It’s easy to understand why the OnePlus 11R 5G, the company’s newest “value flagship,” is attracting so much attention—possibly even more than the flagship OnePlus 11 5G (Review), which was also unveiled at the same time. The 11R 5G, which hasn’t been seen in a while, is what followers of the OnePlus brand consider as the embodiment of the company’s original idea of providing many high-end features at a price that disrupts the market. The 11R 5G is a significant improvement over the 10R 5G (Review) from last year, and happily, OnePlus hasn’t taken too many short cuts this time.
At a starting price of Rs. 39,999 in India, the OnePlus 11R 5G provides users with a flagship-grade chipset, the same primary camera as the OnePlus 11 5G, and extremely quick charging. The 11R 5G is a highly alluring option because there are currently not many phones in India that offer this mix of features at this cost. It’s time to determine whether it lives up to expectations.
Price of the OnePlus 11R 5G in India
The OnePlus 11R 5G’s base model features 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage, but there is also a 16GB RAM and 256GB storage model available for Rs. 44,999 in India. I believe the standard variation will be adequate for the majority of users, but if you require more storage, the second variant is also reasonably priced. This year, we’re also starting to notice a trend: businesses seem to be skipping the 12GB RAM option and going directly to 16GB. For this evaluation, OnePlus sent us with the top-tier model in Sonic Black; it is also offered in Galactic Silver.
Design of the OnePlus 11R 5G
The OnePlus 11R 5G’s design actually startled me because, unless you know what to look for, it resembles the much more costly OnePlus 11 5G almost exactly. The only features that distinguish the 11R 5G from other smartphones are the centrally located selfie camera, the lack of an antenna band visible on the frame, and the absence of a Hasselblad logo on the back camera module. Other than these, both phones have essentially identical dimensions, weights, and even curved-edge display designs. This somewhat lessens the 11 5G’s premium appeal, but it’s a significant plus for the 11R 5G, especially in light of the 10R 5G’s divisive design.
The OnePlus 11R 5G does come with the ‘Alert slider,’ which is a OnePlus signature, as well as an infrared (IR) emitter on the top, which is a first for a OnePlus phone. After set up, the IR Remote app on the phone allows you to operate the devices and appliances in your home. The black 11R 5G’s glass back has a matte finish that is easily resistant to fingerprints but doesn’t provide much grip.
With a 6.74-inch display and significantly smaller top and bottom bezels than the OnePlus 11 5G, the OnePlus 11R 5G sports the same curved edges on the left and right. But, because of its location, which is substantially lower, the in-display fingerprint sensor is a little difficult to use. The display is a 1.5K AMOLED panel with a 120Hz peak refresh rate and a resolution of 2772 x 1240 pixels. Playback of HDR videos is supported (except Dolby Vision). Dragontrail glass is used on the display for scratch resistance, while Corning Gorilla Glass 5 is used on the rear for protection.
The OnePlus 11R 5G retail box comes with the customary extras, including stickers, a case, a USB cable, a 100W power adapter, and the SIM ejector tool.
Software and specifications for the OnePlus 11R 5G
The extremely capable Qualcomm Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 Processor powers the OnePlus 11R 5G. Although it won’t do as well on benchmarks as the most recent Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, this CPU is still more than capable for the majority of real-world use scenarios. Moreover, the phone has Wi-Fi 6, NFC, Bluetooth 5.3, and support for numerous satellite navigation systems.
In India, the 11R 5G is compatible with all nine 5G bands. You receive dual speakers and the Dolby Atmos upgrade. The phone supports 100W fast wired charging and features a 5,000mAh battery. Although basic seals to prevent water and dust are reportedly in place, it does not support wireless charging and does not have a certified IP rating.
The OnePlus 11R 5G’s software is identical to that of the 11 5G. You receive Android 13-based OxygenOS 13. Together with certain relics of OxygenOS, such Zen Mode, Oppo’s ColorOS offers the standard customization choices, shortcuts, and gestures. With the exception of a few OnePlus apps and Google’s app store, there isn’t much bloatware. When you have Chrome, the Internet browser app is somewhat unnecessary and cannot be removed.
For the 11R 5G, OnePlus has offered four years of security upgrades and three years of Android updates.
Depending on the material being shown, the display is reported to feature an adaptive refresh rate between 40Hz and 120Hz (support for 45Hz, 60Hz, and 90Hz). When there is no touch input for a brief period of time, the interface only decreases to 60Hz from its constant 120Hz rate. Certain apps, including the camera app, which runs at 60Hz, and the gallery app, which runs at 90Hz, always operate at a lower constant refresh rate. The refresh rate of the 11R 5G is fixed, unlike phones with LTPO displays, which dynamically change depending on input and the content being displayed. Although app scrolling is seamless, there may be a slight battery life impact.
There aren’t many issues with the gaming and multimedia performance. Even demanding games may be played with ease on the SoC. Asphalt 9: Legends ran and looked fantastic. Any game may instantly access the OxygenOS gaming tools menu with a single swipe gesture. This allows you to control extra features like anti-aliasing while also monitoring the phone’s temperature and the game’s current framerate.
When playing games, the OnePlus 11R 5G becomes a little warm. The dual speakers have decent volume and sound quality. In terms of benchmark results, the OnePlus 11R 5G received scores of 775,602 on AnTuTu and 908 and 3,430 on the single- and multi-core tests of Geekbench 6.
During the review time, the OnePlus 11R 5G’s battery life was outstanding. On our HD video loop test, the phone lasted for 21 hours, 43 minutes, which is an excellent duration. Even when used lightly for two days, it had no trouble operating for a full day. Even though I missed wireless charging, the 100W adapter’s speed more than makes up for it. In less than 30 minutes, I was able to fully charge the 11R 5G from zero.
OnePlus 11R cameras with 5G
Using the same main camera as the OnePlus 11 5G, the OnePlus 11R 5G takes pleasure in this feature. It has a 50-megapixel Sony IMX890 sensor with optical stabilisation (OIS). The other rear cameras, on the other hand, are less impressive than those of the OnePlus 11 5G and more in line with those of the OnePlus 10R 5G. A 2-megapixel macro camera and an 8-megapixel ultra-wide camera are available. In the front, there is a 16-megapixel camera, but OnePlus hasn’t said whose sensors it utilised.
With a few exceptions, such as the removal of the red shutter button, Xpan mode, and the absence of a Hasselblad Pro mode because the 11R 5G does not include Hasselblad Colour Science, the camera app is largely comparable to that of the 11 5G. (HCS). As HCS is only applicable when shooting RAW in Pro mode, according to OnePlus, I don’t believe this should be a huge dealbreaker.
The OnePlus 11R 5G often exhibited a cooler colour tone compared to the same subjects taken with the OnePlus 11 5G at the same time, even with AI scene augmentation deactivated on both phones. As both cameras use the same primary sensor, details in photographs were generally comparable, but there were a few instances where the 11R 5G fell short of the 11 5G’s image quality. The 11R 5G captured close-ups with excellent detail and colour. Unsurprisingly, the macro camera wasn’t very good and gave poor results.
In comparison to the same camera on the OnePlus 11 5G, the ultra-wide camera on the OnePlus 11R 5G exhibited lesser details and colours. Even in broad daylight, images were a little washed out. You do obtain decent night images thanks to the camera app’s automatic long exposure shots in low light.
The 11R 5G’s primary camera produces the greatest low-light images with excellent exposure, colour, and detail. Furthermore attractive are close-ups, and low-light autofocus is generally dependable. Just 10X digital zoom is possible with the 11R 5G, and even then, the quality is pretty subpar. Given that their output was typically equal, the selfie camera on the 11R 5G appears to be the same as the one on the 11 5G. It works, but selfies aren’t very sharp, the detail isn’t great, and sometimes the colours and skin tones aren’t accurate. Nonetheless, with the help of Night mode, it takes respectable low-light pictures.
Just the primary back camera on the OnePlus 11R can capture video at up to 4K 60 frames per second. Both the ultra-wide and the selfie camera are limited to 1080p. Daytime and low-light 4K movies look good, with good stabilisation and barely any walking jitter. Although its electronic stabilisation is effective, the ultra-wide camera’s videos are notably worse, especially in low light. Many well-known shooting options are available in the camera app, including LOG video recording and Film, which allows you to capture images with a larger aspect ratio.
Verdict
Many OnePlus fans who have been hoping for a phone with a flagship SoC under Rs. 40,000, similar to the OnePlus 7T, would be attracted to the OnePlus 11R 5G. The 11R 5G won’t let you down if you play a lot of demanding mobile games and need a long battery life. Although the other cameras leave much to be desired, the main camera is likewise extremely capable. The fact that the 11R 5G looks exactly like the more costly 11 5G, giving it flaunt value, is what I believe many users are going to like the most.
For those who are still not persuaded, the Realme GT 3 should be making its way to India shortly. It will be similar to the 11R 5G in terms of specs, but it will allow 240W cable charging. The Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G (Review) is another excellent alternative to take into consideration for approximately the same price if you don’t care too much about the processor. This phone has excellent specifications, but it also includes wireless charging and an IP68 rating. Given that it is presently being offered at a lower price than the 11R 5G’s base variant, the top variant of the Nothing Phone 1 (Review) might also be worth considering.
The OnePlus 11R 5G may have been improved in a few areas, but overall, especially following the device from the previous year, I believe it’s a strong comeback.