plus is a phone of sharp contrasts: genuinely useful in some areas, genuinely mediocre in others, and ultimately a device that knows exactly what it is and what it isn't.
Citas Notables
The phone struggles with balanced pictures. Sometimes snaps looked overexposed, but more often than not, they were underexposed, which makes photos look dull and unappealing.— TechRadar reviewer
To ensure snaps looked attractive, we had to jump into Pro mode and tweak some settings, or frame the picture to make sure the sky wasn't dominating the background.— TechRadar reviewer
La Conversación del Hearth Otra perspectiva de la historia
Why does a phone with a 108-megapixel camera take such dull photos?
Megapixels are just one part of the equation. The sensor, the processing, the software—they all matter. This phone seems to struggle with exposure metering, which is the camera's ability to decide how much light to let in. It errs toward underexposure, making everything look dim and lifeless.
So the hardware is fine but the software is holding it back?
Partly. But it's also a cost decision. At this price point, Xiaomi is making trade-offs. They invested in the 120W charger and the processor. The camera got less attention.
If I'm not a photographer, is this phone actually good?
For most people, yes. The screen is excellent, the processor handles games well, and the battery lasts all day. The 15-minute charging is genuinely useful. The camera is only a problem if you care about it.
Why does it feel so bulky?
It's a 6.67-inch phone with a glass back and a big battery. There's no way around that physics. If you have small hands, you'll struggle.
Is the 5G worth paying for?
The reviewer questions it. The money spent on the 5G modem could have gone to the camera or a smaller form factor. It depends on whether 5G is actually available where you live.
So who should actually buy this?
Someone who charges their phone multiple times a day and wants it done in 15 minutes. Someone who games and doesn't care about photography. Someone who values a bright, big screen. Everyone else should look elsewhere.