Global Redmi Note 11 arrives with SD680, Note 11S brings 108MP camera

While the Pro duo has big ambitions, the Redmi Note 11 and Note 11S will try to win your heart by being smaller, lighter and cheaper. Even so, they share some features with the Pros and with each other.

With a 6.43” AMOLED display, these two are a few millimeters shorter and narrower, over 20g lighter too. They still enjoy 1080p+ resolution (20:9) and a high refresh rate – only 90Hz, but it’s still an upgrade over the Note 10 and 10S from last year. The touch sampling rate is double that (180Hz) and Xiaomi managed to boost the typical brightness to 700 nits (up from 450 nits). The Gorilla Glass 3 protection and IP53 rating (splash resistance) are the same.

The camera is a much larger upgrade. The Redmi Note 11S gets the same 108MP ISOCELL HM2 as the Pros – a 1/1.53” sensor with 0.7 µm pixels and 9-in-1 binning (for 2.1 µm pixels). That"s quite a jump up from the 64MP 1/1.97" sensor of the 10S.

The regular Note 11 gets a 50 MP sensor instead. Both pack a 118° ultrawide camera with 8MP sensor, a 2MP macro cam and a 2MP depth sensor.

The chipsets are sequels to the ones from last year – the S-model gets the Helio G96 (instead of G95), the vanilla has a Snapdragon 680 (instead of 678). The G96 is fabbed on an old 12nm process, but has relatively new Cortex-A76 cores (two of them). Well, “new” in relation to the Cortex-A73 based cores (four of them) in the Snapdragon. Instead of performance, the Snapdragon has its eyes set on efficiency – it’s fabbed on a modern 6nm process.

MIUI 13 based on Android 11 will come pre-installed. The Redmi Note 11 starts at 4/64 GB and tops out at 6/128 GB, the Note 11S starts at 6/64 GB and tops out at 8/128 GB. Unlike the Pros, however, these have dedicated spots for microSD cards on the dual-SIM tray.

Both phones have side-mounted fingerprint readers and can also use their front cameras for biometric unlock – 16MP for the S-phone and 13MP for the other one. These have IR blasters and (in some regions) NFC, plus dual speakers and 3.5mm headphone jacks.

Xiaomi Redmi Note 11S in Graphite Gray, Pearl White and Twilight Blue

Xiaomi Redmi Note 11 Pro in Graphite Gray, Polar White and Star Blue

The Note 11 and 11S are powered by 5,000 mAh batteries, the same capacity as last year’s models. However, Xiaomi managed to optimize the 33W fast charging, so now 100% is reached in 58 minutes (the Note 10 needed 74 minutes).

The Redmi Note 11 and Note 11S will become available later this month in a limited "early bird" deal, wide availability is coming next month. The Redmi Note 11 will start at $180 for the 4/64 GB model and will go up to $230 for the top 6/128 GB model. The Redmi Note 11S will start at $250 (6/64 GB) and go up to $300 (8/128 GB).

Pricing info: Redmi Note 11 • Redmi Note 11S

But those prices can be lower, if you catch the worm - the early bird prices will be available only on AliExpress and only on January 28 and 29. They drop the Note 11 prices by $20 for the 4/64 GB and 4/128 GB models and $30 for the top 6/128 GB model. As for the Note 11S, only the 6/64 GB version is getting a discount to the tune of $20.

Redmi Note 11 and 11S early bird deals, exclusive to AliExpress (January 28-29)