Redmi Note 11S Review: Not noteworthy this time

tech.hindustantimes.com:

Every year, Xiaomi brings something new while updating its Note series portfolio. This time, it offers the Redmi Note 11 and Redmi Note 11S as the accessible models, while the Note 11 Pro and Note 11 Pro+ will soon join the rest. We reviewed the Redmi Note 11 and it proved to be a decent all-rounder under Rs. 15,000 but what about the Redmi Note 11S? On paper, it takes a step further with camera specs and performance, since it is powered by the Mediatek Helio G96 against Redmi Note 11’s Snapdragon 680 chipset. Though, it will ask you to pay more. So, at a starting price of Rs. 16,499, does the Redmi Note 11S stand out?

Since the phone is largely similar to the Redmi Note 11, I will focus here on the upgrades. You can check out our full review of the Redmi Note 11 for more details.

Let’s start with the camera performance because the major upgrade in the Redmi Note 11S from its cheaper version, the Redmi Note 11, is its quad-camera setup flaunting the main 108MP rear camera on a decorated module. And the main camera is impressive -- it maintains good details, sharpness, and takes overall bright photos in daylight. However, the boosted saturation makes the pictures look unreal at times. You may like it if you prefer "enhanced" photos; if not, then colour boost can be controlled to a limit while taking pictures sans the AI mode. In night photography, the camera was able to deliver well-exposed pictures while some noise in the darker areas can be noticed easily.

Besides the main camera, the other three include its 8MP ultra-wide-angle camera sensor which also does a decent job while maintaining good colours without over-saturation. Also, I liked the Portrait mode which gives you an option to customize the bokeh effect. It is