After introducing Realme 11 Pro (review) and 11 Pro+ (review) earlier this year, Realme has extended its 11 series lineup with the introduction of two new smartphones. These new handsets, dubbed Realme 11 5G and 11x 5G, are quite different from their Pro siblings. For starters, they are priced under Rs 20,000. Additionally, the Realme 11 5G and 11x 5G both rock specifications (that include the new MediaTek Dimensity 6100+ SoC) that are slightly dialled back in comparison to the Realme 11 Pros.
The Realme 11 5G and 11x 5G are basically the same phones, with major differences only in the cameras and charging departments. Hence, I’ll be covering both phones in the same review. Check it out:
Verdict
Whether it’s the Realme 11 or the Realme 11x, you can’t go wrong with either device. Both handsets exhibit equal proficiency in performance, battery life, and display quality. The cameras are excellent on both devices; however, if you’re seeking finer details, the Realme 11 5G might be more suitable. Additionally, the standard Realme 11 model takes half an hour less than the Realme 11x 5G to reach a full charge.
Design and display
- The Realme 11 5G and Realme 11x 5G can be told apart mainly by their colour options. The Realme 11 5G is available in Glory Gold and Glory Black, whereas the 11x model offers Purple Dawn and Midnight Black as its colour choices. Besides that, they both look and feel the same. I got the Purple Dawn variant of the Realme 11x and the Glory Gold variant of the Realme 11 for review. They both look captivating with their gradient back and ‘S’ shape that forms when light hits them at an angle.
- However, the attention is quickly diverted by the sizable camera module on both smartphones. This circular module, situated slightly off-centre, hogs the limelight, but unfortunately, not in a favourable manner. For some, the module might appear excessively large. Furthermore, the horizontally aligned camera sensors within the module resemble the gaze of someone looking at you. However, on the bright side, the module ensures an easy typing experience on the devices while they lay flat on the surface.
- Besides the module, the handsets sport flat edges paired with curved corners, contributing to their comfortable ergonomic grip. Holding the devices for prolonged durations shouldn’t pose any difficulty, thanks to their lightweight and slim form factor. Impressively, despite accommodating a sizable 5,000mAh battery, the Realme 11 and 11x maintain a weight of only 190 grams.
- In terms of connectivity, the Realme 11 and Realme 11x are equipped with a USB Type-C port for charging on the bottom edge, alongside a speaker grille and a 3.5mm headphone jack. The fingerprint scanner is positioned on the right side, integrated with the power button. This scanner effortlessly unlocks the device using the correct fingerprint.
- Display-wise, the Realme 11 and Realme 11x both sport a 6.72-inch panel of LCD variety that bears FHD+ resolution and up to 120Hz refresh rate. There are noticeably wide bezels on all four sides, which is acceptable given the budget price tags of the phones. The display features 550 nits of peak brightness, which is good enough for reading at least the text under direct sunlight.
- The colour profile on the handsets can be adjusted to your liking from the settings menu. Additionally, the phones are Widevine L1 certified to stream FHD content from streaming platforms such as Netflix. While the viewing experience on the devices is respectable, the audio quality appears to lack a certain punch. Both Realme 11 5G and 11x 5G feature a mono speaker that can reach satisfactory loudness, but it loses clarity at maximum volume.
Cameras
- For photography, the Realme 11 5G and Realme 11x both sport a dual rear camera setup, albeit with differing primary sensors. The latter incorporates a 64MP main shooter, while the Realme 11 5G boasts a 108MP camera. On both smartphones, the auxiliary camera is a 2MP depth sensor. For selfies and video calling, the vanilla Realme 11 model also has a bigger sensor at front – 16MP as opposed to 8MP on the 11x.
- The camera performance of both devices is arguably comparable. In favourable lighting conditions, both smartphones demonstrate quick focus and shutter speed. The resultant images are pleasing to the eye, even though the colours might come across as slightly oversaturated. Nevertheless, the sensors do an admirable job of preserving exposure and highlights in most scenarios.
- Be that as it may, the larger sensor size does grant the Realme 11 5G a slight advantage over its counterpart in terms of detail levels. This is evident in both daylight and low-light shots, with a particular emphasis on low-light scenarios. The images captured by the Realme 11x in dimly-lit scenarios tend to appear grainy even after utilizing the night mode. In a comparable context, the images from the Realme 11 5G exhibit less noise, resulting in superior details.
- That said, the portrait mode on the Realme 11 5G and Realme 11x 5G both need improvement with edge detection. Both the front and rear cameras exhibit a tendency to distort the subject around the edges. As for the selfie camera, the handsets do fairly well in capturing skin tones and facial detailing in a well-lit environment. Again you will find the level of detailing on selfies superior on Realme 11 5G due to the sensor size.
Performance and software
- At the heart of the Realme 11 5G and Realme 11x 5G lie the all-new MediaTek Dimensity 6100+ SoC, which features two performance cores, six efficiency cores, and ARM G57 MC2 GPU. The chipset helped the smartphones perform decently on the benchmarking tests. Additionally, the handsets throttled barely while running 50 threads for half an hour on the CPU Throttle test.
- Talking about real-world performance, the handset didn’t show even the slightest hesitation while handling regular day-to-day tasks. The phone is also proficient at multitasking; however, this necessitates keeping the number of background apps in check, as excess apps could lead to occasional lags. In terms of gaming, the device is capable of running graphically-demanding games like BGMI and COD: Mobile at moderate graphics settings for brief periods. I was able to play BGMI for half an hour without experiencing any stutters or lags. However, I did observe the device warming up slightly after the gaming session.
- The Realme 11x is available in two configurations: 6GB RAM + 128GB storage and 8GB RAM + 128GB storage. The vanilla Realme 11 5G has just one RAM variant, 8GB, but you have the option to pair it with either 128GB or 256GB storage. The RAM on both smartphones is virtually expandable up to 8GB, and for storage augmentation, the phones provide a dedicated microSD card slot. The new Realme 11-series smartphones are 5G capable. Here‘s a speed test done using Airtel 5G Plus network in Gurgaon, Haryana on Realme 11 5G:
- Moving on, the Realme 11 5G and 11x 5G both boot Android 13-based Realme UI 4 right from the start. This software is feature-rich and includes a variety of apps. The devices come pre-installed with several third-party apps, which you have the option to remove manually after the initial setup. Additionally, the phones display a few ads and push notifications, which can be rather bothersome.
- However, on the flip side, you are provided with a plethora of customisation options that allow you to adjust the UI, app icons, and more according to your preferences. The handsets also boast a variety of nifty features, including call recording and screen recording.
Battery and charging speeds
- The Realme 11 5G and Realme 11x both house a 5,000mAh battery, which offers respectable backup on a single charge. I was able to get through the entire day of usage, involving browsing, gaming, and streaming, without looking for a charger. The battery capacity was also reflected on the handset’s PC Mark charging test where it returned with a healthy score of 17 hours and 34 minutes.
- When it comes to charging, the Realme 11 5G comes with a 67W fast charging solution. It can get you a full charge from nothing well under an hour. The Realme 11x 5G, on the other hand, supports 33W fast charging, which can charge the device from 0 to 100 percent in about 90 minutes.
Final verdict
The Realme 11 5G and Realme 11x 5G have entered the Indian market with competitive pricing. The introductory price for the base 6GB RAM variant of the Realme 11x 5G is set at Rs 14,999, while the 8GB RAM variant comes in at Rs 15,999. On the other hand, the Realme 11 5G starts at Rs 18,999 and goes up to Rs 19,999. Competing head-to-head with these Realme offerings are the Samsung Galaxy M34 5G, Infinix Hot 30 5G, OnePlus Nord CE 3 Lite 5G, and the POCO X5 series.
In terms of overall performance, both the Realme 11 5G and its counterpart, the Realme 11x 5G, match up well against their competitors, with one notable exception: the display. The POCO X5 series gains an advantage with its AMOLED display. However, if this is not a critical factor for you and you’re content with a smartphone boasting the latest chipset, impressive battery longevity, a satisfactory display, and respectable daylight camera capabilities, then the new Realme 11-series smartphones could be a solid choice.
When making a decision between the Realme 11 5G and 11x 5G, your budget plays a pivotal role. If your budget hovers around Rs 15,000, the Realme 11x emerges as the preferred option. On the other hand, if you can stretch your budget by an additional Rs 4,000, the Realme 11 5G offers itself as a more appealing choice. As highlighted earlier, this particular model boasts faster charging speeds and marginally superior cameras compared to its counterpart.
Editor’s rating: 8 / 10
Reasons to buy
- The handsets can proficiently handle multi-tasking and some graphically-demanding games.
- The battery life on both smartphones is quite impressive.
- The handsets’ primary camera captures some likeable shots in daylight.
- The LCD screen is respectable for the price.
Reasons not to buy
- The software has a few bloatware and ads.
- Portrait mode needs improvement with edge detection.
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