Redmi 11 Prime 5G and Redmi 11 Prime 4G launched in India

Xiaomi has taken the wraps off the latest Redmi phones in the Redmi 11 series of smartphones in India, Redmi 11 Prime 5G and Redmi 11 Prime 5G. The 5G model of Redmi 11 Prime starts at Rs. 13,999, and the 4G model starts at Rs. 12,999. 

Both the phones come with different designs at the back but sports similar features and components, barring the SoC. One has a 5G chipset, Mediatek Dimensity 700, while the other has the latest Mediatek Helio G99 SoC.

Redmi 11 Prime 5G & Redmi 11 Prime 4G: Pricing and availability

Redmi 11 Prime 5G and Redmi 11 Prime 5G will be on sale on Amazon and Mi.com from September 9. It will be available on Mi home, Mi studio, Mi preferred partners and all retail outlets from the same date.

Here is the complete list of pricing with respective RAM and internal storage variants:

Redmi 11 Prime 5G: Key features and specifications 

Redmi 11 Prime 5G is the phone to get from the Redmi 11 Prime twins if you want 5G in your phone and you need your smartphone 5G ready when the 5G service starts. It comes with Mediatek Dimensity 700 SoC, the lowest-end 5G chipset from the Mediatek Dimensity series of chipsets. It is powerful enough but not as powerful as Mediatek Helio G99 from Redmi 11 Prime 4G.

It comes with a design language that's more commonly now found in Realme phones but looks good here. There is a 6.58-inch FHD+ LCD on the front with a 90Hz refresh rate. But this time, there is a waterdrop notch instead of a punch hole that every other phone was sporting last year. This display supports Xiaomi's AdaptiveSync technology that adjusts the refresh rate automatically according to the displayed content. 

There is a 50MP primary camera and a 2MP macro camera secondary. On the front, there is an 8MP snapper for selfies. 

The phone is backed up by a 5,000mAh battery with support for 18W fast charging, although a 22.5W charger comes in the box. 

Redmi 11 Prime 4G: Key features and specifications

Redmi 11 Prime 4G comes at a lower price than the 5G variant but comes with a more powerful chipset than the 5G variant, the Mediatek Helio G99 SoC. It is a newer chipset from Mediatek and is now one of the most powerful chipsets in the segment. It also uses the more recent 6nm fabrication process. 

Other features of the phone remain the same as that of the 5G variant, barring the back panel design. Redmi 11 Prime 4G looks utterly different from the 5G variant. The 5G variant objectively looks better, in my opinion. 

The 4G variants carry forwards the same camera setup, battery and charging from the Redmi 11 Prime 5G.

Underwhelming?

The 2022 phones are underwhelming; the phones launched in 2021 seem like a better deal compared to most of the phones of the previous year. 

For example, if you want a 5G phone from Redmi, you can get the Redmi Note 10T 5G launched the previous year, and it comes at the same price of Rs. 13,999 as the Redmi 11 Prime 5G. 

With Redmi Note 10T 5G, you're essentially getting a better-looking phone as it comes with a punch hole display. That phone is usually sold for a reduced price of Rs. 11,999 and Rs. 10,999 in Amazon sales.

The same is true with Redmi 11 Prime 4G if you look at Redmi Note 10S. It usually sells for Rs. 12,999 on sales but is now priced at Rs. 13,999. If you compare Redmi 11 Prime 4G with Redmi Note 10S, it is apparent that you are indeed getting a lower value for money than that phone. Redmi Note 10S comes with an AMOLED display with a punch hole display and has a 64MP quad camera with an ultra-wide camera. And there is support for 33W fast charging. All of these make the newer phone a lacklustre launch compared to the older phone from the same brand.

• Upcoming phone launches in India for September 2022