Realme 11 Pro 5G review – a mid-ranger with a premium design

• The Realme 11 Pro 5G is the latest mid-range offering from the company in India.
• The Realme 11 Pro 5G is priced starting at ₹23,999 in India and is available in three variants.
• Here’s my review of the Realme 11 Pro 5G after using it for over a week.

Realme has finally launched the Realme 11 Pro 5G series in India, around a month after its launch in China. The company has launched two devices as part of the series, including the Realme 11 Pro 5G and the Realme 11 Pro+ 5G.

The Realme 11 Pro comes with several improvements over its predecessor, including a revamped design, improved display and cameras. The main highlights of the device include the faux-leather back and the curved AMOLED display.

I have been using the Realme 11 Pro for a few days now, and here is my review of the latest mid-range device from the smartphone maker.

Realme 11 Pro 5G price and availability

The Realme 11 Pro 5G is priced at ₹23,999 for the 8GB RAM + 128GB storage variant, ₹24,999 for the 8GB RAM + 256GB storage variant and ₹27,999 for the top-end 12GB RAM + 256GB internal storage variant.

The device comes in Sunrise Beige, Oasis Green and Astral Black colour options. It will be available from Realme Online Store, Flipkart and the company’s authorised stores from June 16.

Realme 11 Pro 5G specifications

Realme 11 Pro 5G pros and cons

Pros

• Premium faux-leather design.
• Curved AMOLED display.

Cons

• 2MP macro sensor.
• Bloatware on the device.

Design and display

The Realme 11 Pro comes with a faux-leather design, which the company has dubbed as vegan leather. It is available in three colour options – Astral Black, Oasis Green and Sunrise Beige. I received the Sunrise Beige colour variant.

The faux-leather back is a huge upgrade when compared to the plastic back which smartphones in this segment are usually equipped with. The device gives a premium feel while holding it and also prevents fingerprint smudges.

On the back, it comes with a stitch-like pattern and features a shiny orange strip in between to add some colour. It is not slippery to hold and can be used without a protective case.

The device weighs 191 grams and features a sleek design, allowing you to easily hold it in one hand.

The device comes with a large circular camera module, which houses the dual camera setup and the LED flash. You also get the Realme branding at the bottom.

On the sides, it comes with a plastic frame. The left side is plain and the right side is equipped with volume rockers and the power button.

On the top, you get the speaker and grille and a microphone. On the bottom, you get the SIM tray, a microphone, USB Type-C port and a secondary speaker grille.

Coming to the display, the device features a large 6.7-inch Full HD+ curved AMOLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate and up to 950 nits brightness. While the resolution and the refresh rate are normal for this segment, the curved AMOLED display is something usually reserved for premium smartphones.

The display offers a good visual experience and ample brightness, even in direct sunlight. It also comes with HDR10+ support, offering a good visual experience while watching videos.

Software and performance

In terms of software, the Realme 11 Pro runs on Android 13 out of the box with the company’s realme UI 4.0 on top. Realme UI offers a highly customised user experience and allows users to change a lot of things on the device as per their preference.

While setting up the device, you will be greeted with a recommended apps screen, filled with advertisements of different applications for you to install. While you can skip this, the device comes with bloatware installed such as Facebook, Josh, Linkedin, Sharechat and more. These apps can be uninstalled easily. The biggest issue with software is that every time you install or update an application, you will be greeted with a splash screen with an advertisement for another app.

The device is powered by the MediaTek Dimensity 7050 chipset, which offers decent performance at this price point. It is able to handle multitasking easily, thanks to up to 12GB of RAM that the device comes with. I tried Call of Duty: Mobile on the device at 60 FPS and was able to handle the game smoothly, without any stutters.

The device is powered by a 5,000mAh battery with 67W fast charging support. The device can be fully charged in around 50 minutes and easily lasts for a day with some browsing, streaming and casual gaming.

Camera

Coming to the camera setup, the Realme 11 Pro features a dual camera setup at the back, which is placed in a large circular module. The device comes with a 100MP primary camera and a 2MP macro camera.

Unlike the Realme 11 Pro Plus, the camera is not the strongest suit of the Realme 11 Pro. It manages to capture decent images in daylight and in normal lighting conditions when indoors. The company should have offered an ultra-wide-angle sensor along with the device at this price point.

The device struggles a bit in low-light conditions and there is visible noise in images captured in night mode.

On the front, the device comes with a 16MP selfie camera, which is able to capture decent images in daylight and normal lighting conditions.

Verdict

The Realme 11 Pro is a well-priced device that comes with several features that are usually reserved for pricier devices, such as leather back and a curved display. The design, coupled with the performance make it worth considering. If you are looking for a more powerful camera, you can consider its elder sibling, the Realme 11 Pro Plus, which offers a 200MP camera.

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