The OnePlus 11 ticks all the fitting containers, and though we did not get a Professional mannequin this time, the usual variant has all of the options you want in a high-end telephone in 2023. The telephone has a superb design, vibrant QHD+ display screen, stellar {hardware}, good battery life with quick charging, and wonderful cameras.
For me, the differentiator this yr is the cameras; OnePlus lastly obtained its act collectively, and the OnePlus 11 takes phenomenal images in nearly any lighting situation. Contemplating the telephone prices ₹56,999 ($696) in India, you might be getting loads on your cash.
However what in case you do not wish to pay that a lot? Fortunately, there’s an alternate only for Indian customers within the type of the OnePlus 11R. The 11R takes the basics of the usual OnePlus 11 and affords in a way more value-focused bundle, and the perfect half is that it will get the identical 50MP important digicam as the usual mannequin.
I wasn’t a fan of earlier fashions within the R collection; the 10R was one of many ugliest telephones I used final yr, and the 9R did not transfer the needle an excessive amount of. However with the OnePlus 11R, you get a tool that has the identical design and digicam because the OnePlus 11 however for considerably much less cash. When you’re in India, this is why I believe you need to get the OnePlus 11R in lieu of the OnePlus 11.
OnePlus 11R: Availability
OnePlus launched the OnePlus 11R alongside the OnePlus 11 and TV 65 Q2 Pro at its Cloud 11 occasion in New Delhi on February 7, and the telephone is now on sale in India. Like earlier launches within the R collection, the OnePlus 11R is proscribed to India, and will not make its technique to different markets. That mentioned, the identical mannequin is offered in China below the Ace 2 label.
The OnePlus 11R is offered in two variants in India: an 8GB/128GB mannequin that is promoting for ₹39,999 ($488), and a 16GB/256GB model that prices ₹44,999 ($550). That is significantly lower than the ₹56,999 ($696) that you simply’d be shelling out for the usual OnePlus 11 within the nation.
OnePlus 11R: Design
I used the OnePlus 11R for the higher a part of per week, and I wasn’t capable of inform the distinction between the gadget and the usual OnePlus 11. The 11R appears equivalent to the usual OnePlus 11 on the again, and the one distinction is the shortage of the Hasselblad brand in the midst of the digicam housing. It additionally misses out on the glittery sample that is seen on the digicam island of the OnePlus 11, however outdoors of these minor variances, these might be the identical telephone.
The truth that the 11R has the identical design as its costlier sibling provides it a way more upmarket look, and I’ve to say that this is among the best-looking telephones in its class. The 11R is a smidgen taller, wider, and thicker than the OnePlus 11, however you will solely discover it with each telephones side-by-side. I am utilizing the black model of the telephone, and it has the identical shiny end on the again as the usual mannequin.
Just like the common model, the 11R has wonderful in-hand really feel, and the load distribution is right. There’s additionally the alert slider, and the ports are in the identical location as the usual mannequin: you will discover a dual-SIM slot on the backside, IR blaster up high, and the amount button on the left. You get the identical Gorilla Glass 5 layer on the again as the usual mannequin.
It is good to see the alert slider intact on the telephone — that is nonetheless an enormous {hardware} differentiator for OnePlus. That mentioned, the 11R misses out on IP64 ranking, so you do not get any kind of resistance in opposition to the weather. It ought to nonetheless climate the occasional splash of rain or water, however with out an official ingress safety ranking, any kind of water harm is not going to be lined by the guarantee.
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As a result of the 11R is aimed on the mid-range class, it makes use of a plastic mid-frame as an alternative of the metallic housing that is featured in the usual mannequin. Once more, you will solely discover the distinction when utilizing the telephone subsequent to the OnePlus 11.
One other space the place the gadget differs to the usual mannequin is the situation of the fingerprint sensor; it sits too low on the display screen, so you will should awkwardly maneuver your thumb to unlock the telephone. I had this situation on the OnePlus 9 collection, however OnePlus mounted the positioning of the optical module on the OnePlus 10 collection and the OnePlus 11, so I do not actually know why the 11R has the sensor additional under on the display screen. It makes unlocking the telephone extra cumbersome than it must be, and I needed to swap to face unlock as an alternative.
Apart from that quibble and the shortage of water resistance, OnePlus obtained the fundamentals proper with the 11R. This can be a handsome telephone that has an awesome in-hand really feel, and in contrast to final yr, the alert slider is undamaged. That is mainly one of many best OnePlus phones of 2023.
OnePlus 11R: Show
The OnePlus 11 contains a 6.74-inch AMOLED panel with an FHD+ (2772 x 1240) decision and 120Hz refresh. You get HDR10+ and HLG, and whereas the general brightness is touted to be 1,450 nits for HDR content material, that does not measure up in real-world use. When viewing the identical HDR content material on the 11R and the usual mannequin, the latter was constantly brighter and did a greater job managing colours.
Equally, the 11R misses out on LTPO, with the telephone as an alternative switching between 60Hz and 120Hz. Because of this, you do not get the identical stellar battery figures as the usual mannequin, however there are not any points as such in every day use — the display screen feels fluid whereas searching, going by way of social media, and usually navigating the interface.
The OnePlus 11R makes use of the identical curved sides because the common model, and I believe OnePlus ought to have supplied a flat show as an alternative. That may have made the gadget stand out a bit extra as not everybody likes a curved display screen. That mentioned, the curvature itself is marginal, and it does not really feel unwieldy to make use of. On that be aware, I am not a fan of the positioning of the selfie digicam — it is situated within the middle, and the massive cutout is extra intrusive than the usual mannequin, the place it’s on the aspect.
Whereas the telephone does not have the most recent Qualcomm silicon, the {hardware} on supply is greater than ample for demanding video games. That mentioned, the 11R is proscribed to 60fps for gaming, so even for titles that transcend 60fps, that is not potential — this can be a limitation on the OnePlus 11 as properly.
You get an honest collection of always-on modes, and just like the OnePlus 11, the contextual information that was meant to go reside two years in the past continues to be not out there, so you will not be capable of monitor the likes of Swiggy and Zomato instantly on the house display screen. There’s stereo sound right here, and it’s first rate sufficient for streaming the occasional YouTube video.
General, the OnePlus 11R does not fairly measure as much as the usual OnePlus 11 on this regard, however the panel high quality is ok contemplating what the gadget prices, and in the end, that is what issues on the finish of the day.
OnePlus 11R: Efficiency and battery
This will likely be a comparatively brief part as there is not a lot to speak about on the {hardware} aspect of issues. The OnePlus 11R is powered by the Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1, and it completely flies in every day use — you will not discover any slowdowns or lag in every day use. The software program does not have main shortcomings both, and that greater than the rest is the largest differentiator over final yr.
The telephone handles demanding video games with out breaking a sweat, and it is simple to see that there is lots of overhead relating to the {hardware}. Certain, there may be some overheating after prolonged use — that is the place the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 does higher — however the gadget was by no means uncomfortably sizzling.
| Class | OnePlus 11R |
|---|---|
| OS | OxygenOS 13, Android 13 |
| Show | 6.74-inch 120Hz AMOLED, FHD+ (2772 x 1240), Gorilla Glass 5 |
| Chipset | Qualcomm Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1, 1 x 3.0GHz Cortex X2, 3 x 2.5GHz Cortex A710, 4 x 1.8GHz Cortex A510, Adreno 730, 4nm |
| RAM | 8GB/16GB LPDDR5X |
| Storage | 128GB/256GB UFS 3.1 |
| Rear digicam 1 | 50MP Sony IMX890, f/1.8 1/1.56-inch sensor, PDAF, OIS, 8K at 30fps, 4K at 60fps |
| Rear digicam 2 | 8MP f/2.2 wide-angle lens, 120-degree FoV |
| Rear digicam 3 | 2MP f/2.4 macro |
| Entrance digicam | 16MP Sony IMX471, mounted focus |
| Connectivity | Sub-6 5G, Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.3, NFC |
| Audio | Stereo sound, USB-C audio |
| Audio codecs | AptX, AptX HD, LDAC, LHDC, SBC, AAC |
| Ingress Safety | None |
| Safety | In-screen optical fingerprint module |
| Battery | 5000mAh, 100W quick charging |
| Dimensions | 163.4 x 74.3 x 8.7mm. 204g |
| Colours | Black, Silver |
You get 8GB of LPDDR5X RAM as customary, and there is a 16GB variant as properly. Each the 128GB and 256GB storage variants function UFS 3.1 modules, and also you miss out on UFS 4.0. That is not an enormous omission contemplating UFS 3.1 continues to be lots quick for nearly any use case for the time being. The telephone has ample 5G bands to be used in India, and also you get Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.3, NFC, and the standard AptX HD audio codec.
As for battery life, I had zero points getting the telephone to final a full day with heavy use. That is all the way down to the massive 5000mAh battery, and even with display screen time exceeding six hours over the course of an 18-hour day, the OnePlus 11R hovered over the 15% mark.
OnePlus did not make any modifications to the battery tech, with the gadget providing the identical 100W wired charging as the usual OnePlus 11. Once more, this can be a particular win for the gadget, and whereas the 10R had 150W charging final yr, there is not an excessive amount of of a distinction in real-world charging eventualities.
You may discover the identical 100W USB-A charger within the field because the OnePlus 11, and in my testing, it took 28 minutes to completely cost the battery on the 11R.
OnePlus 11R: Cameras
The primary spotlight of the OnePlus 11R needs to be the truth that it makes use of the identical 50MP Sony IMX890 important digicam because the OnePlus 11. This permits the gadget to take fabulous images in difficult situations, and offers it a definite edge over most mid-range telephones out there within the nation. Just like the OnePlus 11, the 11R options OIS for the 50MP lens.
Whereas it is fantastic to see that the 11R will get the identical important digicam as its costlier sibling, the auxiliary cameras aren’t well worth the trouble in any respect. There’s an 8MP wide-angle lens with a 120-degree area of view, and a 2MP macro lens. Most manufacturers have switched to utilizing wide-angle lenses with autofocus that double as macro shooters, however that is not the case right here — the 11R will get a fixed-focus wide-angle lens, and a ineffective macro shooter that ought to by no means have made its method into the gadget.
Compounding the difficulty is that the wide-angle lens does not supply 4K video recording, and also you’re restricted to 1080p at 30fps. The digicam interface itself is just like the OnePlus 11 — albeit with out the orange accents — and it is simple sufficient to entry all of the capturing modes and swap between the wide-angle and important lens. The telephone does 2x digital zoom, however even that is strictly common.
What’s noticeable after utilizing the 11R side-by-side with the OnePlus 11 is how comparable it’s to its costlier sibling when taking images with the 50MP lens. Regardless that it misses out on the Hasselblad tuning, there is not a complete lot that is totally different between the 2 gadgets. Certain, the OnePlus 11 has barely hotter tones and higher coloration vibrancy, however the 11R does an unimaginable job in its personal proper.
You get wonderful pictures in low-light conditions, with the 11R constantly delivering photographs with minimal noise, correct colours, and good element. It holds its personal in opposition to the usual mannequin, and whereas the OnePlus 11 is ready to handle highlights higher and supply finer element, the 11R is not far behind.
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The primary 50MP digicam produces beautiful images in daylight eventualities, with the resultant pictures providing correct colours and good dynamic vary total. The identical is true in low-light conditions as properly, and whereas there are a number of conditions the place the publicity is barely decrease, switching to the devoted Night time mode mounted these shortcomings.
I haven’t got something adverse to say about the principle lens — OnePlus did all the fitting issues with the 11R. Nevertheless, the 8MP wide-angle lens is not anyplace pretty much as good because the 48MP module you will discover on the OnePlus 11; it does not have the identical coloration steadiness and struggles to take care of element in difficult conditions. I am not even going to trouble speaking in regards to the 2MP macro because it simply is not value it.
When you want the flexibility, then the OnePlus 11 is the go-to selection. However in case you intend to make use of the 50MP important digicam more often than not and do not thoughts the shoddy wide-angle lens, the OnePlus 11R is an efficient discount.
OnePlus 11R: Software program
The OnePlus 11R is operating the identical Android 13-based OxygenOS 13 construct as the usual mannequin, and in my utilization, I did not see something that was totally different. Now, the software program state of affairs on OnePlus telephones wants a little bit of a clarification; though the software program says it’s OxygenOS, what you get right here is ColorOS 13 with a unique identify.
As I lined in my OnePlus 11 assessment, there is not something in OxygenOS 13 that you do not already get in ColorOS 13, and for all intents and functions, each skins are one and the identical. Having mentioned that, you will discover loads to love in OxygenOS 13, and the interface lastly feels secure — that wasn’t the case for a lot of the final two years.
So when you not get the clear and uncluttered interface that was an enormous differentiator in years previous, the UI appears trendy, and it has a number of Materials You influences, just like the dynamic coloration picker. You additionally get an honest degree of customizability right here, and in case you do not thoughts the overt styling, there’s a lot to love.
As for software program updates, the OnePlus 11R will get three years of Android OS updates together with 4 years of safety patches, and that is one yr lower than the usual mannequin. Meaning the telephone will swap to Android 16 as soon as that turns into out there in a number of years’ time, however as for the timeliness of these updates, we’ll have to attend and see.
OnePlus 11R: The competitors
There’s countless selection on this class, and if you’d like the perfect cameras, the Pixel 6a continues to be my advice. The telephone does not value as a lot because the OnePlus 11R, and when you miss out on a 120Hz panel, that’s its solely shortcoming. The {hardware} is unimaginable in every day use, you get the identical variety of software program updates, and I am keen on Google’s design aesthetic. The software program is a key differentiator as properly, with Google providing a clear interface with Materials You design and 0 bloatware.
The Galaxy S21 FE is an honest sufficient selection, and though the gadget launched over a yr in the past, it nonetheless holds its personal in opposition to its rivals. The telephone feels nice to carry and use, will get to Android 16, and I like what Samsung is doing with One UI 5.1. The S21 FE does not cost as quick, however the battery life is on par with different mid-range telephones, and the cameras take good images in any state of affairs.
If you need a tool that stands out, Realme’s GT 2 Professional can be a contender. I used this telephone for a bit final yr and appreciated it fairly a bit; the distinctive polymer again provides the gadget lots of character, and it is not brief on energy. You get wonderful cameras on the again, and the wide-angle lens does a superb job — it is positively a lower above the 11R. You may discover comparable shortcomings on the software program aspect, however Realme OS is secure, and it’s on Android 13.
OnePlus 11R: Do you have to purchase it?
You can purchase this if:
- You need a telephone that holds its personal in opposition to the most recent flagships
- You want high-end {hardware} that is nice for gaming
- You need a telephone with a big battery and ultra-fast charging
- You need the perfect worth
You should not purchase this if:
- You need a good wide-angle lens
- You want an IP ranking
- You need a gadget with 4 Android OS updates
When you’re in India and just like the look of the OnePlus 11, you’d wish to contemplate the 11R as an alternative. The 50MP important digicam is unchanged between the 2 gadgets, and in consequence the 11R takes terrific images in difficult eventualities. The truth that you are getting it for ₹17,000 lower than the OnePlus 11 is a terrific discount.
OnePlus omitted a number of issues to get to that determine: there is no IP ranking, the auxiliary cameras aren’t value your time, the display screen does not get fairly as vivid, and I hate the positioning of the fingerprint sensor. Whereas it does not have an effect on usability, the mid-frame is made out of plastic and does not really feel pretty much as good because the common mannequin. Moreover, the OnePlus 11R will get one fewer software program replace.
When you do not thoughts the omissions and need a gadget that delivers the perfect worth on this class, then sure, the OnePlus 11R is for you. The truth that you do not actually miss out in key areas makes recommending the gadget loads simpler, and also you’re getting lots of worth on your cash.
The OnePlus 11R provides you an identical 50MP digicam because the OnePlus 11, the identical 5000mAh battery with 100W charging, and the identical design. Certain, it does not have all of the options of its costlier siblings, however if you wish to maximize worth, that is the OnePlus telephone to purchase in India.