Redmi Note 11 Review: One Note to RULE them all

tech.hindustantimes.com:

What will the next Redmi Note bring to the table? A question that keeps us smartphone enthusiasts biting our nails! Every year, Xiaomi launches a new model and somehow manages to catch us all by surprise. The influence of the Redmi Note is such that its rivals always end up copying its homework and somehow manage to fall back once the new one comes out. Last year’s Redmi Note 10 is still a stupendously good phone for the price it sells.

Hence, with the Redmi Note 11, it was obvious to expect Xiaomi one-up their game in the segment. And they surely have! Coming in after the Realme 9i, Moto G51, Infinix Note 11, and Micromax IN Note 2, the Redmi Note 11 feels like the phone that takes all the good (and absolute necessary) bits from these and offers a package that is hard to resist; especially at a starting price of Rs. 13,499.

But how do things fare when you take it out in the real world? Can it hold itself up well?

Xiaomi hit it right with the Redmi Note 10's design, offering the big phone feels in an affordable phone avatar. So why fix it if it ain’t broke? The Redmi Note 11 looks largely similar to the Note 10, carrying on the same rectangular camera hump celebrating the main 50MP camera with a large section of its own. The sides have gone flat but without making it uncomfortable to hold. The front remains identical to the Note 10, with a fat chin still present.

While the design looks fresh, Xiaomi could have done more with the build quality. I agree that the plastic unibody allows them to keep the weight under 180 grams and the costs is check but it does not feel as nice to hold as its predecessor, especially in the glossy Stardust White. It picks up scratches easily, and loves to get smudged. I miss the grippy matte