Weekly poll: the Realme 11 Pro and Realme 11 Pro+ are launching next week, who is getting one?

2023-06-18

Realme began the international rollout of the two 11 Pro phones earlier this week, starting with pre-orders in India. Are there any takers for the company’s latest number series models? Let’s have a closer look first.

The Realme 11 Pro+ will sell for ?28,000 for the base 8/256GB trim and ?30,000 for the version with 12GB of RAM. Globally, the phone will be available at $400 for an 8/128GB unit and $530 for a fully-loaded 12/512GB model.

The plus model stands out from its Pro sibling with a better camera. It has a 200MP main sensor (ISOCELL HP3), which relies on 4-in-1 binning to output 50MP shots or even 16-in-1 for 12.5MP images and 2.24µm effective pixel size. This also enables 2x and 4x lossless zoom (there is no dedicated tele lens). This model is also equipped with an 8MP ultra wide camera (IMX355, 112° FoV) and a 32MP selfie camera.

The other major advantage is that the 5,000mAh battery supports 100W fast charging, which achieved a full charge in 28 minutes. You can find more details in our review.

The vanilla Realme 11 Pro will start at ?24,000 for an 8/128GB model in India with ?25,000 8/256GB and ?28,00 12/256GB options. It gets a 100MP main camera instead, which limits the amount of binning and lossless zoom it can do. More importantly, the ultra wide camera has been removed. Also, the selfie camera resolution has been halved to 16MP. The only other change of note is that the 5,000mAh battery only supports 67W charging, which is still pretty fast.

Both Realme 11 Pro models have curved 6.7” AMOLED displays (10-bit 120Hz panels with 2,160Hz PWM dimming) with FHD+ resolution. They are powered by the Dimensity 7050 chipset, which is a minor refresh of the 1080.

Let’s have a quick look at the competition for the Pro+. The Redmi Note 12 Pro+ starts at ?30,00 for the 8/256GB model, slightly higher than the Realme. It offers a similar 200+8MP camera setup and similar 6.67” 120Hz display and it uses the older Dimensity 1080. The 5,000mAh battery doesn’t last as long (88h endurance vs. 112h for the Realme) but it charges slightly faster at 120W (done in 23 minutes). This one has a 3.5mm headphone jack.

Something like the Samsung Galaxy A54 will run you ?36,000 for an 8/128GB phone (there is a microSD slot available). It has a smaller 6.4” 120Hz display and its 5,000mAh battery charges at only 25W (it takes just over an hour to hit 100%). Its 50MP main camera goes for larger 1.0µm pixels (almost double the size of the HP3 pixels) and there is a 12MP ultra wide with a 123° lens. The Samsung is rated IP67 for dust and water resistance, while the Realme 11 Pro pair have no official rating (and the Redmi has IP53).

The vivo V27 is on the pricey side too, ?33,000 for an 8/128GB phone. It is powered by a newer Dimensity 7200 and its 50+8MP rear camera is joined by an impressive 50MP selfie camera with its own dual LED flash. The 4,600mAh battery may be smaller, but this phone proved to be a long distance runner with 134h endurance rating. This is with a slightly larger 6.78” 120Hz AMOLED. Charging is on the slow side at 66W (53 minutes to full).

The Realme 11 Pro+ sales start on June 15 (Thursday). Will you be among its early adopters?

Switching over to the Realme 11 Pro, instead of that you can have a Poco X5 Pro for ?24,000 – this is with 8GB of RAM and 256GB storage (double the 11 Pro storage at this price). The Snapdragon 778G is old but it edges out the Dimensity chip in some benchmarks. This phone has a 108MP main camera and though it lacks OIS, it is joined by an 8MP ultra wide. The battery is essentially identical with 5,000mAh capacity and 67W charging.

The OnePlus Nord CE 3 Lite uses a 6.72” IPS LCD instead of AMOLED (120Hz) and is hampered by its Snapdragon 695 chipset. It is a bit cheaper, though, at ?20,000 for an 8/128GB phone. It has a single 108MP camera on the back (no OIS). There is a microSD slot and 3.5mm jack on board (the Poco also has a headphone jack). The battery is again the same with 5,000mAh capacity and 67W charging.

The Samsung Galaxy A34 goes for ?27,000 for an 8/128GB unit and uses the original Dimensity 1080 chip. It has a 6.6” 120Hz AMOLED display (8-bit) and a 48MP main camera with a small 1/2.0” sensor, though it does have OIS. Plus, it is joined by an 8MP ultra wide. This phone is rated IP67 for dust and water resistance. The 5,000mAh battery is just as big, but at 25W it takes a while to charge (nearly an hour an a half).

The Realme 11 Pro will go on sale the day after the Pro+, June 16 (Friday). Are you interested in buying one?